IDG teaming up with Gino Angelini to open Italian restaurant

Innovative Dining Group says it has collaborated with chef and restaurateur Gino Angelini, of Angelini Osteria, to open a fine-dining Italian restaurant in West Hollywood that will debut in the fall.

The 8,000-square-foot restaurant will take over part of the space formerly occupied by Hamburger Hamlet at 9201 W. Sunset Blvd. IDG will divide the old Hamlet space into two ventures, one the new Italian restaurant and the other a Chinese cuisine concept.

The restaurant's name and menu specifics will be announced in the coming months but for now, Italian food aficionados can expect Angelini's menu to include pastas, pizzas and entrées incorporating classic Italian cooking techniques very much like those developed at his beloved Angelini Osteria.

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-- Caitlin Keller

Photo: Gino Angelini at his restaurant, Angelini Osteria. Credit: Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

'Moveable Feasts' dinner series by Los Angeles Nomadic Division

 

 

The nonprofit public art initiative known as Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND) was founded in 2009 to curate site- and situation-specific contemporary art projects in L.A. and farther afield.

The organization has featured "Nomadic Nights," an ongoing series of events, in various locations throughout L.A. that reflect the diverse ways in which contemporary artists engage and present visual culture through their work, performances and ideas.

New to the organization this year is "Moveable Feasts," a dinner series that incorporates elements similar to "Nomadic Nights" by making art accessible to the public but is different in that the engagement of people and culture will be more intimate through the added component of food.

"Moveable Feasts" will take place at restaurants throughout the city once a month. Each event will be held in honor of a different artist, will take place in a different neighborhood of L.A. and will feature a specially selected three-course menu. As of now, four dinners are planned for January through April at locations in West Hollywood, Venice and downtown.

On Sunday, LAND will host its first of the "Moveable Feasts" series with a dinner at Lucques on Melrose Avenue in honor of L.A.-based artist Mungo Thomson. Thomson, whose work includes various media  exploring backgrounds and space, was part of LAND's exhibition "The Secret Knows" in Austin, Texas, "The Secret (Still) Knows" in L.A. and "Nothing Beside Remains" in Marfa, Texas.

Tickets to the event are $150 per person and include a three-course dinner with wine as well as a signed copy of Thomson's People, a magazine created by Thomson that addresses reception and empty space.

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--Caitlin Keller

Image Credit: Mungo Thomson, People, 2011. A LAND Exhibition: Nothing Beside Remains.

Farmshop to open artisan market Jan. 29

Farmshop in the Brentwood Country Mart is welcoming a new addition to Jeff Cerciello's restaurant and bakery: a full-scale artisan market.

The market, comparable in size to the restaurant itself, boasts a deli, cheese and charcuterie counters, products such as Jessica Koslow's Sqirl preserves and seasonally inspired prepared foods. Also stocked on the market's shelves are California wines, craft beers and housewares from L.A. favorites including Heath ceramics.

Managing the floor is Emiliano Lee. With years of experience working as a cheese monger and manager (and even a "fresh foods wrangler" who sourced sustainably farmed produce) while working at Liberty Heights Fresh in Salt Lake City, Farmshop's new hire knows his cheese.

Lee, a Bay Area native, is thrilled to launch a market filled with foods crafted in California. The advocate brings farmstead American cheeses to Farmshop's cheese counter from Oregon and Vermont but mainly from California producers such as Bellwether Farms, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Cowgirl Creamery, Cypress Grove Chevre, Marin French Cheese, Franklin's Cheese, Vella Cheese, Laura Chenel's Chevre, Andante Dairy, Garden Variety Cheese and Bleating Heart.

With the market in place, Cerciello and team are working to add an educational component with dinners, tasting events, cooking demonstrations and book signings on the horizon.

The artisan market at Farmshop will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

225 26th St., Suite 25, Santa Monica, (310) 566-2400, farmshopla.com.

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International foodie spring flings

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-- Caitlin Keller

Photo: Farmshop's artisan market. Credit: Spencer Lowell

International foodie spring flings

If you're thinking about traveling this spring -- and not by car -- here are a few international destinations to consider:

The world's largest cookbook fair will take place in Paris in the spring. "Ooh la la" is right. The Paris Cookbook Fair happens March 7 to 11 with the first three days set aside for professionals to gather, with the final two days opened to the public. The fair brings together cookbook devotees for book presentations, cooking demonstrations, cheese and wine tastings, food exhibitions and of course cookbook purchasing. For more information, check out www.cookbookfair.com.

