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Eater
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: June 23
Skip to main content Current eater city: Los Angeles The editors at Eater LA dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we're always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here's the very best of everything the team has eaten this week. Beachside snacking usually conjures memories of hot dogs slathered with ketchup and a dusting of sand, or a tart lemonade and a corndog from Hot Dog on a Stick. However, on a recent trip to the beach, I stopped by one of Perry's Cafe's outposts, a mini-chain with locations spanning the Santa Monica coastline. After a few hours in the sun, I wanted something a little more filling than the usual basket of fries, and took a chance on the California Beach Bowl with mahi mahi. My choice was quickly affirmed when the bowl came out piled with Mexican rice, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and two strips of grilled fish. The bowl far exceeded my expectations: the fish was well-cooked and the seasoning was well-balanced throughout. Plus, Perry's Cafe also serves beer, margaritas, and more drinks that can be sipped in one of the restaurant's lounge chairs. 930 CA-1, Santa Monica, CA 90403. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Cento Raw Bar almost defies description. The restaurant's interior looks like the inside of a mermaid's cave come to life: the plaster-adorned walls have a wavy, scalloped molding that offers a 3-D effect; creamy oval sconces give the light of an anglerfish; a patch of fluorescent blue-and-green floor tiling evokes bioluminescence; teeny, spiny white chairs have a conch-like spiral on their backs. The food menu, though small, is no less fantastical—lush, buttery raw bar preparations come on pastel plates with Polly Pocket-sized cutlery. Not to be missed, of course, is the seafood tower, propped on a modular green glass serving stand with oysters on the half shell, uni, Peruvian scallops, crab legs, and fatty lobster claws. Less obvious as an order is the tuna crudo, which Cento makes stand out from others in the sea of endless tuna crudo in Los Angeles by piling the tender sliced fish with gazpacho grated tomatoes and perilla leaves. This isn't a neighborhood restaurant, more than it is an art installation. Come ready to be engaged through all senses. 4919 W. Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90016. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager As a lover of savory and salty foods, I typically refrain from sweets. I find most uncomfortably sugary, especially confectionary coffee drinks. However, Southern California continues to open fantastic bakeries that are dialing back refined sugars and letting the other ingredients shine. Case in point, San & Wolves Bakeshop in Long Beach. It's a neighborhood stop on Fourth Street slightly east of Redondo Avenue in a compact room with a few seats out front. Staff will help guide you through the display case, which is filled with Filipino-flavored and plant-based treats, including ube pan de coco, cornbread bibingkas, and ube malasadas —a raised yeast doughnut filled with ube jam, prepared as a weekend specialty item. I fell in love with the black sesame bun, which looks very much like a traditional cinnamon roll, but with owner Kym Estrada's black sesame paste. San & Wolves specializes in executing baked goods with excellent consistency. You'll never know that anything on the premises is made without butter or milk. After securing an order (get at least four goodies) from this charming space, along with a cup of coffee and this standout of a roll, you're off to a solid start or break on any given day. 3900 E. 4th Street, Long Beach, CA, 90814 — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Raphael Lunetta's tenure at Marelle has been mostly under the radar, a sleek but toned-down restaurant along Santa Monica's busy Ocean Avenue. With distant views of the beach, the Sandbourne hotel restaurant eases into weekends with a sprawling indoor-outdoor space. Long white curtains sway, and a DJ pulses out tunes as the sun sets, a fine place to tuck into Lunetta's unabashedly California cooking. The menu oozes with seasonal produce at its prime, like a stone fruit salad with arugula, endive, and ricotta salat or a leg of charred Spanish octopus laced in a savory chorizo veloute and dragon's beard greens. The lamb loin comes right out of the Jiraffe playbook, Lunetta's long-closed Santa Monica restaurant, which served a pan-roasted lamb loin with vegetable lasagna and yellowfin potato samosas in the mid-'90s. Now Lunetta serves the tender loin strips, cooked to a wonderfully juicy medium rare, with a refined ratatouille, plump spring peas, and slender roasted carrots. The dish itself felt marvelously out of season, like an early spring entree that somehow made it to the end of June because of our state's long growing season. The Pacific Coast doesn't quite conjure the south of France like this dish does, but I appreciate the juxtaposition. An ocean view adds the best kind of synergetic seasoning. 1740 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest See More:
Miami Herald
22-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
BBQ chain closes restaurants, changes focus from ribs to breasts
