Sad to report that an arson suspected fire hit the building where Rustic Kitchen and Roma pizza are located. Both places are reporting damage and temporarily closed. Hate to see solid neighborhood spots run into these kinds of issues, hard enough to stay in business. Both have been open for about a year and seem to have been hitting their stride. I’ve enjoyed my meals at Rustic Kitchen.
Mar Vista adjacent. Looks like yet another mexican restaurant opening up in that little strip mall next to Tacomiendo on corner of Inglewood and Culver Blvd. Chicatana restaurant, taking over the old Geo’s coffee space. Will keep an eye out and report when they’re open.
Tapatia sandwiches next door is now touting they have ahogada sandwiches, haven’t tried them yet but have liked their other sandwiches as reported recently.
Thanks B. Flattered that I was missed by you. Hoping to get back into the swing of things and participate regularly again.
Have not tried The Mar Vista yet. I admire the people and the mission, but the menu and price points aren’t really exciting me that much. Eventually I’ll wander in there but I’d rather go exploring elsewhere for now.
Oh life decided to intrude and I mostly wasn’t in the mood to go through the board and when I did, I didn’t have a lot of new info to contribute. Hoping to get back into the swing of things and not just on the food board level.
Update on Chicatana - gone! It’s morphed into “Helados la Michoacanas.”
Ice cream is getting a little crowded on the Westside. But serving this neighborhood should be a good thing. Moreover, Mateo’s is geographically kinda awkward to this area unless you’re on a bike.
Great! It’s easier walking distance for me than Mateo’s, but I do like Mateo’s a lot. I like Ginger’s too. Depending on my mood, I can now walk to either one. Unfortunately the walk isn’t enough to work off all the calories.
Grand Opening today 6/14/2017. Offerings are still sparse. I recommend giving them another few days at least to get rolling. They only had five flavors of ice cream, a few flavors of paletas and three agua frescas. It looks like they will be offering various snacks too. Menu has street corn, fries, different kinds of fruit coctails.
Single/double/triple scoop pricing is $2/3.50/4.50
Regular hours are to be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. there will be coffee.
Just tried MV Grab n’ Go on Venice. Interesting menu, options for most types of eaters. Had the salmon salad, “Frico” with chorizo/cheese and another with shrimp. Putine with Guajillo pork. Not earth-shattering but definitely good enough to try more of their menu.
Since the thread is about Mar Vista, wanted to offer a rec for the Grandview Market (the restaurant part).
My son and his friends live for the Monday wing special. I’ve had it too and they are some good wings.
The roast chicken special (offered every day) is huge and really, really good.
There is a TV that shows sports (no sound) and a happy hour with beer specials. You can eat and drink at the counter and there are plenty of tables in the eating area next to the groceries. Everything is fresh, the sides are really good.
One thing: My son ordered the pastrami sandwich one night and can’t recommend it. I mean, it was probably “ok” but if you’re gonna get pastrami, you might as well go to a place that specializes in pastrami.
I’ve been in on random Mondays and it’s not all that crowded. I’ve peaked in on Sundays when the Farmer’s Market is going on and it gets a little crowded. GVM is on Venice, just west of Grandview.
Thanks for this, will definitely give those wings a try.
I do like their roast chicken and their packaged guac too. Makes for a quick meal to pick up those two things. I usually have some tortillas and salsa at home from Northgate.
New coffee/tea/boba place by the owner of Ekkamai Thai, right next door to Ekkamai. Popped in there this morning while running errands. They’ve only been open two weeks.
I like the look of the place, the QPR is pretty good. I’m not a coffee snob though and after it hits a certain level of good, it’s good enough for me. Others can weigh in on the nuances. The boba aspect of it seems to fill a niche that’s missing in this neighborhood. $3.50 for a 24 oz coffee milk tea $.50 more for boba.
Looking forward to them settling in, would love to see them carry a selection of quality baked goods. If the QPR holds up, that would probably make them a dangerous regular stop for me.
Talked with the owner - Bradley. Nice engaging guy. He also plans on Banh mi soon. He then is hoping to expand his menu with maybe some nem nuong or Cha gio. He wants to first dial in the drinks. This place shows promise for a solid interesting mix of things that are missing from this area.
Cool! I’ve talked to Bradley a few times at Ekkamai too. He comes across as very dedicated to providing a quality experience and care for customers. I had asked him about his approach to the menu. He explained how it was a daily balance to try and provide good Thai dishes but still cater to a customer base that wants basic dishes and flavors, since that’s what pays the bills. He said he also tries to hire Thai students as servers even if they don’t have a lot of experience. It’s his way of contributing, that could also explain why the service sometimes isn’t smooth but it’s always friendly and welcoming. It would be interesting to see if it’s possible to get something closer to what the cooks and Thai servers prepare for their house meals.
I’d love to see some Banh mi sandwiches and other dishes. If he shows the same dedication to quality and pricing as Ekkamai, then it’ll be a great addition to the neighborhood. Somewhere nearby to get a good coffee drink and Banh mi for a reasonable price would be fantastic.
Where’ve you been?