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Mooi needs some new investors to stay open

Flickr photo via Pat/EatingLA

Daily Dish (LA Times online) tells us today that Mooi in Echo Park, which just opened up last May, may have run into some investment issues. Owner Stephen Hauptfuhr has told the online publication that he’s looking for some new investors, as the raw-vegan venture’s current ones are parting ways after November.

We recently reported that the restaurant had cut back its hours pretty severely, opening only once per week for a prix fixe multi-course dinner service and catering for the holidays. This week’s menu is a six-course Asian prix fixe dinner collaboration with LifeFood Organic on Wednesday, and later this month will host a special Thanksgiving meal on November 19.

But after this month, the restaurant could close for good if it doesn’t find some new source of cash.

Keep an eye out on Mooi’s Facebook page, or email stephen@mooifood.com with questions or for reservations.

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This Weekend: Vegan Beer Fest

This isn’t exactly in Echo Park, but our soon-to-be neighbor and vegan Tony Yanow (who is opening up Mohawk Brasserie restaurant in the old Ramona Theater here in Echo Park) has teamed up with vegan blogger Quarry Girl to hold the Vegan Beer Fest at the Roxy tomorrow, Saturday, November 6.

I have a lot of people asking me why beer isn’t vegan already, it’s just barley/wheat, hops, water and yeast right? Well this might be a good chance for you to taste some deeelicious vegan beers such as Duvel, New Belgium, and Anchor Brewing, amongst many more, and learn why some beers are vegan and some are not.

For instance, not all beers are vegan because some animal products can be used in the filtration process, such as charcoal (sometimes made from animal bone) or gelatin. So if you’re really curious or just like good beer, you should check it out – oh and there are unlimited pours of the beers.

Tickets are $35 for GA or $45 for VIP if you buy in advance. Day-of tickets are $45 and $55.

To buy tickets call 310-278-9457 or visit the Roxy Theater Box Office on Sunset. Or click here to purchase online via Ticketmaster (but expect to pay an online purchasing fee).

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Between bread slices: Best sandwiches in Echo Park

It’s lunchtime, and LAist reminds us that today is National Sandwich Day. We have some faves around Echo Park we thought we’d share with you, and don’t forget to share yours by commenting on this article!

Photo by L.A. Digest blog

Delilah’s Bakery turkey sandwich is probably the best of its kind around. Extreeeemely fresh bread, real turkey (yes, real! not the processed, sliced kind), and a mini cupcake on the side. Delicious!

Read more

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Menu Mondays: The Park autumn menu

Flickr photo by RexSteed

The Park Restaurant
1400 Sunset Blvd
(213) 482.9209
Website

Brunch hours:
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Lunch hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 11:00 am – 2:30 pm

Dinner hours:
Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 5:30 – 10:00 pm
Tuesday and Friday: 6:00 – 10:00 pm
(reservations recommended)

The new Fall menu at The Park sounds deeelicious! If you sign up for their email list on the website, they’ll send you updates on restaurant specials (which will, quite frankly, make you want to go at least one a week if you could!).

Read more

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Halloween Events around Echo Park

Friday:

Echo Park Farmers’ Market Pumpkin contest

Starting at 3:00 pm when the market opens, children will have two hours to decorate pumpkins for a Pumpkin Decorating Contest! Judging starts at 5:00 pm – The Eastsider LA‘s Jesus Sanchez will be a judge.

Monster Mash Masquerade & Costume Contest at Echo Country Outpost

9:00 pm – 2:00 am. Music, dancing, drinks, and more. $5 cover; all proceeds benefit Brimmer Street Theater Co. and their upcoming season
1930 Echo Park Avenue.

Saturday:

Vista Hermosa Natural Park Fall Festival

Dunk for apples, make your holiday mask, or compete in a pumpkin rolling race, it’s all part of getting into the fall spirit. We’ll finish off the day with a roaring campfire just for fun. Meet at the Grotto Amphitheater.

12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
100 N. Toluca Street.
Meet at the Grotto Amphitheater.

