Vincent Samarco’s beloved West Side French bistro Belle Vie, which closed as a result of the pandemic, is taking up residence at Marissa Hermer’s Draycott in Pacific Palisades through the New Year. Spirited owner Samarco will serve up a selection of his menu hits, pour his favorite wines and can be spotted dancing around the dining room to his own curated French playlists. Expect baked raclette, steak entrecote, beef tartare, cassoulet, Angel’s eggs, warm goat cheese salad, a selection of quiches for brunch and plenty of joie de vivre.


And speaking of comebacks, chef  Tony Nguyen has returned to Crustacean Beverly Hills as the newly installed Culinary Director and managing partner after his 2021 departure. He will oversee culinary operations for all the restaurants and will be leading future restaurant openings.

With former Yamashiro sushi chef Eijiro Nagano at his side, Nguyen will kick off the New Year in the sumptuous upstairs under the giant bird cage with a prix fixe dinner, and party with entertainment, passed appetizers and champagne. Crustacean legend and matriarch Helene An, who turned 80 this year, still strolls through the dining room personally greeting guests from table to table.

Blind Barber, known for blending a fine haircut with a stiff drink, has opened in Culver City. Founded in New York in 2010, Blind Barber has a hidden retro speakeasy tucked behind a classic barbershop façade. Originally opened on the West Coast in 2012 followed by another LA location in Highland Park in 2018, the concept is a hip barbershop during the day and bar by night.

The front area offers grooming services, including haircuts, shaves and trims, as well as grooming products endorsed by Blind Barber co-owner and partner, Major League Baseball All-Star Bryce Harper. The interior blends white walls and hexagon floor tiles with four barber stations featuring black-and-chrome Belmont chairs. Complimentary signature cocktails are offered with every barber service. At sundown, a nondescript door in the back leads to a speakeasy, revealing a swanky and ‘70s-inspired bar, a wood-paneled DJ booth and a dance floor.

In addition to zero-proof selections, signature cocktails include the Strawberry Fields made with Tito's, strawberry-infused Aperol, lemon and triple sec, the N. Figueroa with mezcal, pineapple, lime and salted jalapeno agave, and the Kill Devil with dark rum, light rum, Campari, lime, pineapple and demerara syrup.



Urban Press Winery in Burbank is celebrating seven years with specials through November. The anniversary menu with $7 food items and wine by the glass includes beet salad, Urban Press burger, arrabbiata, truffle and Margherita pizzas, golden cannoli and select glasses of UPW wines. The party starts all day and night today and Wednesday through Friday from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PMTo make a reservation for Nov. 16, click here. For more information, please visit us at Urban Press Winery.

Sweet news from two LA heritage brands. Lawry’s The Prime Rib and See’s Candies are teaming up for a limited-time celebratory C.C. Brown’s hot fudge sundae that will be served at Lawry’s The Prime Rib in Beverly Hills starting today. Lawry's decades-old recipe made with signature C.C. Brown’s sauce will now be made with vanilla soft serve ice cream and served with a variety of See’s Candies, including Toffee-Ettes, Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate Molasses Chips. Each celebratory sundae will be $21.



To celebrate the release of DreamWorks Animation’s new feature film Trolls Band Together on Friday, Nov. 17, Shake Shack is offering a limited-time shakes menu inspired by the leading characters in the film - Poppy, Branch and new character Viva - as well as traditional holiday flavors. This week in LA, Shake Shack unveils a special West Hollywood Trolls Experience with three larger-than-life trolls to the roof of the Shack who will have their tresses styled by celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan.

The West Hollywood Shack Trolls experience will offer interactive jukeboxes activated by the Shakes and the Hally Hair bus offering braids and Troll-inspired hair color with the purchase of any menu item. Along with the Poppy’s Sugar Cookie Shake, Viva’s Cinnamon Roll Shake and Branch’s Chocolate Peppermint Shake, West Hollywood Shack guests also will be able to enjoy limited giveaways from Poppy and Pout and Moose Toys. Fans also will have the opportunity to get Troll-ifed on the Hally Mobile Truck on Saturday, Nov. 18. Hally is teaming up with the West Hollywood Shake Shack to offer hair streaking, styling and blinging. Turn into your favorite Trolls character with Hally's Shade Stix, temporary hair color. This interactive experience will be live for a limited time through Sunday, Nov. 19.

Mírate, Los Feliz’s award-winning “Alta-California” restaurant and bar concept, will celebrate its first anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 10 p.m. to midnight with complimentary Birria de Chivo, drink specials and more.

The Aster, Hollywood’s new boutique luxury hotel and members’ club continues its Food As Art series with a pop-up from the World’s 50 Best Restaurant chef Jaime Pesaque on Sunday, Dec. 3, and Monday, Dec. 4. Chef Pesaque, who founded the internationally acclaimed Mayta restaurant in Peru, will present a five-course dinner journey at Lemon Grove, the Aster’s rooftop restaurant overlooking the Hollywood Hills.

Each dish is a personal expression based on the flavors and preparations of memory and history featuring contemporary Peruvian cuisine accompanied by surprise elements and interactive experiences with the chef. Tickets are now available on Resy for $125 per person or $50 for members of The Aster. Cocktails crafted with Mortlach single-malt scotch are available for an additional cost, as well as menu-inspired wine pairings for $70 per person. To make a reservation for Food As Art featuring guest chef Jaime Pesaque on Dec. 3, please visit Resy here. For reservations on Dec. 4,  visit Resy here.