And now for something completely different from Randall Grahm

Randall Grahm has long been known as one of the most curious, iconoclastic, even heroic winemakers around. And so why would we figure he would change when he opened a restaurant? Grahm's new project, called Le Cigare Volant after his first landmark wine, is located on the property of his winery, Bonny Doon Vineyard, just outside Santa Cruz.

Formerly called "The Cellar Door," it re-opened re-dubbed April 1. Make of that date what you will. Ryan Shelton is the chef, and by all accounts it's pretty danged good. But what really makes it something different is -- no surprise -- the wine list. Grahm is a freak about soil. He calls himself a "terroirist" (and even a "vinarchist").

The wine list at Le Cigare Volant is arranged not by "red" and "white," or even by "light" and "heavy" but according to what kind of dirt the grapes' vines grew in. "Gravel" wines, for example, tend to produce wines that have a quality of "dustiness," Grahm says (those familiar with his writings will instantly recognize that he said a whole lot more than that). From that category he recommends a Bordeaux Superieur, a Bourguiel and a Pomerol.

Volcanic soils, Grahm says, produce wines that "possess perhaps the strongest expression of 'minerality.' They are often wines with a preternaturally great life-force, or resistance to oxidation, and will generally require lots of air before they open up." That's more in the nature of a Grahm quote. Oh, yes, there is a footnote too. The wines are a Fiano di Avellino, an Aglianico del Vulture, an Etna Rosso, and a Tinto Malpais from the Canary Islands.

Wine lists are usually fascinating reading only for wine geeks. This one is something special.

328 Ingalls St., Santa Cruz, (831) 425-6771.

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Photo: Randall Grahm. Credit Bonny Doon Vineyard

 

Bar Amá new Tex-Mex to open downtown

Josef Centeno, the chef behind downtown restaurant Bäco Mercat, expects to open a new Tex-Mex spot called Bar Amá this fall, located in a 2,100-square-foot space that includes the former Urban Noodle (which closed last weekend) on 4th Street.

If all goes as planned, "it's going to be a bar with a heavy emphasis on food," Centeno said, who is from San Antonio, Texas. "it's going to be inspired from recipes by my great-grandmother, grandmothers and mom."

Centeno plans to serve his interpretation of Tex-Mex dishes with tacos, his great-grandmother's enchiladas, roasted meats and vegetables from a wood-burning oven, fajitas, queso fundido and his grandmother's menudo on the weekends. The bar, which will feature a large seating area, will be tequila- and mezcal-based with only Mexican beers on tap.

Bar Amá, 118 W. 4th St., Los Angeles.

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Photo: The location that will soon house new Tex-Mex spot Bar Amá. Credit: Jenn Harris

Your local chippy: The Pikey is open in Hollywood

The Pikey officially opened just Sunday but still has much of the patina of its former incarnation as landmark dive bar Ye Coach & Horses (whose previous owner was evicted in 2010). There's the British kitsch, amber glow and red-leather-topped bar stools, and by 7 o'clock the regulars already have parked themselves for the night at the dark wood bar. But the current owners, Sean MacPherson and Jared Meisler, have installed a drinks list from Damian Windsor of the Roger Room (another MacPherson-Meisler production) and a menu from chef Ralph Johnson, whose bona fides include having worked at the Spotted Pig in New York.  

The cocktails are tasty and easy drinking. The Ginger Minge mixes Famous Grouse Scotch with ginger beer and lemon juice. The Stanley features Starr African rum, Pimm's No. 1 and lemon juice, served up. In the Pony Boy are chamomile-infused absinthe Mata Hari, St-Germain elderflower liqueur and lemon juice. The commemorative Coach and Horses is a shot of aged whiskey and a PBR "tall boy." 

