Khachapuri, the Georgian cheese boat specialty, now at Banh Oui on Melrose

By Hadley Tomicki

Nov. 26, 2019 7 AM PT

Openings

Georgia king

Tony Khachapuri is now serving its khachapuri at the new Melrose location of Banh Oui. Both concepts are owned by Armen Piskoulian and Casey Felton, who continue to offer the Georgian specialty at their original Hollywood location as well.

6909 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 852-3944, banhoui.com/tony-khachapuri

Nico suave

Nico’s Tacos is open in Santa Monica from former Typhoon chef Filemon Vasquez. In addition to tacos with cabeza, asada, al pastor and tripas, expect breakfast burritos and burritos mojados, huaraches and frequent specialties from Oaxaca such as tlayudas.

1865 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica, (424) 322-8370, instagram.com/nicostacossantamonica

Coworkable Cubanos and po’ boys

Andrew’s Place is open from Croft Alley chef Phuong Tran inside coworking space Second Home Hollywood. The menu merges influences, resulting in dishes such as a Thai chile lobster roll, prosciutto-and-burrata “Cubano” sandwich and fish-and-chips po’ boy.

1370 N. St. Andrews Place, Los Angeles, secondhome.io/andrews-place

Tripe beast

El Mejor Menudo is open every Sunday in La Puente, serving the namesake Mexican tripe soup with micheladas and Colombian coffee.

Call or DM for address, La Puente, (626) 228-8064, instagram.com/elmejormenudo

Eel the love

Toku Unagi & Sushi is now open in West Hollywood. The restaurant, which originated in Japan, has a sushi bar and specializes in recipes topped with grilled freshwater eel, including traditional unaju and hitsumabushi rice bowls.

1106 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 854-7285, tokuusa.com

Bone marrow pie in Playa Vista

Conference Room is now open in Playa Vista from the owners of Hash, Big Fat Pita and Rodini Park. The eclectic menu, from former Los Balcones chef Miguel Aliaga, includes bone marrow pot pie, semolina gnocchi tartufo, lomo saltado and fish and chips.

12181 Bluff Creek Drive, Los Angeles, (310) 862-6436, conferenceroomrestaurant.com

Boricua selecta

Boricua Bowls is now open in the evenings in Sherman Oaks. The food stand serves Puerto Rican specialties including pernil, pollo guisado, arroz con gandules and coquito.

14701 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, instagram.com/boricuabowls

Get its goat

Birrieria Canelo’s has a new food truck in Boyle Heights serving the same Michoacán-style birria de chivo that you’ll find inside its Maywood restaurant.

2713 E. 11th St., Los Angeles, instagram.com/birrieriacanelos

Persian beryan in Tarzana

Maneli’s Kitchen is open in Tarzana for Persian cuisine. The menu includes koobideh, rainbow trout kebabs, tahdig with fesenjan and Isfahan’s minced lamb dish known as beryan.

19347 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, (818) 699-9321, manelikitchen.com

Hark, the Harold chicken wings

Harold’s Chicken & Bar opened Friday in Hollywood. The full-service restaurant serves fried chicken, fish and shrimp with hot or mild sauce and comes from the Chicago-based chain Harold’s Chicken Shack.

6523 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, haroldschickenla.com

Cider-smoked ‘shroom tacos

Renegade Tacos will pop up on Nov. 29 at Trademark Brewing in Long Beach. Expect tacos with beef barbacoa, beer-braised turkey, banh mi pork and cider-smoked mushrooms.

233 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, renegadetacosla.com

The new Norm

Norms has returned to Inglewood after leaving the city at the end of 1998. The diner will be open 24/7 every day for breakfast, burgers, pastrami melts and Thrifty ice cream.

2960 W. Imperial Hwy., Inglewood, (323) 327-9885, norms.com/norms-inglewood

Turkey tacos in South L.A.

Tammy’s Tasty Tacos is open in Baldwin Hills for hard-shell tacos with turkey, chicken and shrimp, plus elote and lemonade.