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Sunday:

LAB (Local Artisans Bazaar) at Fix Coffee:

From 1:00 – 6:00 pm: Some amazing new vendors have joined in and African Cowboy will be playing from 3-5:00 pm. Bring the kids and dogs for some Halloween day time fun and photo ops! Raffle tickets for sale will help Elysian Heights Elementary School pay for a music teacher, which they are still searching for. The prizes are gift certificates from many local and generous business and vendors. labazaar.blogspot.com

LAB just got voted “Best Li’l Artisan Market” by LA Weekly’s Best of L.A. 2010!

Trick-or-Treat with Stories Books, 826LA and Allston Yacht Club:

4:00 pm at 826LA/Time Travel Mart: Join bestselling author Karen Essex (Dracula in Love,  Bettie Page: The Life of a Pin-Up Legend, Stealing Athena), actress/director/bestselling author Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Drones, Chance) and friends for a performance of the short play “Asylum” from Karen Essex’s Dracula in Love. Also, get any Halloween costume pieces like mustaches, etc. at the Travel Mart!

5:00 pm at Stories: Music, dead authors, pumpkins, cookies and surprises.

6:00 pm at AYC: Food and cocktails!

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Halloween Beer and Zombie (Book) Pairing at City Sip

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, $35 per person

7 Killer Beers, 7 cheeses, and Ben Tripp will be reading a few passages to make you want to drink… and possibly eat some offal meats for those who eat flesh! RSVP to Alex@citysipla.com or call (213) 483- 9463. Read more.

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Echo Park Film Center

7:30 pm – 10:00 pm: Haunted Films in Haunted Places with the Echo Park Film Mobile. Follow the Film Mobile on Twitter for screening locations (@EPFCFilmmobile).

Friday, Saturday AND Sunday!

Friday from 5:00 pm – 11:30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 pm – 11:30 pm: Halloween Carnival fundraiser for the Rampart LAPD Station Youth Programs. Located on Vermont between Santa Monica and Monroe. For bulk ride tickets or volunteer info, call Officer Covington at (213) 484-3072.

Did we forget anything? Share more info about this weekend’s Halloween events in the comments section below!

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Mooi scales back hours for dinner service

Looks like Mooi will no longer be operating for dinner during normal restaurant/business hours on a daily basis. Instead, they’ll be open for dinner on Fridays for a set 5-7 course menu, and will be busy with the catering side of the business through the holidays.

Owner Stephen Hauptfuhr told vegan blogging queen Quarry Girl:

Currently we have been operating under non-regular hours, meaning we are not open for regular dinner service on a daily basis as before, we are open every Friday for a set prix fixe 5-7 course menu that changes each week from Stephen Hauptfuhr and occasional collaborations with guest chefs… if you would like to be made aware of these dinners and any other times we will be open, please email stephen@mooifood.com with the subject heading ‘email list request’ and you will be added to his private list to receive these messages..

To get updates on the Friday menus, find Mooi on Facebook and Twitter. Make sure you place your special orders for the holiday soon – they are offering cakes, ice cream, and any regular menu items.

Tomorrow’s vegan, organic and raw Friday menu includes: butternut squash apple coconut soup, belgian endive, romain and asian pear salad with mustard seed vinaigrette, cauliflower mash potatoes and marinated asparagus, portabello meatloaf with plum ketchup, and pumpkin pie. Sounds yummy!

Cost is $20 per person with an RSVP, $25 for walk-ins. Don’t forget to RSVP to stephen@mooifood.com

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From our neighbors: Artisanal LA sustainabe living event

Artisanal LA is a weekend long event in downtown aimed at helping us all become more sustainable eaters and shoppers by purchasing from local vendors and crafters. Coming up soon (this weekend!), you can expect nearly 100 up-and-coming food and beverage “artisans” to grab your local, healthy and sustainable ingredients that you can’t, for the most part, yet get at retail stores or farmers’ markets. Every single product sold at Artisanal LA is made here in Southern California with local and sustainable goods.