What's nice about the Pikey is that it's a neighborhood bar with the plus of a smart menu. There's Welsh rarebit, a dense piece of toast topped with melty, mustardy Cheddar. Arctic char crudo is accompanied by blood orange segments, and seared squid by curried chickpeas. There are greens, too, a tartly dressed salad of fresh baby and purple kale and Bloomsdale spinach and curly endive sprinkled with ricotta salata, for example. You probably won't be able to stop eating the thrice-cooked chips -- crispy seasoned fries served with a Worcestershire aioli. And the fish and chips are just how Winston Churchill would describe them -- "good companions." 

7617 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 850-5400.

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Photo: Winston Churchill. Credit: Associated Press.

Fig & Olive to open at Fashion Island

Fashion Island, the popular Newport Beach outdoor shopping center with the ocean views is welcoming a new addition to its culinary lineup. The olive oil-centric restaurant Fig & Olive is slated to open its sixth U.S. location at the center by summer 2013.

The restaurant will be located on the south side of the shopping center in a new standalone structure. It will accommodate 300 and feature limestone stucco walls, a terra-cotta ceiling, green rosemary and olive trees and other items meant to bring the French Riviera to mind. The menu will include Mediterranean-style items created by executive chef Pascal Lorange as well as a wine list including more than 30 varietals from the South of France, Italy and Spain.

401 Newport Center Drive,  Newport Beach, www.shopfashionisland.com.

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Photo: Interior of Fig & Olive in Los Angeles. Credit: Lisa Cohen.

In Redondo Beach: the cooking of the Venetian Lagoon

New in Redondo Beach, Hostaria Piave celebrates the cooking of the Venetian Lagoon and nearby countryside. What, northern Italian cuisine that's not Tuscan?

That's exactly Veneto native Angelo Calderan's idea and he's worked hard to make this new restaurant feel like an hostaria from the watery Venetian lagoon. From the outside, it looks sleek and contemporary with huge windows looking onto Pacific Coast Highway. He's got the al fresco angle covered with an outdoor patio in front outfitted with heat lamps. Inside, Venetian carnival masks and framed prints and paintings make Hostaria Piave feel as if it’s been part of the neighborhood for years.

At the long communal table, a toddler sleeps in his mother’s arms while she nibbles on the day’s antipasto del Laguna, a selection of little bites from the sea.

A longtime manager of Ca' del Sole in Toluca Lake, Calderan intends to keep his menu rigorously regional. At Hostaria Piave (named for the river that flows from the Alps to the Venetian Lagoon), he wants to "present the everyday dishes that you would find at the family table in the small islands of the Venetian lagoon and the near countryside.”

That means sauteed bay shrimp with garlic and parsley on soft white polenta or seared scallop with cannellini beans and crispy speck to start. There's also a soulful soup of borlotti beans and mussels, and if the kitchen hasn't run out,  fresh sardines with breacrumbs, garlic, and olive oil.

Pastas are unusual, too. Gnocchi comes with duck leg braised in red wine. Risotto with radicchio is cooked with Amarone wine from the Veneto. Prices are reasonable and any of the first courses can be ordered as a main course by adding $5.

Main courses might include braised cuttlefish in tomato sauce and peas with soft polenta or roasted pork shank with golden apple. And for anybody who just wants something simple, a  whole roasted chicken with lemon, garlic, and rosemary. It's worth noting that main courses are all under $20. 

And I like the restaurant's motto: chi ben beve, ben mangia — who drinks well, eats well. Can't argue with that.

Hostaria Piave, 231 Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach; (310) 374-1000; hostariapiave.com. Open for lunch Monday to Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and for dinner Monday to Thursday 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 5 to 10:30 p.m.

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Photos: Gondolas lined up in Venice; credit: Nancy Hoyt Belcher.

 

 

Planet Dailies and Mixology 101 host star-studded opening

Jennifer Lopez, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cee Lo Green were among the stars who helped celebrate the grand opening of Planet Hollywood founder Robert Earl's newest venue Planet Dailies restaurant and Mixology 101 lounge last night at the Grove Farmers Market.

