Monday:
Echo & Rig Opens in Sacramento
Chef Sam Marvin opens his Echo & Rig Steakhouse at Downtown Commons (DOCO), which is his second location for the restaurant. With a unique nose-to-tail spin on the traditional steakhouse, Echo & Rig allows you to indulge in the best cuts of meat for incredibly approachable prices. With its proximity to local farms, Sacramento is at the forefront of fresh, seasonal cuisine. Chef Marvin works closely with local farms, including the family-owned Marin Sun Farms, to ensure sustainable sourcing of produce while providing you with the freshest possible ingredients, often picked the very same morning. Highlights from the menu include the Bavette Steak, Skirt Steak with Cowboy Marinade and Filet Tenderloin. Additionally, Chef Marvin plans on sourcing unique ingredients and products grown in Sacramento and typically not found in other cities to create staple signature items specifically for the local community. The menu will also include a new category featuring the world’s best beef sourced directly from Tasmania, where the grass-fed cattle consume a perfect balance of saline due to the farms’ close proximity to the coast. The bar and cocktail program, designed for and by bartenders, will offer a cocktail menu almost entirely unique to Sacramento, including the Sherry Cobbler made with oloroso sherry, tangerine, berries and mint; the Echo Gimlet made with Ketel One Vodka, fresh mint, fresh lime juice, peach bitters, sugar; and the Black and Blue Mojito made with Atlantico Platino Rum, blackberries, blueberries, fresh mint, fresh lime juice, sugar. An extensive wine list featuring more than 250 bottles fit for a wide range of budgets will also be available, perfect to complement any dish. Unique to the Sacramento location, Echo & Rig will offer a unique and extensive coffee program, and has partnered with Midtown Sacramento-based roasting company, Old Soul Co., as the official coffee provider for the restaurant. Old Soul Co. is dedicated to working directly with small farmers to maintain sustainable sourcing while celebrating the artisan aspects of coffee roasting, and will be serving the Sumatra Gayo “Adsenia” Triple Pick, the Remedy Espresso Blend, and the Decaf Ethiopia Sidamo Royal Select beans. Monday; 500 J St, Sacramento, CA 95814
Bluebird Brasserie Brings Authentic Belgian Beer to Sherman Oaks
Belgian brewpub, Bluebird Brasserie, has opened in Sherman Oaks. Brought to you by Artisanal Brewers Collective (ABC), the brasserie will offer a quintessential Belgian pub experience including beer brewed on site, themed cocktails, and a menu featuring dishes like Beer Cheese Croquettes, Moules-Frites and Liege Waffles for dessert. Noah Regnery, who brings nearly a decade of brewing expertise to Bluebird Brasserie, will oversee Bluebird Brasserie’s on-site seven-barrel brewing system. They will also feature 10 taps of Belgian-style beers from breweries such as The Lost Abbey, The Bruery, Allagash, Ommegang and more. A curated bottle list rounds out the beer menu with Belgian offerings such as Duvel, St. Bernardus 12, Deus, as well as some Trappist beers such as Orval, Chimay Red and Westmalle Tripel. Culinary Director Trevor Faris has created a menu focused on fresh and bright ingredients with a comforting and traditional Belgian twist. Entrées include Steak Frites with green peppercorn sauce and compound butter; Moules-Frites with garlic, shallot and white wine; Moules Au Curry with garlic, coconut cream, green chilies, yellow curry and cilantro; and Moules Provençal with garlic, shallots, celery, fennel, tomato and white wine. You can also enjoy Belgian appetizers like Beer Cheese Croquettes with gruyere, gouda and herb salad; and Boulettes and Stoemp, a traditional Belgian dish with meatballs, mashed root vegetables and leek relish. The sandwich section offers the Brie Baguette with melted brie, herb butter, arugula, radish and lemon; the Veg Baguette with zesty sauce verte, roasted tomato, whipped almond ricotta and frisee; and a vegan Merguez Baguette with Merguez-spiced Impossible Foods meat, Belgian fries, pickled carrots and sauce andalouse. The restaurant’s liquor program will feature variations of classic cocktails that incorporate traditional Belgian elements such as Genever, considered to be the national spirit of Belgium and grandfather of gin, in cocktails such as Belgian 75 with No. 209 gin, Saison Dupont and lemon. The bar will also offer a unique Absinthe experience with several varieties such as Mata Hari Bohemian style absinthe, California based St. George Verte, Letherbee Brun absinthe finished in charred oak, and La Clandestine blanche absinthe, all with the option of being served from a traditional Absinthe fountain. Overseeing the restaurant will be General Manager Lauren O’Neill, who has been associated with the team for six years at Tony’s Darts Away and Mohawk Bend. Spacecraft designer Kris Keith brings the restaurant to life with a mix of traditional Belgian pub design elements like arched ceilings, red brick, and copper accents. Monday; 13730 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423; 818.849.6970
