Sip a glass of wine with Curtis Stone
From the reopening of a Beverly Hills tasting menu restaurant to the closing of a Culver City newcomer, here’s what’s happening in the food and drink world:
Round two: When chef Curtis Stone opened Maude, his first Los Angeles restaurant, in 2014, the concept was simple: nine courses that feature a star seasonal ingredient. He and his team in Beverly Hills created menus that celebrated Meyer lemons, white truffles and more, with a different featured ingredient each month. Stone decided to close the 24-seat restaurant late last year but reopened it Tuesday night with an updated dining room and a completely new concept. At Maude — the chef has a second L.A. restaurant, Gwen — Stone will now create tasting menus inspired by wine regions around the world, starting with Rioja, Spain. The regions he focuses on will change four times a year, rather than monthly. The first menu offers dishes and wine pairings inspired by Stone’s time in Spain, where the Australian chef married his wife, actress Lindsay Price. 212 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 859-3418, mauderestaurant.com
Mezcal for days: Adolfo Suaya — the restaurateur behind Dolce, Gaucho Grill, the Phoenix and Surly Goat — has opened a new tequila bar called Paloma in Hollywood. The tequileria, on Hollywood Boulevard between Ivar Avenue and Vine Street, features a selection of more than 200 mezcals and tequilas. A small menu of tacos, burritos and quesadillas is available to accompany the cocktails. 6327 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 602-0223, paloma hollywood.com
Moving on: Just two years after opening at the Platform restaurant and retail complex in Culver City, the Cannibal restaurant is closing. The restaurant’s last night of service is Saturday. Cannibal, which has a location in New York City’s Nomad neighborhood, is known best for its meat-centric dishes, including a terrine of beef and butter; beef heart and bacon skewers; a pig’s head; and sausage with a root beer flavor profile. Although the Cannibal team could not be reached for comment on the closing, Joseph Miller, cofounder of Platform, said he will soon have news about two new restaurant openings at the complex in the spring. The Platform is also home to a Van Leeuwen ice cream shop and the Hayden wine bar. 8850 Washington Blvd., Culver City, (310) 838-2783, thecannibal la.com
Oodles of noodles: If your idea of fun includes slurping ramen noodles and twirling pasta in the same meal, then you’ll probably want to head to downtown Santa Ana on Saturday. Foodbeast, the Orange County-based food website, has partnered with Nissin (makers of Cup Noodles) to hold the annual Noods Noods Noods food festival celebrating all things noodles. From noon to 11 p.m., downtown Santa Ana, on Sycamore Street between 4th and 5th streets, will be full of vendors serving noodles. Bruxie restaurant will make kimchi ramen waffles; Cali Tacos plans to serve carne asada Cup Noodle; and Belly Bombz Kitchen will make a chicken ramen quesadilla. General admission tickets are $10 and include entrance to the noodle marketplace, where you buy dishes from the vendors. VIP tickets are $60 and include an all-you-can-consume pass with samples from all of the vendors. Tickets can be purchased at www.noodsfest.com. 120 W. 5th St., Santa Ana.
Dumplings for days: Smorgasburg, the Sunday downtown L.A. market, is hosting a dumpling day at Santa Anita Park on Feb. 3. Yes, there will be dumplings, beer and horse racing. Some of Smorgasburg’s most popular dumpling vendors, including Workaholic (giant Korean-style dumplings) and Brothecary (known for bone broth and dumplings), will be there. Tickets start at $30, and there is a $110 dumpling crawl package that includes four orders of dumplings, four craft beers and a $20 betting voucher for the day’s races. 285 Huntington Drive, Arcadia, (626) 574-7223, www.santaanita.com