A Big All-Day West Hollywood Restaurant Is Closing on New Year’s Day

Four-year West Hollywood restaurant compound Conservatory is closing at the end of the year. The corner space (which actually encompasses a dinnertime dining room, semi-open-air bar, a separate lounge area, multiple patios, and a daytime walk-up cafe window) sits just across from Hamburger Mary’s on busy Santa Monica Boulevard and has been a hub for locals looking to get everything from grab-and-go breakfast burritos to a late-evening drink. Owner Paul Kalt of real estate development firm the Kalt Group says on Instagram that he’s going to “dedicate more time to ongoing projects and begin work on some exciting, new hospitality concepts.” Kalt’s Conservatory first made waves back in 2018 for its stunning build-out and historic location along Route 66; the cafe building was the original home of Irv’s Burgers, which has since relocated and reopened with a classic look not far away.

Fans looking to score one last meal at Conservatory will have until January 2 to do so. Options include regular weeknight dinner in addition to a big New Year’s Eve bash and a $125 per person five-course Christmas Eve dinner, available by reservation.

Street vendors step up

A collection of street vendors have come together to sue Los Angeles over the city’s prohibited vendor zones. While street vending has been legalized at the state and local level for a while now, many struggles remain with the program from all sides, including proper licensing and outreach. The vendors say, per the Los Angeles Times, that as fully licensed small businesses they are being unfairly targeted for enforcement and exclusion.

A holiday pub crawl bonanza

Got nothing better to do and a Santa suit burning a hole in a closet somewhere? The 14th annual Santa (Monica) Pub Crawl is taking over the standalone Westside city again on Saturday, December 17. Dubbed the largest holiday crawl on the West Coast, the festive holiday party will see groups of thousands of drinkers descend on a host of bars and restaurants in three distinct crawl zones starting at 5 p.m., with food and drink deals along the way. Tickets start around $20, with a portion of proceeds going to the Westside Food Bank.

All the winners everywhere

Looking for a collection of year-end round-ups of best restaurants and hot openings? Well now is the season for just such a thing, with Forbes listing out its favorites (including Pijja Palace, Yangban Society, and Dear Jane’s), TimeOut offering its own praise (for Kuya Lord, Pizzeria Sei, Manzke, among others), Resy’s blog highlighting “defining” LA restaurants (Anajak Thai, Bar Moruno, and more) and Infatuation weighing in with spots like Saffy’s, Pearl River Deli, and Dunsmoor earning 2022 nods.

Hannukah to remember

Avi Cue is popping up inside Animal on Fairfax for Hanukkah, with a lunch-through-dinner menu running from December 18 to December 24. The fire-roasted meat specialist who first rose to fame hosting private backyard cooks will be offering a dine-in, takeout, and delivery menu that includes arayes, shawarma sandwiches, plates, dessert, and more.