SoCal’s best ramen shop is opening a location in Glendale

Now that you’ve survived Thanksgiving, here’s what you can look forward to in the L.A. food and drink world:

Glendale ramen king: Tsujita LA Artisan Noodles, arguably the best ramen-ya in SoCal, is opening a location at the Americana at Brand in Glendale called the Tsujita Artisan Noodle. Starting Wednesday, you’ll be able to order the brand’s signature tsukemen and tonkotsu. The Glendale restaurant is 2,700 square feet with 53 seats. Here’s hoping the lines aren’t as long as the ones at the locations on Sawtelle Boulevard. The restaurant joins a growing list of newcomers to the center, including Shake Shack (now open) and Eggslut (coming soon). 889 Americana Way, Glendale, (818) 553-3822, www.thetsujita.com.

Hungry Cat farewell: The Hungry Cat in Santa Monica has closed, and according to the company website, the Santa Barbara location is next. Owner David Lentz posted a note on the site announcing that after 10 years in Santa Barbara, the restaurant will close at Christmas. Cited reasons for the closing include declining business and the current economic climate, along with Lentz being based in Los Angeles with three young children. Happily, the original location in Hollywood will remain open. “These are very challenging times for small independent restaurants — increased labor costs, the California minimum wage (which unlike most states does not have an exception for tipped employees), increased sick pay (which is sometimes abused), insurance costs that have doubled since last year and higher payroll taxes,” wrote Lentz in a statement to the Times. He also said he’s working on a to-be-announced new project.

Test kitchen party: Crafted Kitchen, a large culinary incubator that offers chefs a space to prepare food, will open in downtown L.A. on Dec. 8. Located in a 96-year-old brick warehouse, Crafted Kitchen will have a 675-square-foot test kitchen, a 1,700-square-foot shared kitchen and four private kitchen studios. Chefs with a Crafted Kitchen membership will be able to use the spaces to test menus, prepare food for food trucks, etc. 672 S. Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 477-1127, www.craftedkitchenla.com.

Holiday shopping: If you’ve started your holiday shopping, Smorgasburg L.A. has some ideas. The weekly Sunday food and shopping event at the Alameda Produce Market has launched its holiday market, which will run through Dec. 18. Expect plenty of edible gifts, including cookie sampler packs from Cookie Captain, beef jerky from Three Jerks Jerky and Filipino brioche from Ensaymada Project. Many small boutiques and clothing vendors will also be selling items at the market. 785 Bay St., Los Angeles, la.smorgasburg.com.

The new OC butcher: The Butchery, a full service butcher shop with two locations in Orange County, will open another location at the Crystal Cove Shopping Center in Newport Beach on Dec. 10. Expect more of the meats, cheeses and sandwiches the shop is known for, as well as craft beer and wine. 8058 E. Pacific Coast Hwy, Newport Coast, (949) 715-3383, www.butcherymeats.com.

Still hungry: Salazar in Elysian Valley is now serving brunch from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Josef Centeno’s P.Y.T. and LALA Farm will host a dinner to benefit students at Los Angeles Leadership Academy on Sunday. And every Monday night is Industry Night at Doheny Room in West Hollywood, with 25% off dinner for those who work in the restaurant industry.

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UPDATES:

10:12 a.m. This article was updated with additional comments from David Lentz regarding Hungry Cat in Santa Monica closing.

This article was originally published at 9 a.m.