New Orleans fried chicken specialist Willie Mae’s launches takeout in L.A.
Willie Mae’s
One of the most celebrated fried chicken restaurants in the country has landed in Los Angeles. New Orleans stalwart Willie Mae’s Scotch House, a 1957-founded winner of the James Beard Foundation’s America’s Classics Award, initially was set to open a restaurant in Venice over the summer. The opening is now slated for fall, but until then, Willie Mae’s has launched as a takeout operation from within Westside ghost kitchen the Colony. The takeout menu offers the signature bone-in fried chicken and tenders, rubbed with cayenne and other spices, then coated in a wet batter; plus roast chicken and family meals; and sides such as red beans and rice, mac and cheese, buttered cornbread, sweet potato fries and butter beans. Willie Mae’s can be ordered via the Colony or through Postmates or UberEats from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily.
11419 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, williemaesrestaurant.com
The Lonely Oyster
A new oyster bar in Echo Park is serving seafood towers bedecked with Peruvian ceviche and uni-and-caviar wonton crackers, along with a variety of wines by the glass and bottle, and dishes such as mussels or clams in coconut curry or white wine, lobster rolls, fish and chips, chowder and lobster mac and cheese; weekend-only brunch options including shrimp frittatas and salmon Benedicts. The Lonely Oyster, from Don Andes (Little Joy), is housed in the former Allumette Restaurant space and features indoor and patio seating as well as a bar offering sea- and tropical-inspired cocktails. The Lonely Oyster is open 5 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and noon to midnight Saturday and Sunday; on Monday only the raw-bar menu is available.
1320 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 221-7615, lonelyoyster.com
The Butcher’s Daughter West Hollywood
The plant-focused restaurant, bar and juicery is expanding this weekend with a location in West Hollywood. Executive chef Andy Barbato (Little Pine, Jewel) is adding dishes such as handmade pastas and a vegan “raw bar” with items such as beets prepared in the style of ahi sashimi. The newest Butcher’s Daughter is set to open Sept. 24 with indoor and outdoor seating, and also includes a 25-foot-long greenhouse-style bar. It marks the brand’s fifth outpost, and second in Los Angeles. The Butcher’s Daughter in West Hollywood is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
8755 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (310) 707-1630, thebutchersdaughter.com
Porto’s Downtown Disney
Papas rellenas and pastelitos are headed to Anaheim. At fan event D23 Expo, Disney officials announced that beloved Cuban bakery and cafe Porto’s will open a location in Downtown Disney, the retail and restaurant stretch located just outside Disneyland. Earlier this year, the company announced that dumpling specialist Din Tai Fung would join the area as well; an opening date has not been announced for either restaurant.
1580 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, disneyland.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney-district
L.A. Times Night Market
The Times’ annual monthlong Food Bowl festival draws to a close next week, but before it does, it will host a three-day Night Market on the Paramount Studios backlot Sept. 23-25. Each Night Market event will include more than 40 vendors serving unlimited bites and sips, plus cooking demos, DJ sets and other live entertainment. On Sept. 23, the Smoked Soirée (8 to 11 p.m.) will feature pitmasters, a burger block party and other meaty, barbecue-inspired restaurants such as Slab, River Street BBQ and Kevin Bludso of Bludso’s Bar & Cue. The Sept. 24 event (7 to 10 p.m.) includes a dumpling crawl and internationally inspired food stations from the likes of Lunasia, CHD Mandu, Kuya Lord, Chao Krung and others. Sept. 25’s event (2 to 5 p.m.) features a brunch theme and a pizza focus with vendors such as Here’s Looking at You, Apollonia’s, Jitlada, Ronan and Pizzana. Tickets ($110) include entry and unlimited food, wine, beer and spirits tastings; VIP ($200) includes early entry, parking and access to exclusive dishes and lounge seating.
5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, lafoodbowl.com/night-market
Family Style Fest
The sprawling food festival that pairs restaurants with streetwear designers for one-day-only merch and special dishes is back. Family Style Fest, at the intersection of food and fashion, is set to return to CBS Television City on Oct. 9 with more than 30 food and drink vendors, including Chifa, Mother Wolf, Kato, Tacos y Birria la Unica, Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Sonoratown and Crossroads Kitchen; this year’s designers include Free & Easy, Blondie Beach, Azuki, Nike and Carrots. General admission ($60) includes entry with food available for purchase, while VIP tickets ($200) include the aforementioned plus access to an open natural-wine bar and seating area, complimentary tacos, burgers and vegan ice cream, an event tee, a tote and more. Family Style Fest 2022 runs from noon to 8 p.m.
7800 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, familystylefest.com
Strip mall fire closures
In sadder news, a fire Saturday morning in a Palms strip mall killed 17 cats, injured a firefighter, destroyed multiple businesses and indefinitely shuttered two restaurants. The blaze took more than an hour to contain and has resulted in the closure of Bernie’s Soul Kitchen and Golden China Restaurant; other eateries in the mall, such as the Jerk Spot and US Donut, remain open at 9000 W. Venice Blvd. in Los Angeles.
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