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New BBQ restaurant coming to Echo Park – with your help

The Park’s Finest has been in Echo Park for some time now, but as a mobile catering company. Owner Johneric Concordio grew up here, BBQing his way through the more turbulent times of Echo Park in the ’80s and ’90s. Now, the BBQ (with a Filipino twist) company is looking to establish itself in a physical location in what was formerly “The Far East” Japanese restaurant at 1267 West Temple Street.

Johneric has already started to demo (that space SOOO needs some love), but they’ve got a long way to go before opening hopefully in November. And they are looking toward the community to help them with the project – through a website called Indie GoGo, they are hoping to raise money for the kitchen remodel and equipment, furniture, city fees, signage and more. And to encourage you to donate, they offer a few perks from t-shirts to BBQ sauce and more for every extra bit you donate.

He’s hoping it will be more than a restaurant. According to the Pleasure Palate blog, “Johneric wants this restaurant to be a center for community, culture, art and of course, for fabulous food. By the way, when it comes to the food, it may be more than just BBQ, Johneric has talked about introducing more rustic Filipino dishes that aren’t normally found in stateside Filipino restaurants and believe me, that has definitely piqued my interest.”

Why should you donate? Their Indie GoGo page explains:

…The Park’s Finest, a mobile catering company based in Echo Park, has brought a distinct flavor to the LA food scene with our Filipino take on traditional American cuts of BBQ. We have blessed backyard boogies and community events all over the Southland, and have steadily gained popularity. To meet the rise in demand, as a community-oriented company, we aim to reinvigorate the blighted district of Historic Filipinotown in Echo Park. Our community fundraising campaign will build capital for a restaurant that offers a fulfilling dining experience, for families and friends to enjoy savory BBQ in an atmosphere where musicians and artists can showcase works that reflect and celebrate the intersections of the dynamic cultures and histories bridged by this vibrant area of LA.

We certainly wouldn’t mind some tasty BBQ action in the neighborhood, so we wish The Park’s Finest the best of luck!

Click here to donate to The Parks Finest, and check out the video below:




Related links:

  • Please Support Parks Finest BBQ – PS-they make the best Filipino inspired BBQ in town! Pleasure Palate, July 31, 2011.
  • Storefront Report: Filipino BBQ to replace Japanese diner in Echo Park. The Eastsider LA, August 4, 2011
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Tonight: Neighborhood Potluck with the EPIA

Tonight is a very delicious meeting hosted by the Echo Park Improvement Association (which I am a member of) – it’s the annual potluck!

Bring your favorite dish and join us at Barlow Hospital in Williams Hall, 2000 Stadium Way at 7:00 pm tonight!

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Timelapse video shows the beautiful side of Los Angeles lights

The following video “LA Light” was created by Los Angeles native and photographer/videographer Colin Rich. It’s simply stunning!


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Mohawk Bend opened last night to rave reviews, but…

We had been at the pre-opening festivities for families and friends (oh yes, and press!) for Mohawk Bend, the newly renovated movie theater-turned 230 seat restaurant in Echo Park. But we still really, really wanted to check it out again as it functioned as a truly open restaurant, so we dropped in last night for the grand opening of Mohawk Bend!

It was definitely exciting – all the blogs and news blogs and websites that write about Los Angeles food, news, and pretty much everything covered this opening. We’ve definitely been keeping close tabs since the Spacecraft walls were up, shielding us all from the amazing renovations going on inside. So of course we’ll go and check it out on opening night!

But I’m realizing now that I might be a little too old to show up at a grand opening of a HUGE Los Angeles project at 9:00 pm, without any dinner in my tummy. Hence the reason for the “but” in my headline – this wasn’t a doom-and-gloom moment for me and my future obsession with Mohawk Bend’s beers and cuisine whatsoever. But after putting our names on the list, and waiting 10 minutes at the bar for a beer, and realizing I had probably another 10 minutes to go before placing my order, I realized I could just not compete will all the opening day traffic.

