It's hard to keep up with all the restaurant and bar openings, closings, chef swaps and revamps that happen every day in this city. What's worth spending your money on and what's all just hype? We're here to help you out with that. At the end of each month, I'll give a recap of the most exciting additions to enter LA's dining and drinking scene, whether it's a new ice cream shop or a creative cocktail bar. Here are a few June openings that are worth a visit:
BarToni's: I was bummed when Aidan Demarest's Neat closed earlier this year, but he's back with yet another fantastic cocktail bar, this time in North Hollywood's popular Italian-American restaurant Little Toni's. BarToni's is where you can order stiff drinks (get the Grasshopper) and made-to-order brick oven pizza, all while feeling like you've entered a scene straight out of The Godfather.
Cassia: Bryant and Kim Ng have opened their much-anticipated Cassia in Santa Monica after closing Spice Table at the end of 2013. Welcome back, guys. With a light, airy space and dishes that range from kaya toast to jellyfish salad, there's a lot to be excited about at this new Santa Monica spot.
The Arthur J: Manhattan Beach—and the South Bay in general—has been killing it lately with all of its stellar restaurant openings, and The Arthur J is no exception. They're kicking it old school, with huge slabs of steak, shrimp cocktails, fluffy popovers and a blueberry cheesecake to die for.
Simbal: Little Tokyo received a new Southeast Asian restaurant in the form of Simbal from chef Shawn Pham. Dim sum carts make their way through the dining room, offering things like banh mi salad and crispy tofu, along with really fantastic cocktails. Pham has spent the last few years perfecting his cooking skills in Vietnam; lucky for us, we get to experience the fruits of his labor.
Mumford Brewing: There's a new brewery in town! Mumford Brewing is in Downtown's Arts District, of course, and for now it's only open Fridays (4-9pm), Saturdays (Noon-8pm) and Sundays (Noon-6pm), when the taproom pours out brews like Black Mamba, an American Black Ale; and L.A. Crema, a California Cream Ale.
Broken Spanish: He gave us a little tease with B.S. Taqueria, but chef Ray Garcia has officially opened Broken Spanish in the former Rivera space, serving dishes like tamales packed with fava beans and Swiss chard. I'm just as excited that the beverage director is Michael Lay, who previously created Faith & Flower's outstanding drink program.
Did you miss our favorite openings from May? Check out the list here.