angelenic: downtown los angeles

Fans of Brett Westfall, artist and co-owner of the Comme des Garçons “guerrilla store” on 4th Street, should head over to Matt Chait’s Untitled (Gallery) tonight in the southern edge of the Arts District.

The show, titled Pencil, opens this evening amid much press and blog coverage.  Angelenic was given a preview of what’s in store, a series of large-scale drawings as well as a continuation of the “Sherf” theme, inspired by the Westfall’s being stranded in rural Patterson, CA.

In addition to the high-profile pieces, a retail section of the gallery ensures there’s something for everyone tonight.

Pencil at Untitled (Gallery)
1855 Industrial Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 16, 2008
6:00pm-Midnight
213-415-1822
 untitledgallery.net

Preview continued below…

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Anyone in South Park like sushi?

Back in December we broke the story that the Kor Group was planning a new ground-floor restaurant/lounge after moving into their headquarters building at 12th and Flower.

Now, Eater LA has the scoop with the details of the new tenant:  San Francisco-based Blowfish Sushi to Die For have announced they are shutting down their West Hollywood venue while they begin to build out their new Downtown LA location.

Though itself a trendy concept, Blowfish Sushi offers a more scaled-down alternative for South Park sushi fans who may not want to shell out the big bucks for the ultra-modern Katsuya at LA Live once that opens later this year.  Blowfish Sushi to Die For is set for a Spring 2009 opening.

South Park residents:  What do you think of the announcement? Let us know in the comments!

More after the jump…

Downtown LA’s most iconic hotel, the 1976 Westin Bonaventure, is playing host to screenings of a film genre all too fitting for the concrete-and-glass monster: Science Fiction and Futurism.

While the hotel itself is a throwback to ’70s sci-fi architecture and design — a ride in its super-powered elevators with awesome city views are a must — but in this case, it’s the outdoor screenings that are the main attraction. Contemporary art journal Afterall presents “Making Strange,” a free sci-fi film series running for three weeks this month.

No flick in the genre would be complete without androids, dystopic visions, outer space or our own post-apocalyptic world, and the group’s selections will no doubt satisfy.

Leading the pack this week is Powers of Ten, a 1977 short film by Ray and Charles Eames that puts the size of the universe and our own existence into perspective; and Solyaris, the 1972 picture about an intelligent life force that was the basis of the 2002 remake starring George Clooney.

Movies start at dusk on the fourth-floor patio of the hotel (accessible via escalators from 5th and Flower). Afterall recommends you bring a blanket and pillow to fully enjoy the outdoor experience. And afterward, those elevators are waiting.

Previously covered by 5th and Spring.

Lineup and info after the jump…

Showbiz Ribs, the much-anticipated but long-delayed barbeque house on 6th Street, is set to open Thursday, according to a handmade sign on the door.

With the opening of Showbiz Ribs, 6th Street is fast becoming Downtown’s “Casual Restaurant Row,” with establishments from City National Plaza east to Pershing Square doing brisk lunch-hour business.

The eatery joins some other respected local names in barbeque: Spring Street Smokehouse in Chinatown and BBQ King, returning to Downtown with a new 7th Street takeout location after being displaced from Cesar Chavez and Figueroa to make way for a Palmer development. BBQ King opens today and has another location at 53rd and Vermont in South Los Angeles.

We can’t have too many barbeque options in Downtown. Like the old saying goes, there’s no business like … the ribs business?

Restaurant listing info after the jump…

The countywide 1/2-cent sales tax measure that has brought out the best and worst in local leaders, not to mention emotional appeals on both sides, is up for its next hurdle tomorrow as the state Senate decides whether to let the people of LA do what legislators cannot:  Get our people moving once more.

In the last round of insanity, it was county supervisors Gloria Molina, Don Knabe and Michael Antonovich that took the provincial low-road in voting to deny placement on the ballot — though Supervisor Knabe eventually reversed after learning his position would cost taxpayers $10 million for a special ballot.

Our post on that subject garnered 65 comments and dozens of grassroots emails to the Board of Supervisors.  That surely sent the message that our leaders will be held accountable for their actions and lack of vision.