And that’s not a bad thing – it was a huge success and I can’t even imagine how crazy it was for the kitchen and the front of the house staff to work that many people, to make them happy and put on a good first impression. I just happened to be a little more hungry than I realized (okay, we went to Masa and had a delicious caesar salad, my fave, and got to talk with Manny, a favorite Masa employee) – but this will just be a lesson to me and any other hungry and hungrily impatient future Mohawk Bend-goers out there: Perhaps go a little bit early? Leave the 9:00 pm crowd to the younger ducklings… or at least scope out a seat!

So now it’s day two of Mohawk Bend and here’s the new news that you should take note of before going (apart from going early…):

Reservations made prior to this announcement are being honored, but because last night was so crazzzy they are no longer accepting new reservations. Instead, as the Mohawk Bend Facebook page announced earlier today:

Last night’s opening was so very encouraging! We so are glad to be in the neighborhood, and want to be able to accomodate walk-ins each and every night. As a result, we have decided to put a hold on reservations for the time being. This does not meet we are booked; just that much of our seating is reserved for walk-ins. Hope to see you soon, and thanks for your patience!

The new Mohawk Bend website no longer says “coming soon,” thanks to Echo Park graphic designer Heather Perlato who designed the site. Launched just today, the new website has the full menu for both booze and food, so check it out!

All that said, we’ll be the old people at the end of the bar, on a weekday, once we punch out from work…

Need to catch up? Read about Mohawk Bend throughout the months.

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Map: How walkable is Echo Park?

Apparently, very walkable!

With an average “walk score” of 75, Echo Park is #19 of 95 neighborhoods scored by the website walkscore.com. The green highlights in the map shown above indicate a high walkability zone (where “daily errands do not require a car”), while the red areas are less walkable (where “almost all errands require a car”).

Now, we love the walking thing – in a beautiful neighborhood like Echo Park, it’s wonderful, free exercise and we get to explore the many hidden stairways.

You may notice that the map, however, doesn’t show ALL of Echo park, missing the neighborhoods west of Alvarado and south of the 101, but you get the picture.

Click here to check out the full map and details from the Walk Score website.

 

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Headline of the day: “Giant Blue Penis Appears and Disappears in Echo Park”

Shield your mothers from the computer, this might be the most graphic thing we’ve ever posted on EPN… (scandalous!!).

We can’t help it, this is one of those headlines that makes you wonder. Curbed LA posted this little tidbit today along with the following head-scratching photo:

Photo from Curbed LA

A tipster sends in this photo of what we’re pretty sure is not a Smurfs promotion and writes: “As if Echo Park isn’t strange enough, this blue penis sculpture was just merrily sitting on the hellstrip on Allesandro at Whitmore this afternoon. It disappeared in just a few hours. Who put it there? Who picked it up? How strange is this place?” Pretty damn strange, EP! Your move, Silver Lake.

Perhaps this is a replica of the murder weapon used in A Cockwork Orange? Oops, I mean A Clockwork Orange?

Curbed LA, you are a cheeky and clever internet friend. We dig it.

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Tuesday: Echo Park’s 6th annual National Night Out

Tomorrow (Tuesday, August 2, 2011) is the 6th annual Echo Park National Night Out. The theme: “Our Community, Our Future, The Power of Choices.” The purpose: To provide a safe community event with the goal of preventing drugs and crime in our neighborhood. From the EP National Night Out website:

The National Night Out is a program promoting neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership in our goal for a safer nation. The annual National Night Out (NNO) event, is unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TOWN WATCH (NATW). The purpose is to promote and strengthen community involvement, partnership with police and community, it is a positive tool used to enchance the quality of life, for a crime and drug free town.

Stop by and say hello from 5:00 – 8:00 pm in the Walgreens parking lot located at 1625 W. Sunset Blvd.

Free entrance, hot dogs, crafts and activities for kids and adults, and free give-aways. There will also be free eye examinations, chart reading and checkup for Glaucoma, along with check-ups for blood pressure, diabetes check-up and oxygen.

Master of Ceremony is Leonel Ledezma, which special appearances and speakers by:

Captain Williams Murphy from Northeast Police Division, Senior Lead Officer Bobby Hill from Northeast Police Station, the office of City Council President and Member Eric Garcetti of District 13, Alana Yanez (deputy for the office of Senator Kevin de Leon), District 1 City Council Member Ed Reyes, and Mitchell Frank (Echo Park Chamber of Commerce President and Owner of the Echo/Echoplex Club, El Prado, and Malo).

