‘crocker club’ working out kinks, hiring
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Crocker Club, the Historic Core’s newest Hollywood-style drinking establishment, is heading toward the finish line at 5th and Spring.
Owner Vincent Terzian, who has nearly 17 years in the hospitality and nightlife industry, declined an interview or tour of the space (was it something we said?), but does squeeze in that he is “still working out the kinks” on his first establishment with construction and inspections.
Updated details are scarce, though quite luckily for us, we did learn a bit earlier this year.
The basics: A former bank vault, the Crocker Club draws its name from the Crocker Citizens National Bank that once occupied the space starting in 1914. Terzian avoids the term “speakeasy” because of its overuse of late, but expect traditional cocktails and “gentlemen hosts” instead of bouncers.
distinguished gallery row fixture to be replaced
As a defining street-facing fixture in Gallery Row for the past year, Megan Geckler’s Set a Course for Wayward Schemes has no match.
Iridescent plastic strands form the installation at Bert Green Fine Art, which serves as the visual epicenter for well-attended Art Walk functions. Tourists and Art Walk attendees pause for cell phone photos while scoping out the windows from multiple vantage points.
All good things must come to an end, however, and Set a Course is no different. The neon-colored strips have faded under the sun’s ultraviolet rays, sagging from midday heat, and will be replaced by the end of the year.
Though it was always a temporary project, it was comforting to see the bright windows on late-night walks, a sort of urban lighthouse pointing the way home through the midnight Downtown fog.
your just desserts: ‘garden berry’ yogurt heading to the fashion district
And you thought the frozen yogurt craze was over.
Complementing the Fashion District’s growing restaurant scene is Garden Berry, a new “yogurt lounge” set to open on 9th Street just east of Los Angeles Street.
Next door to the Cooper Design Building, Garden Berry will help anchor a budding restaurant row that starts with Wood Spoon at Spring Street to the west and the recently opened Gram & Papa’s to the east, which just got a new chef.
The district still has issues at night with evacuation-style streets devoid of human life, but nighttime activity is steadily increasing with the infusion of residents from nearby lofts. Lunch is where it’s really at here as fashion-industry wholesalers and designers fill area sidewalks in search of a quick bite.
But with fro-yo fatigue setting in across Los Angeles, how will this trendsetting neighborhood handle last year’s dessert leftovers?
For the record: I still enjoy frozen yogurt. Call me retro.
l.a. live tower topped off, lawry’s carvery to open thursday
Last Wednesday was an important day for Downtown LA’s skyline, as the Ritz Carlton tower at LA Live was topped off with a ceremony and press conference.
At 54 stories, the Ritz Carlton/Marriot Marquis JW Marriott hybrid hotel is the tallest building under construction in the central city area and has already made a striking impact when viewed from east, south or west of Downtown.
Meanwhile at ground level, Lawry’s Carvery opens up on Friday, December 19 (UPDATED), the latest in a series of restaurant and venue openings (and the 69th on our year-end list) at the $2.5-billion development.
Full details including safety awards giveaways and photos from the event are available via blogdowntown. Photos via AEG.
What do you think of the new tower? Let us know!
‘the must’ wine bar uncorked at 5th and spring
Now open at 5th and Spring in the former Lime Cafe space is The Must Wine Bar, the latest in a string of openings geared toward real Downtown residents.
In just one short month since signing a lease, the space has undergone a complete transformation: Walls have been torn down, old “diner-style” seating replaced, a revamped menu instituted and warm woods installed at the bar area for a more relaxed vibe.
Oh, about that bar. First-time owner Coly Haan, who has a background in hospitality and wine service, has carefully selected and stocked bottles with a focus on accessible, affordable wines — a smart move in a neighborhood that rewards adventuresome ideas on an approachable scale.
weekend for a cause: art share, santee court charity drive
This Saturday, Barker Block and Art Share have teamed up to create the team’s first annual holiday fundraiser, a festive art and music show to benefit the cultural organization.
Art Share has been helping LA’s youth discover their talents by providing free art classes, counseling, mentoring and training for over ten years.
A suggested $10 donation gets you in the door, for free food, wine and beer, and a viewing of art from 11 local artists. The artists will be donating 50% of the proceeds to Art Share.
touring the l.a. foodbank (and a virtual food drive)
Amid all the chatter about new restaurants and bars in the neighborhood, it’s easy to forget the struggle of those less fortunate than ourselves — the chronically homeless; the working-class family struggling to keep up; elderly and disabled members of society; and, more commonly these days, the recently unemployed.
So it is with the hope of being able to do something about it this year that I announce angelenic’s Downtown Virtual Food Drive. All proceeds from the program go directly to food acquisition. Continue reading for more information about the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank!
According to a recent UCLA study, over one million Angelenos are designated as “food insecure,” meaning that many don’t know where their next meal may come from.
The numbers aren’t the most surprising conclusion of the study: Food insecurity crosses geographic boundaries, and spans a range of income levels and lifestyles.
More about the LA Foodbank and angelenic’s Downtown Virtual Food Drive after the jump…
panini cafe adds bike racks
Taking initiative in an area where pedestrian-friendly City practices are lacking, Panini Cafe has installed new bike racks at its outdoor patio on 9th Street.
As locals continue to wait for City Hall to place bike racks in the Downtown area, Panini Cafe has shown to be a leader in promoting alternative means of transportation to its facility.
Though installed two weeks ago for members of the kitchen staff who were commuting by bicycle, the racks are available for use by all restaurant patrons.