In addition to buying your goodies and holiday gifts, you can also expect a variety of panels, demos and workshops throughout the weekend. Saturday’s events include workshops from cooking demos from local chefs to gardening how-tos from Woolly Pockets. There’s even paper craft activities for kids!

Sunday there are similar demos but you can add some alcohol to the mix – Chef Joseph Gillard from Napa Valley Grille is teaching a “Biodyamic Wine Pairings” demo and tasting, and The Beer Chicks will moderate a craft beer panel (and tasting) with neighboring Eagle Rock Brewery and Nibble Bit Tabby.

Click here for the full list of events for the weekend at Artisanal LA!

Tickets are $10 PRESALE, $15 cash at the door.

Artisanal LA
Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24
11:00 am – 6:00 pm
The Cooper Design Space Penthouse located at 860 S. Los Angeles St, Los Angeles 90014

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Beer and Zombie pairing at City Sip

Yum, brains! I mean beer! Er, beer and zombies at City Sip on Halloween!

Get your trick or treat on for ages 21 and over – City Sip is hosting an evening of Zombies and Beer. Author Ben Tripp is launching Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller, and to get you in the creepy, Halloween mood will be reading an excerpt from the book while you enjoy a variety of delicious beers.

This all takes place on Halloween, on Sunday, October 31 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Here’s what to expect:

  • Seven delicious brews
  • Seven types of cheese, including head cheese
  • And possibly some offal meats (such as brains, liver, and things that you would HAVE to be drunk to try)
  • Come in a zombie costume and get a party favor!

Cost is $35 per person.

Space is limited! Email Alex@citysipla.com or call (213) 483- 9463 to RSVP.

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Sunday: Echo Park Share Fare take two

Join Echo Park residents and crafters for the second Echo Park Share Fair. Bring whatever you care to share: treasures you’ve outgrown, your keen wit, leading of a craft project, edibles… a bike maintenance demo perhaps? Or just go hang out and meet fellow residents!

Click here for the Facebook page and event info.

Sunday, October 17
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
1380 Echo Park Ave

Free and all ages!

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Happy 4th Birthday to the Echo Park Farmers’ Market

This week marks the fourth anniversary of the Echo Park Farmers’ Market!

Going on right now – live Music by Dueto Internacional Martín y Martinez, cooking demos, and, as always, fresh seasonal and local produce.

At 5:00 pm get your free cake from The Farmer’s Kitchen!

Judging for the 4th Annual Seize the Sizzle Salsa Contest starts at 6:00 pm!

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Plenty of Echo Park businesses make the LA Weekly “best of” cut

LA Weekly recently published its Best of LA 2010, the best spots for food, drink, shopping, nightlife, recreation, etc. Echo Park isn’t a stranger to this list – quite a few spots made the cut in those categories (and boy are there a few!).

Check out the Echo Park spots that made the list, along with an excerpt from LA Weekly:

Bob Baker Marionettes: Best bob, stage and puppeteers
“Inside, the theater continues to provide the backdrop for a series of heartwarming stage productions, brought to life by the 86-year-old and his team of young puppeteers… A local institution, Bob Baker Marionettes is now the oldest operating children’s company in L.A. While the puppets may be the ones drawing the crowds, it’s Baker who still pulls the strings.”

Elysian Park: Best Park Hidden in Plain Sight
“Compared with Griffith Park, which has great scrubby, Wild West–looking hiking trails, more of Elysian is domesticated and park-like while still maintaining a strong feeling of nature.”

Angelino Heights Best Historic Neighborhood
“…Angelino Heights’ proud, decades-long residents lend the place another level of solidity. Start at Carroll Avenue to experience the epicenter of tasteful, Victorian splendor, but work your way out from there, as architectural eye candy lies interspersed throughout this semi-circular neighborhood.”

