The OPEN Daily » Neighborhood Businesses

Man Smashes US Bank ATM In Santa Monica, Found After Leaving Address At The Scene

TheOpenDaily — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:45:00 +0000

On Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8:53 a.m. officers of the Santa Monica Police Department heard, via radio transmission, that vandalism had occurred at the US Bank, located at 3302 Pico Boulevard. The officers went there to investigate. When they arrived, officers spoke with an employee of the bank who said that when she had arrived for work that morning she had noticed that the ATM machine’s screen had been smashed. The employee had then cast her gaze downwards, and had seen a City of Santa Monica Citation on the ground. This citation had been issued to a local resident for drinking in public next to the ATM machine. The officers then reviewed the video surveillance tape and saw film of the man who had smashed the screen. The video also revealed that this man had thrown the citation on the ground. The citation obviously had the man’s name and address on it, so this was not a hard case to crack. The officers went to this man’s address but he wasn’t in, so they continued with other police work. At approximately 10:25 a.m. that same morning, the officers recognized this man walking along Third Street Promenade. The officers kept an eye on him as he continued to walk northbound on the Promenade and intercepted him in the 1300 block of the Third Street Promenade. The officers took him into custody and this 59-year-old Santa Monica resident was charged with felony vandalism. His bail was set at $20,000. Editor's Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled "Alert Police Blotter" (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of the Mirror's coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.

Work Begins on Louie’s of Mar Vista

TheOpenDaily — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:46 +0000

How long have we been waiting for Louie’s of Mar Vista to open? Let me count the months – no, that would take too long. But now work has begun – light is showing at the end of the tunnel. Bring on the Louie’s!

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Frank Gehry is working for free as architect of new Jazz Bakery

TheOpenDaily — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:48:56 +0000

Having designed L.A.'s signature space for classical music, Frank Gehry is on board to do the same for jazz.

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Gino Angelini to Open New Restaurant in WeHo

TheOpenDaily — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:32:33 +0000

Chef/restaurateur Gino Angelini will open a new restaurant in the old Hamburger Hamlet space in West Hollywood. The project doesn't have a name yet, but it's scheduled for a fall 2012 opening...

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Library Alehouse’s “Pliny the Younger Fights Cancer” Charity Raffle Thru February 18

TheOpenDaily — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:53:31 +0000

Russian River Brewery has announced that its popular Pliny the Younger IPA will be released this Friday, February 3; and the Library Alehouse in Santa Monica will carry it! However the bar will be controlling the chaos by selling $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win/purchase a pint.

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Gebert Gallery on Abbot Kinney, Steps Up to Help Local Charity!

TheOpenDaily — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:59:59 +0000

So many nonprofit organizations are struggling these days. Unfortunately, many have fallen by the wayside, leaving important causes to fend for themselves. The Gebert Gallery decided to lend a hand to a truly important organization, The HARC Foundation.

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Whole Foods Community Wellness Day February 4th, 11am – 1pm

TheOpenDaily — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:00:15 +0000

Join Local Mar Vista Health and Wellness Professionals at the Whole Foods Market West LA’s Community Wellness Day on Saturday, February 4th, from 11am – 1pm.

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Jazz Bakery coming back to Culver City in style

TheOpenDaily — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:45:12 +0000

Ruth Price's Jazz Bakery received approval today from the Culver City city council to develop a new Frank Gehry-designed, 250-seat theater.

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L&E Oyster Bar Opens in Silver Lake

TheOpenDaily — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:30:00 +0000

It's Our Heart of the Ocean

Would Marcel the Shell be as tasty as he is cute? Doubtful (unless those tiny shoes are made of bacon).

By contrast, the bivalves at L&E Oyster Bar are truly delectable, because owner Dustin Lancaster (of Bar Covell fame) values freshness over frills.

Sidle up to the new Silver Lake resto’s marble bar to slurp down East and West Coast specimens that were likely swimming with the fishes the night prior. Or grab a seat at a teak table and dive into a grilled order (casino, Rockefeller) that smacks of the sea.

Though the menu is shellfish-centric (steamed prawns, Cajun shrimp pie), there are a few options for landlubbers (wedge salad, steak sandwich). And given it is a Lancaster operation, expect the beer (Anchor Steam, Napa Smith IPA) and wine (Gerard Bertrand Cremant de Limoux brut rosé , Laurent Gauthier Morgon Côte dy Py) lists to be a shuck above.

Guess what our new favorite oyster bar is?

L&E Oyster Bar, 1637 Silver Lake Boulevard, between Effie Street and Berkeley Avenue, Silver Lake (323-660-2255 or leoysterbar.com).