Visit the Echo Park National Night Out website for details on participating booths, sponsors, and how to get involved.

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Mohawk Bend opening tonight – for realsies

A Facebook announcement by the people behind Echo Park’s (and Los Angeles’) most anticipated restaurant opening has the words we’ve all been waiting for – “We are opening this evening – for real!”

There was a bit of confusion out there on the ‘nets about when Mohawk Bend would open – dates went from end of June to early July, to July 27, which was last week and was obviously not happening. As we’ve mentioned before, if you’ve ever worked or opened a restaurant, there’s a lot of kinks to work out (especially with the city permit office).

While we are confirming the exact time doors will open, expect to have dinner out tonight with an incredible selection of vegan (and non-vegan) dishes, cocktails, and of course over 70 beers on tap.

Be sure to read up on our past stories about Mohawk Bend:

UPDATE:

We just received the official press release for the grand opening, which gives us the restaurant/bar hours as:

Open daily from 5:00 pm. to 11:30 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 5:00 pm to 1:30 am Friday and Saturday. Dinner will be served first upon opening — lunch and brunch will follow in the coming weeks.

In the press release, owner Tony Yanow says, “We’re so excited to open in Echo Park and be a part of the Eastside community. With Mohawk Bend, we are really hoping to create a neighborhood restaurant and bar and one that shows our commitment to California with all of the California-based products we use, from our 100-percent California beer, wine and cocktail program to the local, organic ingredients in the kitchen.”

Looking forward to checking it out again!

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Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Monday, August 1 through Sunday, August 7

Monday
Monday Night Residency: Active Child, Therapies Son, Letting Up Despite Great Faults, Cassettes Won’t Listen @ Robert Francis, Boots Electric, Taylor Locke @ Bootleg Theater
Mikki And The Mauses, Stab City, Nana and The Happy Cats @ Lot 1 Café

Tuesday
Tuesday Night Residency: The Allah Las, Bleached (members of Mika Miko), Neverever, Dream Homes, DJ Tuna @ Echo
KXLU presents: Woods, The Fresh & Onlys, White Fence @ Echoplex
The Orion Experience, Think Alike, Random Patterns @ Lot 1 Café

Wednesday
IPO presents: New Maximum Donkey, Light Fm, Kingsley, Jon Lindsay, Garland, Backnbloom @ Echo Dub Club @ Echoplex
Count Fleet @ Origami Vinyl
The Swamp Coolers @ Taix Lounge
Live jazz every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm @ Downbeat Café

Thursday
Spaceland Under the Stars With Bixby Knolls @ Pershing SquareHeavy LA @ Echoplex
Jaxart: Basement Babies, Wild Ones (features members of Typhoon), Pageants @ Lot 1 Café
Grievous Angels, Bobkat @ Taix Lounge

Friday
Iron Room Presents Yob, Dark Castle, Ancestors, Of The Horizons @ Echoplex
The Donkeys, Red Pony Clock @ EchoClub Underground @ Echo
J. Irvin Dally, Naive Thieves, The Spires @ Lot 1 Café
Abe Lincoln Story, Kevin Killen @ Taix Lounge

Saturday
Bootie LA @ EchoplexFunky Sole @ EchoTouché @ Origami Vinyl
High Places, Sun Araw, Matthewdavid @ Bootleg Theater
Vum, Thurlow, Sue Scrofa @ Lot 1 Café
Jezzebelle, Toni Burke And Guests @ Taix Lounge

Sunday
Grand Ole Echo with Drunk On Crutches, Gal Holiday, The Vaquetones @ Echo
Smiths/Morrissey Nite with Guest DJ Jose Maldonado (from Sweet & Tender Hooligans) @ Echoplex
Jaberi & Deutsch @ Origami Vinyl

Visit the venue websites for more information on the cost and times of shows. This list may not represent all the musical events happening in Echo Park this week – feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time. New events announced for the week after this posting may not be included.

 

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