October Roundup of Restaurant Openings & Closings + Westwood Twitter Battle

By Celia Soudry Wed., Oct. 31 2012 at 9:00 AM

Categories: Restaurant Closings, Restaurant Openings, Restaurant Openings & Closings

Photo Credit: Mezze Restaurant

RIP Mezze

For some, October in L.A. means candy corn stomach aches, new cocktail lists, air conditioning-induced colds and a fight to keep your business alive. We haven't done the math, but Westwood Village has seen a higher restaurant turnover rate than your average neighborhood. "Westwood is thriving," according to @WestwoodIsGreat. A battling Twitter account begs to differ: "I worry about Victoria Secret and American Apparel. That's a rough, lonely block to be on," tweeted @WestwoodIsDying.

Three new restaurants are currently under construction in the Village, giving @WestwoodIsGreat a few more things to tweet about. U-Mini, Veggie Grill and Pressed Juicery are all under construction, and TLT Food opens Nov. 1, replacing The Stand, EaterLA reports. In more opening news, Umami has expanded to Pasadena, Fresh Corn Grill is adding a third location in Santa Monica, Bachi Burger is coming soon to Little Osaka, next door to Hide Sushi, and, wait for it, Olive Garden just landed in Culver City! Who says dreams don't come true?

In departure news, Mezze called it quits last weekend, stating "heavy construction" as the primary reason for closing. We eagerly await what comes next from chef Micah Wexler and his partners. Read on for an October list of openings and closings:

C. Soudry

Bachi Burger coming soon to Little Osaka

Openings:
Big Gay Ice Cream Truck: Los Angeles.
Clementine: 9346 Civic Center Dr, Beverly Hills; (310) 461-0600.
Coffee + Food: 5630 Melrose Ave Los Angeles.
Cortez: 1356 Allison Avenue, Echo Park.
The Fat Cow: 189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles; (323) 900-8080.
Le Ka: 800 W 6th St Los Angeles.
M.A.K.E.: 395 Santa Monica Pl, Santa Monica; (310) 394-7046.
Monja: 18558 E. Gale Ave., Industry; (626) 264-8849.
Olive Garden: 6000 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City.
The Penthouse at Mastro's: 246 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills; (310) 888-8782.
Spaghetti Ice Cream (at Currywurst): 109 N Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 413-2627.
Umami: 852 S. Broadway, Los Angeles; (213) 413-8626.
Urban Garden: 446 N Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 951-0990.

Closings:
Allston Yacht Club: 1320 Echo Park Avenue Los Angeles.
Beyond Bread Bakery & Cafe: 8556 W 3rd St., Los Angeles.
Cru: 1521 Griffith Park Blvd., Los Angeles.
Mezze: 401 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles.

Did we miss any? Please write us in the comments or email squidinkdnewsletter@gmail.com.

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