Photo: Courtesy of L&E Oyster Bar

Conan O’Brien to headline event for Geffen Playhouse

TheOpenDaily — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:10:54 +0000

O'Brien, Nick Offerman and Patton Oswalt will take part in a family-friendly benefit for the Geffen Playhouse Story Pirates Play/Write program.

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Charlotte Russe Shuttered in Santa Monica

TheOpenDaily — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:56:11 +0000

Santa Monica Place. Photo via Retail Mix.

SANTA MONICA—According to a tipster, Charlotte Russe has closed its doors at Santa Monica Place. They write: "That new flagship at Santa Monica Place didn't last long; the store shuttered sometime over the weekend (I was out of town the past week so might be wrong on the time frame). Talking with the girls at Foreign Exchange and they seem to think they'll be on their way out shortly as well." Anyone know more about what's going on over there? [Racked Inbox]

SOUTH LA—NBC reports that a fire has destroyed about 70% of the inventory of C and L Furniture at 6245 S. Manhattan Place. Firefighters "stayed at the scene for more than seven hours to assist with salvaging contents of the building." [NBC]

KNX On Your Corner: Pantages Theater

TheOpenDaily — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:00:31 +0000

(KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO) — Overture, hit the lights.

KNX 1070′s Ron Kilgore reports from Oscar to The Great White Way come West, the Pantages Theater, a Hollywood legend, is still going strong.

Sophisticated Eats At Areal Restaurant On Main Street

TheOpenDaily — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:36:00 +0000

Located in the heart of bustling Main Street, AREAL Restaurant is headed by executive chef Alan Kwan who has created a menu that caters to all types of diners with items that vegetarians and vegans can enjoy while not leaving out the meat eaters as well.
Formerly occupied by World Café for 25 years up until last year, the restaurant has a large patio that’s among the best in the city, as well as a remodeled dining room, lounge, and bar.
The restaurant opened its doors in October to diners who prefer something a little more high-end, but without the cost that is usually associated with an experience of a restaurant with such caliber.
Kwan hails from the Scarpetta group and decided to have a little bit of fun with the menu, but at the same time created unique food that’s also health conscious.
“I’ve been able to work with some really great people over the years and I love to travel,” Kwan said. “I learned different flavor profiles and techniques at the restaurants I’ve been at. I wanted to have a menu that was unique, but approachable.”
One such example is the Bone Marrow dish that’s served with grilled bread. Kwan said he wanted to pay homage to one of his favorite NYC restaurants, Blue Ribbon, which serves an oxtail marmalade that he really loves. AREAL’s version is lighter in flavor as it doesn’t use any sugar or honey. The oxtail is braised with ruby port, red wine, carrots, onions, celery, herbs, and chicken stock. The oxtail is picked off the bone after cooking, chopped and cooked again with edible mirepoix (a traditional French culinary combination of onions, carrots and celery aromatics) and additional port. The sweetness of the port helps cut through the fattiness of the marrow. The marrow bones are then cooked on the restaurant’s wood burning oven. Simply scoop the marrow onto the bread for an experience like no other.
The Grilled Octopus is another delight that’s tender thanks to its delicate preparation. It is cooked for about three hours in a mixture of water, lemon juice, and caramelized onions. It’s grilled for flavor and finished in the wood oven with olive oil and lemon juice applied to the octopus. It’s plated with black lentils cooked with olive oil, carrots, onions, celery, and lemon zest. The Moroccan oil cured olives add unique salt notes as well.
Returning to concept of dishes for vegetarians and vegans is the gluten-free pizza – or Socca – that was an idea from owner Phil Slaughter. His wife spent a great deal of time in Nice where she had first tasted them. Kwan tried many ratios and finally settled in on one that was light and crispy. They are cooked in the restaurant’s convection oven, which allows the top of the socca to crisp up simultaneously with the bottom. There are three choices: Sausage with kale, caramelized onion, and olives; Heirloom Tomato with arugula and extra virgin olive oil; and Mushroom with parmigiano, rosemary, and thyme.
Kwan said his first sous chef position was at Picasso in the Bellagio in Las Vegas where all he did was create meat sauce with scallops. He decided he wanted polenta on his menu since it was a fall and winter dish, but he wanted textural differences. He thought creamy polenta and scallops would have been too similar, so he decided to try cakes. He made them the same way as creamy polenta, but allowed them to cool and then portioned them. The result is a scallop dish with polenta, squash, and parsley root that has the best of both worlds – crisp but soft. Kabocha squash is Kwan’s favorite hard squash as it’s both sweet and savory, which he says is under-utilized except at Japanese restaurants.
Kwan said chicken can be boring at restaurants, which is why he wanted to do multiple things to his chicken dish to increase the flavor profiles. First off, he decided he only wanted to use quality chickens.
“I only like air-cooled Mary’s chickens or fresh Jidori, free range chickens,” Kwan said. “They already have great flavor profiles.”
Next, Kwan braises the legs with chicken stock, herbs, and fresh tomatoes. The meat is pulled off the bones and mixed back into the reduced braising liquid and the rest of the hash ingredients. The remaining braising liquid is used as the sauce for the dish as well. Kwan said he taught his cooks the 90-10 cooking technique – 90 percent of the time the breast gets cooked skin side down to allow the chicken skin to crisp up nicely. The other 10 percent is to finish the meat side. The celery root puree adds a savory component to the dish. The hash cake and chicken sauce are sweet as a result of the reduced braising liquid (the carrots, onion, and tomato in the braise). This helps counter the sweetness and allows for slightly different bites depending on the mixture of the sauce and hash.
To wash down these dishes and so many more, AREAL’s Rich Andreoli has created a cocktail menu that’s a mix of classic, contemporaries, and originals.
Hailing from some pretty serious cocktail programs such as Harvard and Stone, Big Bar, and Soho House, Andreoli decided he could bring the idea to the table that cocktails should be treated as a cuisine.
He shops at the farmers market and only uses house made syrups and fresh juices.
Try the Secretariat (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Pistachio honey, Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, Walnut liquor, Angostura and Lavender bitters) and the Infante (Milagro Blanco Tequila, Orgreat, fresh lime juice, Rose water and nutmeg) if you are feeling adventurous.
The 1960s style lounge is plenty of fun. Right now it features the bi-weekly event called Whiskey Wednesday that features live jazz. Happy Hour is seven days a week from 4 – 7 p.m.

