The Iconic Mondrian L.A. on Sunset Continues Summer Reign with Full Redesign

The Iconic Mondrian L.A. on Sunset Continues Summer Reign with Full Redesign

by | Aug 15, 2019

Earlier this Summer, Sunset Boulevard destination staple, The Mondrian L.A., unveiled it’s complete redesign after a whopping 19 million dollar renovation. The level of luxury exuding from this West Hollywood location fits in perfectly with the beautiful days of an L.A. Summer. There’s a unique direction in design specific to the 236 rooms and hallways of the hotel bring in an essence of imagination through the Alice in Wonderland inspired decor. Take into account the floor-to-ceiling windows, marble touched bathrooms, and 24 Hour room service.

           

The renovation came in at a whopping 19 million dollars to create the ever-inspiring luxury hotel’s re-imagined aesthetic. It’s the perfect place for a local getaway while being able to also step outside and enjoy California-inspired cuisines at Ivory on Sunset and play at Skybar’s iconic sun-drenched pool deck by day, star-studded nightlife hotspot after sunset.

  

 

For Reservations and Calendar of Events, Check out Mondrian Los Angeles Online.

Katana’s Red Sun BBQ Blazes Sunset Blvd.

Katana’s Red Sun BBQ Blazes Sunset Blvd.

by | Jul 12, 2019

Summer is in full swing and Sunset Blvd staple, KATANA, has an offering that feeds the palette of Angelenos looking for a unique dining experience this season. KATANA’s Red Sun is an annual event inspired by the Ginza tradition in Japan. It takes place every Sunday from 6:00pm – 11:30pm now until Labor Day Weekend, September 1, 2019.

SoCal Mag was able to get a preview of the limited edition menu along with the excellent Summer cocktails crafted by KATANA’s mixologists.

Enjoy items like the Popcorn Shrimp Tacos topped with a miso glaze, purple cabbage, and served in organic blue tortillas; The delicious Seafood Ceviche is made with shrimp, crab, yuzu, avocado, tomato, cilantro, and ghost pepper salt; The Hammer Roll is made with rock shrimp tempura, avocado, soy paper, spicy tuna, soy marinated jalapeno, masago, and eel sauce; My personal favorite was the Wagyu Short Ribs, served sizzling; and we can’t forget about the Smoked Robata Shrimp made with chimichurri ponzu and the Kurobuta Asian BBQ Ribs.

     

The star cocktails from the bar include the Tropic Like It’s Hot, a sweet blend of rum, Giffards apricot liquor, pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. The Dragon Kiss is made with Azunia Resposado tequila, asian plum syrup, lime juice, rhubarb bitters, and aromatic tonic. Lastly, the Summer Snow is a tread made with vodka, matcha syrup, coconut milk, passion fruit, and lime juice.

Make sure to make reservations at www.katanala.com to enjoy the special table-side Robata Yaki Menu, Live DJs, and outdoor patio seating.

The Factory Kitchen Announces Summer Wine Monday Special

The Factory Kitchen Announces Summer Wine Monday Special

by | Jul 12, 2019

The Factory Kitchen is launching their new summer wine Monday special running Monday, September 30th, 2019. Guests can enjoy 50% off any bottle of wine from their extensive wine list. The weekly special is available every Monday during both the lunch and dinner business hours. Beverage Director and Sommelier Francine Diamond-Ferdinandi has created a wine list which reflects the essence of their distinctive regions. Though Italian wines are prevalent at The Factory Kitchen, additional wines from neighboring Western European countries and beyond are served.

The Factory Kitchen is the product of a long-standing friendship between Ferdinandi and Chef Angelo Auriana. Ferdinandi and Auriana share the vision of imparting their Italian roots and memories through food and hospitality. The original trattoria, serving traditional Italian recipes, opened its doors on Oct. 24, 2013, in The Arts District, Downtown Los Angeles. The Factory Kitchen takes its name from the street it’s located on and the former factory building complex that hosts it, but the restaurant is purely Italian.

