The New Year has brought news of a number of new projects, the most interesting of which promises a big change on the Hermosa Pier Plaza. Ron and Greg Newman, best known for the Sharkeez chain and Palimilla, have leased the spaces formerly operated by Fat Face Fenner’s, Paradise Sushi, and Froyo. Though these are all in the same building they won’t all be one restaurant; they will be at least two separate concepts. According to Greg, the upstairs space will eventually be a stylish, sophisticated space that will keep the layout of several small rooms to create intimate spaces, with a bar that will feature both modern and classic mixology. This won’t happen immediately because of delays in permits and planning, so Fat Face Fenner’s will reopen for about five months under their ownership. Greg was coy about the concept for the downstairs space, but suggested that it will be more casual. This space has the potential to have much more visibility than before; if the new hotel is completed as planned this will be a main gateway to it, so what was an easily missed backwater as Paradise Sushi will be a high traffic space. When both concepts are open the Newnans will have four different businesses on the Plaza, which is a huge vote of confidence in Hermosa’s downtown….
And a few news items: The new steakhouse in the former Hibachi space will be called Wolven. It’s a strange name, meaning “pertaining to wolves, or wolf-like,” and I have no idea why that was chosen…  Elsewhere in downtown, the sign is up for Cali Cantina at the former Banzai Beach space. No menu has been posted and I wasn’t able to see through the windows, but you can get a sense of the intended clientele by the fact that they already have a sign posted promising half-price drinks and tacos during happy hour…
Meanwhile in Redondo, Bottega Romana has opened, or rather, part of it has. Only the patio and about a third of the dining room is open – the remaining space, which will include a wine bar, is still under construction. The three owners and the menu are proudly Roman, while the chef is from Sardinia, so there may be eventually some unusual regional specials on the menu…
Event Alert!… Now the The Ragin Cajun has settled into their spacious new digs and achieved consistency, they planning a Mardi Gras celebration to beat everything they’ve done before. A two-day Louisiana music festival is planned for the restaurant and their adjacent parking lot on February 14th and 15th. There will be a shrimp and crawfish boil, live music and dancing, a beer garden, and much more…  tickets aren’t on sale yet, but we’ll let you know when they are…
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Dine South Bay, As Well as LA… A number of restaurants are offering special menus for Dine LA Restaurant Week, which lasts much more than a week – it’s January 19- February 1. The announced participants are Baleen Kitchen, Bluewater Grill, Kincaid’s, Akatora, Strand Houze, Shade, Il Fornaio, Abigaile, Dia de Campo, and Gyu-Kaku. You can see the complete list and menus at discoverlosangeles.com…
The Brazilian Wave Keeps Coming…  The South Bay’s love affair with Brazilian cuisine continues to flower, with Brazuca open as of January 7th. The little place across the street from the Manhattan Village Mall has one table so you technically could dine in, but they obviously plan on take-out business. Their menu offers a surprising range of sandwiches, salads, pastries, and combination plates for such a small establishment, and it will be interesting to see if it catches on in this difficult location…
High End Chains in El Segundo… There are rumors of new tenants at several empty or underutilized restaurant spaces in El Segundo’s downtown, but nothing I can report on yet. El Segundo’s Point development has announced restaurants by Mendocino Farms, True Food Kitchen, Shophouse Asian Kitchen, and Hopdoddy Burgers – all high-end chains.  The nearby Elevon development has three more restaurant spaces, but at moment only one is taken, and they haven’t divulged who it is. At least one local restaurant group looked into opening here and decided against it, and I have heard that another is in negotiations. It will be a sad thing if this development is all cookie-cutter establishments even if they are at the top end of that field, a loss of any chance for local character in a high-traffic area…
Old Beers In Young Restaurants… Rock & Brews in El Segundo has been around for four years, enough that a human would be a toddler on uncertain legs. A restaurant that has made it that long in the South Bay has stood a test of time, so they’re celebrating with a strong ale and aged beer festival. During the month of February they’ll be serving over twenty barley wines, stouts, and other strong, full flavored brews. You can see the whole list on their website at rocknbrews.com…
Finally!… Though they’ve been serving meals for almost two months, Lou’s on the Hill has finally announced a grand opening on January 22nd. The launch will feature tunes from the 1920’s played by a live band and an appetizer sampling. Their food has been described as “Cal-Italian” and the early reports I’ve heard have been very positive. I look forward to trying the Zamperini cocktail, as well as food from a chef who has worked with Gordon Ramsay, Mario Batali, Michael Mina, and other luminaries…
Any new places I should know about, any events? I’m at Richard@richardfoss.com…
