Latest news with #Gigi's
Eater
3 days ago
- Business
- Eater
The Saddest Restaurant Closures to Know in Los Angeles, May 2025
Los Angeles's restaurants continue to face difficult headwinds, starting in 2020 with the onset of a global pandemic and exacerbating with the Hollywood labor strikes in 2023 , which led to an industry-wide slowdown that's continued into 2025. From the lingering impacts of the Hollywood strikes to adverse weather and increased costs (labor, rent, ingredients, etc.), many variables continue to batter restaurant owners who operate on razor-thin margins. Los Angeles restaurants also continue to struggle with the impact from the 2025 fires , including slow business and devastating property loss. Here are notable restaurant closures for May. For more closure news, visit our 2024 round-up . Papa Cristo's— After 77 years on the corner of Pico and Normandie, legendary Los Angeles Greek restaurant and market Papa Cristo's closed permanently on May 4. LAist reports that owner Chrys Chrys pointed to rising rent costs as the ultimate reason for the closure. Sam Chrys, Chrys's father, first opened C & K Importing Company in 1948 to bring food and wine over from Greece to offer to the Los Angeles community, which later became Papa Cristo's. Over the years, Papa Cristo's became an essential part of Los Angeles's restaurant scene, feeding generations of those looking for a taste of the Aegean. Gigi's— Upscale Hollywood French restaurant Gigi's closed on May 10 after nearly five years. The restaurant opened in November 2020 in Hollywood's Sycamore Avenue corridor alongside Tartine and Sightglass Coffee. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant was only able to offer outdoor dining at first, but later opened its 60-seat dining room. The menu channeled bistro classics infused with California sensibilities, with dishes like endive salad, steak tartare, escargot, and braised short rib. Guido's— Guido's, a longstanding Sawtelle red sauce Italian restaurant, is closing on May 31 after 46 years. Open since 1979, the restaurant is well known for its old-school charm, tuxedoed servers, and red leather booths. The restaurant specializes in Italian classics, serving sizable portions of Italian classics like eggplant Parmigiana, spaghetti Bolognese, and chicken picatta. Mars— Hollywood cocktail bar Mars, which was located behind Mother Wolf, closed in April 2025. The bar first opened in January 2024 with a $5,000 per year membership that came with a personal spirits locker, priority seating, and invitations to special events. The bar has been replaced with La Ola, a new Roman-inspired cocktail lounge from acclaimed chef Evan Funke and Giancarlo Pagani, the managing partner of Mother Wolf Group. Checo's Seafood 106 Underground— Inglewood seafood restaurant Checo's Seafood 106 Underground closed on May 1 after a year open. Operated by chef Sergio 'Checo' Peñuelas, who is known as the 'Snook Whisperer,' Checo's served camaron tacos, aguachiles, and pescado zarandeado. Peñuelas first rose to prominence when the late Jonathan Gold wrote highly of his cooking in an LA Weekly review of Coni'Seafood in 2011. Sign up for our newsletter.
Eater
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
All the New Restaurants Opening in the Hamptons This Summer
Part of the joy of heading East in the summer is discovering new dining spots that have popped up since last year. Some old favorites may be gone or relocated, but it's exciting to see what incoming chefs are creating with the produce from nearby farms and fresh catch from local fishermen. Here's what's new or changing this summer in the Hamptons for 2025. Montauk Bagatelle 500 West Lake Drive at Town Road One of the most legendary East End dining wharves, Gosman's, which first opened as a stand on the Montauk docks in 1943, and grew in to a large waterfront location in the 1970s, has been taken over by French Mediterranean restaurant, Bagatelle. Perhaps spurred on by the overwhelming success of the Saint-Tropez vibe at Le Bilboquet's waterfront outpost in Sag Harbor, the international brand known for its Bacchanalian brunches no longer had a New York location until this renaissance, which will debut in June. Mary Lou's 474 West Lake Drive at Town Road Mary Lou's, another clubbish spot that opened in Palm Beach this year, focusing on small bites, cocktails, and dancing, has also found a home in Montauk. The theme is '70s and '80s extravagance, so wagyu burgers and caviar towers join seafood on the menu. Gigi's at Gurney's 290 Old Montauk Highway at Maple Street Much of the new action in Montauk is centered around the hotel scene. After years of Scarpetta occupying the main dining space at Gurney's, the famed resort will unveil a new restaurant, Gigi's, in mid-June. The room with oversized windows providing an expansive ocean view will now focus on steak and seafood. Ruschmeyers Beach Grill 161 Second House Road at Midland Road Ruschmeyers's Puertos Rican-inspired Placebo is no more, and in its place is Ruschmeyers Beach Grill, the hotel's coastal restaurant, with such items as monkfish tail au poivre and spaghetti with lobster. Sea Salt at Sole East 90 Second House Road at S. Elroy Drive Melissa O'Donnell, former executive chef at Duryea's, is taking the helm of Sea Salt, a new Mediterranean restaurant in Montauk's Sole East, where she will offer bouillabaisse, crab spaghetti, and monkfish in red wine reduction to visitors as well as hotel guests. East Hampton Swifty's at Hedges Inn 74 James Lane at Hook Pond Lane An East Hampton hotel is also making waves. Swifty's is back in the Northeast. After shuttering on the Upper East Side and having a rebirth in Palm Beach, it is taking over the indoor and outdoor dining space at the Hedges Inn, just across from the town's idyllic pond. Expect