The food at The Factory Kitchen takes center stage, with a lively pasta-making station where pastas including Casonzei, pork sausage and veal ravioli with pork belly, sage brown butter and Reggiano Parmigiano cheese and Modenesi, 18-month aged Prosciutto di Parma tortellini. Filling the length of the back of the restaurant, the pasta station is also where The Factory Kitchen’s signature Mandilli di Seta is made—thin sheets of handkerchief egg pasta with Ligurian almond basil pesto, a favorite at the restaurant’s flagship location in Downtown Los Angeles.

The Factory Kitchen Los Angeles is located at 1300 Factory Place #101 in Los Angeles, CA 90013.

The restaurant serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm. Dinner services on Monday through Thursday from 5:30 pm to 10 pm, Friday from 5:30 pm to 11 pm, Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm and Sunday from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Connect with The Factory Kitchen online and on Social Media below:

Website: www.thefactorykitchen.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefactorykitchenrestaurants/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/thefactorykitchen

Santa Monica: Massilia

Santa Monica: Massilia

by | Jul 12, 2019

HAVE YOU EVER had the experience in a restaurant where your first bite of food sends a pleasing tingle through your body? Then you sip your wine and it’s like a little bit of heaven? No? You haven’t had that experience? Then you obviously haven’t been to Massilia in Santa Monica. This spacious, high-ceilinged restaurant seats 85 people inside and another 60 on the large, laidback patio, plus there’s a lounge upstairs available for private parties that seats another 30 people. Massilia is open 7 days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as an incredible happy hour every day with exceptional tapas (from 3-6:30pm). In addition, brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays with choices of buckwheat pancakes laden with fresh berries, crème fraiche and maple syrup, Smoked salmon eggs benedict on toasted brioche with rotisserie potatoes, or Ahi tuna with a grapefruit salad. 

Massilia is the old name for Marseilles, France where the restaurant owner, Emmanuel Dosetti grew up. But Massilia isn’t his only restaurant. Emmanuel owns the four Zinqué cafes (in Venice, DTLA, Newport Beach and West Hollywood) and though they’re all popular French restaurants, Massilia is the only one that serves the signature fusion of Mediterranean, Moroccan and French cuisine. 

Here you can start your meal with an appetizer of socca chips: chickpea flour (gluten free) black olive tapenade and green peas hummus—absolutely delicious. Or try the tasty mix of clams with merguez sausage in tomato and white wine sauce served with grilled sourdough bread—again, delicious. There’s pan seared calamari (not fried), roasted red peppers bruschetta, aguachile ceviche—so many mouthwatering tapa style appetizers to choose from.

And why not have a cocktail? On the best seller list is La Francaise (please watch the video and allow the lovely Rebecca Carriel to present the special ingredients for you). Also popular is La Japonaise, a mixture of kikori Japanese whiskey and amontillado sherry with lemon, basil and cynar. The drinks menu offers 5 types of negronis (you should love Massilia for that alone), a variety of beers (even gluten free choices), aperitifs, digestifs and dessert wines. And of course, the wine list is superb. My favorite being the bold red, Chateauneuf-Du-Pape domaine du vieux lazaret 2015. 

For the main course, there are pasta dishes (I recommend the tagliatelle aux morilles—the most flavorsome mushrooms sprinkled with parmesan), and vegetables dishes like zucchini gratin and ratatouille style Provençal roasted vegetables. But the “big” dishes are the grilled branzino served whole with chimichurri, herbed oil and lemon—simply delectable, and Moroccan couscous royal chicken, merguez sausage, lamb, seven vegetables, white raisons, and Harissa sauce.

Leave space for dessert and try the ile flottante, a meringue with crème anglaise and caramel. It melts in your mouth and, as my dining cohort said, “it’s like the dessert that never was”. It’s lighter than air.

On top of the scrumptious food and fabulous array of beverages, the service is outstanding. I would be amiss to not give a loud shout out to our server, Jean-Michel Danays who was delightful, knowledgeable, entertaining and went above and beyond to make our meal a memorable one. 

Go visit Massilia. You won’t regret it.

