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Vegan Pizza and Craft Beer crawls in Echo Park this week

Mark your calendars! Two crawls in Echo Park this week will take you on a tour of craft beer and vegan pizza along Sunset Boulevard.

The first is the Echo Park Pub Crawl with Golden Road Brewing  on Wednesday, June 27. Starting at Sunset Beer Company at 7:30 pm, the crawl is led by Golden Road Brewing beer lovers and brewers, taking you through Echo Park’s craft beer establishments to sample Golden Road’s own brews.

The tour will finish up at Mohawk Bend, with the promise of dancing. Click here for the Facebook event page and for more info, or here for the map.

Also don’t miss out on the first ever Echo Park Vegan Pizza Crawl on Saturday, June 30. The brainchild of vegan blogger Quarry Girl and sponsored by Chicago Vegan Foods, the all-day event is a self-guided tour of Echo Park’s fine restaurants that offer delicious vegan pizza (and other tasty stuff!). Even if you’re not a vegan, I suggest you give it a try. And don’t forget to pair it was some delicious, local craft beers provided by each of the participating restaurants.

Here’s the low-down from the event Facebook page:

  • Mohawk Bend: New signature specialty pizzas along with some surprises TBD
  • Two Boots: 15% off vegan slices
  • Masa: 25% off all vegan deep dish pizzas (dine-in only)
  • LA Pizza Co: Two vegan slices for $4
  • Sunset Beer Co. (who shares a patio with LA Pizza Co) will be offering $1 off draught beers for pizza crawlers who have a receipt from one of the participating establishments!
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Elf Café expanding, plans to serve beer and wine

Five years ago, Elf Café opened its doors to Echo Park vegetarians and vegans seeking gourmet Mediterranean themed cuisine. Until a couple of years ago the small, 700 square foot restaurant on Sunset Boulevard barely had a kitchen; they were using hot plates and convection ovens to churn out plates just a few nights a week, but still managing to convince even the heartiest of meat-eaters that vegetarian food can be good – like, really good.

Owner and chef Scott Zwiezen has been planning for over two years now to expand and “evolve” the restaurant into the adjacent space, plans which are now finally in motion. In the summer of 2012, the hot plates were replaced by a real kitchen that currently serves 20 seats. The expansion will add 448 square feet to the restaurant, including an additional bathroom, office and storage space, and eight more seats for the restaurant.

On top of taking over the empty “Branche Boutique” space next door, Elf Café has applied for a beer and wine license. Aware of the concentration of alcohol licenses in the area, Zwiezen has been doing outreach in the immediate radius since January. They told the Neighborhood Issues Committee of the Echo Park Improvement Association last night that the majority of the input has been favorable.

They’ve also got some neighborhood interest in new free cooking classes starting July 17, which will focus on introducing vegetarian cooking to Spanish-language speakers on Tuesday nights when the restaurant is closed.

And it’s a good time for the restaurant to start expanding its services – food critic Jonathan Gold lists Elf Café as one of his favorite restaurants in Los Angeles, recently recommending the restaurant for vegans and vegetarians in an online chat for the LA Times.

Currently, Elf is open just Wednesday through Sunday from 5:00 pm to about 1:00 am, but they will expand those hours under the beer and wine license. They are currently asking for 7:00 am – 2:00 am so that they have some flexibility should they want to start offering brunch and lunch service (which neighbor Mohawk Bend also offers). It’s unclear whether or not the expansion will now require them to provide a certain number of parking spaces.

A public hearing on the beer and wine license is expected to be in August this year, construction will start that same month but the restaurant should only be closed for a few days.

Elf Café is located at 2135 W Sunset Blvd.

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Echo Park’s Delilah Bakery back open for business

Cupcake lovers rejoice! Delilah Bakery reopened softly today after the renovation, repainting, and rethinking of the Echo Park Avenue bakery.

Echo Park resident and owner Genevieve Ostrander has partnered up with realtor Darren Hubert of Urban Hillsides to rehab the look and the business model of the nearly six-year-old bakery. Known for its amazing cupcakes like the Jack Daniels flavor (here to stay, by the way) and incredible bread pudding, there will be slight menu changes including an expanded weekday breakfast menu. They will also focus on expanding the business’ catering services.

The new and improved, and certainly re-energized, Delilah Bakery hours are now 8:00 am – 4:00 pm daily, and closed Mondays.

Delilah Bakery will be finalizing more later this month when it has its official grand reopening.

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The Echo Park LA Pizza Company location is now OPEN!

