lafood

Caramel is undergoing a renovation. [Photo: Bellagio]

In the past, Eater LA has tracked the notable goings on in the original City of Sin, Las Vegas. With this week's launch of Eater Las Vegas we've handed over most coverage, and instead will run weekly recaps chronicling all the hotness. Here we go!

BELLAGIO— The Light Group plans to overhaul Caramel Bar & Lounge into Lily Bar & Lounge. By day the re-conceived venue will offer food from Fix Restaurant & Bar, and by night it will function as a club.

THE STRIP— New York Mets slugger Carlos Beltran currently operates two Puerto Rican restaurants in New York called Sofrito. Next he is considering branches in Vegas and South Beach.

PARIS/CAESARAS— Gordon Ramsay Steak will open in the Paris, meanwhile a second Gordo project will replace Bradley Ogden in Caesars.

WYNN— Chef Jet Tila has finally signed out of Wazuzu to work on his upcoming LA project and a tv show.

Just a friendly reminder, Eater has a beautiful newsletter. If keeping up with all the news and features and gossip gets to be too much, sign up for the lovely Eater newsletter. All of the best stories of the day will be delivered straight to your inbox, and best of all, it's free. Couldn't be easier.

Sign-up is right below and like we said, totally gratis. So, please sign up:

Chef, banker-hater, and professional bed-breaker Mario Batali will be a guest tonight on HBO's Real Time With Bill Maher. Will he again claim he was "deliberately misquoted" or will he just chew food for other people? [RTWBM via -EN-]

Pasadena's two-year-old, two starred Elements Kitchen is for sale. This "turn-key" restaurant, located at the Pasadena Playhouse, encompasses 4,500 square feet and comes with a 41 beer and wine license, an open kitchen, and full bar/lounge. The listing adds, "Completely rebuilt and renovated in 2009. Restaurant has been well reviewed and featured in various publications." Price not listed. ·Pasadena Restaurant for Sale [LoopNet]

"I really enjoy the Wolfgang Puck experience when I'm in Los Angeles. I admire how consistent they are—it's really good, every time. My go-to dish is the pizza with smoked salmon and wasabi cream." [WSJ]

After an abrupt three-month shutter for kitchen renovations Tbilisi N Yerevan Russian bakery has reopened doors on Santa Monica Blvd. [EaterWire]

Come March, Harry Morton - who recently launched Fukuburger in Hollywood - will open his next branch of Pink Taco in the W. Sunset Blvd space that previously housed Miyagi's. Originally, designer Dodd Mitchell was slated to overhaul the space into another Asiany concept called Ming & Mi, but that deal fell through and Morton stepped up to bat. Or, rather, stepped up to make tacos and margaritas. But Mexican fare isn't all that's headed to the three-tier space. Think in the vein of NYC's La Esquina or Sayers attached to Papaya King, Morton is also planning a "secret" bar situation on the venue's top floor. But, all that is still on the DL, and from the sound of it, that deal has yet to be inked.

As for Pink Taco, expect a spacious ground floor patio (check out those oversized doors that open out), a large central bar made with reclaimed wood from Compton, and a small taqueria on the east side which may or may not serve a separate menu. Pink Taco's menu, in general, will stay about 90% true to its roots.

Level two affords a dining space filled with booths, a gang of private rooms, two bars (there are four bars total in the restaurant), and another set of stairs which lead to that forthcoming undisclosed project.

As for Pink Taco's structure, Morton chose to strip Miyagi's down to its bones which date back to the 1940s when the space functioned as The Players Club. Many separate rooms and a few nooks and crannies stand out, and within each space he intends to create a different vibe while staying true to the Pink Taco spirit. Hours of operation will likely run 11AM-2AM. ·Harry Morton To Open Pink Taco in Former Miyagi's Space [~ELA~]

Right now Gilt Taste is selling slider patties from NY's famed butcher Pat LaFrieda at 30% off. Just an idea for fancypants Super Bowl entertaining. [Gilt]

That complex on Sunset just west of La Cienega with Sushi Park, Joe's Pizza, and the new Burger Lounge just landed another addition. Angela's Coffee moves into the shuttered Jinky's space thanks to art dealer Angela Pallotta.

Say what? You missed the Mr. Brainwash show last month? You're into LA street art like Shepard Fairey and poppy stuff like Murakami? Such art and more bedecks the walls at Angela's, where one can stop in for a cup of Blue Bottle drip coffee or espresso and some cheeses/light bites. Now open daily 7AM-7PM. [EaterWire]

La Cienega's Woo Lae Oak has ceased operations. OpenTable donzo, website down, the phone rings and rings. Management confirms the shutter stating a raise in rent. Woo Lae Oak has spawned many an offshoot in other cities, sadly many of which did not succeed. On the bright side, there's still Bann Restaurant, and a zillion other unsung Korean gems distributed throughout K-Town. [EaterWire]

Brigham Yen checks in with downtown's Industriel, the French restaurant opened by Armen Hakobayan (Green Street Tavern) which replaces Carl’s Jr. at 6th and Grand. Right now the eatery is waiting to pass final inspections and "should be open within the next month or two." [BY]