The Mast Brothers, Rick and Michael, are heading to Belize to connect with their cacao suppliers and celebrate chocolate during their first annual Chocolate Week in April, from the 14th to 21st. The two brothers own and operate Mast Brothers Chocolate in Brooklyn where their handcrafted bars of chocolate are individually, not to mention beautifully, wrapped and sold at their tasting room, on their website and at online stores such as Dean & Deluca. The brothers are inviting chocolate lovers to join them on their voyage to Belize to visit their farmers, eat, drink and partake in other adventures while abroad. For more information, email chocolateweek@mastbrothers.com.

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Coachella 2012: What will you be eating?

5 Questions for Charlie Parker

Folklore: Pity the parsnip

--Caitlin Keller

Coachella 2012: What will you be eating?

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will take over the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif.,  for two consecutive weekends in April, the 13th to the 15th and 20th to 22nd.

If you were lucky enough to snag tickets to this year's sold-out festival, you are probably glossing over the line-up on the daily and figuring out carpool and sleeping arrangements in between sporadic gusts of excitement and fits of disbelief that you are going to see Radiohead, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, Florence and the Machine, the Shins and the Black Keys, among many, many others.

You are probably not the least bit worried about what you will be eating during your three-day stay in Indio because, well, you've got a lot of other preparations to think about. But, you'll be happy to know that Coachella's got you covered anyway.

You won't go hungry in this desert. Whether you're looking for street food or raw and gluten-free options, there's a little something for every stomach inside the venue and campgrounds. Big name food trucks such as Kogi, Border Grill, Gravy Train Poutinerie Truck, Coolhaus and the Greasy Wiener will be stocking up supplies and heading out to Indio.

Vendors such as Spicy Pie, selling New York-style pizza, and Waffleman Ice Cream Sandwiches will also be setting up shop at the festival's food area, known as the Terrace, along with a number of local restaurants, including Jackelope Ranch, Las Casuelas Quinta, Fisherman's Market & Grill, La Quinta Baking Co. and a beer garden.

A genius addition, and probably a much needed health kick after filling up on spicy pork burritos from Kogi and Coolhaus' ice cream all weekend, is a certified farmers market featuring local, pesticide-free and organic produce, juices, baked goods and snacks.

For more information on Coachella's eating options, check out www.coachella.com.

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-- Caitlin Keller

Photo: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Credit: Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times

Stocking stuffers: Dish towels, a canister and honey sampler, oh my!

Christmas is right around the corner and whether you are a planner or procrastinator when it comes to shopping, there's still time left for stuffing, I mean really stuffing, those stockings. We've posted gift ideas over the last month and, with a little under a week to go, here are a few more:

The poppy pattern on the Marimekko Pieni Unikko dish towels is simple in design but bold and bright in color. The pattern was designed in 1964 by Maija Isola and has remained the most popular Marimekko print. Pick up a set of two for $29 at Crate and Barrel.

Anthropologie carries this pastoral-looking ceramic canister. The gorgeous ivory clay and olive wood "Verdant" jar is perfect for cookie storing. Find it online or at an Anthropologie store for $78.

The Ames Farm honey sampler set from Terrain fits the bill for any tea or cornbread enthusiast. Learn where a specific honey was collected in Ames' searchable bee yard database, which provides the geographic location, time period and flavor profile of each jar collected from the farm's 300 hives in Minnesota. The set of five 2-oz. jars is $24.

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-- Caitlin Keller

Photo credits (clockwise): crateandbarrel.com; anthropologie.com; shopterrain.com

Holiday restaurant roundup: Even more

Last week we listed several restaurants around L.A. that are keeping their doors open for anyone wanting to dine out this holiday season. Whether you're looking to keep it laid back with Chinese food and a movie or jazz it up with a prix-fixe menu, there's something for everyone. Here are even more restaurants to add to our previously posted restaurant roundup:

Ink: On New Year's Eve, Michael Voltaggio's recently opened restaurant is offering a five-course tasting menu for $125, with the option of beverage pairings for an additional $75. For more information call (323) 651-5866. 8360 Melrose Ave., L.A., (323) 651-5866, mvink.com.

