Tail o’ the Pup hot dog stand to return at a new location
Tail o’ the Pup returns
With the exception of a brief 2016 revival with a food truck, one of L.A.’s most iconic hot dog brands has been dormant since 2005 — but that’s about to change. In early 2022, Tail o’ the Pup is scheduled to return, along with its hot-dog-shaped food stand. The restaurateurs and historic rehabbers at the 1933 Group — who also helped renovate and restore storied spots such as the Formosa Cafe and Highland Park Bowl — purchased the 18-foot-long stall, which was first unveiled in 1946. In a few months, the group plans to debut the new Tail o’ the Pup in West Hollywood on a 2,700-square-foot lot that will include a beer garden and alfresco seating. Merch for the soon-to-be-resurrected restaurant is already available online.
8512 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, tailothepup.com
Agora World Market & Cafe
Agora, a new Turkish and Mediterranean corner store and deli is now open in West L.A., selling pantry staples, spices, cheeses, frozen meats and sweets from countries such as Italy and Turkey, plus gyros, baklava, borek and simit pizzas (cheese and pepperoni layered atop sesame-dotted, ring-shaped Turkish simit bread). Agora also offers Turkish coffee at the front counter, weekly grilled fish and meat specials out front and Sunday-only brunch with dishes such as Turkish omelets. Takeout and patio seating are available. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
12200 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 101A, Los Angeles, instagram.com/agoraworldmarketandcafe
Flower Burger West Hollywood
Flower Burger launched a takeout and delivery operation in Culver City this spring, selling plant-based burgers on a range of rainbow-hued buns tinged with turmeric, purple-carrot extract, cherry and beetroot. Now the Italy-based chain is operating a bricks-and-mortar shop in West Hollywood that offers patties made with chickpeas, seitan, kidney beans and other ingredients, sides such as a take on patatas bravas, and chocolate “salami” for dessert. Open 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. The Culver City outpost will continue to operate for takeout and delivery.
640 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, (424) 279-9801, flowerburger.us
Cracker Barrel Kitchen
You won’t see the chain’s famous rocking chairs lined up along a long wooden patio, but Cracker Barrel is landing in Los Angeles with a new delivery operation. Cracker Barrel Kitchen is a ghost kitchen from the brand, and it’s serving country fried steak, biscuits and gravy, chicken and dumplings, sweet tea and more through various delivery platforms. Service runs 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with delivery to the Hollywood area only — at least at first. Expansion into more neighborhoods and cities within L.A. County is expected over the next several months.
Fia Steak
Santa Monica’s Fia just unveiled a restaurant within a restaurant, maintaining its California-meets-Mediterranean menu on the patio but debuting Fia Steak in the indoor dining room, complete with a separate menu: steaks (some of them dry-aged) sourced with a focus on local farms; a seafood raw bar; classic sides such as creamed spinach and truffled mashed potato; starters like shrimp cocktail and tableside Caesar salad; and house-made pastas from executive chef Brendan Collins (also of Fia).
2454 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (424) 280-4196, fiarestaurant.com
L.A. Eats Japan
The Japanese Restaurant Assn. of America is reprising its annual L.A. Eats Japan food festival after a 2020 cancellation due to the pandemic. This year’s will be outdoors at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center on Nov. 14, with free admission and live entertainment such as taiko drumming, karate and a performance by group Repezen Foxx. Food will be available for purchase from 17 food yatai, or stalls, selling dishes such as ramen, okonomiyaki, yakitori, katsu sandos and Japanese cheesecake. This year’s L.A. Eats Japan runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
244 San Pedro St., Los Angeles, laeatsjapan.com
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