The soft opening of LA Pizza Company happened just today! We swung by earlier this evening for a couple of slices, chatted with owner Oscar Arce, and took our warm slices of pizzas over the Sunset Beer Company for a classic dinner of pizza and beer.

Pizza and beer is a natural combination, like wine and cheese, beets and carrots, coffee and sugar (okay, now I’m just reaching). But for crying out loud, it’s Echo Park – and we’ve needed beer and pizza for eons.

Enter: LA Pizza Company, next door to Sunset Beer Company. A match made in heaven – this unexpected love relationship has made beer and pizza now a regular thing for Echo Parkians. For a meager $10 we got four slices of pizza, two cheese and two pepperoni. Took it next door to Sunset Beer (where they even offered us napkins), and enjoyed a Craftsman beer with our pizza slices. Lunchtime at LA Pizza Company will get you two slices (cheese and pepperoni) and a soda.

It’s also important to mention they do have vegetarian and vegan pizza options, which they also offered at their previous Chinatown location. And we think these guys have a perfect mix of Echo Park hipster versus Echo Park old school. Check it out at 1498 W Sunset Boulevard, in the same shopping center as Beauty Box and Sunset Beer Company.

 

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Signs go up for Echo Park’s new pizza place

We’ve been anxiously awaiting the new pizza place since last year, and it looks like we will soon finally get our chance to try out LA Pizza Company. They moved from nearby Chinatown but will carry on with the same menu, which includes vegan options and even a pupusa-style pizza that we’ve heard is amazing. There’s also pizza by the slice, which we know will be a hit for those of us looking to bring something tasty over to Sunset Beer for a little pizza and beer combo.

The LA Pizza Company website says they’ll be closed from May 2 through May 22, so we think it could be any day now….

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Echo Park Art Walk tomorrow!

Guess what you’re doing on Saturday? It’s the annual Echo Park Art Walk!

Click here to download the map!

Maps will also be provided at participating vendor locations. And you’ll need one as this seems like it’s the biggest one yet – there are over 70 participating vendors and businesses up Echo Park Avenue, Glendale Boulevard and along Sunset Boulevard. Activities (apart from shopping and discounts) include Art Chalk, live bands, food trucks, art shows, live art, and more art! Be sure to mention “Echo Park Art Walk” to receive discounts at participating businesses.

After the jump – check out the list of the over 70 participating vendors (may or may not include some recent additions or updated events).

Read more

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Monday Menus: Sushi nights at The Park

Flickr photo by RexSteed

Our beloved restaurant The Park just recently launched Sushi Mondays as part of its weekly specials. The mouth-watering specials start at 5:30 pm, again on Mondays only, and are available in addition to their regular menu. It’s nice to have a little gourmet sushi option in Echo Park – we’ve never had a bad meal at The Park, and they do a spectacular job with the sushi options.

Tonight’s menu includes:

  1. Spicy tuna with cucumber and avocado $5
  2. Dragon roll with grilled eel, tempura shrimp, avocado and unagi glaze $5
  3. Smoked salmon and crab with cucumber $5
  4. Rainbow roll with crab inside, sliced tuna, salmon and avocado outside $5 (worth a try – not the best rainbow roll ever but good)
  5. Fried calamari roll with avocado, cucumber and unagi glaze $5
  6. Spicy cauliflower with cucumber and avocado $4 (cauliflower has a kick, highly recommended by EPN)
  7. Vegetarian California roll $4
  8. Tempura asparagus with avocado $4 (highly recommended by EPN)

Enjoy!

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Señor Fish’s soft opening today in Echo Park

You wouldn’t know it from the outside, other than a vinyl banner and a couple of colorful but crudely-drawn signs on the windows, but Señor Fish’s new location in Echo Park had its soft opening today. It still smells like fresh sawdust inside, the walls are bare, and there is likely a bit of furniture yet to be moved in – but the kitchen is 100% ready!

We snuck in not too long before the 9:00 pm closing tonight and snagged a couple of Ensenada Fish Tacos with mayo spread and guacamole. At $3.50 a piece, it’s not your cheapest deal in town. But the tacos are so freaking delicious that it’s worth every penny!

A+ for crispiness, the tangy mayo, a smokey salsa, and super fresh cabbage and guacamole. We honestly left wishing we had ordered about 10 more!