The Foundry on Melrose: The restaurant is celebrating Christmas Eve differently than most, with Chinese food and movies. Get your fix of egg rolls, chicken mu shu, empress soup and Chinese broccoli while feasting your eyes on two films that will be chosen by diners who vote via Facebook beforehand. (In the running are "The Goonies," "Indiana Jones" and "Trading Places.") Christmas Eve dinner and a movie costs $39 per person. 7465 Melrose Ave., L.A., (323) 651-0915, thefoundryonmelrose.com.

Rustic Canyon: The wine bar and seasonal kitchen will be closed Christmas Eve and day but will be open New Year's Eve. Diners will choose eight of fifteen menu options to be shared, family-style, by the table at $85 per person. A warm lobster salad and pork belly confit with crispy collard greens and Anson Mills grits are among the offerings. 1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 393-7050, rusticcanyonwinebar.com.

Terranea Resort: The oceanfront hotel in Rancho Palos Verdes has three options for dining this New Year's Eve. Its signature restaurant, Mar'sel, will offer a prix-fixe menu with selections like truffle-poached oysters and terrine of Sonoma foie gras, while those looking for dancing and music can head to the ballroom, which will be stocked with food and bar stations, not to mention champagne. Families celebrating together can fill up on butter-poached Maine lobster and a roasted rack of lamb, among other dishes, at Catalina Kitchen's buffet. The price for Mar'sel's first seating is $95 per person, and for the second, $145; the ballroom celebration is $50 per person; and the buffet is $89 per person. 100 Terranea Way, Rancho Palos Verdes, (310) 265-2836, terranea.com.

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Photo credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

Andrew Zimmern from 'Bizarre Foods' to stop by Royal/T in January

On Jan. 13, Royal/T Cafe and Andrew Zimmern, the TV personality behind the Travel Channel's "Bizarre Foods," will team up for a pop-up dinner themed "California Dreaming."

The pop-art-inspired exhibition space in Culver City is hosting the culinary event, which will reflect Zimmern's take on California cuisine while introducing Angelenos to innovative ideas and out-of-the-ordinary foods.

The five-course dinner menu will feature sea urchin and yellow-tomato-vegetable aspic; linguine; a veal tongue tartare and chile-braised lambs tongue quesadilla; a grilled Broken Arrow Ranch venison chop and a cioccolato orrare da gustare for dessert.

Tickets to the event are $150 per person and can be purchased online.
                      
8910 Washington Blvd., Culver City, (310) 559-6300, royal-t.org.

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-- Caitlin Keller

Photo: Andrew Zimmern. Credit: Stuart Freedman / Travel Channel

Christmas and New Year's restaurant roundup

Looking to celebrate Christmas and New Year's out on the town? Whether you're in the mood for caviar and truffles, prime rib, roasted leg of lamb, crab salad, sushi or a pizza party, several restaurants are here to help with the festivities: 

Bäco Mercat: The new downtown restaurant from chef Josef Centeno is celebrating Christmas Eve and New York's Eve with family-style dinners. On Christmas Eve, braised beef shank comes with a stack of bäco flatbreads, salad and sides for $75 and serves two to four people. On the New Year's Eve menu is suckling pig with bäco breads, salad and sides for $80 and serves two. Call for reservations. 408 S. Main St., Los Angeles, (213) 687-8808, www.bacomercat.com.

BOA Steakhouse: The Sunset Strip steakhouse will feature menu specials such as prime rib and whole branzino on Christmas Eve. For New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will have live entertainment with a DJ,four-course prix-fixe menu and two seatings: 6:30 ($95) and 9:30 p.m. ($165). The Santa Monica location offeres a “surf & turf” NYE menu ($75) including dishes such as pan-seared scallops with truffled foie gras risotto with a wild mushroom demi-glace, smoked chipotle, coffee-braised prime short ribs with snow crab cluster and strawberry honey biscuit shortcake with white chocolate cream. 9200 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 278-2050, 101 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 899-4466,  boasteak.com.