3710 W. Martin Luther King Blvd., Los Angeles, facebook.com/tammystastytacos

African queen

Aduke African Cuisine recently opened a second location in Inglewood. The restaurant serves dishes from owner Aduke Oluwafunmilayo Oyetibo’s upbringing in Ilesha, Nigeria, including jollof rice, egusi stew and gbegiri soup.

1117 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood, aduke-african-cuisne.business.site

Scoop, there it is

Salt & Straw is now open in Pasadena. This is the sixth location in L.A. for the Portland, Ore.-born ice cream shop. Starting Nov. 29, holiday flavors such as peppermint bark cocoa, apple brandy and pecan pie, and gingerbread cookie dough will be introduced.

39 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 304-0303, saltandstraw.com

T.J. tacos in Van Nuys

The Tacos el Tijuanazo truck is open in Van Nuys for Tijuana-style birria de res, asada, lengua and cabeza served in tacos, quesadillas and tortas.

7140 Louise Ave., Los Angeles, instagram.com/tacoseltijuanazo

Westside hero

Hakata Izakaya Hero is open in West L.A. The menu includes a daily selection of sashimi, plus stuffed chicken wings, kushiyaki, karaage, motsunabe stew and sake.

1929 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, (424) 832-3304, facebook.com/Hakata-Izakaya-HERO-100510961393074

Bird feed

Morning Bird is now serving breakfast inside Ord & Broadway in Chinatown. The menu, from chef Vincent Valenzona, includes ube pancakes, cereal-crusted French toast and burritos with longanisa, garlic rice and pickled papaya.

304 Ord St., Los Angeles, (213) 947-3094, facebook.com/Ord-Broadway-1970939539880102

Mana’ish from heaven

Furn Saj has expanded to a new location in Glendora. The restaurant serves Lebanese cuisine with a focus on oven-baked mana’ish flatbread with toppings such as za’atar, boreg and lahme b’ajeen.

1331 S. Lone Hill Ave., Glendora, (909) 394-0081, furnsaj.com

Pit Stop porter in El Segundo

Upshift Brewing Co. is open in El Segundo. Draft beers at the racing-themed brewery include Track Sesh IPA, Pit Stop Porter and Bench Seat Blonde. Food trucks are scheduled on weekends.

339 Indiana St., El Segundo, (310) 648-8246, upshiftbrewing.com

40 draft beers for Anaheim

Red Beards Taproom is open in Anaheim with 40 West Coast beers and eight wines on tap.

2120 E. Howell Ave., Anaheim, (714) 758-5823, redbeardstaproom.com

Total Malarkey in O.C.

Herb & Ranch is open at the UCI Research Park in Irvine. The food hall, which comes from chef Brian Malarkey, includes five stalls with changing menus, including the Farmhouse for grilled meats and seafood, the Press for Italian sandwiches and Mahalo for poke.

5301 California Ave., Irvine, (949) 316-4491, herbandranch.com

Closings

Low-calorie ice cream brand Halo Top has closed all of its Scoop Shops after two years.

The Fat Dog will close on Fairfax on Dec. 23 after eight years. The North Hollywood location will remain open.

Extras

Bornga, a widespread BBQ chain from Korea, is coming to L.A., with plans to open in Koreatown next summer.

450 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, facebook.com/Bornga-Los-Angeles-115993579856472

Auburn is now serving brunch Friday through Sunday in Hollywood. Instead of the restaurant’s usual prix fixe dinner menu, brunch will feature a la carte dishes such as pancakes with smoked late-season figs, Earl Grey and toasted hay cream; brassicas with broccoli, brioche, duck egg and aged beef fat vinaigrette; and pan-roasted brioche with caramel.

6703 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 486-6703, auburnla.com

Burrito Bomba is now selling burritos every night in North Hollywood. There’s a fried chicken burrito with mac and cheese, buffalo sauce and jalapeño-marinated bacon, and a Philly cheesesteak burrito with curly fries, steak and grilled peppers.

8024 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, instagram.com/burritobomba