Fat Brands has become a shockingly large restaurant operator despite owning numbers brands with names that sound like eateries in a "Simpsons" episode or a Kevin Smith movie. The company started with Fatburger in 2003 before buying the also pretty literally named Buffalo's Cafe in 2011. From the burger and wing chain, it added the iconic (and perhaps outdated) Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouse chains in 2017, then added another wings concept, Hurricane Wings and Grill, in 2018. Related: Struggling restaurant chain likely to shut down or be sold Over the next few years the company bought Elevation Burger, Johnny Rockets, and Global Franchise Group which includes many names that don't sound real including Round Table Pizza, Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery, Pretzlemaker, and Hot Dog on a Stick. That last deal gave Fat Brands a massive presence in malls. In 2021, however, the company entered that fast-casual space with purchase of Twin Peaks, a bar and restaurant chain that sort of a classier take on the model pioneered by Hooters. The company also picked up the Smokey Bones barbecue chain in 2023 from Darden Brands and, at the time, it was excited about the deal. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter "We continue to be selective and opportunistic in our acquisition strategy, targeting brands that are both scalable and synergistic with our existing platform," said Rob Rosen, Co-CEO of Fat Brands said at the time. "We are pleased to add another polished dining brand, which will provide more options for our sales team to offer our franchise partners to further their new unit development." Image source: Shutterstock While the Fat Brands and Smokey Bones relationship started well, it took a turn for the worse earlier this year. The barbecue chain's owner shared some bad news for fans of the casual, sit-down barbecue brand. Fat Brands Chairman Andy Wiederhorn explained that the company often buys brands to use them to enhance a company they already own. "Our recent transactions have been highly strategic, creating multiple avenues for value creation. A prime example is our acquisition of Nestle Toll House Cafe by Chip about three years ago. This transaction was particularly compelling as it allowed us to convert these units to Great American Cookies locations, effectively growing our cookie footprint while simultaneously increasing production volume at our manufacturing facility," he said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call. Wiederhorn views the Smokey Bones acquisition as a similar opportunity although that was not mentioned when the brand was purchased in 2023. More Food and Retail: Another healthy fast-food chain files Chapter 11 bankruptcyCostco quietly pulls popular product, upsets fansStarbucks brings back fan-favorite menu item after 2-year hiatus "We bought Smokey Bones in late 2023 to help fuel Twin Peaks' growth, which will allow us to convert about 30 of the Smokey Bones locations into Twin Peaks. This dual benefit illustrates our approach to acquisitions. We look for opportunities that not only expand our restaurant portfolio, but also drive incremental value through our manufacturing capabilities, essentially getting two bites at the apple," Fat Brands also shared during its earnings call that 30 of the remaining 58 Smokey Bones locations will be rebranded as Twin Peaks. Another nine Smokey Bones locations will close. While Fat Brands will maintain a roughly 85% stake in the new company, it has actually spun off Twin Peaks and the remains of the Smokey Bones chain into its own company. "Twin Hospitality now trades separately on the NASDAQ under the ticker TWNP. The public listing of Twin Hospitality creates an opportunity for shareholders to directly participate in the growth and success of the Twin Peaks brand. This strategic move enhances transparency and enables the market to better appreciate the distinct value of Twin Peaks," Wiederhorn said. Twin Peaks is a sports bar/breastaurant model where the waitresses wear low-cut outfits. The new company's executives also commented on the Smokey Bones conversions. "Our flexible real estate model has proven highly successful in converting legacy restaurants into Twin Peaks. These conversions enable faster time to market, lower buildout costs and accelerated return on investment," said CFO Ken Kuick.. Some of the conversions have already come online. "We have also made progress with our strategic plans to convert Smokey Bones into Twin Peaks. Our first Twin Peaks conversion, which opened in Lakeland, Florida last September, is exceeding expectations, while our second Twin Peaks conversion in Brandon, Florida opened this month and is off to a strong start. We project completing two additional conversions in 2025." Related: Popular BBQ chain closes almost all locations, no bankruptcy That means that Smokey Bones fans still have time to enjoy a 1-pound slab of ribs or some of the chain's other favorites. Most of the nine locations that are fully closing have already been closed. One location, which closed in late-April in order to become a Twin Peaks, reminded customers to use any Smokey Bones coupons before their local location shut down. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fazoli's Debuts First International Location in Canada
Leading U.S. Italian Chain Opens in Calgary, Jumpstarting Future Growth in Country LOS ANGELES, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fazoli's, FAT Brands' fast and fresh Italian chain, has officially reached a new milestone, the opening of its first international location in Canada in Calgary, Alberta. This marks the first of 25 units set to open across the country over the next nine years in partnership with Briwin Restaurants Inc. 'For over 35 years, we have experienced strong growth domestically, and look forward to this new global chapter,' said Gregg Nettleton, President of Fazoli's. 