Menu at LudoBites 8. [Photo: Darin Dines/Eater LA Flickr Pool] ·Campo de Encanto Pisco Search for the Distiller’s Apprentice [Thirsty in LA] ·Eagle Rock Brewery turns 2! [KCET] ·Photo: 'Flipping Out' at Lemonade in Venice [Patch] ·Judging a Happy Hour Beyond Its Cover: Lexington Social House [e*star LA] ·Walter Manzke vs. Zach Pollack & Steve Samson in Showdown [Food GPS] ·Native Foods Opens Next Week In Newport Beach [Toddrickallen] ·How Restaurants Handle the Ubiquitous Cellphone [LAT] ·Trend: Chefs Say Oysters Are in Raw Demand [AP] ·Valentine's Day Dining Horror Stories [Zagat] ·Here's a Look at Taco Bell's New Breakfast Foods [-EN-] ·Celeb Chefs Cook At Sundance [Food Republic] ·Where To Watch The Super Bowl [DD]

HOLLYWOOD— Jason Robey, the farm-to-glass mixologist previously at Michael's in SM, has worked out a new seasonal cocktail menu at Ammo. Robey will focus on "savory vegetal" style drinks which debut on January 31. [EaterWire]

HAYES VALLEY— Venice's Schulzies Bread Pudding opens a second location on Valentine's Day at 364 Hayes Street. [7x7 via Grub Street]

VENICE— As of today, for the first time ever, Axe rocks out with weekday breakfast service running Wed to Friday, 9-11AM. On offer: granola, carrot cake, scones, and "make-your-own" tartines. In other Axe news, owner Joanna Moore now sells her famous pancake batter to-go.

Philippe's, the downtown French dip sandwich institution, is raising the cost of its coffee by 400%. As of February 2, the price for a cup of joe jumps from 9 cents to 45 cents, plus 5 cents tax. [LAT]

The third outpost of the wildly popular Musha is now certified open in Old Town Pasadena as of about two weeks ago. Musha Gardena started in 1991, and garnered steady fanfare with its cheese risotto (served in a block of cheese), buta kakuni (pork belly), table grilled beef tongue, and sesame ice cream. This historical izakaya brings fun and whimsical Japanese drinking (dare we use "gastropub"?) fare to an area that sorely needs inexpensive sit-down Asian options. [EaterWire] — TC

Some thought that Wolfslair, the new Art Davis gastropub in Hollywood cheffed by Jamie Lauren, was named after Wolf’s Lair - Hitler's WW II Eastern Front headquarters. Davis contends that he was unaware of the Hitler relation and states, "I named it after the Wolf’s Lair property near Lake Hollywood, which is currently owned by Moby...I’ve tried to buy it myself in the past." [THR]

Well, looks like our early morning prediction was true. A reader write in to say: "just read your nozawa story. i go to sugarfish at least once a week. i have the scoop. he definitely is retiring. they are turning it into a sugarfish. he will focus on the fish buying for all the restaurants. :)" BOOM. A source close to the restaurant says the transition timeline is still tbd, and this here ABC for sugarFISH in Brentwood shows Nozawa converting ownership to Sushi Nozawa LLC. In other sugarFISH news, supposedly the lease for that West Hollywood outpost should be soon finalized and will open around the Robertson-Beverly-3rd vicinity. ·Sushi Nozawa Shuttering on Feb 29 After 20+ Years [~ELA~] ·ExpansionWire [~ELA~]

Welcome back to Mark The Moment, a video series in which Eater explores the career-defining moments in the lives of chefs and the significance of a mentor/mentee relationship. Today Anita Lo, chef and owner of the West Village's Annisa, and her mentor, the legendary David Bouley share their stories about the early days at Bouley, Lo's first New York kitchen job.

Check out previous installments where Daniel Humm, Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Michael White, and Jonathan Benno shared their stories. · All Eater Video Content [~ENY~]

Elevation Burger is the country’s first organic burger chain, and the Virginia-based company is making its way to the West Coast. The first California outpost recently opened in the tony North San Diego suburb of Carlsbad, and management just inked a lease on a Culver City locale (4114 Sepulveda Blvd.) that will debut in October. Expect a number of other West Coast outposts down the line. [EaterWire] — DM

Elizabeth Daniels

Yet another early review for SIV as she bites into Short Order, just two and a half months in. Sher decides The Original Farmers Market burger joint is a one and a half star addition to the block, though not every burger lives up to the Nancy Silverton standard:

Great name, great concept: a burger joint with frills, including a full bar, fresh-baked cookies, a retro soundtrack and, upstairs, a sweet little outdoor terrace.

Not everything deserves a rave, not even every burger, but, all in all, Short Order is a fine addition to the sprawling complex at Fairfax and 3rd...Remember, it's a simple restaurant — what burger place isn't? — that mostly does what it's supposed to do: well-executed comfort food for a reasonable price... Other than the quite terrific backyard burger, burgers can be hit and miss...

SIV isn't a huge fan of Ida's Old School Burger which is on the dry side, and she says that the signature Short Order Burger could be her least favorite. However, in conclusion, she describes Short Order as "one classy burger joint." [LAT]

The Elsewhere: e*star LA tries at Baco Mercat, Eat: LA visits Tinga, kevinEats at Little Bear, Sinosoul hits Perch, Taste Terminal dines at Casa Azul, and LAmag dishes on Sunny Spot.