Señor Fish is open at 8:30 am tomorrow morning for breakfast and close at 9:00 pm. Although Echo Park Patch reports they are not serving any alcohol, our server behind the counter confirmed our inquiry by pointing out a display of beer including Corona, Modelo and Negro Modelo. Perhaps some day they’ll get a full liquor license for some margaritas to go along with those delicious fish tacos!

Señor Fish is located at 1701 Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.

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Cinco de Mayo celebrations in Echo Park and beyond

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, time to celebrate Mexican culture and heritage with some beers and margaritas! There are a ton of great spots you can walk to in Echo Park, here’s the low-down:

Echo Park Merchant Association’s Cinco de Mayo Event

There will be beverages, tasty snacks, music, and a raffle to benefit The Wall Las Memorias Project. The raffle prizes will include a gift certificate from The Warehouse LA and a terrarium from The Classroom LA.

Saturday, May 5 from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
The Warehouse is located at 1197 West Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park

Mayberry Elementary School Fiesta

This family-friendly event celebrates with a Fiesta. Mayberry Magicians, Live Mariachi, folklore dancers, Mayberry student dance performances, Glee Club, and more. Booths, prizes, obstacle course jumper, Sumo Suits, Fac epainting, and other great activities will keep the kids going! All day game wristbands are $15 (proceeds benefit programs at the school). And of course, Cinco de Mayo appropriate refreshments.

Saturday, May 5 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Located at 2414 Mayberry Street in Echo Park

Barragan’s

This is definitely a go-to spot for a lot of locals and non-locals – cheap margaritas are the name of the game and they’ve also got something special for the Cinco de Mayo holiday. Just make sure to arrive early, snag your spot on the patio (usually open after 7:00 pm), and order a bucket of Coronas for a discounted price.

Barragan’s is located at 1538 West Sunset Boulevard

El Compadre

They don’t usually have any specials going on for Cinco de Mayo, but the Echo Park location has the BEST margaritas and a fabulous mariachi band to keep you in the mood. Valet parking is available in the back, and sports on the television.

El Compadre is located at 1449 West Sunset Boulevard

Beyond Echo Park:

The Pub at Golden Road Brewery in Atwater Village: Cinco de Moustache

Cinco de Moustache is a “poquito” celebration of the holiday with food specials and two taps (one at 11 am, one at 5 pm) of the limited release “El Hefe Añjeo” – a hefeweizen aged in añejo tequila barrels (say what?!).  Food specials include $2 tacos (carne asada, pollo, and vegetarian), vegan & non-vegan tostadas, and ceviche.

Saturday, May 5 at 11:00 am
Golden Road Brewery is located at 5410 San Fernando Rd West in Atwater Village

La Cuevita grand opening in Highland Park

The Little Cave is now reformed into a tequila/mescal bar called La Cuevita, opening up this weekend. $2 tecate, free tacos starting at 9:00 pm, and of course their selection of agave spirits and specialty cocktails. Enjoy your libations on one of the two patios at the new bar.

Friday May 4 and Saturday May 6 at 7:00 pm
La Cuevita is located at 5922 N Figueroa Street in Highland Park

The Biggest Margarita at Big Bar in Los Feliz

The mother of all margaritas are on Los Feliz this weekend: A 957.44 ounce margarita will certainly match your Cinco de Mayo expectations; that’s bigger than my head! Served all day on Saturday for $10 a piece (that can’t be premium tequila in there) and enter your chance to win tickets to a Dodgers vs. Giants game.

Big Bar is located at 1929 Hillhurst Avenue in Los Feliz


Just make sure if you do go out and drink some adult beverages, have a designated driver, or take the BUS! The LAPD does have plans for some DUI checkpoints around Los Angeles this weekend.

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Get your tickets now for Taste of the Eastside

It’s time for the second annual Taste of the Eastside – an event that includes taste-testing awesome treats from local restaurants in the area, including Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, Los Feliz, Downtown, and Highland Park, and more importantly, Echo Park!

Last year we attended the first Taste of the Eastside and had a blast – beautiful weather plus tons of great Echo Park restaurants made it worth the ticket price. We enjoyed some incredible bread pudding from Delilah’s, vegan ceviche by Elf Cafe, Farro salad from Cookbook, Pho Beef Tacos from Xoia, and savory rhubarb galette from The Park. A memorable cup of coffee from Silver Lake’s Intelligentsia made us realize why the coffee shop is so packed all the time. Click here for our photos from last year.

This year we can expect some of the same restaurants from last year plus a couple of new additions from Echo Park, including The Park, Cookbook, Mohawk Bend, Xoia, and Pazzo Gelato. We know Xoia is serving up some homemade ice cream, which will be perfect for the wonderful 74 degree, sunny weather we can expect!

