The team behind Matū and Matū Kai has opened Cheesesteaks by Matū in Pasadena,  a casual cheesesteak spot that serves only one thing: their now-famous Matū Philly Cheesesteak and potato chips.

Cheesesteaks by Matū joins HiHo Cheeseburger in a shared space in Pasadena’s Playhouse Village.  Both feature their own walk-up order window and an open-concept layout with shared tables and seating designed for lingering. 

Redbird will host the return of its Whiskey & Wild Game Dinner on Thursday, Feb 5.  Chef Neal Fraser and team will present a four-course menu paired with a curated selection of whiskeys by Bar Director Tobin Shea, with pairings guided by Benny Hurwitz, National Ambassador of Wild Turkey. A limited number of highly allocated whiskey bottles from Shea’s personal collection will also be available for purchase.

Cheesesteaks

Whiskey game dinner (Courtesy Redbird)

The evening starts with a Wild Turkey Eight Year Old Fashioned welcome cocktail, followed by gnocchi fritto with braised rabbit, Oregon chanterelles, dried cherry, Reggiano and Périgord truffle alongside Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse, California squab with baby yam, green mole, and pomegranate, rack of elk and opera cake for dessert topped off with an ounce of Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel.
Russell’s Reserve 13 Year. Reservations HERE

 The world’s biggest tailgate is heading to the Bay, and it’s free for thousands of fans. NorCal native and self-proclaimed Mayor of Flavortown,  Guy Fieri, alongside presenting sponsor SpotOn, returns to the Bay Area for the fourth year, welcoming 10,000+ fans to the largest free all-ages pre-kickoff celebration of Big Game Weekend with live performances by LoudLuxury & Tucker Wetmore. 

Tickets will be available, with fans able to register now at GuysFlavortownTailgate.com. Taking place Sunday, Feb.  8, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the event delivers a one-of-a-kind community tailgate featuring the Food Network star’s gameday culinary creations, Northern California food, hospitality, and culture with live entertainment just hours before Super Bowl kickoff. 

Cheesesteaks

Courtesy Flavortown

Now through Friday, Feb. 13, the Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center will celebrate  Japanese Shochu Month in collaboration with seven of LA’s most popular bars: Baby Gee, Death & Co LA, No Smoking Bar, Redbird, The Wolves, Thunderbolt, and Tokyo Noir. Throughout the month, each participating bar will feature a signature shochu highball and an original shochu cocktail. In addition, the campaign includes a citywide pop-up series, Japanese Shochu Guest Shift, where bartenders from the participating bars take over another top LA bar for a one-night-only collaboration.

Japanese Shochu Guest Shift Schedule

What’s Popping Up is a column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink

Cheesesteaks

Shochu Month (Courtesy The Wolves)