Overthrow Hospitality, Ravi DeRossi’s mission-driven hospitality group has opened Ubuntu, a plant-based restaurant inspired by West African ingredients and helmed by chef Shenarri “Greens” Freeman. Located in what used to be the Avant Garden space in West Hollywood and updated with a few design changes, DeRossi and Shenarri constructed a modern vegan menu that features plant-based twists on traditional African classics. 

Dishes include jackfruit yassa with nokoss, white rice and coconut, curry jollof arancini with tomato and chickpea miso, seitan suya with red onions and tomato confit, and a charred okra salad with pigeon peas, red kidney beans in a passion fruit vinaigrette – all using locally sourced produce and seasonal ingredients from Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana and across West Africa. Shenarri’s vegan soul food restaurant Cadence in New York has garnered critical acclaim since its opening in 2021. Also a welcome sight, many of the original Avant Garden staff have returned to the intimate space.

Ubuntu

Coconut curry arancini at Ubuntu (Michele Stueven)

Bucket Listers, the creators of The Malibu Barbie Cafe, The Golden Girls Kitchen, and the Los Angeles Bucket List and Superfly, the creators of the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, The FRIENDS Experience and The Lizzoverse, have teamed up to say “Fore!” with Giggity Golf, the ultimate homage to Family Guy in honor of one of TV’s most beloved cartoon families, opening in LA Sept. 22.

Named after Quagmire’s signature phrase, the Giggity Golf experience will feature a custom putt-putt course that recreates some of its signature moments along the way. The indoor/outdoor course also will feature both a Drunken Clam bar and an Eat My Junk food truck for pre-tee and post-game bites and cocktails. Tee up at the waitlist here. 

Pa’s Biscuitisserie, a new pop-up biscuit concept, will make its debut at Coucou over six days in August. The brainchild of Nick Westbrook, Pa’s nods to his Southern roots and the singular biscuit restaurants he grew up eating in and loving, but that don’t exist in LA. Westbrook’s Georgia-style drop biscuit recipe, made using specially sourced soft winter wheat from Kentucky, is the foundation of a menu that consists of three tiers: 

Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwich (buttermilk brined with lemon-pickled cabbage and remoulade)

Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit Sandwich (applewood bacon, scramble egg, two-year cheddar)

Spicy Lamb Sausage & Gravy Biscuit (merguez, shallot, Summerhill goat milk bechamel)

Jam & Honey Butter Biscuit (organic strawberry jam, house-made spiced honey butter)

Dates: 

  • Sunday, Aug. 6 and Monday, Aug. 7 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Sunday, Aug. 13 and Monday, Aug. 14, same hours 
  • Sunday, Aug. 20 and Monday, Aug. 21, same hours

  • Ubuntu

    Spicy lamb sausage and gravy biscuit (Courtesy Pa’s Biscuitisserie)

On Saturday, Aug. 5, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.: Ginza Nishikawa will continue its ‘Summer of Shokupan’ in celebration of the brand’s first anniversary with a Nishikawa Night Market.  The event is free and open to all ages. The one-night celebration will feature vendors serving Ginza Nishikawa shokupan-based items for sale, including Main Chick Hot Chicken, GoodSteak, The Melt Factory, GG Kitchen, Sweet Rose Creamery, and host, Ginza Nishikawa. The night market also will include a full-service bar and DJ. 

Absence of Proof will team up with LA-based non-alcoholic bottle shop, the New Bar, for a mocktail-making class. The event will teach attendees how to make three mocktails using non-alcoholic wine and spirits. The event is on Aug. 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; tickets are $45. All attendees will go home with a goodie bag. Tickets are limited and can be purchased here.

Sunday, Aug. 6, is National Root Beer Float Day and True Food Kitchen will offer a special promotion to celebrate! From Friday, Aug. 4 through Sunday, Aug. 6, guests can get a free root beer float with purchases of $40 or more, made with OLIPOP root beer that has gut-supporting benefits.

Ubuntu

Brightland Bagel (Courtesy Layla’s)

Line-around-the-block cult-favorite Layla Bagels and Brightland join forces to launch the Brightland Bagel, availablethrough the end of August. The bagel sandwich features pistachio pesto made with Brightland’s signature ALIVE Olive Oil, farmers market tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and arugula dressed in Saba and Brightland ARISE Basil Olive Oil and ROSETTE Garlic Olive Oil. 

Blaze Pizza has introduced its third “What’s Hot This Month” value promotion, available throughout August. Every Tuesday, Blaze Pizza will offer a free 11-inch Kid’s Cheese Pizza with the purchase of a full-priced pizza through Thursday, Aug. 31.

Orders are available in-store or for delivery via www.blazepizza.com and the Blaze Pizza app using promo code BLAZEKID. When ordering in-store, add a topping or crust upgrade to the Kid’s Cheese Pizza for $2 each.

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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