The celebrity attendees, which included Cat Deeley, Joe Manganiello and Chord Overstreet,   walked a mini blue carpet before heading up the stairs to the second floor of the Farmers Market where the restaurant is located, above Sur La Table. The restaurant and lounge are separated by a large patio with views of the Grove shoppers below.

Guests sipped on cocktails prepared by mixologist Salvatore Calabrese while bobbing their heads to a sneak peek at Jennifer Lopez's new music video, "Dance Again," that played on multiple television screens in the Mixology lounge. Waitresses dressed in electric blue body-con mini dresses circled the room serving the cocktails, including the Grace (Grey Goose La Poire, fresh pear, apple and lemon juices, honey, lemongrass and mint) and Aviation (Beefeater dry gin, Maraschino liqueur, crème de violette and lemon juice).

Orange-and-white picnic-plaid-clad waiters offered a sampling of the restaurant's signature dishes including the Tex-Mex egg rolls, crab and lobster cakes and Kobe beef sliders.

We called it a night around 10:30 but could still hear the party as we walked away. Will what used to be a quiet corner of the shopping center be the next Hollywood-esque hot spot? 

Planet Dailies and Mixology101, 6333 W. 3rd St, Suite O20, Los Angeles.

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Photo, from left: Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez, Casper Smart and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger attend the Planet Dailies And Mixology 101 grand opening held at Planet Dailies and Mixology 101 on Thursday. Credit: Christopher Polk /Getty Images for Mixology 101

Simmzy's No. 2; Plan Check + Tomo Coffee; Mohawk Bend Film Fest; more

Simmzy's, Manhattan Beach's craft beer bar and gastropub, plans to open a second location in the Long Beach neighborhood of Belmont Shore later this month. The Long Beach Simmzy's will have an expanded menu from chef Anne Conness. www.simmzys.com.

Mohawk Bend is hosting its first film festival, featuring an hour (3,600 seconds) of Michael Rousselet’s 5 Second Films. Mohawk Bend will be screening three hour-long loops of the films on Tuesdays, starting next week. To commemorate the event is a new “Film Maker” cocktail -- Cismontane’s Black's Dawn coffee stout and Fog’s End Monterey Rye ($10). 2141 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, www.mohawk.la. 

Sawtelle Boulevard gastropub Plan Check announces a partnership with Tomo Coffee, its neighborhood coffee roaster. Plan Check now serves French press Tomo Coffee, roasted on the Mississippi Avenue cafe's Diedrich roaster. 1800 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 288-6500, www.plancheckbar.com. 

Josiah Citrin, chef-owner of Mélisse in Santa Monica, says he has opened burger stand Sure Thing Burger in Lahaina, Maui, with partner Scott Picard: beef, pork, veggie and turkey burgers with Citrin’s sauces and bun recipe. Citrin and Picard say they're looking to expand Sure Thing Burger in other U.S. cities. 790 Front St., Lahaina, Hawaii, (808) 214-6982.   

The London West Hollywood hotel offers "Mad Hatter" tea service for the month of April at Gordon Ramsay's Boxwood Cafe: canapés and tea sandwiches; scones with Devonshire cream and lemon curd; polka-dot-topped cupcakes; poached strawberries and coconut foam; heart-shaped fruit tarts; and a selection of teas. 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. daily. $28 per person (with Champagne, $40). 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 358-7788, www.thelondonwesthollywood.com. 

Mercato di Vetro launches a Monday special: any pizza or pasta and a Peroni beer for $15. 9077 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 859-8369, www.sbe.com/mercatodivetro.

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Photo: "Mad Hatter" tea service at the Boxwood Cafe by Gordon Ramsay. Credit: The London West Hollywood.

Underground Vietnamese: Downstairs at the new Blossom Cafe

A new hot spot at the Sunset Junction intersection of Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake (i.e., hipster central) is the subterranean level of the recently opened Blossom Cafe. When you enter at street level, you're immediately facing the host stand, where you'll be asked whether you want to sit upstairs or downstairs. Upstairs is charming enough, with exposed brick walls and sleek tables; a few couples might be sitting upstairs. Say you want to sit downstairs and the host might pause for a few seconds, then say, "A couple of people just left, so I think there's room." 

