It’s a Pinsa Party at the Newest Wine Bar in the Arts District

Propaganda, a new wine bar highlighting organic, natural, and biodynamic selections, has opened on 3rd St. in the Arts District, on the ground floor of the Aliso Apartments building just down the block from Hauser & Wirth. It’s the brainchild of San Francisco restaurant vet Claudio Villani, whose resume includes AltoVino, Quince, and Perbacco, and designer Yan Wong. The wine list veers heavily toward Italy, while a snacky menu includes tinned fish, salumi, and antipasti like a calabrian anchovy crostone (anchovies, burrata cream, piquillo peppers, and pesto Genovese on toasted country bread).

But the real menu star is pinsa, a Roman-style pizza with a light, crisp crust made from 72-hour fermented dough. Pinsa options include the mortazza (mortadella di Bologna IGP, stracciatella di burrata, Parmesan, and toasted pistachio) and amatriciana (tomatoes, guanciale, smoked Pecorino crema, black pepper, and Calabrian chili). Propaganda is open at 950 E. 3rd Street, Tuesday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Reviews in the news

In this week’s New York Times, California critic Tejal Rao tips her hat to Wes Avila, the former Guerilla Tacos chef now “breaking into the third act” at Angry Egret Dinette. The mostly positive review, which includes a glowing shout-out for Avila’s Baja fish tacos, highlights the restaurant’s “distinctly Los Angeles sensibility: fine-dining-quality ingredients, handled with care, but served without any of the associated pretensions.” Read the review.

Meanwhile, former Los Angeles Magazine restaurant critic and food writer/author Patric Kuh has a new gig. After years running the show at The Arthur J in Manhattan Beach, he’s now joined the team at the iconic Cassell’s Hamburgers in Koreatown. Congratulations to Patric.

About those $21 smoothies

Los Angeles Times reporter Lucas Kwan Peterson took on the task of trying all 20 smoothies on Erewhon’s menu (apparently ordering 11 of them during a single visit). According to Peterson, the hits included Hailey Bieber’s $17 Strawberry Glaze smoothie made with Harry’s Berries; a $21 Strawberry Probiotic number didn’t fare quite as well. Here are his takes on the whole slew of smoothies.

Openings, new menus, and pop-ups everywhere

• Mexican and Jewish pop-up Malli, a regular at Silver Lake’s Melody Wine Bar, is coming to Venice for the first time. Catch chefs Elizabeth Heitner and Nestor Silva at Dudley Market for a few nights this month (July 15, 20, and 21), where they’ll create a menu featuring fish caught by the Dudley team.
• Cobi’s, the bustling, beautiful Southeast Asian spot on Main Street in Santa Monica, has started serving brunch. From 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, dig into new dishes like duck hash and Hainan rice congee, as well as classics like beef rendang.
• Fred and Nyesha Hopson are bringing their barbecue pop-up Ribs in LA to the Venice hangout Townhouse this Sunday at 4 p.m., the first of a series of pop-ups at the beachside bar this summer and fall.
• Acclaimed Barcelona bar Two Schmucks (no. 11 on the World’s Best Bars list) is popping up at DTLA’s Broken Shaker this Sunday from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. The bar will offer its “Five Star Dime Bar” menu of cocktails featuring Fords Gin, including the Schmuck 2020 (a martini and a shot of beer).
• The Rising Sun House is a new New Orleans-influenced breakfast takeout window that serves shrimp and grits, fried chicken po’ boys, sugar-dusted beignets, sweet tea, and the like in the Arts District. Stop by Wednesday through Sunday (hours vary).
• You can put an egg on it — if “it” is a Window burger. A cheeseburger with an egg on top is just one option on a new breakfast menu at the Silver Lake location as of July 16, served from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There’s also a breakfast sandwich and a steak and egg burrito. The full menu is below.