Category: Food & Drink

RE:Her announces COVID-19 relief grant program By Kamala Kirk Back in January, nonprofit organization RE:Her hosted a 10-day RE:Her festival that featured collaborations, thematic menus and conversations between female restaurant industry leaders. Following the successful initiative, RE:Her recently announced a COVID-19 relief grant program to support women-owned restaurants in Los Angeles. The program is sponsored by DoorDash and RE:Her will distribute 15 $10,000 cash grants to female food and beverage entrepreneurs in LA County. Recipients can use the grants to bolster their businesses however they see fit, and they will also receive access to consulting and mentorship from specialists in restaurant finance, HR and PR/marketing. DoorDash, whose donation has enabled RE:Her’s COVID-19 grant program, launched Made by Women during Women’s History Month. Made by Women is an in-app and digital platform that elevates women-owned businesses by making it easier to identify them by searching “women owned” in the DoorDash app and website. They also launched various fundraising and loan-matching campaigns to benefit female entrepreneurs, including donations to the James Beard Foundation’s Leadership Programs. DoorDash is committed to supporting women-owned businesses and will continue to use its platform to drive meaningful change. “Over the last four months, RE:Her has grown into a platform for connection for 250+ women to share resources, information and support, and we want to continue to champion and empower our community with these grants,” said Lien...

Danny Trejo opens new restaurant locations in Banc of California Stadium and Santa Monica By Annika Tomlin Danny Trejo is well known as an actor, but quickly he is gaining notoriety for collaboration with producer Ash Shah — Trejo’s Tacos. “I was on set with Danny seven or eight years ago (filming ‘Bad Ass’) and we were talking about food and the idea came up of opening a Mexican restaurant,” Shah said. “We kicked it around for a year and a half after that. We finally opened up our first one in March 2016, which was Trejo’s Tacos.” Serving 11 types of tacos, 12 kinds of burritos and various other Mexican-style meals ranging from steak asada bowls to mushroom asada burritos, Trejo’s Tacos has a variety of food for any dietary preference. The chain has grown to eight dine-in and takeout locations, including in Hollywood, La Brea, the Los Angeles Farmers Market, as well as ghost kitchens in the Westside, Pasadena, Miami and Chicago. “We just opened (a new Trejo’s Tacos) in Santa Monica (on May 6),” Shah said. “That’s our newest location right by the Third Street Promenade.” Shah and Trejo are looking to open a location in the states that surround California. On April 17, the smallest location opened in the southeast corner of Banc of California Stadium, just in time for LAFC’s home opener against Austin...

Cult Santa Monica is a new restaurant, cocktail bar and coffee destination By Katie Lulla On the corner of Broadway and Third Street Promenade sits a cheerful restaurant with an interesting name, Cult. The innovative team, the same group that created Lanea and The Craftsman Bar and Kitchen, puts a new spin on the cult favorite foods of Los Angeles and are working to create their own unique foods. Down time can sometimes be the best time to start something new. The Cult team had always wanted to open a new location and the pandemic provided that opportunity. Cult’s chef, Kim Vu, noted that the pandemic played a role in the restaurant’s affordability. “I think people are price sensitive because of the pandemic,” Vu said. “You have to meet at that intersection of quality, art and price to be successful. And I think that this location has it.” When they hear the name Cult, many people may instinctively think of a group of fanatical people. Chef Vu certainly did. Cult’s original concept was an all-vegan restaurant referencing cultivation, but Vu used the autonomy given to her to take Cult in the direction it is now. “Not only are we playing off of other people’s cult classics, but we want to create our own,” Vu said. “What we’re aiming to do is to create really craveable food and drinks.” Cult’s...

From brunches to curated gift boxes, check out these Mother’s Day offerings. By Kamala Kirk • Mother’s Day Premier Brunch Cruise. Sweep Mom off her feet with a brunch or dinner cruise in Marina del Rey complete with flowers, onboard entertainment and more. Enjoy a delicious meal together while taking in unmatched waterfront and skyline views. Experiences have been adapted to ensure heightened cleanliness and to maintain social distance onboard. cityexperiences.com • Curated Gift Boxes from Destroyer. Chef Jordan Kahn of Destroyer in Culver City is offering an assortment of gift box ideas for Mother’s Day. Choose from a selection of premade baskets ranging from breakfast in bed to kitchen essentials or build a customized version. Offerings include a Beignet Box, Mother’s Day Breakfast Kit, Kitchen Kit with cooking essentials and more. destroyerla.store • Brunch by the Beach. Treat Mom to a delectable beachside brunch or dinner at Terrazza Restaurant at Hotel Casa del Mar in Santa Monica with specialty menus and oceanfront views. An enticing three-course prix-fixe menu will be offered for brunch and dinner. Highlights include fresh oysters, crab cake eggs benedict, coconut panna cotta and more. A children’s menu is also available. hotelcasadelmar.com • Champagne Brunch & Dinner. Wine and dine Mom while enjoying ocean breezes, refreshing mimosas, decadent desserts and friendly service during a champagne brunch or dinner at Cantalini’s Salerno Beach Restaurant in Playa...

Sam’s Crispy Chicken and Umami Burger debut new menus By Kamala Kirk Recently, Sam’s Crispy Chicken and Umami Burger from C3 launched new food and beverage menus that feature a combination of old favorites and new creative items. C3 is a cutting-edge food and beverage platform that capitalizes on ghost kitchens, mobile delivery and food halls. Industry veteran Jason Jeffords also joined the C3 team as beverage director and one of his first projects was the creation of a new drink menu at Umami Burger, which includes a variety of innovative milkshakes with elaborate and fun add-on toppings to accompany the savory menu items. Alcohol can also be added to milkshakes for an adult-friendly drink. Milkshake flavors include Banana Matcha, Piña Colada, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Rocky Road. The “Newmami” menu returns to the roots it was founded on in 2009 and brings back classics from the original Umami Burger selection with updated buns and patty recipes, Impossible “meat” options, sides, appetizers and desserts. It also introduces new creative items and combination boxes with signature items such as the Truffle Burger, Pastrami Burger, Sunnyside Burger with bacon strips and fried egg, and more. Sam’s Crispy Chicken’s new menu includes new appetizers, salads, sides, combo boxes, assorted fried chicken sandwiches and Tender Dogs – the ghost kitchen concept’s take on a fried chicken hot dog. Signature menu items range from...