The Big Maccabee (Courtesy Natasha Feldman)
For four nights Jenn Sills, former head chef at Gjusta, Jon & Vinny’s, Secret Chinese, and Natasha Feldman, bestselling author of The Dinner Party Project, will serve up a Texas BBQ spin on nostalgic Hanukkah foods at the Kiff Kafe on Saturday, Dec 9. Highlights include The Big Maccabee, a crispy latke sandwich stuffed with smoked brisket, the meat-plus-three combo with either smoked Jewish brisket, apricot glazed BBQ chicken, or smoky kasha stuffed cabbage served with kugel mac, horsey slaw, tzimmes and a challah roll. Also Chef Sills’ house pickles (half sour, bread & butter, and tomatillos), as well as halva and a caramel ice cream sundae featuring Alec’s Ice Cream for dessert. The event will benefit NewGround, a Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change.Vicini Ristorante & Wine Bar will prepare a traditional Feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas by Chef Lucio Bedon, in the space of the former Louise’s Trattoria, where he first worked after arriving in LA from Italy. For $120 per person, guests can indulge in seven courses including Baccalà Mantecato con crostini, Vicini Caesar salad with herb-crusted grilled prawns and polenta croutons, filetto di branzino con Carciofi or artichokes, spaghetti bottarga, cioppino and lemon sorbet, or dolce-panettone bread pudding for dessert. Vicini will hold two seatings for The Feast of Seven Fishes at 5 p.m. with the second seating at 8:30 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Reservations can be booked at OpenTable.
Festivus Feast (Courtesy Nosh With Tash)
Creamy Boys Ice Cream, the New Zealand-style ice cream shop that has been popping up since 2020, will open its first permanent location in Hermosa Beach on Saturday, Dec. 9. Creamy Boys was launched by Duncan Parsons, a New Zealand native who moved to the U.S. to study at Duke University. After graduation, he towed an old funnel cake trailer from Arkansas to California selling ice cream on the way. In addition to the classics like mixed berry and strawberry, they’re also known for their version of the New Zealand flavor, hokey pokey with honeycomb toffee, made in-house, blended into the ice cream and sprinkled on top.Ardor at the West Hollywood Edition has new hours and menu, and will now remain open seven days a week. The lush green dining room will be open for dinner on Monday and Tuesday, featuring Chef John Fraser’s new seasonal dishes like squash agnolotti with crispy sage, pine nuts, chanterelles and brown butter creme, and his fall ratatouille with delicata squash, fuyu persimmons and a curry leaf chimichurri.Fraser also has refreshed the brunch menu, which offers la carte options like hashbrown chilaquiles and salmon Benedict made with Chino Hills Farm’s organic eggs. Ardor also will introduce a social hour every 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Fridays and Saturdays, that will offer premium well spirits for $16, Ardor’s vegetable-forward cocktails at $18, and zero-proof beverages at $14. Among the cocktail options will be Jade, with celery heart pisco, mint, jalapeno and citrus; Vermilion, made with Japanese whisky, farmstand tomato aperol and peppercorn; and Pearl, a combination vodka, sake, lime, lemongrass and white pepper.Maydan Market will host a pop-up to introduce themselves to the neighborhood. Located in West Adams, Maydan Market will be the first west-coast project for Rose Previte, co-founder of Michelin-starred Maydan in Washington, D.C. The 10,000-square-foot market will be a home for small businesses to bring diverse products together under one roof. In the first in a series of pop-ups, on Saturday, Dec. 16, the culinary and retail event will feature Maydan cooking, food from other L.A. hotspots, boutique retailers and music. Founder Rose Previte also will sign copies of her cookbook, Maydan: Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond at the pop-up on 3626 W. Jefferson Blvd.Heading to the desert? Truss & Twine will have a holiday pop-up experience in partnership with Miracle! Beginning running through New Year’s Eve. Known for serving up expertly crafted cocktails in an elevated, dramatic interior in Palm Springs, Truss & Twine has undergone a full winter wonderland with drinks from mixologist Joann Spiegel that include The Krampus and Marshmallows & Unicorns, Rudolph’s Replacement, and the Christmapolitan, a mix of vodka, elderflower, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry sauce, lime, rosemary and absinthe mist. Served in Miracle’s signature kitschy glassware, the cocktails will be served in styles ranging from nostalgic and playful to classic and cheerful designs.
Beef Wellington (Courtesy Truss and Wine)
Seasonal menu items include Beef Wellington and miso honey glazed ham and smoked pineapple, served with a pomme purée and market vegetables, as well as smoked planet carrots with carrot butter, carrot puree, rosemary and pomegranate. Plus a Christmas basket of cookies. The full menu can be viewed here.Strawberry Shortcake will host a “Perfect Holiday Tea Party” at Julienne Fine Foods and Celebrations Café in San Marino on Sunday, Dec. 10. The tea service with holiday-themed treats will include a berry boutique, and a meet-and-greet with Strawberry Shortcake herself. The menu will feature assorted sandwiches, scones with petite sweets and jam, mini cakes, winter swirl cookies and more. Primal Kitchen will give away 1,000 free turkey sandwiches made with its new no-sugar or artificial sweetener Cranberry Mayo starting at 9 a.m., at the Mar Vista Farmers Market on Sunday, Dec. 17. The sandwiches are being made by local Poppa Joe's Kitchen.What’s Popping Up is a weekly column in the L.A. Weekly that explores all that’s new in food and drink.
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