Border Grill: Celebrate New Year's Mexican style at Border Grill. For $55 per person, a four-course dinner includes spicy crab taco, smoked mussel ceviche tostadita, coriander-roasted leg of lamb and more. Optional margarita and wine pairings. The a la carte menu will also be available. 445 S. Figueroa St.,  Los Angeles, (213) 486-5171, and 1445 4th St., Santa Monica, (310) 451-1655; bordergrill.com.

Cafe del Rey: Ring in 2012 seaside at Café del Rey with a three-course prix-fixe menu centered on fresh seafood. Some menu highlights include lobster thermidor with brandy and hollandaise sauce, and Wagyu beef tartare with black currants and olives. Additional New Year’s Eve specials such as duck confit crostini and truffle risotto will also be available. The first seating begins at 5:30 ($65 per person), and the second at 8:30 p.m. ($95 per person, including a glass of sparkling wine). 4451 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, (310) 823-6395, www.cafedelreymarina.com.

Cecconi's: Dinner at Cecconi's this New Year's Eve is a black-tie affair. The restaurant is serving an elegant four-course dinner at $235 per person. For the first course, diners can choose between cream of parsnip soup with white truffle, corn Madeleine with crème fraîche and caviar, or hamachi tartare in a plantain cone. The next courses range from smoked ahi tuna carpaccio with blood orange and wild fennel pollen to wood-roast spicy rock lobster, clams and saffron guazzetto. For dessert, chocolate fondant with coconut gelato, panettone delizia with warm Moscato zabaglione or torrone semifreddo with pistachio sauce.  Reservations are available for 8 p.m. and will secure your table for dinner and DJ until 2012. 8764 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (310) 432-2000, www.cecconiswesthollywood.com.

Chaya: Chaya's three restaurants -- in Beverly Hills, downtown L.A. and Venice -- are hosting themed New Year's Eve soirées that include "Midnight in Paris," "New York Nights" and "Mardi Gras Carnival." Each destination will feature prix-fixe menus, live entertainment and midnight toasts. In downtown L.A., experience New York with live jazz and Chaya's signature Euro-Asian cuisine with a "bonsai box" of big-eye tuna sushi, Kumamoto oyster and sea urchin shooter and a Moroccan-spiced maple leaf duck salad. 525 S. Flower St., L.A., (213) 236-9577, thechaya.com.

City Tavern: This craft beer bar in Culver City will be hosting “Brew Year's Eve.” From 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., patrons can drink unlimited beer, wine and Champagne for $68 per person. A reduced price of $56 is extended to guests with a dinner reservation. In addition, booths accommodating six to eight people can be reserved for $100 per person. 9739 Culver Blvd., Culver City, (310) 838-9739, www.citytavernculvercity.com.

Drago Centro: On Christmas Eve, Drago Centro is celebrating with the feast of seven fishes. The seven- course menu is $70 per person with optional wine pairings for an additional $40. Dishes include Blue Point oyster with red currant pearls, crab salad with fennel and pomegranate seeds, Maine lobster cappuccino and more. 525 S. Flower St., Suite 120, Los Angeles, www.dragocentro.com.

Fig and Olive: New Year's Eve dinner is meant to evoke the French Riviera with Fig and Olive’s four-course prix-fixe menu at $150 per person. Each guest will be greeted with a complimentary glass of Moët & Chandon Champagne and a set of white and gold party favors to celebrate the New Year. Diners can savor grilled langoustine de San Sebastian with artichoke tapenade and smoked pimentón olive oil and fig foie gras terrine with pear chutney and Pedro Ximenez reduction. After dinner, dance in the restaurant until 2 a.m. with DJ Julien Nolan. 8490 Melrose Place, West Hollywood, (310) 360-9100, figandolive.com.

Jar: Executive chef Suzanne Tracht will be serving up her signature dishes as well as some New Year's Eve specials at Jar. The a la carte menu will include truffled celery root soup with braised celery hearts, oxtail consommé with oxtail pumpkin dumplings, and gnocchi with chanterelles and lobster. In addition, guests will be given party favors to celebrate the coming of 2012. 8225 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 655-6566, www.thejar.com. 

