Los Angeles : Notable Openings

Peek Inside Voyeur

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:27:00 GMT

Voyeur seating

Photo: courtesy of the lounge

At Voyeur, an S&M-themed A-lister in WeHo, the usual Young Hollywood suspects wouldn’t dream of keeping their eyes wide shut while performers enact bondage scenarios on elevated platforms and in a glass booth; dark, ornate furnishings upholstered in haute fabrics add a loungey element to proceedings dominated by a DJ-driven dance floor and top-tier promoters.

7969 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood; 310-255-1110

Voyeur

Photo: courtesy of the lounge

Next Nate 'n Al's

BuzzEditor — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:51:00 GMT

The biggest restaurant news of the week is the opening of Thomas Keller's Bouchon in Beverly Hills. Running a close second: the opening of another location of Nate 'n Al. After 64 years of serving corned beef and pastrami, lox and bagels to the movers and shakers of Beverly Hills, the most quintessential of delis has expanded to the 'burbs – and the deep 'burbs at that, in a Rick Caruso developed maxi-mall (2200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks; 805-494-3354).

Bouchon Goes Beverly Hills

BuzzEditor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:48:00 GMT

Bouchon's roast chicken

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

Nearly two decades after he cooked at Checkers in Downtown LA, über-chef Thomas Keller is returning to SoCal, bringing the third edition of his upscale French bistro, Bouchon (the others are in Yountville and Las Vegas), to an elegant Beverly Hills space across from the Montage Hotel; expect high ceilings, ornate wall treatments, a raw seafood bar – and the sort of buzz Keller generates wherever he goes; N.B. this location doesn't have a bakery, though one is planned for the future.

225 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills; 310-271-9910

Froma From Francine

BuzzEditor — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:09:00 GMT

Froma on Melrose

Photo: Claire Thomas

Opened by sommelier (and Wolfgang Puck alum) Francine Diamond, Froma on Melrose, a combination cafe, wine bar and market in West Hollywood, covers three squares a day, offering inexpensive Continental fare like a tuna tartar salad, bruschetta and panettone French toast; N.B. it’s open till 9 PM Monday–Saturday and 7 PM on Sunday.

7960 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; 323-653-3700

Cowa-Bungalow

BuzzEditor — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:11:00 GMT

The cozy, wood-lined Hancock Parker Larchmont Bungalow bills itself as ‘Artisan Cafe, Bakery, Brew’ – an accurate summation of its inexpensive American comfort-food menu served for breakfast, lunch and dinner; the homey setting includes a warming fireplace, a to-go counter and a staff deeply committed to words like ‘natural’ and ‘organic’; N.B. it's take-out only for now.

107 N. Larchmont Blvd.; 323-461-1528

A Taste of the East in WeHo

BuzzEditor — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:02:00 GMT

Agura Dining

Photo: Natasha Bedu

Agura Dining

Photo: Natasha Bedu

A striking 15-ft.-tall Buddha sits serenely behind the sushi bar of Japanese izakaya Agura Dining, the first American outpost of an upscale small-dish chain with locations in Japan and Hong Kong (the menu’s been tweaked for local tastes); it’s set in a former church, with an ornate chandelier hanging from the beamed ceiling.

514 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood; 310-289-1940

Agura Dining

Photo: Natasha Bedu

The Axis of Eating

BuzzEditor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:55:00 GMT

The Hudson

Photo: Claire Thomas

At the cusp of the Hollywood Hills, Boys Town and Little Russia, Fairfax District arrival The Hudson provides a multineighborhood destination for budget-friendly American comfort food, accompanied by many wines, beers and specialty cocktails; the commanding space is dominated by a 50-ft. tree growing in the dining room.