Echo Park Time Travel Mart: Best One-Stop, Head-Scratching Shopping
“Outside, the handwritten ‘Out of order, come back yesterday’ note taped to the slushy machine has been there since the beginning. The dinosaur eggs in the refrigerator still haven’t hatched. It really is the most inconvenient convenience mart.”

Rock Paper Salon: Best Hair Salon Experience for Men
“At RPS, you get the full experience that has made the young stylist an Eastside word-of-mouth success: great, modern hair advice, refreshments, friendly conversation and the solemn promise to never “make you metro unless you really, really want to.”

The Fretted Frog: Best Un-Centric Guitar Store
“The Fretted Frog is the brainchild of French expat Roland Belloir (the “Frog”) and his Echo Park shop is utterly relaxed, a haven for acoustic guitar fans and players to gather for impromptu jam sessions and between-strum banter. Belloir’s stock features rare and hard-to-find brands, small companies that specialize in beautifully crafted instruments.”

Iko Iko: The Odd and the Beautiful
“Scattered across minimalist-style tables made by Okuda — available for sale — are anything from misshapen, strangely elegant flowerpots to vegetable brushes that resemble potatoes to Hannah Keefe’s chain jewelry, so intricately woven they look like textile. The aim here is to inspire, arouse curiosity and have fun. Who needs a $12 million stuffed shark when you have $12 spud-like scrubs?”

Read more

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Guest chef serves up raw/vegan Indian food at Mooi

Dinner in the Mythical Kingdom of Shambala (at Mooi)
Friday, October 15

This dinner is a collaboration between Mooi owner Stephen Hauptfuhr and Chef BeLive on Friday night; they are creating a special pre-set and pre-priced seven course Indian dinner that is completely vegan, gluten free and raw. The menu includes:

Curry Soup
Salad w/ Red Pepper Rose Vinaigrette
Samosas w/ Banana Tamarind & Pineapple Chutney
Indian Red Curry over Mock Rice
Pumpkin Curry Zucchini Pasta
Vegetable Korma
Coconut Yogurt
Chai Ice Cream w/ Cinnamon Chili Sauce
Served with Chamomile Jasmine Tea

Cost: $30 per person

RSVP is recommended but not required, email stephen@mooifood.com

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The Warehouse grand opening party Friday

Just a few months ago, owner Justin Warwick closed down his vintage store, Warwick, on Sunset Blvd. near the Short Stop. He took on a huge project remodeling and fixing up a warehouse space farther down the road, and is now ready to show off his hard work with a grand opening party on Friday, October 15.

Free Booze, piñatas on the patio, local DJs, DIY Class demos, sales! (15% off if you say the magic word, Seahorse), unique restyled vintage, dart painting, and much more…

Friday, October 15
8:00 pm-Midnight
1197 W. Sunset Boulevard (@ Marion)

Click here for the Warehouse Facebook page.

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Construction making progress at the new Mohawk Brasserie

Owner Tony Yanow posted this little sneak peak on Facebook today, with the caption: “It looks like a total construction zone, but there is a lot of stuff brewing at Mohawk. Stay tuned for updates.”

It does look like there’s a lot going on! From how things are now, it’s hard to imagine how everything will be put together, but based on the initial layout concepts Tony showed us at a recent Echo Park Improvement Association meeting, there will be restaurant seating near the front, and bar seating in the middle and in a garden area in the back. I’ve always wondered what it looked like in there – it’s nice to get a peek inside!

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Local fresh cut flowers now at Cookbook

Photo from Cookbook

We love a good deal on pretty things – and these flowers at the new Cookbook are definitely one of those!

New bouquets come to Cookbook every Wednesday from a garden slash farm run by North Hollywood High. They are organically grown and arranged by high school students, and they are just $5 a bouquet!

Sales benefit the high school garden/farm, a seven-acre lot with a vineyard, dahlias (which you can see in the bouquets in the photo above), and even farm animals like chickens. Produce from the garden/farm also go toward “green” restaurants and farmers’ markets throughout Los Angeles.

Get your bouquets at Cookbook, open daily from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm, and is located at 1549 Echo Park Avenue

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