Locanda Del Lago: On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, chef Gianfranco Minuz is cooking a meal showcasing Italian winter ingredients. Diners can choose between a $55 three-course menu or a $68 four-course menu.  Diners can add optional wine pairings ($25) and a seasonal dessert ($11). The holiday menu includes Scottish salmon marinated with pomegranate and spiced wine reduction, capon chicken tortellini with chicken consommé and Grana Padano, and roasted veal tenderloin with morel mushroom and chestnut sauce. On New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will be offering a five-course prix-fixe menu for $89 per person or $139 per person, which includes endless Pommery Champagne. There will be a live DJ and dancing. Overnight parking is available to diners for $15 (with next-day pickup from 5 to 10 p.m.). 231 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 451-3525, lagosantamonica.com.

Lucques: This New Year's Eve at Lucques, diners will be transported to the canals of Venice with a meal inspired by the famous Harry's Bar. The five-course prix-fixe menu is $110 for the first seating and $150 for the second seating. The menu includes a Venetian antipasto of grisini with prosciutto di Parma, fagioli and winter squash in saor, fried artichokes in bagna cauda and burrata with pesto. Following the antipasto will be warm scallop and squid salad, tagliolini with lobster and herb-roasted rack of lamb with radicchio risotto. To end the feast, torta di zabaglione for dessert. 

 8474 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 655-6277, lucques.com.

Marino's: A classic Italian restaurant, Marino's is serving up the traditional southern Italian feast of seven fishes family-style. The four-course meal is $60 per person, including dishes such as spaghetti with baby clams, cod cakes and poached branzino. For dessert, guests can enjoy ricotta cheescake, panettone souffle or roasted chestnuts. 6001 Melrose Ave, Hollywood, (323) 466-8812, www.marinorestaurant.net. 

Mélisse: Michelin-starred chef Josiah Citrin is preparing a five-course Christmas Eve menu priced at $150 per guest. Options include seared foie gras and glazed pear; smoked salmon "pavé" with potato, green apple, caviar and sauce gribiche; Maine lobster and scallop “pot au feu”; or prime filet of beef with bulb onions. Guests will have a choice of fig and apple tart or a Valhrona chocolate crunch cake for dessert. Mélisse's New Year's Eve dinner has two options: an early seating beginning at 5:30 with a four-course menu ($140) or a late seating at 8:30 p.m. for six courses ($250). Highlights of the menu include the restaurant's signature caviar with poached egg and lemon crème fraîche, lemon-crusted Dover sole and olive-crusted lamb. Reservations are advised. 1104 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 385-0881, melisse.com.

Mozza's Scuola di Pizza: Nancy Silverton's Scuola di Pizza at Mozza offers Saturday night family-style dinners, and Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve are no exception. Christmas Eve is the annual feast of seven fishes for $75 at 7 p.m. And on New Year's Eve, a multi-course dinner celebrating truffle season will be served with wines for $250 per person at 8 p.m. Seating is limited. Call the event line at (323) 297-1133. 6602 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, www.mozza-la.com. 

Common Grains: Japanese food and culture 101 coming to L.A.

When it comes to finding Japanese food in Los Angeles, one doesn't have to look very far. Whether served up traditionally or fusion-style, the city's multitude of udon, soba, sushi and ramen joints seem limitless. We love our Japanese food here in L.A., that's for certain, but how much do we actually know about it?

To give Angelenos a better of understanding of Japanese cuisine and culture, artisan soba maker and Japanese food expert Sonoko Sakai has collaborated with Shinmei to present Common Grains, a series of culinary events that will take place in Los Angeles.

Throughout the months of January and February, milling demonstrations, panel discussions, film screenings and rice and soba workshops will take place all over town to engage and immerse Angelenos in Japanese food culture.

The event will kick off on January 8 with an onigiri creation contest at the Japanese American National Museum’s annual Oshogatsu festival and will follow with various events like the soba and rice workshops at Tortoise General Store on January 21 and 22 and Japanese films focused on none other than rice at Atwater Crossing on February 3 and 4. Also, on January 10-19, Breadbar Century City will host a pop-up and sake bar and soba restaurant featuring freshly stoned and milled handcrafted soba.

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Photo: Ramen at Ramen Yamada in Torrance. Credit: Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times