Tuesday:
Gabi James Opens in Redondo Beach
Gabi James, the newest restaurant from the Gabriele family (Love & Salt), is now open on South Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach. Owned by Sara Gabriele and her husband Adam Aro, Gabi James continues the family’s history in the South Bay dining scene. Sara’s father, Guy Gabriele, set the tone for the family restaurants decades ago with Cafe Pierre (Manhattan Beach) and Zazou. Executive Chef Chris Feldmeier’s (Osteria Mozza and Moruno) menu is inspired by Spanish and Coastal French cuisine, with notes of North Africa and Andalusia flavors. A native of the South Bay, Feldmeier infuses the menu with ‘California soul’ and the history of the Gabriele family, borrowing several dishes from the family’s recipe book. From the menu, which is broken down into categories: pequeña, media, grande, carne and salsas, al lado, and postres, you can expect dishes like Tortilla Espanola, Gambas al Ajillo, and Albondigas Chimayo, along with dishes inspired by Feldmeier’s travels like Anchovy Matrimonio, Brandade Gratin, Tuna Éscabeche, and Fideuà, a pasta paella with clams, mussels, local squid, and black aioli. The cocktail program by Vincenzo Marianella, mirrors the Mediterranean experience with light, effervescent Gin & Tonics, as well as a number of cocktails featuring vermouth, sherry, and amaro. Spanish and French wines feature prominently on the wine list, curated by Sara Gabriele, who is a Level 2 Certified Sommelier and French Wine Scholar. Aro’s highly curated beer list features a Spanish lager on tap, as well as hyper local selections from South Bay and Southern California breweries, many made exclusively for Gabi James. Tuesday; 1810 Catalina St, Redondo Beach, CA; 310.540.4884
Trivia Tuesdays
Pop culture, pop-up bars, prizes, poetics plus music you can grove to make an otherwise boring Tuesday night Triviariffic! And trivia nerds are not the only winners – there’ll be “prizes” for prizes sake. Rally friends, brainstorm a goofy/awesome team name and come get your pop culture on. There will be drinks and the Haiku Guys + Gals warming up the crowd starting at 6 pm, along with DJ sets by Tessa, Marion Hodges, ShanLynn and Miss Ninja. Trivia starts at 7:30 pm. Bar service and bespoke poetry will last the duration of the event. (Bars are no host) Tuesday, 6-9 pm (every Tuesday); One Colorado, 41 Hugus Alley, Pasadena, CA 91103; 626.564.1066
Wednesday:
Twohey’s Tavern‘s New Weekday Lunch Menu
Executive Chef Travis Limoge continues to redefine and refine the American Diner experience with his new weekday lunch menu. Lunch includes dishes like the Kale Salad, featuring, baby kale, apple, pepita, fennel sprouts, and pepita vinaigrette; the Steak Salad, with a market greens, 8 oz. rib eye, pickled red onions, grapes, croutons, Grafton cheddar, and orange vinaigrette; the Cobb Salad made of roma crunch, lardon, red onion, blue cheese, hard egg, and avocado buttermilk dressing; the Potato Salad comprised of roast fingerlings, horseradish, orange, crème fraiche, whole grain mustard, sage, and cured egg yolk; and the Boston Bibb Salad with fresh orange, almonds, scallions, sweet onion, soft herbs, and an orange vinaigrette. Sandwiches include the BLTA with Roma crunch lettuce, house-made tomato jam, shaved red onion, and avocado on sourdough; the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich with a week-long brine before an 8-hour smoking process of the Montreal smoked brisket, homemade garlic aioli, whole grain mustard, and pickled fennel on rye; the Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich with dehydrated persimmon, toasted almonds, red onion, Bibb lettuce, and homemade garlic aioli on sourdough; the Fried Chicken Sandwich with Napa slaw, homemade Fresno Red Hot, and house-made garlic aioli on a traditional milk bun; and the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich, featuring