'Our partner, Briwin Restaurants Inc., has also seen great success within this market as a multi-unit Fatburger franchisee, which is a great precursor of the potential we anticipate with our Canadian Fazolis' locations.' Since 1988, Fazoli's has been committed to serving quality Italian food, fast, fresh and friendly. From unlimited hot breadsticks to freshly prepared pasta entrees, the chain prides itself on serving high-quality menu offerings, all at an affordable price. For more information, visit About FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands FAT Brands (NASDAQ: FAT) is a leading global franchising company that strategically acquires, markets, and develops fast casual, quick-service, casual dining, and polished casual dining concepts around the world. The Company currently owns 18 restaurant brands: Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli's, Twin Peaks, Great American Cookies, Smokey Bones Hot Dog on a Stick, Buffalo's Cafe & Express, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Pretzelmaker, Elevation Burger, Native Grill & Wings, Yalla Mediterranean and Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses, and franchises and owns over 2,300 units worldwide. For more information on FAT Brands, please visit About Fazoli's Fast. Fresh. Italian. Founded in 1988 in Lexington, Ky., Fazoli's franchises and operates approximately 200 restaurants in 26 states, making it the largest QSR Italian chain in America. Fazoli's prides itself on serving quality Italian food, fast, fresh and friendly. Menu offerings include freshly prepared pasta entrees, sub sandwiches, salads, pizza and desserts – along with its unlimited signature breadsticks. For more information, visit MEDIA CONTACT:Erin Mandzik, FAT Brandsemandzik@ 860-212-6509 # # #
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fat Brands promotes Taylor Wiederhorn to co-CEO
This story was originally published on Restaurant Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Restaurant Dive newsletter. Taylor Wiederhorn, son of Fat Brands founder and former CEO Andrew Wiederhorn, has been promoted from chief development officer to co-CEO, effective April 29, the restaurant company announced Tuesday. He will serve alongside Ken Kuick, Fat's CFO and co-CEO since mid-2023. Kuick is also interim CEO at Twin Hospitality. Rob Rosen, who was appointed co-CEO alongside Kuick after Andrew Wiederhorn's 2023 resignation, will shift to a consulting position focused on debt/capital markets for the company. This co-CEO change puts another Wiederhorn in charge of Fat again, less than a year after Andrew Wiederhorn was indicted over an alleged $47 million fraudulent loan scheme and for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Taylor Wiederhorn, who has worked as chief development officer at Fat Brands since 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile, said in a statement that he was confident his background would ensure a seamless leadership transition. Fat managed to open significant numbers of new units in recent years through franchised unit development, though its development has slowed since 2022. Fat opened 142 new stores in 2022, followed by 125 in 2023 and 92 in 2024, according to respective earnings releases. The multi-brand platform is in the process of refranchising company-owned Fazoli's units and plans to refranchise its Hot Dog on a Stick locations, according to its Q4 2024 earnings release. Combined with the spinoff of Twin Peaks, these moves would shift Fat's store system to being almost 100% franchisee-operated. Like many competitors, Fat has suffered from declining same-store sales, with that metric falling 2.5% in fiscal 2024 and 1.6% in Q4. Systemwide sales increased in Q4, however, driven by the scale of Fat's new openings. But the company's net losses more than doubled from $90.1 million in 2023to $189.8 million in 2024. Recommended Reading Feds indict Andrew Wiederhorn, Fat Brands in $47M loan scheme Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fazoli's Opens New Location in South Carolina
Fast, Fresh and Friendly Chain Makes Debut in Anderson, Marking Third Location in State LOS ANGELES, April 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fazoli's, FAT Brands' fast and fresh Italian chain, has officially opened a new location in Anderson, SC in partnership with Impact Hospitality Group. Located at 3091 Liberty Hwy, Anderson, SC 29621, the new restaurant marks the third location for Fazoli's in the state. 'The greatest form of growth is when you continue to expand with your existing franchisee base,' said Gregg Nettleton, President of Fazoli's. 'Impact Hospitality Group has been excellent partners over the years, operating three other locations, two in Columbia, SC and one in Murray, KY. Our delicious, hand-crafted pasta dishes and signature, fresh breadsticks have built a name for themselves, and we can't wait for Anderson locals to get a taste of what makes our brand so beloved.' Since 1988, Fazoli's has been committed to serving quality Italian food, fast, fresh and friendly. From unlimited hot breadsticks to freshly prepared pasta entrees, the chain prides itself on serving high-quality menu offerings, all at an affordable price. For more information on Fazoli's, visit About FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands FAT Brands (NASDAQ: FAT) is a leading global franchising company that strategically acquires, markets, and develops fast casual, quick-service, casual dining, and polished casual dining concepts around the world. The Company currently owns 18 restaurant brands: Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli's, Twin Peaks, Great American Cookies, Smokey Bones Hot Dog on a Stick, Buffalo's Cafe & Express, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Pretzelmaker, Elevation Burger, Native Grill & Wings, Yalla Mediterranean and Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses, and franchises and owns over 2,300 units worldwide. For more information on FAT Brands, please visit About Fazoli's Fast. Fresh. Italian. Founded in 1988 in Lexington, Ky., Fazoli's franchises and operates approximately 200 restaurants in 26 states, making it the largest QSR Italian chain in America. Fazoli's prides itself on serving quality Italian food, fast, fresh and friendly. Menu offerings include freshly prepared pasta entrees, sub sandwiches, salads, pizza and desserts – along with its unlimited signature breadsticks. For more information, visit MEDIA CONTACT:Erin Mandzik, FAT Brandsemandzik@ 860-212-6509 # # #Sign in to access your portfolio
