LA’s Newest Bagel Contender Opens in Santa Monica From a Tartine and Gjusta Alum

A new bagel shop called Layla debuts this Saturday, January 14 at 1614 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica. Sergio Espana, a Tartine and Gjusta alum, will be baking a bagel that he describes as a cross between Montreal and New York styles. “What makes the bagels great is that we’re incorporating levain, better known as sourdough, into the mix to help break down some of the gluten making it easier to digest,” Espana tells Eater. The bagels, which come in flavors like plain, poppy, sesame, and everything, are “not sweet or too dense, but very flavorful and light,” he says.

Chef Sammi Tarantino oversees the full menu, which includes coffee, lighter breakfast options like a parfait and overnight oats, plus nine different bagel sandwiches that are available in full and half orders. The 1,500-square-foot bakery has indoor and outdoor seating. Layla is open from Wednesday through Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and plans to expand its hours soon.

Tipping is weird now

Journalist Charlie Warzel writes about tipping in an article for The Atlantic. Modern ⁠⁠point-of-sale machines from companies like Toast, Square, and Clover have created a “tipping culture centered on quick button taps rather than loose change,” he writes. While these new technologies can be convenient for business owners and consumers, it also highlights the “injustices in our modern economy.”

Come one, come all to Santa Ynez Valley restaurant week

The 13th annual Santa Ynez Valley restaurant week takes place from January 16 to 31. Many of the region’s best restaurants are offering three-course menus for $30, $40, or $50 (plus tax and gratuity) including Hitching Post 2 in Buellton, Bar Le Côte in Los Olivos, Bell’s Los Alamos, Coast Range in Solvang, and First & Oak in Solvang.

A brand-new vegan sushi restaurant

For those interested in sampling plant-based Japanese fare, check out Kusaki in West LA. A joint venture between restaurateur Jade Estrella and chef Dillon Bolin, Kusaki opens tomorrow, January 13, with an a la carte menu and a five- or seven-course omakase menu served at the eight-seat sushi bar. Bolin previously worked at Michelin-starred restaurant Sushi Bar.

Is the food at the Original Farmers Market any good?

Follow along as Time Out’s restaurant critic Patricia Kelly Yeo eats her way through the Original Farmers Market. She’ll publish her findings weekly in an ongoing column called Table at Third & Fairfax. Thus far she’s deemed longtime diner Du-Par’s “worth trying,” while Waffleshot gets a hard pass.