Montreal smoked brisket, garlic aioli, whole grain mustard, pickled fennel, on rye. Plates include the Fish & Chips with beer-battered Santa Barbara Halibut provided by Dock to Dish, served with homemade tartar sauce and house fries; Shepherd’s Pie, made with premium Angus Beef, carrot, celery, onion, fennel, pomme purée, burnt onion oil, and served on rye; Chef Limoge’s Grandmother’s Stroganoff with beef short rib, mushroom, sage cream sauce, egg noodles, fresh horse radish; the Steak Frites features a prime 8 oz. ribeye with herb butter and garlic fries; Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese, a combination of tomato soup made from emulsified tomatoes with olive oil, crème fraiche, burnt onion oil, Point Reyes Roma, and sourdough. Tuesday-Friday, 11 am-3 pm; 2835 East Foothill Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107; 626.449.2337
Coachella Pre-Party with TONI&GUY
TONI&GUY is bringing the style vibes of Coachella to Los Angeles! Join in at the TONI&GUY Hairdressing Academy for a Coachella kick-off party featuring festival looks, a braid bar and a live DJ. Free; Wednesday, 3-7 pm; 464 N. Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036; 310.526.0448
Thursday:
Werther’s Original’s Life-Sized Candy Land
In celebration of National Caramel Day on April 5, the iconic caramel brand, Werther’s Original, is teaming up with Hasbro’s classic game Candy Land. Together, they will create Candy Land: The Werther’s Caramel Edition Game, a life-sized game board that will pop-up for one-day only on Santa Monica Pier with giveaways and candy. Free; Thursday, 10 am – 6 pm; Central Plaza at the Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier A, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Piencone Pizzeria, Creamery, and Pub Opens
Eagle Rock is welcoming a new pizzeria, creamery and pub, all-in-one. Brought to you by Michelle and Corey Wilton, a husband-and-wife team and owners of local Eagle Rock restaurant Four Café, and middle school teacher-turned-bar expert Herb Gualpa, this new spot offers something for everyone with a selection of artisan pizzas made with naturally fermented dough, wood fired starters, house made organic ice cream, as well as a full bar with a curated craft beer, wine and cocktail menu. Available for counter service during the day and table service at night, the menu, created by Michelle Wilton, features eight pizza varieties with one vegan option including the La Piedra made with sausage accompanied by tomato, chili flakes, grana Padano, basil and red onion; the Honey Pot made with salami Americano, spigarello, Sicilian oregano, sheep’s cheese and fermented Aleppo honey; the Beer Baron with beer braised leeks, raclette, la quercia pancetta and satina potato; the Cauli Dreamin’ with cauliflower, béchamel, green olives, garlic, breadcrumbs and grana padano; the Green Thumb with greens, tomato, oregano, shaved garlic, Calabrian peppers, lemon and fiore sardo; and the Vegan Squashington Pizza with Kabocha, rosemary, garlic confit, goosefoot greens, charred shallot and almond ricotta. Smaller plates on the menu, include Anchovy Stuffed Fried Olives, Wood-roasted cauliflower with currants, serrano aioli and curried vinaigrette; Wild Boar stuffed arancini with lemon parmesan sauce; and Sugar Snap Peas with smoked ricotta and pickled rhubarb. The creamery menu features house-made waffle cones, an array of six seasonally-driven ice cream flavors and two choices of sorbet, all of which are made in-house. Flavors include: Vanilla Bean, Maple with house-made Brown Sugar Pop Tart, Brown Butter Lavender, Meyer Lemon Buttermilk, Chocolate Hazelnut, Sesame Caramel, Vegan Coconut Passionfruit Sorbet and Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate. Curated by Bar Manager/Partner Herb Gualpa, the beverage program has a wide selection of craft beers with a lineup of 15 beers available on tap; a rotating wine list of domestic and international choices by the bottle and by the glass; Kombucha on tap and a variety of innovative and classic cocktails. Expect to see cocktails named after bands that the bar staff has been apart of such as the La Maestra with honey and lime jalapeño syrup, gin and Aleppo; Dana’s Fast with pineapple and strawberry agave syrup, hand squeezed lime juice and silver tequila; and South of Houston with passion fruit, fresh ginger, lemon, ginger beer and bourbon. Thursday; 1958 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90041; 323.274.4728
