Lavo Ristorante opens on Sunset Strip with Italian seafood and a 1-pound meatball
Lavo
The team behind Tao, Beauty & Essex and the Highlight Room opened a new coastal Italian, indoor-outdoor restaurant on the Sunset Strip this week. Lavo Ristorante is a sibling concept to Italian restaurant Lavo — which Tao Group Hospitality operates in New York City, Las Vegas and Singapore — and is serving red-prawn crudo, veal Marsala, fresh pasta, fritto misto, a 1-pound meatball, cacio e pepe pizza, handmade burrata and other dishes to diners (there are 250 seats) under a retractable roof. The group’s chief culinary officer, Ralph Scamardella, oversees the menu. Craig Schoettler (formerly of Alinea and the Aviary) designed the bar program with cocktails such as an Amalfi-inspired gin and tonic (there’s also a 230-bottle wine list). Lavo Ristorante is open from 5 to 11 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday, and from 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday; brunch service is expected to follow.
9201 Sunset Blvd., Suite 100, West Hollywood, lavoristorante.com
Market with Maum
A new monthly market spotlighting Korean American chefs, bakers and makers is popping up across Los Angeles. Maum, a community-minded organization that champions local Korean business, is behind the pop-up market, which next appears on March 20 at ERA Studio in the Arts District, followed by an April 23 event at Platform Park in Culver City. Entry is $5 to the market, which on March 20 features 55 sellers, with nearly half of them offering food and drink such as cookies, artisanal soju, coffee, tea, modern Korean tapas and quinoa kimbap. For event updates follow @madewithmaum on Instagram.
1919 Bay St., Los Angeles, madewithmaum.com/mar
Fat Tomato Pizza
New York-style pizza chain Fat Tomato is open in Koreatown. The newest Fat Tomato — which also maintains locations including Hermosa Beach, San Pedro, Marina Del Rey and Long Beach — offers whole pizzas, by-the-slice options, salads, pastas and appetizers such as garlic knots, mozzarella sticks and corn cheese; all sauces and dressings are made in-house. Gluten-free crust and nondairy cheese are available, as are options such as a Caprese-inspired pizza, barbecue chicken pizza and a spinach-laden Popeye’s pie. Fat Tomato in Koreatown is open daily from 3 p.m. to midnight.
301 S. Western Ave., Unit 104, (213) 277-1900, gofattomato.com
MainRo
Nightclub entrepreneur Romain Zago, of Miami’s Mynt Lounge, just opened a sprawling restaurant and entertainment experience called MainRo. The 7,500-square-foot Hollywood spot fills the former Beso space and offers primarily pan-Asian dishes, including sushi, stone-cooked Wagyu, caviar service, roast duck, truffle pasta and steaks, available at two seatings (6:30-8:30 p.m. and 8:30-10:30 p.m.). Both dinner seatings include live performances such as bands and DJs, playing out on a stage designed for light shows, surrounded by reflective walls and chandeliers that are all part of the act.
6350 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, (818) 514-4142, mainro.com
Masters of Taste
Fundraising food festival Masters of Taste is returning for its fifth year, bringing more than 100 representatives of restaurants, bars, bakeries, wineries and breweries to the Rose Bowl on April 3. Gabi James, Lunasia, Bone Kettle, Luv2Eat Thai Bistro, Poppy + Rose, the Raymond 1886, Gracias Madre and more will offer unlimited bites and sips, with 100% of the event’s ticket proceeds benefiting local nonprofit Union Station Homeless Services. Vanda Asapahu of Westchester’s Ayara Thai Cuisine will serve as the event’s host chef and lead a food tent inspired by the Thai holiday Songkran. General admission ($135) includes entry from 4 to 7 p.m., while VIP ($195) includes 3 p.m. entry, access to special areas and exclusive tasting items.
1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, (626) 791-6677, mastersoftastela.com
Cracker Barrel Kitchen Lawndale
Southern comfort-food chain Cracker Barrel launched a ghost kitchen in Hollywood last October, and on March 15 it expands to the South Bay. Dishes like chicken and dumplings, hash brown casserole and all-day breakfast are available for delivery in Lawndale via DoorDash, UberEats and Grubhub from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Updates
6:16 p.m. March 15, 2022: Michael Priore was previously named as executive chef of Lavo Ristorante; he is no longer involved with the business and has been removed from this story accordingly.
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