Panxa Cocina in Long Beach is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a month of celebratory specials, cocktails, entertainment, and festivities. Starting Saturday, Dec.  14,  the kick-off 10th Anniversary White Party shifts the festivities into full gear with a full-service dinner menu, specialty drinks and games, and prizes.

Expect signature dishes like Panxa’s stacked enchiladas, charred queso Oaxaca, Chimayo posolé, and fried bread taco, as well as returning favorites like the Road Runner Special ($10) featuring Modelo, shot, and a taco. All-night Happy Hour specials, including Ensamble Mezcal ($9) and Tequila Ocho Repo ($10) shots, will also be available. A special guest DJ will spin tunes all night long, along with games, prizes, and tattoo art for all attending guests. 

Then on Saturday, Dec. 21, kick up your heels at the Panxa Cocina Holiday Drag Brunch and Show hosted by The Bearded Martha Stewart, who will be joined by Missy Vee, Madame Ozma, and JJ Phoenix. A fixed menu and full bar will be available, including Champagne mimosa flights and margaritas.  There will be two seatings from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon (doors open at 9:30 am) and 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. (doors open at 12:45 p.m.) Reservations and tickets are $5 to reserve a seat,  All proceeds from ticket sales will go to Long Beach Cruisers AIDS/Life Cycle, which supports the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Picante Cocktail

Panxa Cocina Zanahoria Picante Cocktail

Bella’s Bread and Butter of Galilee, Israel has opened a second location in West Hollywood.  The artisan bakery and third-wave coffee café sell a variety of fermented sourdough loaves,  fresh-baked, hand-rolled croissants and pastries; and kosher cuisine.

“My wife Unique and I got the idea to expand our operations to Los Angeles last year after deciding to delay our return to Israel due to the war,” says chef/owner Nachman David Kruper, who has a tattoo commemorating the attack on Israel inked on his arm.

Kruper, who was raised in L.A., returned to the U.S. a year and a half ago to take care of his mother who has since passed away. The bakeries are named after her.

The plant-forward menu is made up mostly of bread, produce, salmon, and eggs.  Breakfast at Bella’s menu options come with sourdough toast, like the lox and shakshuka.  Kruper shares his knowledge with evening sourdough baking classes; the next one takes place on Thursday, Dec 12.  

Panxa Cocina

Danishes, lox and avocado toast, the Galilayan sandwich and lattes (Courtesy Bella’s Bread and Butter)

Heading to the desert for the holidays? Lost Property, a new bar and restaurant helmed by acclaimed chef Brandon Kida and barman Rhino Williams, has opened in Palm Springs. The newly reimagined Skylark Hotel was originally built in 1955 by  Palm Springs architect Howard Lapham. Over the years, it changed names and concepts until it was purchased by hotelier Amitesh Damudar in October 2016. Damudar,  who also owns The Tangerine Hotel in Burbank, has refreshed and modernized The Skylark’s mid-century modern design.

Open for breakfast seven days a week, Kida has entered the smash burger game with his signature Lost Property Breakfast Smash with fennel sausage, sunny egg, and cheddar cheese on Martin’s potato bun that pairs perfectly with pulled espresso-based drinks from the coffee bar. Lunch and dinner highlights include crispy maitake mushroom bao with lemon aioli and cabbage slaw. There’s also a poolside selection of artisanal tinned seafood served with house-made onion dip, chimichurri, pickled red onion, and potato chips. 

Lost Property’s coffee program and a selection of breakfast items are available to hotel guests for in-room dining, dinner is served Friday and Saturday nights. 

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