A light-filled cafe, market, and all-day restaurant called Sunrose California Eatery opens today in Agoura Hills at Whizin Market Square (5046 Cornell Road) with daily hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Founded by Marc and Carie Hernandez (formerly of Brent’s Deli in Westlake Village), the versatile restaurant serves a wide menu of drinks (coffee, cocktails, juices, teas, non-alcoholic drinks, and wine) breakfast favorites, Roman-style flatbreads, and pan-Californian fare, like crispy pork belly sandwiches and curry buttermilk fried chicken. Former Tartine and Blue Bottle Coffee chef Scott Boggs acts as the culinary director while chef de cuisine Travon Oliver (formerly the Rose) runs the kitchen day-to-day.
The sleek, wood-paneled interior comes from Studio Paul Chan, who designed the lovely Wes Anderston-inspired non-alcoholic Boisson Bottle Shop in Brentwood. “The idea is wabi meets California, infusing the idea of embracing imperfection, textures, and warmth through the context of laid-back, California beach vibes,” says Chan. An interesting note about the service: 100 percent of the tips are pooled and distributed among Sunrose team members.
Two cookbook events to know about
Making it Japanese author Rie McClenny is hosting a dinner at Caldo Verde in Downtown LA tonight from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. to promote her cookbook. In partnership with chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne, the menu includes miso bagna cauda, soba noodle salad, ribeye steak with shoyu garlic sauce, and mini okonomiyaki. Tickets are $85 and can be purchased here.
Next, chef Monica Lee of Beverly Soon Tofu, the now-closed but beloved Koreatown restaurant, is serving dishes from her cookbook Sohn-mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking along with chef Debbie Lee on November 1. The dinner occurs at Joseon, Lee’s ongoing modern Korean tasting menu, at 3709 Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake. Purchase $95 (plus a 20 percent service fee) tickets on Resy. Cookbook store Now Serving will be on-site selling signed cookbooks.
A classic Santa Monica bar turns into a taco spot
Toddrickallen shows that the former Cock n’ Bull pub on Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica, which first opened in 1990 but closed in 2020, is turning into the Westside’s fourth branch of Tacos Por Favor. Tacos Por Favor serves a large menu of tacos, burritos, tortas, and combination plates. It’ll be opening a block away from an incoming expansion of Tartine.
Pixar fans have a new place to stay in Anaheim
Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel opens on January 30, 2024, taking over the former Paradise Pier Hotel. It’s the first Pixar-themed hotel in the United States with art created specifically by the animation studio. A branch of Great Maple, a versatile all-day chain restaurant, will open in the hotel with buttermilk fried chicken and its signature bacon maple doughnuts. More info here.
A football star’s meatball pop-up in Culver City
Retired NFL player Derrell Smith is popping up at Culver City’s Citizen Public Market on October 27 and 28 with Amazeballs, a meatball menu with balls served over rice or arugula, or on a roll. Expect beef, turkey, and veggie meatballs served with Smith’s OG Sauce, with other customizations like scallions, crushed potato chips, Parmesan cheese, habanero honey, and more. For dessert, check out the nanamisu, a banana and tiramisu mash-up.