Address: 1445 4th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Phone: (310) 319-1995

How to make an exotic cocktail (as interviewed by Zuke Oshiro)

 

Diego, Jean-Michel Danays and Niki Smart

Cleo Mediterraneo Returns to Hollywood

Cleo Mediterraneo Returns to Hollywood

by | Jun 21, 2019

   

Cleo Mediterraneo has officially reopened in the heart of Hollywood and we couldn’t be more excited for such an addition to the famed Hollywood and Vine intersection. This is Cleo’s second location in Los Angeles with the first being on 3rd Street and Beverly.

Cleo’s signature Mediterranean mezze style menu offers a beautiful selection of fine dishes with an emphasis on fresh seafood-focused meals. The menu is complete with a full raw bar of the best selection of seafood favorites allowing for a diner curated experience for its patrons. The decor and architecture adds a resonating essence of luxury in rich velvet and jewel tone colors, lush tapestries and statement fixtures that combine to create an iconic Mediterranean ambiance. This is a true sbe staple that fits in perfectly with the rest of their fine establishments.

Cleo Mediterraneo is open Nightly from 5:00pm – 11:00pm and is located at 1717 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028. This location is also available for events and catering. Reservations and Inquiries can be made Here.

sixth + mill Teams Up with Tito’s Vodka for Second Sundays Series

sixth + mill Teams Up with Tito’s Vodka for Second Sundays Series

by | Jun 7, 2019

Temperatures across SoCal are heating up, and we all know what that means! Summer is here! And to celebrate, sixth + mill is partnering with Tito’s Vodka to bring you their Second Sundays series, happening on the 2nd Sunday of every month until September!

WHO

sixth + mill and Tito’s Vodka is hosting Second Sundays on Sixth Kickoff Pool Party

WHAT

Second Sundays on Sixth is the only public pool party in LA’s famed Arts District. Tickets are $40 a person, and include food, beverage, and pool admission. Tickets can be purchased here.

A variety of Tito’s cocktails will be served as well as, beer, mimosas, and delicious spiked lemon Italian ices. The party will also have a fun DJ spinning tunes, lawn games, and a curated selfie wall. Guests are encouraged to bring their own towels and use a ride share service.

WHEN

Every second Sunday through September:

  • Sunday, June 9th
  • Sunday, July 14th
  • Sunday, August 11th
  • Sunday, September 8th

WHERE

1335 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021
The pool is located behind the restaurant, and guests can enter through the restaurant.

 

About sixth + mill

sixth+mill pizzeria and bar is a casual-dining restaurant from Chef Angelo Auriana & Restaurateur Matteo Ferdinandi. The restaurant joins the widely successful Brera Ristorante and The Factory Kitchen, offering a dining destination celebrating the regions of Southern Italy. The neighborhood pizzeria features hand-crafted pizzas and hard durum wheat pastas, and a selection of shared small plates and dishes inspired by Chef Angelo’s childhood memories. Chef Angelo draws upon a few recipes from his father’s home cooking, such as the Pizza alla Montanara, a fried dough topped with a rich tomato sauce and scamorza cheese, traditionally served during special family gatherings. The Gnocchi alla Sorrentina, a hearty dish from Campania, is a deep, simmering dish of garlic-infused potato gnocchi with a bright tomato sauce, topped with bubbling mozzarella and fresh basil. Chef Angelo has imported a Mario Acunto Neopolitan-style wood-fired oven encased with refractory bricks, allowing a thermal source of heat to provide consistency throughout the baking process for pizzas and pastas al forno. A traditional Italian spiral mixer slow mixes the dough allowing for a better fermentation process that develops a lighter dough and signature flavor. Those elements, paired with sixth+mill’s signature natural yeast starter and a mix of flours creates pizza that is slightly crispy on the outside, soft and tender inside, light and highly digestible. Imported ingredients including cheeses, cured meats, and olive oil from the mountainous terrain of Molise, coupled with local produce, enhance the authenticity and freshness of each dish. Beverage Director /Sommelier Francine Diamond-Ferdinandi presents an approachable, easy to navigate wine and beer list. The cocktail list includes the San Gennaro: Bols Genever, Carpano and a splash of soda and a vibrant red Malafemmena or “bad woman” cocktail, named after the famous Italian song, made with tomato juice, spices and vodka.