1114 N. Crescent Heights Blvd.; 323-654-6686

Fabio Wants To Whip You Into a Firenze

BuzzEditor — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:36:00 GMT

Fabio Viviani

Photo: courtesy of Bravo TV

Linguistically challenged Top Chef veteran Fabio Viviani has taken over North Hollywood’s old Barsac Brasserie space and made it into Firenze Osteria, where he’s hoping to draw foodies from nearby Universal Studios hungry for a taste of dishes from Florence, Italy; the well-aged art adorning the walls of the warm space looks as if it were lifted directly from the Arno.

4212 Lankershim Blvd.; 818-760-7081

Sensing Centanni

BuzzEditor — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:28:00 GMT

Venice newcomer Centanni Deli & Trattoria dubs itself 'The Original Old Italian Deli', and in a city with a shallow tradition of Italian groceries (a century ago, LA had a Little Italy near Dodger Stadium that's long vanished), it's a much appreciated addition; the functional space is roughly half grocery and half trattoria, with casual menus for lunch and dinner, and more than a dozen panini sandwiches.

1700 Lincoln Blvd., Venice; 310-314-7275

Mayan Fire

BuzzEditor — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:53:00 GMT

Fuego at the Maya

Photo: courtesy of the restaurant

In the Hotel Maya, the midpriced Mexican arrival Fuego at the Maya serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an emphasis on seafood, in a casually upscale setting complete with a spacious outdoor patio offering dramatic views of Long Beach Harbor, the Queen Mary and cruise ships bound for Mexico; drinks are dispensed from a handsome bar that seems to glow blue (even before the alcohol kicks in).

700 Queensway Dr., Long Beach; 562-481-3910

La La Land, Meet Wonderland

BuzzEditor — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:08:00 GMT

Expect time-bending clocks on the walls, teacups behind the bar and framed queens of hearts if you can breach the door of the Cahuenga Corridor’s latest paparazzi baiter, Wonderland, an Alice in Wonderland–inspired partnership between the Dolce Group (Les Deux) and nightlife empress Shereen Arazm; bottle service is de rigueur for the Hollywood hotties who habituate the expansive lounge, which features plenty of leather seating and a covered smoking patio.

1835 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood; 323-957-1599

Marbellous

BuzzEditor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:36:00 GMT

Marbella

Photo: courtesy of the lounge

Formerly the Frenchified Montmarte Café, sprawling Hollywood lounge Marbella now sports a Spanish theme, with brick ceilings, dark-wood furniture, wrought iron and sconces galore, plus muchas cabanas strewn around its fab 4,000-sq. ft. patio; to accompany the roster of muy pricey libations, there’s a selection of tapas.

6757 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; 323-465-0447

Marbella

Photo: courtesy of the lounge

Pizza Playoffs

BuzzEditor — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:16:00 GMT

NY & C Pizzeria & Bar

Photo: Natasha Bedu

NY & C Pizzeria & Bar

Photo: Natasha Bedu

The initials in NY & C Pizzeria & Bar stand for ‘New York and Chicago', and this already mobbed Santa Monica pizzeria does everything it can to split the difference between the two cities, offering specialty pies with names like the The Central Park, The Times Square, The Windy City and The Sears Tower; the funky, sports-themed space follows suit, with New York memorabilia on one wall and Chicago on another.

1120 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; 310-393-9099

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Philippe Comes West

BuzzEditor — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:48:00 GMT

Philippe

Photo: Claire Thomas

What was once Dolce in West Hollywood is now the latest branch of Philippe Chow's upscale Chinese concept Philippe, which serves its menu of Cantonese classics at locations in New York, East Hampton, Miami and Mexico City (Vegas is in the works); done up in Chow’s signature palette of red, white and black, the setting is decorated with stylized chinoiserie and also offers a bustling bar scene.

8284 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; 323-951-1100

Casing CasaLinda

BuzzEditor — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:35:00 GMT

Adding to the fast-growing mix of flavors along Abbot Kinney in Venice, the casual, colorful Mexican cantina CasaLinda offers a reasonably priced array of basic Mexican antojitos accompanied by a large selection of freshly squeezed fruit juices; N.B. it’s open every day, but closes at 9 PM.

1357 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice; 310-664-1177