Popular all-day option Sightglass in Hollywood is readying for a whole new chapter, though from the outside it may seem like a return to early 2020 form. The restaurant, coffee roastery, and marketplace on Willoughby in the Hollywood Media District opened just two days before citywide lockdowns took effect on March 15, 2020, meaning owners Jerad and Justin Morrison never really had the opportunity to fully welcome diners inside. Instead, the 12,300-square-foot corner space pivoted (like many others) to selling grocery goods and socially distanced daytime takeaway sales, though diners have more recently been allowed on the back patio and in some of the inside seats.
Now changes are afoot, as Sightglass seeks to revert some of its footprint back to on-site dining, with hours from breakfast through early dinner (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily). That means coffee and pastries to start, plus salads, sandwiches, and wine for the afternoon to evening push. Diners can still get food to go, or dine inside (or on the patio), and can even open alcohol purchased from the grocery area to drink on-site. What’s more, chef Brett Cooper (formerly of San Francisco’s Aster) is no longer leading the culinary charge; James Beard-nominated chef Jill Bartolome, who has been heading up the pastry department from the outset, will oversee the entire — and largely new — menu, which is posted below. The Sightglass Hollywood shift goes down on Friday, September 24.
In other news:
- Roots Indian Bistro is set to open September 25 at 7265 Melrose Avenue, in the former MJ’s Grill space. Elsewhere in Hollywood, beloved Thai restaurant Luv2Eat Thai Bistro was recently burglarized.
- A one-night pop-up called Soul Food Gyro is taking up residence at Burgers 99 this Thursday, with hours from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Up in Burbank, Heavy Handed is cooking burgers alongside the CVT soft serve ice cream truck this Friday night. In the Arts District, vendors at the ongoing Vegan Playground will all be experimenting with new plant-based OmniPork for a one-off showcase on September 29 at Boomtown Brewery. In Newport Beach, jazz is back inside the tent at Bayside on Thursday night.
- The teams from Sonoratown, Tacos 1986, and Mexicali Taco recently appeared on an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, squaring off for a three-way taco taste test.
- Burnt Basque-style cheesecake has taken over dessert menus everywhere, says Resy, thanks in part to the popularity of the dish at Santa Monica’s Pasjoli.
- Birds in Hollywood is raising money to support longtime customer James Michael Tyler, an actor best known for playing Gunther on the long-running TV show Friends, as he battles prostate cancer.
- Rams defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day’s food show Dine N Bash is back for season two. The Youtube show pairs Los Angeles food with celebrity guests.