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Pablitos Tacos owner Danny Rodriguez has opened up a big new hub for all of his related restaurant concepts in Chinatown, dubbing the space Pablito’s World. The plan, Rodriguez tells Eater, is to turn the space into a ‘fresh take on the food court’ by consolidating everything under one roof. The building at 686 N. Spring Street opened yesterday serving both Pablitos Tacos — a Mexican-Peruvian mix with lots of Tijuana influence that Rodriguez has already found a ton of success with across the San Fernando Valley — and Pablito’s Pizza, a fusion pizza joint serving along Vineland in North Hollywood. The building will also house two new ideas: Pablito’s Chicken for rotisserie chicken and lomo saltado, and Mikaza Express, an offshoot of Downtown’s Mikaza Nikkei, serving Japanese-Peruvian bento boxes, rolls, and ceviches.
In practice, the Pablito’s World space is less of a traditional food court and more akin to a modern ghost kitchen setup where customers enter through a single door and order from multiple menus via a digital kiosk. And while there are some limited seats available on site, this will mostly be a place for customers to grab and go, while also extending Rodriguez’s delivery radius deep into Downtown.
A new writing role
Longtime Los Angeles food writer Garrett Snyder has a new gig, announcing this week on Twitter that he has taken the role of Senior Editor for the Los Angeles hub of JPMorgan Chase-owned Infatuation. Congrats to him.
The beginning of brunch
Selva in Long Beach has launched a weekend brunch menu. The Colombian restaurant from chef Carlos Jurado (Husk, the French Laundry) offers everything from avocado patacon with fried plantains to a Colombian-style hot dog and more — plus mimosa flights, naturally. Hours for brunch are Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
New locations to know
The closed Umami Burger location in Los Feliz is becoming a second location for smashburger restaurant Burger She Wrote, says food writer Joshua Lurie. The Beverly Boulevard original, not far from the Grove, now steps east to a vital block of Hollywood Boulevard after having first teased the upcoming address back in April.
Up in Northridge, popular Japanese marketplace and food court chain Mitsuwa is opening at 8990 Tampa Avenue this fall. Expect lots of on-site eats, takeaway snacks, and a variety of home cooking needs at the former Pier 1 Imports location when it opens later this year, reports the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.
Over in Santa Monica, sandwich pop-up BreadHead — which formerly operated out of Beverly Hills — is now up and running inside hard kombucha tasting room June Shine at 2914 Main Street. Find focaccia sandwiches and all the sides starting this week.
