Havana Nights And Bodega at The Ford - Here’s What’s Popping Up

Havana Nights And Bodega at The Ford - Here’s What’s Popping Up

The legendary Ford Theater in the Hollywood Hills has rolled out a new food and beverage program called Bodega at The Ford, featuring locally sourced selections from Jason Kim's Forage, sourdough pizzas from Jason Winters' Speak Cheezy, and Venezuelan street fare from Mercedes Rojas' Arepa Stand. All three chefs offer non-GMO dishes, including plant-based options. 

The revamped program also offers an expansive selection of local craft beers and natural small-production California wines by the glass and bottle, curated by a.o.c. 's Caroline Styne. The Bodega also serves fresh market cocktails, including the Tennessee Ruby, with Uncle Nearest bourbon, lemon, grapefruit and maple syrup; a Cucumber Gimlet with Burnett’s gin, lime, simple syrup and cucumber juice, and a Gaviota Margarita with Tosco Silver tequila, lime, Cointreau and strawberry purée.

Holey Grail Donuts, the cult-favorite taro doughnut shop originating from Hawaii, has teamed up with Chef Ludo Lefebvre for an exclusive doughnut available starting today through Wednesday, Aug. 23. The collaborative Cosmic Churro Donut includes Holey Grail Donut’s signature taro doughnut fried to order in coconut oil, adaptogenic cinnamon and sugar sourced from Shaman Ramen, and brulee banana. Twenty percent of sales will be donated to help raise proceeds for AIM, a nonprofit organization bridging the gap between research and access to care for youth struggling with their mental health. 

The Ford Summer Spritz (Courtesy BRERA Ristorante)


BRERA Ristorante has launched a new summertime Three Spritz Lunch featuring a prix-fixe menu paired with a trio of prosecco-based cocktails: Here Comes the Sun, Island in the Sun and When the Sun Goes Down. 

Located in the DTLA Arts District, BRERA Ristorante is a multi-regional Italian restaurant by acclaimed Chef Angelo Auriana and restaurateur Matteo Ferdinandi of Factory Place Hospitality Group. The meal inclusive of the flight of three sun-inspired sips is available Tuesday to Friday, noon to 2:30 p.m., and is priced at $55.  

Belles Beach House, the Hawaiian-inspired restaurant in Venice will offer a wellness series on its beachside patio with complimentary wellness classes on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. Each event features a different wellness partner, and participants are welcome to join Belles for brunch with a 15% discount. Upcoming classes are on Saturday, July 29, with 728 Yoga; and Sunday, July 30, with Basecamp and Jiant Hard Kombucha. Reserve class here.

Pez Cantina will celebrate Havana Nights on Saturday, July 29, on the outdoor patio in downtown L.A., with live music, specialty cocktails, and Executive Chef Bret Thompson's dinner specials. Expect Raspberry Mojitos and Hemingway Daiquiris, as well as a golden pompano a la Cubana, whole fish served with salsa mojo de ajo. Live music performances are courtesy of Azucar and La Picante.

The Ford Havana Nights (Courtesy Pez Cantina)


Lawry’s The Prime Rib opened in 1938 as a single-entree menu concept only offering prime rib carved from a shiny silver cart with traditional English accompaniments. In celebration of 85 years of business on La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills, there will be food and drink specials throughout the month of August, including a throwback to the original Lawry’s menu with a 16 oz. prime boneless ribeye served with maitre d’hotel butter and julienne French fried potatoes, as well as The Jubilee anniversary cocktail made with WhistlePig 15-Year, black cherry- and morel mushroom-infused Carpano Antica vermouth, bianco vermouth, housemade white raisin and saffron bitters and allspice dram. It’s then smoked with pecan shells and allspice berries and served with sugar-roasted pecans, dried cherries and baked meringues drizzled with Luxardo cherry dark chocolate in a keepsake engraved glass.

Available Tuesday, Aug. 1 through Tuesday, Aug. 15, Lawry’s will serve a $85 four-course prix fixe anniversary menu with dishes inspired by the original menu including: 

  • Lobster and shrimp Louie cocktail with a champagne toast 
  • Lawry’s famous spinning bowl salad or cream of tomato soup
  • California cut of prime rib served with mashed potatoes, creamed corn or creamed spinach; Salmon Rockefeller; or upgrade to CAB prime 16 oz. ribeye with maitre d’hotel butter and julienned French fry potatoes for $19.38
  • Pineapple upside-down bundt cake with whipped cottage cream, vanilla sauce and toasted macadamia nuts

Fat Sal's Deli & Sandwich Shop has partnered with HARD Summer Music Festival for a  limited-time Fat HARD Attack sandwich, available now through Sunday, Aug. 13. The Fat HARD Attack is made with barbecue pulled pork, mac and cheese bites, fried pickles, coleslaw, ranch and honey barbecue sauce on a hero. 

The Ford Mango Delight (Courtesy Bing Bing Baby)


Bing Bing Baby will pop up at Citizen Public Market from Thursday, July 27 through Sunday, July 30. The small batch, family-owned ice cream company that shaves rather than churns its all-natural cream, will spin out flavorful ribbons of icy Mango Delight, Cookies and Cream, a vegan-friendly Yuzu sorbet, and more. For information and updates, follow @bingbingbabyla.

Hey, Sunshine Kitchen, a new plant-based, fast-casual restaurant with a curated non-GMO menu will open in Culver City on Saturday, Aug. 5. Owned by sisters Jenny Engel and Heather Golden Ray, menu items include a Mediterranean chickpea bowl with Sunshine rice, crispy house chickpea patty, cucumber, purple cabbage, house pickles, fresh mint, shoestring onions and lemon herb aioli, as well as an avocado crunch bowl with brown rice, sesame-crusted avocado, dried cranberries, cucumber, diced tomato, shredded carrot, sweet potato, purple cabbage, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, kale, and house pickles in a lemon dijon vinaigrette. There are also kids meals with plant-based chicken, mac and cheese, crispy house-made chickpea nuggets, and lots of lemonade. Hey, Sunshine Kitchen will partner with Friends of Ballona Wetlands to help support pollinator conservation, handing out complimentary pollinator-friendly plants to customers on Mondays, while supplies last, with meal purchases. 

In celebration of Ginza Nishikawa’s one-year anniversary, Interstellar will sell a one-day limited edition Menchi Katsu Sando using Ginza Nishikawa shokupan. The sando will only be available for pick up at Interstellar’s restaurant location in Santa Monica on Tuesday, Aug. 1, and is made with signature ground beef, pork and onions grilled into a hamburger patty topped with parmesan aioli, citrus cabbage on toasted Ginza Nishikawa shokupan. The sando will be available for $25, and only a limited quantity of 50 will be available for pickup. Pre-order HERE.

What’s Popping Up is a weekly column in the L.A. Weekly that explores all that’s new in food and drink.

The Ford The Menchi Katsu Sando (Courtesy Interstellar)


 

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