Welcome to the Daily Digest, featuring the latest content from TheEastsiderLA.com.
We know that restaurant and cooking stories are reader favorites. That’s why we asked seasoned restaurant critic Merrill Shindler to guide you through the Eastside’s bustling bistros, corner cafes and unassuming minimalist eateries. You can find his first review below. If you know of a notable but overlooked neighborhood restaurant, please submit the details here.
Now read on for the latest.
— Jesús Sanchez, editor
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Village of Atwater: Looking for a fishing spot on the LA River. Thanks to Carol Sanchez for the photo.
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NEWS
Weather: Light rain may fall in parts of the Los Angeles area this evening, followed by Santa Ana winds that will warm the weekend. the east side
Transportation: Masks will once again be required on all public transportation in Los Angeles County, including buses, trains, taxis and transit service vehicles, under a new COVID-19 health order that will come into effect. effective Friday. the east side
Grilled sourdough with cherry tomato confit.
Bar Moruno brings Spanish cuisine and a scene to Silver Lake
By Merrill Shindler
There are streets in Madrid and Barcelona lined with dozens of restaurants, all serving the same menu – and the same salad topped with tuna tossed unceremoniously into a can. In contrast, here in Los Angeles, Spanish restaurants are rare.
Which might change thanks to our newest Iberian – Bar Moruno in Silver Lake, which filled the air enough to wake us from our post-Covid slumber. Thanks to Bar Moruno, terminal fashion is back.
Bar Moruno is at one of the busiest intersections in Silver Lake, with some serious players in charge. Larger-than-life chef Chris Feldmeier is a veteran of mega destinations like Campanile, Osteria Mozza and a previous incarnation of Moruno at the Original Farmers Market. His partner, David Rosoff, bearded, smiling and obsessed with wine, worked with Feldmeier at Campanile before his move to the original Moruno.
Platter of canned fish and bread
And so, here they are on a crazy Saturday night, with no reservations to be made in the hyper-casual dining room, and every seat in the bar colonized for the evening. But there’s a cramped, standing bar, where those who show up on a whim can stand and drink an extensive selection of gin and tonics, which look like something out of PG Wodehouse. There are 24 gins on the menu – suggesting wine isn’t Rosoff’s only obsession. Me, I like beer, especially since it’s food that calls for beer.
It’s a tapas menu – small dishes, with a penchant for pickled fish, many of which proudly come from the Minerva line of canned seafood. Each dish is narrowly focused; expect a table of many small dishes. Like the gildas, skewers of white anchovies, grilled peppers, manzanilla olives and a marinated egg yolk. There’s an oven-roasted potato salad with lime aioli. Spicy carrot salad with Turkish red pepper called aleppo. And almost a relief, a radicchio salad with manchego.
Bar Moruno is an experience on every level imaginable, but especially on the palate. It made me want a culinary break; Pazzo Gelato’s Vanilla a few blocks away did the trick.
Bar Moruno Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
- ⭐⭐⭐⭐ BEYOND THE SUBLIME
- ⭐⭐⭐ WORTH EVERY PENNY
- ⭐⭐ A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD DESTINATION
- ⭐ ALSO STAY AT HOME
- 3705 W. Sunset Blvd.
- 323-546-0505
- Dinner only, Tuesday to Sunday.
- Reservations essential
- Moderately expensive
GOOD TASTE
A roundup of Eastside restaurant and food news
“Peruvian Nikkei” Restaurant Causita open at Silver Lake tuesday. Sunset Boulevard Restaurant serves dishes with Peruvian ingredients and Japanese techniques inspired by the arrival of Japanese migrants to Peru in the 1800s.
Dishes will include everything from Nigiri Causita Nikkei, which includes sushi selections of tuna and salmon alongside potato, udon noodles and sea bass tamales. Their beverage program will feature Japanese whiskey and pisco, a type of brandy that originated in Latin America.
West Hollywood Cafe Opens New Coffee Space in the former Clark Street Bread outlet at the foot of The Elysian apartment tower in Victor Heightsjust east of Echo Park. Farm Coffee Mug, which also distributes single-source coffee beans, will open to the public on April 28 at 1115 W. Sunset Blvd at White Knoll Drive. The owners of Farm Cup have also rented the former Winsome restaurant next door, says District Realty Group. The unnamed restaurant will offer a “menu made up of influences from Peru to Indonesia”.
Fodors Tourist attractions featured the Boyle Heights restaurant scene with local artist Robert Vargas. His selections include Teresitas, Otomisan, La Parrilla, Yeya’s and Brooklyn Avenue Pizza.
Read more
EAST WEEKEND
An overview of what’s happening this weekend and your Eastside weather forecast. Keep reading to find out more!
friday april 22
Silver Lake: The 2000s are back! Browse your closet for slogan tees, low rise jeans and trucker caps to dress up on the theme. Night of the 2000s in Los Globos. Dance to throwbacks from your favorite artists.
Heights of Montecito: Grab your gardening gloves and volunteer at Debs Parks for some Habitat restoration.
Saturday April 23
Eagle Rock: Celebrate Earth Day at the Arts Center to learn about wildlife protection and make prints in an open-air workshop! The event is family friendly and free.
Echo Park: Catch a fashion show, listen to live music, and see a pizza pan art exhibit at the Mohawk sunset and block party.
Historic Philippine City: Discover the latest creations from Amy Russell and Vesta at Council_St.
Elysian Park: Continue the Earth Day celebrations by pick up trash in Elysian Park.
sunday april 24
Highland Park: Head to Sycamore Grove Park to hear music, poetry, arts and more at the Lummis Days Festival.
Many locations: Keep the appetite for Taste of the Eastside and help support Rose Scharlin Cooperative Nursery School and Friends Of the LA River.
More things to do in our events calendar
NOTEBOOK
Police funding: the Los Angeles Times spotlights some candidates for Eastside City Council who have called for defunding the police, or at least reducing funding. But the approaches seem to vary according to the candidates. On the relatively moderate side, Kate Pynoos has pledged not to hire new police officers and wants to remove traffic enforcement from the LAPD. At the most extreme end, Albert Corado wrote last year, “I hope one day to make s’mores while the LAPD headquarters downtown burns.”
ONE LAST THING
Bad buzz: Find out what you can do to avoid being bitten during Mosquito Awareness Week.
That’s it! Thanks for reading.
–Jesus Sanchez
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