Michele StuevenBoomtown Brewery and seven other DTLA breweries are banding together for one day of specials. Boomtown will be releasing a special holiday mix four pack that includes Candy Rain, Cool Kids, Breathe and Fuzi Hazy IPAs. The full breakdown of the seven other breweries’ offerings can be found here. Boomtown is also releasing a new brew on Friday, December 11, called Breathe, the newest addition to their artist series. Breathe combines the aromas of pineapple and peach with a delicate melon flavor and notes of honey dew, cantaloupe and nectarine.
Starting Friday, December 11 through January 9 for takeout only (delivery not available for this deal), NORMS guests who spend $25 or more will receive a free individual take-home comfort meal – Fettucine Alfredo, Roasted Turkey and NORMS’ famous meatloaf. The $25 can be in the form of any purchase, whether it’s $25 worth of gift cards, family meals or coffee.
New brews (Courtesy Boomtown Brewery)
The Little Tokyo Community Council (LTCC) is relaunching its Community Feeding Community in response to the county’s closure of outdoor dining. The program provides free meals for those whose jobs were impacted by COVID-19 closures while supporting small businesses in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo neighborhood by purchasing and distributing meals within the community.
Meals are distributed every Saturday from 2 – 4 p.m. at 327 East Second Street, with the menu rotating weekly. Advanced reservations are required to reserve a time slot to pick-up meals, which open every Tuesday before the upcoming Saturday distribution date and close on Friday at 5 p.m. The CFC program will continue to provide meals for as long as the donations allow. People whose jobs were impacted by COVID-19 can reserve a meal online at littletokyola.org/cfc.
Former Warner Bros. and Lions Gate studio marketing executive TJ Moffett is doing his own pivot by opening L.A.’s first Teriyaki Madness, a fast-casual teriyaki shop, today at 1120 W. 6th Street, Unit 105 on Bixel Street right near the PIH Health Good Samaritan’s Hospital. Other outposts of the Asian grill chain are located in Sylmar and San Fernando.
Seasonal vegetable salad (Courtesy North Italia)
Starting this month, North Italia is rolling out a series of new menu items including new and updated pastas, entrées, salads, sandwiches and cocktails. Available for takeout and delivery: Sicilian short rib ragu, grilled branzino, and carbonara pasta available for brunch as a breakfast pasta. There’s a seasonal vegetable salad combining radicchio and kale tossed with roasted brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cauliflower, farro and dates. Wash it down with a pomegranate mule – a spiced winter mule made with Italian botanical gin, charred lemon juice, blended citrus bitters and sambuca spice.
And speaking of cocktails, Here and Now‘s annual holiday pop-up, Blitzen’s, is back and reinvented as Blitzen’s at Home, bringing the spirit to Angelenos citywide with takeout and delivery themed for the holidays. This year’s Blitzen’s menus offer food and cocktails designed to make spirits bright, including new treats like the Apres Skitini (Botanist Gin, Alpe Genepy, Lillet Blanc, and House Pine Liqueur) and Santa’s Ice Cream Sandwich (snickerdoodle cookies and Van Leeuwen peppermint ice cream), as well as Blitzen’s classics, like the You Go, Glen Cocoa (hot chocolate, Altos Tequila, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Spice and Mr. Black) and Leftover Sandwich (turkey breast, cranberry sauce, potato puree and gravy on sourdough bread, with a side of green beans). Blitzen’s will also be offering large-format cocktails and cocktail kits.
Let the Muletide Roll (Courtesy Here and Now)
All food and beverage are available for takeout and delivery orders via the Here and Now store on the website through the month of December and the bar will be decorated in its traditional holiday style for takeout guests. The Here and Now team also plans to open its patio for holiday-themed outdoor dining once restrictions are lifted (currently scheduled for December 27).
El Patio Tecate has just announced that the Latin music livestream concert series is set to return for a fourth and final event next Friday, December 18. The virtual concert will feature a headlining performance from Miguel, in addition to D-Smoke, winner of the Netflix series “Rhythm and Flow” and 2021 GRAMMY Award nominee. Texas-based acts Bo Bundy and Krystall Poppin have also both been tapped to perform alongside MC Magic. El Patio Tecate Episode 4 will stream from Electric Pony Studios in Los Angeles and from Houston, Texas.
What’s Popping Up is a weekly column in the LA Weekly that explores all that’s new in food and drink.