Michele StuevenAt Camphor on Sunday, May 21, at 5 p.m., James Beard Award finalist chef, author and restaurateur Maya-Camille Broussard will collaborate with chefs Max Boonthanakit and Lijo George of Camphor to create a unique four-course tasting menu inspired by her new cookbook, Justice of the Pies: Sweet and Savory Pies, Quiches and Tarts + Inspirational Stories from Exceptional People.
This collaborative dinner will feature communal seating priced at $195 per person, which includes taxes, fees and service charge, as well as a signed copy of Broussard’s cookbook. The menu will showcase a variety of dishes inspired by the cookbook, highlighting both Camphor’s and Broussard’s take on pies, quiches and tarts.
Starting today, there’s a chef residency taking place at The Ruby Fruit for the month of May featuring Domenica Dinette by Chef Sera Domenica, the Michelin trained private chef. The residency includes menu takeover alongside Ruby Fruit classics for dinner service, Tuesday through Saturday, available in-house and to-go, at The Ruby Fruit through Wednesday, May 31. The collaborative menu offerings will rotate weekly and feature five to six original Domenica Dinette highlights, in addition to The Ruby Fruit staples like hot dogs, fries, and grilled vegetables, pulling inspiration from Domenica’s Greek and Italian heritage.
Courtesy Domenica Dinette
Coucou, Venice’s buzzy French bistro, will host guest Parisian-born photographer and Chef Eleonore Toulin on Monday, May 22. Coucou and Toulin will offer a seasonally driven, seven-course prix fixe menu, available during two seatings, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., created by Chef Toulin and co-curated by Coucou. The menu features tuna crudo, stracciatella, trout egg and pickled cherries, porchetta stuffed with leeks and herbs, served with creamy butter beans, and yuzu lemon tart meringue bites. There will be an additional option to add an aperitif and wine pairing to round out the meal for an added $45. Tickets are required for the evening and can be purchased via Resy for $100 per person.
For the first time since the pandemic, The Federal North Hollywood will celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14. The Noho gastropub will offer special a la carte Mother’s Day’s dishes alongside a newly revamped menu from new head chef Chris Olsefsky. Olsefsky recently rejoined the Knitting Factory family after refining their pan-Latin concept Bow and Truss via Say It Ain’t So @sayitaintsopb,
Olsefsky will turn the Federal’s gastropub menu inside out with a pan-Asian twist. Mother’s Day specials include salmon benedict with smoked salmon, poached egg and yuzu hollandaise on a house-baked English muffin; avocado tartine with smashed avocado, yuzu, and salsa seca on house-baked sourdough; and a lemon ricotta cheesecake. The all-day dining menu for Mother’s Day also includes pickled jalapeno poppers with goat cheese, cheddar, Monterey jack, and buttermilk raita, buffalo cauliflower, and seasoned impossible tacos with vegan nacho cheese alongside decidedly meaty birria gyoza (dumplings) with braised beef, guajillo, consommé and cilantro and yellowfin tuna crudo with yuzu hot sauce, cucumber, scallion, cilantro, sesame, edamame, and rice crackers.
There will be rotating beer taps and cocktails like the J Lo (El Jimador Reposado, Passionfruit, lime, agave, tajin) and the Nearest and Dearest (Uncle Nearest 1884 whiskey, Sorel, Lucano Amaro), as well as bottomless mimosas and a live acoustic guitar set from noon to 2 p.m. All service a la carte, 20% discount for striking WGA members.
Alimentari Flâneur comes to L.A. (Courtesy Santa Monica Proper)
Santa Monica Proper will partner with New York-based Alimentari Flâneur for a seasonally inspired provisions market at the property’s Landmark event space Siete on Saturday, May 20. Throughout the day, there will be an abundance of specialty produce, locally grown harvest and artisanal goods curated by Alimentari Flaneur founder Daniel Emilio Soares. The evening will feature a celebratory cocktail hour with a lavish grazing table. The Santa Monica Proper x Alimentari Flaneur market will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with produce baskets available for purchase at $65 (Proper-branded picnic baskets can be purchased for $125). Tickets to the cocktail hour are available for $100 per person and can be purchased on OpenTable HERE.
Attention Step Brothers fans! The Catalina Wine Mixer returns on Friday, June 2, and Saturday, June 3, for its eighth year at Descanso Beach Club on Catalina Island with live entertainment, wine tastings from more than 18 wineries, special VIP programming, a whiskey and spirits tasting, a craft beer tasting and an exclusive wine pairing lunch.
New events this year include a craft beer tasting in Avalon’s new Flx Biergarten, a VIP wine pairing lunch hosted by Melier at Avalon Grille and Blinking Owl’s whiskey tasting at Antonio’s Pizzeria & Cabaret, along with the Malibu Rocky Oaks VIP Lounge at Descanso Beach Club. On Saturday, wineries, seltzer and beer distributors will line the lawn at Descanso Beach Club. Presley Aronson joins the 2023 line up with his inaugural event performance before the return of Kelly Boyz. Headlining the show is Los Angeles based Phantom Planet, making a stop on their summer tour. The event will include live sets from DJs Michael Basic and SPLYCE.
It’s the F–ing Catalina Wine Mixer (Courtesy Visit Catalina Island)
Tickets are on sale and start at $109. The VIP with Melier Wine Pairing Lunch admission includes a welcome reception at Island Spa Catalina, screening of the Step Brothers movie, wine pairing lunch hosted by Melier, and a private party with unlimited wine and heavy appetizers in the lounge of Catherine’s Terrace, which overlooks the event and beautiful views of the bay.
Catalina Wine Mixer tickets are available by calling 877-778-8322 or at www.catalinawinemixer.com. Camping reservations also are available at Hermit Gulch Campground, just over a mile walk from the event site, by calling 310-510-4205. For those attending for the day, there will be a late-night ferry back to the mainland offered by Catalina Express on Saturday. Learn more at www.catalinawinemixer.com
What’s Popping Up is a weekly column in the L.A. Weekly that explores all that’s new in food and drink.
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