And so you take the staircase down into a wide, dark, sort of creepy concrete-floored hallway. You'll see dim light coming from a doorway on the right. It opens into a quirky, packed dining hall with a communal table and recessed nooks that are booths for two. The furniture is mostly blond wood tables with boxy chairs or those ubiquitous Eames seats. The lights are clear tubes of LED string lighting that run across whitewashed beams on the ceiling. In the back is a boxy, all-glass wine room and slightly bizarre built-in terrariums. 

The second location for the original downtown Blossom, there's also a stark marble-topped bar, where the bartender might be wearing a World Dodgeball Society T-shirt and asks if your food is "pho-bulous." There's draft La Chouffe and Tripel Karmeliet. With all that tangy fish sauce, you might want to go with a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. And there are oysters. It all comes together as a perfect fit for the neighborhood: draft beer, more Vietnamese food (in addition to Gingergrass on Glendale, Pho Cafe, also on Sunset, and the space formerly known as Soy Cafe on Hyperion), wine, oysters and a speakeasy vibe.

4019 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 953-8345, www.blossomrestaurant.com.

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Photo: The downstairs space at the Blossom Cafe. Credit: Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times

Gene Simmons to open new rock 'n' roll restaurant

KISS rocker Gene Simmons plans to bring the energy, excitement and music of a rock concert to your dinner table. Simmons has teamed up with restaurateur Michael Zislis (Rock'n Fish) and concert promoter Dave Furano to open Rock & Brews restaurant April 3 in El Segundo.

The idea behind Rock & Brews is to re-create the atmosphere of a live concert and backstage environment for the customer. The restaurant will feature picnic tables, concert lighting, rock posters, rock art and multiple flat-screen TVs that will play concert videos and live music recordings on repeat.

The menu items are categorized into "Opening Acts" appetizers, "VIP" salads and burgers, "Headliner" sandwiches, "Front Row" pizzas and "Encores" desserts. "Front Row" items include a barbecue chicken pizza, while purple rain chocolate drops (chocolate-filled beignets with raspberry sauce) headline the "Encores" desserts. Rock & Brews will also offer hundreds of beers with more than 40 selections on tap.

The restaurant trio has several other locations in the works and plans to franchise the rock concert concept. Tickets are on sale now for the El Segundo location's grand opening event with Simmons on April 3 at 6 p.m.

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Photo: From left, Dave Furano, Gene Simmons and Michael Zislis. Credit: Rock & Brews.

New restaurants at downtown's Figat7th: Park's Barbeque, Loteria Grill, LA Mill, more

The downtown mall at 7th Street and Figueroa is reopening in the fall after a $40-million revamp by Brookfield Office Properties. And included in its makeover as Figat7th (formerly 7+Fig), which will be anchored by a new Target concept store, is a 25,000-square-foot chef-driven food court called Taste. The lineup includes Loteria Grill and an offshoot of Park's Barbeque. 

Brookfield announced the first round of restaurants that will make up Taste. Paul Shoemaker, a Bastide alumnus who is chef at Savory in Malibu, is opening Juicy Lucy, named after his signature cheeseburger at Savory. Jimmy Shaw is bringing to Figat7th his latest Loteria Grill, his growing chain of regional Mexican restaurants, adding tortas to the menu for the downtown location.  

Meanwhile, LA Mill founder Craig Min and chef Michael Mina of the Mina Group are planning a cafe with LA Mill coffee and teas along with food from Mina. Oleego by Park's Barbeque is an outgrowth of Jenee Kim's Koreatown restaurant.

Also on the roster is Indian restaurant Indus from chef Bhupender Singh, of Ambrosia in Monterey, Calif., with two full traditional clay tandoor ovens. And Choppe Choppe is chef Jeffrey Price’s salad/soup/sandwich shop.  

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Rendering: Brookfield Office Properties