AREAL Restaurant
2820 Main Street, Santa Monica
Lunch: Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dinner: Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to midnight
Weekend Dinner: Friday/Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Phone: 310.392.1661
Website: http://arealrestaurant.com

Go Burger- Hollywood’s hipster heaven for burgers, shakes and more

TheOpenDaily — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:07:25 +0000

Go Burger brings back the burger big time--review by Patti and Richard Pietschmann Where hipsters prowl, in the heart of Hollywood at the corner of Sunset and Vine, sits a bright, airy restaurant that may represent the...

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Grassroots Acoustica: American Heart Association Edition Celebrates Heart Month

TheOpenDaily — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:47:22 +0000

Join Grassroots Acoustica for Its American Heart Association Edition. Place your bid in a Silent Auction - Make a toast at the VIP wine reception (6-7pm) AND Listen to some of the best and brightest singer/songwriters in Los Angeles. Featuring Master of Ceremonies, award-winning composer, Mark Islam, Emily Gold (daughter of Andrew Gold), Marvin Etzioni, Ruby and Summer Spiro, Steve Postell, John Byrd,… February 11, 2012 from 6pm to 10pm at The Talking Stick coffee lounge and listening room. 1411 Lincoln Blvd. in Venice.

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Los Angeles Magazine Comes To Harvelle’s

TheOpenDaily — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:10:00 +0000

The current issue of Los Angeles Magazine ("Classic L.A." issue) features a glowing review of my favorite Westside bar. If you read this blog, then you are already aware of Harvelle's.

If not, check out the write-up, and if it sounds good to you, come pay a visit.

Besides the decor and the speakeasy vibe, besides the custom cocktails and authentic nightly blues & jazz, there's always plenty of parking in the structure adjacent to the club and there's a spot next door (West 4th/Jane) that serves great food (you can order and have it delivered to the bar) until about midnight. If you love live music, enjoy a night out dancing, or imbibing with like-minded people over delicious one-of-a-kind cocktails, check out Harvelle's (1432 4th St. between Broadway & Santa Monica Blvd. in downtown Santa Monica) [Harvelle's Santa Monica]

Some other things you may not be aware of:

Harlow Gold - the spectacular underground burlesque revue that consistently sells out (It's the last 2 Thursdays of each month - reservations are highly suggested.) [Reservations link]

There's Westside Wednesdays - local Venice collective House Of Vibe All Stars mid-week massive that combines live hip-hop, reggae, jazz, funk and r&b played by some of the industry's most in-demand musicians. [House Of Vibe All-Stars]

Every Monday night is Ultralove - infamous local singer/songwriter who's faithful fan base makes a ritual of kicking the week off with a dose of the band's illest medicine. [Ultralove]

And there's The Toledo Show.