Tickets are a little more expensive this year, but includes unlimited tastings from the 30+ restaurants from the area. With each $35 ticket you get a unlimited food tastes, a $45 bar ticket adds a wine/beer flight, and a $65 VIP ticket a bunch of other goodies like seminars . Kids 2-12 are only $5, two and under are free!

Taste of the Eastside
Barnsdall Art Park, located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd
Sunday, May 6 from 1-5:00 pm.
Click here for the website

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What’s for dinner: Atwater Village’s new brew pub

Published today on our sister website, Atwater Village Now

Normally for tax season, we’d be heading to the H&R Bloc next to 55 Degree Wine for some yearly tax preparation. Last night, we went to the same spot, but to drink beer!

Located in the former H&R Bloc in a small strip mall off of Glendale Boulevard, Links N Hops is a warm, rustic, pub-style restaurant. And through the kitchen aromas, it still smells a little like sawdust – 55 Degree Wine owner Andy Hasroun had a soft opening just a couple of days ago, after battling the city’s parking permit issues.

But unlike a lot of restaurant openings we have been to, there weren’t any hiccups or kinks to work out – the staff was knowledgeable, the food came out promptly, and the atmosphere was just right.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer


The food – oh, the food – best vegan dog I’ve had in a long time. Meals come out of the kitchen in baskets, served on a metal kitchen tray. I ordered the Frankfurter (organic tofu, onion, tomato, apple cider, paprika) with an entire roasted Jalapeno and sauteed onions, my dinner date ordered the Spicy Italian (pork, onions, fennel, red pepper flakes) with onions. Required for this type of dining are Belgian Fries with a side of spicy ketchup (other options include dijon mustard, 1000 island, or ranch). Mustard and ketchup readily available, we dug in without a second thought. The bread is perfectly toasted, and unbelievably fresh – it came from a local bakery, completely hand made, and made only for Links N Hops. It makes you realize the hot dogs or sausages you’ve had before were overpowered by heavy, thick bread – not this time!

Beer choices are well-rounded, with 23 beers on tap (and room for growth – they will soon have more). Local favorites include Golden Road Brewery’s IPA, but international choices like La Chouffe Belgian Pale (so good) and lots of other California faves like North Coast Brewing’s Scrimshaw Pilsner. I’m also a sucker for Ellie’s Brown from Avery Brewing (Colorado), which matched perfectly with a really cold night and a basket of delicious sausages.

The only regret I had after leaving is that we didn’t order more Belgian Fries!

Other menu items include Andouille, Turkey Mole, BBQ Pork, Chinese Roast Pork, Spicy Italian, Hot Smoked Chicken, Wild Boar with Marsala, Pheasant with Cognac, and Rabbit with Wine for meat eaters. Andy told us he really wants to focus a lot on vegan options as well, and the current menu has some great options: Frankfurter, Beerbrat, Smoked Apple, Vegan Italian, and Spicy Pepper (really spicy, fyi!). Don’t skip out on those fries!

Links N Hops is open daily for lunch and dinner, from 11 am to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 11 am to 1 am on Saturdays. If you’re in a rush for lunch, they do offer take-away!

Location is 3111 Glendale Blvd., Ste. C, Los Angeles, CA 90039

Check out the restaurant’s Facebook page for more info.

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Filipino BBQ open for business in Echo Park

Flickr photo via MidtownLunch

It was just last August that we learned the former “Far East” Japanese restaurant was being taken over by Filipino BBQ spot The Park’s Finest. But the catering company turned restaurant needed some cash first – and it looks like they’ve raised the $20K (via a Kickstarter campaign) they needed to open its doors.

Midtown Lunch has a rave review about the new restaurant’s offerings – including pulled pork, tri tip, pork ribs, salmon, short ribs, hot links, and cornbread. Menu is ala carte for now, so you’ll want to share with a couple of people. And at $8-12 a plate, plus some extra for tasty side dishes, it looks affordable for BBQ lovers. Based on the review, it sounds like the Coconut Beef is the way to go.

The owners also gave that space a much-needed facelift – on the outside and one the inside, including fresh paint, new tables and chairs, a little floor rehab, and they got rid of that ugly ceiling. The outdoor rehab gives that strip next to the old Knights Inn and the now-defunct Dinner House M some much needed love.