old classics like crab cakes and meatloaf, along with specials created from local ingredients. Wayan and Ma-De at EHP Resort and Marina 313 Three Mile Harbor Hog Creek Road, near Woodbine Drive Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten are getting a water view and dazzling sunsets, relocating their summer stint of Wayan and Ma-De to EHP Resort and Marina, where diners can even pull up in their boats. Vibrant French-Indonesian flavors enhance dishes like pork ribs with soy-tamarind glaze and sesame seeds; whole black sea bass with sambal tomat; and crab fried rice with kerupuk and cilantro. A sunset menu will offer oysters and other light bites. Camp Rubirosa 31 Race Lane, at Railroad Avenue Meanwhile, the Rubirosa team is co-opting the East Hampton space that Wayan and Ma-de had occupied last year, bringing Camp Rubirosa there for a summer stint. In addition to a range of pizzas and handmade pastas, entrees like chicken Parmigiano and local bass will be served. Crazy Pizza 47 Montauk Highway at Buckskill Road Those aren't the only artisanal pies debuting out east this summer. Crazy Pizza, with branches in Europe and the Middle East, and opened in Soho last fall, will come to East Hampton. Staff will parade through the dining room, spinning super-thin yeast-free crusts topped with everything from caviar to truffles. Southampton Fresh Direct 70 Main Street at Nugent Street Now you can go to Fresh Direct's door rather than it coming to yours. The mega-delivery service will have its first physical store right in the middle of Southampton's town center. Starting this week, it will sell everything from vegetables to wine. El Farm Market 101 Jobs Lane at Hill Street For more specific Mexican specialties, chef Julian Medina is opening up a gourmet shop next to his Southampton restaurant, El Verano. El Farm Market will sell guacamole and homemade chips, as well as serve caviar with a glass of bubbly on weekends from 6 to 7 p.m. Fenik's 75 Jobs Lane at Hill Street Chef Douglas Gulija, who ran Plaza Cafe for 30 years, will preside over Fenik's in Southampton, along with his cousin, Skip Norsic, beginning in June. The name is a nod to their Croatian ancestry. The spot will have a chef's counter starting at $250 with dishes such as corn panna cotta and escargot with herb risotto, as well as an a la carte menu on the ground floor, and smaller bites like surf-and-turf sliders in the upstairs lounge. Namiro 76C Jobs Lane at Hill Street Sushi aficionado and sake master Jesse Matsuoka (who is an owner of Sen and his Tip Top Hospitality Group, are behind Namiro, the new Asian-influenced spot that will have raw fish, as well as vegan rolls, and favorites like Korean fried chicken, and miso cod. Claude's at the Southampton Inn 91 Hill Street at First Neck Lane Matsuoka is also involved with the redo of Claude's at the Southampton Inn, which underwent a renovation and will now go from basic to more sophisticated international plates, such as tuna with dukkah and purple radish; risotto with peas, asparagus, poached egg, mint, and Parmesan; and halibut with Thai yellow curry and jasmine rice. There will still be burgers, but they will be wagyu with caramelized onions and Gruyere. Elsewhere Zoe 755 Montauk Highway at Locust Ave Membership dining has become so big in the city that it was inevitable it would spill over to the Hamptons. In June, chef Ralph Pagano, who appeared on the first season of Hell's Kitchen and hosted the series Pressure Cook on the Travel Channel, will take over a hundred-year-old farmhouse in Water Mill. He will convert it to a global spot, Zoe, where potential members pay a $2,500 fee for access to reservations and the family-friendly landscaped outdoor area with tents, and bocce. Donohue's 144 Main Street at Mill Road After 75 years, classic Upper East Side steakhouse Donohue's is expanding East. In late June, it will inhabit the space that housed the Post Stop Cafe, which was originally an old post office and still has the original tin ceilings. Look for the familiar steaks, chops, burgers, turkey dinners, salad, and seafood, along with weekly specials like shepherd's pie and meatloaf. Sign up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Small Bay Area craft stores hope to fill gap after Joann closures announced
The Brief Many Tampa Bay area craters are going to have to find a new haven following the closure of all Joann locations. Joann is the latest big box store to go out of business due to changing shopping habits, shuttering all 800 locations across the country. Economic experts said it's the latest example of the pandemic accelerating the impact of online shopping. BRANDON, Fla. - Known as a one-stop shop for crafting needs, many Tampa Bay area crafters are going to have to find a new haven to find fabric and other supplies following the closure of all Joann locations. Joann, formerly known as Joann Fabrics and Crafts, is the latest big box store to go out of business due to changing shopping habits, shuttering all 800 locations across the country. On Thursday, customers visited the location in Brandon after hearing from friends and relatives that all locations will close in a matter of months. RELATED:Joann fabric and craft stores to shut down as company goes out of business What they're saying "She says 'did you know that they're closing all of them down?' And 'I'm like ahh man,'" said Mishelle Delfrate, a Wimauma resident who shops at Joann for sewing and scrapbooking supplies. "The fact that it's a fabric store, and it's not like Michael's, which is more of a crafting store. It's like, 'where do I go now?'" Carmen Wilson owns Gigi's Fabric Shop in Brandon, and Joann holds a special place in her heart. "To be honest with you, I was keeping my fingers crossed that they weren't going to close the stores," said Wilson, who has run Gigi's for about 13 years. "I remember back in 9th grade, whoa that was a long time ago, actually going there to get my fabric needs when I first started sewing. I'm a customer as well, so it really makes me sad to see that we won't be able to have that anymore." Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Dig deeper Economic experts said it's the latest example of the pandemic accelerating the impact of online shopping. "We've been analyzing the shift from brick and mortar to online shopping for quite a while now. So one of the biggest items that the consumer prefers really to the convenience and accessibility," said Seckin Ozkul, an assistant professor and director of the Supply Chain Innovation (SCI) Lab at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business. "The consumer behaviors are also changing, so we are seeing more and more different demographics shopping online. Again, going after the convenience of shopping online, the safety in some demographics of shopping online because they don't want to go face to face with people." Local perspective Some crafting stores like Gigi's started offering both to the local community. "The industry is shifting to that online store and that's where comes in. We actually ask our customers, call us. We'll coordinate for you," said Wilson. READ: Months after Helene, popular Treasure Island bar and restaurant to reopen with a bang As the clock ticks down on aisles emptying out, residents and small business owners are trying to figure out alternatives. "I have no clue. I was trying to think about that earlier. I have no idea what I'm going to do. So, I'm just trying to buy as much as I need now," said Elissa Milanes, a Riverview resident and dog groomer who makes dog bandannas for her clients. Some customers expressed concerns about the options they'll be left with at other brick-and-mortar stores. "There are independent places, but they have small stocks, and it's not a good variety of things. So, I don't know what's going to replace Joann's, because it's the spot I go to for fabrics," said Delfrate. Wilson hopes the closures will open up opportunities for small businesses to fill that gap. She said she is expanding the options at her store. MORE: Minimum wage earners must work impossible number of hours to afford rent: report "We offer our high-end fabrics, but I've also been thinking 'well, maybe I need to start offering a larger variety of different things.' I don't know what that's going to be, but I know I've been studying, thinking about it," said Wilson. "I'm hoping that I can provide that for the community, so that we can fill that gap where Joann's is now that they're closing." She's encouraging those customers to support local crafting businesses for the one-on-one experiences that big box stores don't provide. "It's no longer like shop in person, which is really sad, but I'm happy to know that we still have this store where our local community can come and feel and touch that fabric in person," said Wilson. What you can do Wilson said some of her customers are now seeing fake Joann websites with steep discounts, so be aware of scammers and check the website domain for authenticity to protect yourself. If you have a Joann gift card, the stores are accepting them through Friday. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Los Angeles Magazine Palm Springs Modernism Week Luncheon A Hit
The best minds in design gathered at a Los Angeles sponsored Modernism Week luncheon and panel at Gigi's - the restaurant deeply rooted in the very spirit of the biannual event at the V Palm Springs, a hotel that epitomizes retro chic - to talk about what inspires their projects. For Rafael "Raffi" Kalichstein and his husband Joshua Rose, the geniuses behind Citizen Artistry, their work pays homage to the man who inspired a new name for their Sherman Oaks-based firm Citizen Raffi's dad, Joseph "Yossi" Kalichstein, the world-famous Israeli American pianist, passed away in 2022, the grieving couple had an epiphany. Their company needed to honor the things that the elder Kalichstein stood for, which was "guided by a distinct ethos," the younger Kalichstein explained when asked about what guides the couple's unique international projects. The couple was on a walk when Rose turned to his husband with the idea that the drive, the delicacy that his father-in-law shared with the world, and his innate musicality that worked as poetry in motion was a metaphor for their interior design philosophy. "He was exactly what a citizen artist should be," Rose that, Citizen Artist was born. The story, prompted by questions from Engine Vision Media President and Publisher Chris Gialanella, who moderated the panel of experts against the backdrop of Gigi's, a mid-century-themed lounge, made more than a few in the crowd misty-eyed. The event was catered by Antonio Sessa's Made In Italy Bistro, which provided Amalfi Coast vibes in the desert air as the panel discussed the synergy between old-world ideas and the latest design trends, as Tobi Nierob, the marketing expert behind Socias Coppel talked about how her European childhood spent in Spain influences the visionary aesthetic she brings to her high-end clients all over the world who seek the guidance she offers at her L.A.-based firm, Coppel Design. Fellow female interior designer Amy Meier, whose own vintage style speaks to the bespoke environments she creates for clients at her Rancho Santa Fe firm. She is a master of finding unique and handmade items to personalize a client's vision to "set the stage for their lives and future memories, but tangibly contribute to and enhance them." Never Miss a Beat! Subscribe to Los Angeles Magazine's The Daily Brief for daily updates delivered straight to your inbox. Join below or by clicking here.
