Rabano Bringing “Fresh And Healthy” To Main St.
The space at 2507 Main St. in Santa Monica has been a bit of a mystery for the last few years. Once the home of Novel Cafe, the space has been gutted with intermittent construction. A sign recently went up over the door announcing the arrival of Rabano Handcrafted Food & Drinks. Rabano has a location in Hermosa Beach and has a “fresh and healthy” menu of salads, bowls, and sandwiches that utilizes local ingredients and focuses on the environment.
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Opening A New Santa Monica Location
I’ve been reporting on the closure of many local The Coffee Bean & Tea Leafs in recent years. All the closures seemed to be a pattern and I was afraid that didn’t bode well for the java franchise. But lo and behold, a brand new CBTL is moving into the old deli space in the medical building at 2021 Santa Monica Blvd (corner of 20th St.). Could this begin a refresh for the storied SoCal coffee chain?
Panda Express Opening A New Location In Marina Del Rey
Congratulations Good People of Marina del Rey, mall-quality Asian food is heading your way! There’s a banner hanging on the commodious space on the corner of Lincoln and Washington announcing the arrival of food court fixture Panda Express. Right now the space is gutted so you may have to wait a bit for your orange chicken…
Galvin Bakery & Cafe Coming To Montana Ave.
There’s a new restaurant coming to the diminutive space at 625D Montana Ave. in Santa Monica, formerly home to a Subway. The window paper names the new eatery as Galvin Bakery & Cafe. There’s not much info out there on Galvin, but it appears coffee, alfajores, sandwiches, and salads will be on offer.
Roca Pizza Disappears From Palisades Village
I first told you about Roca Pizza’s arrival to 1061 N Swathmore in Pacific Palisades back in April of 2022. It took them a while to open, which they did about six months ago. Sadly, they have already given up the ghost at this location. They had planned on another location in Waterside Marina del Rey, but I haven’t heard if that will still happen or not. Roca Pizza was a project from California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) Co-founder Rick Rosenfield and his wife Esther that featured pies with long-refrigerated dough baked in imported Italian ovens.
House Of Mandi Bringing Yemeni Food To Westwood
It caused quite a stir when I reported that New York’s noodle expert Dun Huang was moving into the former El Pollo Loco space at 1081 Gayley in Westwood Village. For whatever reason, that never happened. Now the address appears to be getting a new tenant. Signs are already up announcing the arrival of House of Mandi. House of Mandi has a location in Anaheim and specializes in Yemeni food.
B & T’s Deli Bringing Plant-Based Subs To Montana Ave.
There’s new window paper up on the space at 912 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. This address was previously home to the popular salad joint Greens Up!, which mysteriously vanished only days ago. The new business, B & T’s Deli, will specialize in “casually gourmet” plant-based subs. We wish them the best of luck.
Honey Krush Replaces Kung Fu Tea In Westwood Village
That didn’t take long… It was only last month when I told you about the disappearance of Kung Fu Tea and TKK Fried Chicken from the diminutive space at 1136 Westwood Blvd. in Westwood Village. Wasting no time, a new purveyor of organic drinks, Honey Krush, has quickly set up housekeeping. If they’re not already open by the time you read this, they will be shortly…
PokiTomik Blows Up Westwood With “Explosive Poke”
A reader wrote to tell me that a new bolthole is dishing raw fish in Westwood Village. PokiTomik is now open at 1135 Westwood Blvd. and offers a menu of bowls, burritos, and tacos. PokiTomik began in Glendale in 2017 and has spread to 15 locations across SoCal. They have made it their mission to “blow up the community with the freshest and most wholesome ingredients to make the most explosive poke.”
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