The Park’s Finest is located at 1267 West Temple Street

Open Thursday through Sunday, lunch to dinner. Hours are:

Thursday : 11:00 am – 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday: 6:00 pm  – 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Saturday: 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm

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Elf Café hosting popup Falafel Night in Echo Park

Late night partying hipsters rejoice! Hot Knives bloggers/food lovers (Evan George and Alex Brown) are bringing the delicious street food – the Falafel – to Echo Park!

Elf Café is opening up its Sunset-facing window to service the drunk and hungry on Tuesday, February 28 from 10:00 pm – 2:30 am. The Hot Knives guys call this a “temporary autonomous eating zone,” aka a popup Falafel stand, so who knows how long they’ll be serving up these late-night treats.

There’s only one item on this menu, and it’s a Falafel. It also happens to be vegan! As a fan of the duo’s book Salad Daze, this will sure to win over hipster taste buds from all around.

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New Echo Park restaurant to replace La Botana on Sunset

photo via Villainy General Store

It seems like yesterday that we were chowing down at Nuvia’s Restaurant & Pupuseria before heading to a show at the Echo Curio next door, but so much has changed on that little stretch of businesses along Sunset Boulevard at Laveta in Echo Park.

Villainy General Store, which took over the old Echo Curio space, posted this photo on its Facebook page today of the former Nuvia’s and then La Botana (which closed down in October 2011 all of a sudden). The caption says the former cheap eats place is being renovated for a new gastro pub owned by local Echo Parkians.

No word yet on who, what, and when, but we’ll let you know!

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Celebrate another National Margarita Day in Echo Park

We’ve spent quite a bit of time, dollars, and brain cells testing out the best margaritas within walking distance of our Echo Park pad. Since it’s another National Margarita Day, we’ll once again delve into the world of the best margaritas in Echo Park:

El Compadre

El Compadre

Enter the dimly lit establishment on Sunset Boulevard, and you won’t return to the real world until after dark. El Compadre is a given. The ambiance is well-matched for margarita drinking, Dodger games (or the Lakers) are always on, and the bartenders are the best. At a dining table, margaritas come in their famous style (flaming), while at the bar they come sans flame (which is fine with me!). I always order a Cazadores Reposado margarita on the rocks with salt, knowing the good tequila will be more expensive, but boy is it worth every penny.

Cazadores Reposado is a perfect margarita tequila: Aged in oak casks, it’s certainly not a tame tequila and becomes well-balanced in margaritas. It’s particularly delicious when you have a good margarita mix, which El Compadre definitely does. They’ve had the recipe for 30 years, and try as I might I could not coax any ingredients out of the bartender.

Why pay more than a few bucks for a good margarita? Well, let’s put it this way: one margarita and you’re feeling good, two and you’re set (plus no hangover)! Why drink the several of the cheap stuff when you can have just a couple good margaritas, and enjoy it in the process?

AYC's spicy margarita

Allston Yacht Club

AYC serves up a lot of delicious mixed drinks, wines, and even added a couple of taps for craft beers. As an ex-bartender myself, I always sit at the bar and chat with the always friendly and well-versed bartenders.

At AYC, order the Spicy Margarita. It’s mid-shelf tequila, fresh lime juice, agave syrup, and muddled jalapeños – but not too much. The jalapeño leaves a little heat in the back of your throat, and gets a tiny bit stronger and you drink it down. Overall, it’s refreshing and delicious, and worth the $9. Did I mention they also have a cozy back patio?

If you don’t see the Spicy Margarita on the AYC menu, just ask! They know what to do. If you hit up AYC on a Wednesday (like today) you’re in for a treat – Wicked Wednesdays means $5 on all menu items, and they have a great happy hour.

The number three spot used be Barragan’s, but to be honest we haven’t been there in a looooong time, so I’m keepin’ it off the list. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t go for a margarita at Barragan’s, as one of our readers pointed out in the comments section of my from 2010 agrees with a commenter who doesn’t like a high price tag: “I agree, $8 and waaay west of Alvarado doesn’t count. I’m all for Barrigan’s very LARGE and VERY TASTY margarita on the rocks WITH SALT at a decent price. And I can walk there…!” It’s completely true – margaritas can certainly get expensive! But it’s a trade off – the cheaper the tequila, the worse the hangover!

Hopefully this helps your margarita choices in Echo Park. Remember, the bottom line is this: Good margarita mix, good margarita! And I don’t want to leave out the other guys, so the other spots you can get margaritas include the Short Stop, and even Rodeo Grill. Enjoy, and remember to walk home if you can!

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