Now it’s time to send the message again, this time to the state Senate.

Steve Hymon at the Bottleneck Blog notes that two holdouts on the Appropriations Committee are still opposed — Senators Gil Cedillo, who represents Downtown and much of Central, Northeast and South Los Angeles, and Jenny Oropeza of Long Beach.

Oropeza, who supports the measure in theory, is threatening to take her ball and go home if she doesn’t get her way:  Namely, wording that would expressly fund the Green Line extension to LAX.

More info and a call to action after the jump…

This may just redefine drink specials in Downtown.

Sixth Street Bar & Grill, the charming gastropub-style eatery at 6th and Central, is offering $1 first drinks and $2 second drinks to angelenic’s readers and their party on Tuesday, August 12th all day long.

The promotion applies to all well drinks, mixed drinks and beer.  Excludes call drinks.  Print and present the promotion coupon at the time of ordering to receive the discount.

Of course, owner Chipper Pastron is hoping it’s more than just the drinks that will get you to go — and to keep coming back.  With food that’s many steps above the average, we can attest to the pizzas, burgers, and special panko-crusted salmon.

So bring your friends or coworkers, have a few beers and enjoy the crowd!

All the info after the jump…

New announcements, grand openings, permit delays and some projects dead in the water — it’s all an indication of a very active local dining scene here in Downtown LA. Oddly enough, none of these has to do with 7th Street’s “Restaurant Row.”

Got a restaurant tip? Let us know!

Caffe Primo: In the ground floor of the Pegasus Apartments, the “next-generation cafe” should begin construction this month after recently obtaining construction permits, according to a company representative. Opening is planned for April 2009. [Wilshire and Flower]

Crown Cafe: Permit delays have held up the opening of this Los Angeles Street cafe / coffee shop, and with only one more holdout remaining, owner Robert Kashefi hopes to fling open the doors this month. [523 S Los Angeles Street]

Drago Centro: Celestino Drago’s contemporary-Italian eatery will open by late September in City National Plaza, according to publicist Emily Wilson. The bank’s “historic stone-walled vault” (but the building was built in 1972?) is being converted into a private dining room. The private dining area will be called, what else, “The Vault.” Did I mention there are vaulted ceilings? I’m not making this up, folks. Buildout is estimated to cost a total of $7 million, and a new website shows some construction progress. [525 S Flower Street]

Hygge: Construction begins this month on Luma’s ground-floor retail space, which will eventually house a new Danish-inspired restaurant and bakery. Don’t be swayed by the pronunciation of the restaurant’s name (sounds kind of like “hoo-guh”) — I’m sure there will be more unpronounceables on the menu. Owner Ray Lee is planning an ambitious year-end opening, but we all know how that goes. Either way, I’m filing this one in our “can’t wait” file; South Parkians can’t keep going to Panini Cafe every night. [11th and Hope]

A whole lot more after the jump…

Breaking news: Supervisor Don Knabe, who cast his vote against allowing the 1/2-cent transit tax to head to the voters this November, has had a change of heart, bringing the final tally to 3-2 in favor.

Supervisor Knabe will switch his vote to approve the sales tax measure’s placement on the November ballot, which would raise $30 billion over 30 years for transit and highway infrastructure in the county, despite his own rigid ideological objections to any further tax increase.

The shift comes after Knabe learned a separate ballot would cost taxpayers up to $10 million more for the vote. From Steve Hymon of the Bottleneck Blog, who has the scoop:

“I remain absolutely opposed to the MTA sales tax measure and I plan to spend my time and effort campaigning against it,” said Supervisor Knabe.

The vote means the measure can head to the ballot if approved by the state legislature — itself an unsure prospect in the notoriously sluggish elected body. Still, passage would allow campaigning for the measure to begin in full force.

Despite polls showing support for the tax, an extremely high two-thirds voter threshhold is needed for passage, which means consensus and coalitions must be created, and the voters must be informed on the benefits to everyone living here, even if specific projects won’t directly benefit individual districts.

There is no question that the future of Los Angeles as a world-class city rests on our ability to increase mobility for jobs, tourism, housing and pleasure.

Get your information fix after the jump…