The longest running show of it's kind, having just celebrated it's 10 year anniversary at Harvelle's, it's a wild burlesque road trip to hell and back. The must-see spectacle is a Westside institution and you really should be indoctrinated. Every Sunday night, the tall, dark and handsome Toledo Diamond mounts his Show - his gravely baritone tells erotic stories of hard living in the back alleys of this grimy urban metropolis, while the impossibly funky band jams tirelessly. A bevy of dancing "Dames" gyrate electrically throughout the evening, enticing you with their bouncy bodices, ripped stockings, red lips and high heels. They're a thing of beauty. [The Toledo Show]

Last year, the up and coming Vintage Trouble left their sold-out year long Tuesday night residency at the club to launch their first European tour. They've been back twice since and are currently in Australia playing sold-out stadiums and festivals. They will be back in Europe this summer touring with Lenny Kravitz. Congrats to VT for being the next big thing. It's completely deserved. [Vintage Trouble]

Additionally, there is now a second Harvelle's in Long Beach.

Larger in size with the same attention to the light and sound systems, the venue is garnering accolades and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The bluegrass/ragtime of Capt Jeffrey & His Musical Chumbuckets have been packing 'em in on Sunday nights (Phil Alvin of The Blasters has stopped by and sat in a couple of times). The very cool The Vespertines take over on Monday nights. And on Feb 4, Sheila E. will be bringing her family (Pete, Juan, and Peter Michael Escovedo) for what promises to be an exciting night of incredible latin flavored funk!! That's what the Escovedo's do!! (the club is located at 201 E. BROADWAY beneath The Congregation Ale House)

[Harvelle's Long Beach]

Hollywood Magic Castle

TheOpenDaily — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:00:10 +0000

(KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO) — If you want to get into the most magical spot in Hollywood, you have to be a member or get one to invite you.

Venice-based Coco Café Unites The Powers Of Caffeine and Coconut Water

TheOpenDaily — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:15:00 +0000

Pouring into a new world of drink, coconut water, a trend often associated with Los Angeles yogis, is now hydrating locals via Coco Café, a Venice-born cold coffee beverage. [ more › ]

Mindful Childbirth Workshop at Well Baby Center February 4th

TheOpenDaily — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:00:11 +0000

The Well Baby Center is hosting this Preparing for Mindful Childbirth Workshop on February 4th, from 10am – 1pm. Please contact them for all the details. Well Baby Center, 12316 Venice Blvd., Mar Vista, CA 90066 (310) 402-2229 ext 101

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Low Cost Pet Vaccination and Free Microchip Clinic for Santa Monica and Culver City Residents

TheOpenDaily — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:15:55 +0000

Location: Clover Park 2600 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA When: February 25, 2012 Time: 9:00 pm–3:00 pm Website: http://spcala.com/special_events/event.php?id=145 Phone: 888-772-2521 Email: corolla.fleeger@culvercity.org Price: Free

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New Pilates Studio Opening in Mar Vista: Party January 28th

TheOpenDaily — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:00:03 +0000

The Moving Joint opens January 28th and will be celebrating with an Open House from 2-7pm.

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Hollywood Museum Of Death

TheOpenDaily — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:00:07 +0000

(KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO) — There’s one tourist attraction on Hollywood Boulevard that can disgust, fascinate and shock people from around the world.

KNX 1070′s Claudia Peschiutta reports on the Hollywood Museum of Death.

Tender Greens Hollywood

TheOpenDaily — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:00:56 +0000

WHY Big salads of local provenance, and a huge, sunny patio on which to enjoy them. WHAT This always-busy outpost of the upscale cafeteria is notable for its 1,200-square-foot patio in back, as well as its roster of salads (grilled chicken Cobb; prawns with chorizo, lima beans, arugula, butter lettuce and lemon vinaigrette) and sandwiches. [...]

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Photo: ‘Flipping Out’ at Lemonade in Venice

TheOpenDaily — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:15:50 +0000

Some of the cast of the hit Bravo reality show "Flipping Out" were spotted Thursday in Venice at Lemonade. Home designer Jeff Lewis and his executive assistant Jenni Pulos along with an unidentified person are shown at the counter of the popular Abbot Kinney Boulevard eatery. Have you snapped any celebrity photographs recently in Venice? If [...]

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Swap-o-Rama-Rama at reDiscover Center This Sunday, January 29th

TheOpenDaily — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:00:59 +0000

Swap-o-Rama-Rama at the reDiscover Center this Sunday, January 29th, from 1-4pm. $5 with a bag of clothes to swap, or $10 without. No reservations required. Come create and have fun!reDiscover Center swap-o-rama-rama january 29, 2012. reDiscover Center, 12958 Washington Blvd, Mar Vista 90066 310-393-3636.

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