D. Solomon

Mo-Chica's kitchen

Ricardo Zarate wants you to know something before checking out his new Mo-Chica. Slated to open Wednesday, May 30, it replaces an earlier version of the same name that closed yesterday. "Peru. It's in South America," says Zarate, mock-serious. "Its limits are Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Chile." He recalls how one guest had thought Peru bordered Spain. "The point is, I'm trying to introduce my country through my food."

Mo-Chica, a few doors from Bottega Louie in downtown L.A., is poised to become an excellent ambassador. Zarate describes the menu as "comfort food," with cooked foods in large portions -- think stews -- rather than tiny tapas of, say, raw fish, as at his other restaurant, Picca. And the visual style -- red walls, gold accents, a graffiti mural -- is vibrant and fun. "We want to introduce Peruvian food, so we need to be trendy, no?" says Zarate.

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G. Snyder

Bun Bo Hue at Nong Lá

Nong Lá Café, the latest addition to the strip of Sawtelle Boulevard often known as Little Osaka due to its concentration of Japanese eateries, is offering something a bit different than most of its neighbors -- instead of ramen and yakitori, diners will able able to get a taste of Vietnamese specialties like pho tai, cha gio, and thit noung (grilled pork skewers).

Of course, a Vietnamese restaurant opening may not mean as much to those on in the SGV, Chinatown, or down in Westminster's Little Saigon, but for those on the Westside a place without a title involving a number or a soup-based pun (Pho Show, we're looking at you) is something of a godsend. Nong Lá owners Victor and Elaine Phuong are intent on showcasing the family recipes they grew up with in nearby Monterey Park, and based on the amount of interest the sleek and modern space has generated since it's grand opening last week, things are looking up for the brother-sister duo.

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B. Hansen

interior of Santa Monica Loteria

Lotería pulled a sneaky stunt, opening in Santa Monica without telling a soul. But how could the fifth location of this Mexican chain not open on the fifth day of the fifth month of the year, which, as you of course know, was Cinco de Mayo?

The official first day was to be May 14, but Jimmy Shaw, founder and executive chef of the Lotería! Grill Restaurant Group, had his heart set on celebrating May 5. So he opened for a few hours with a short menu, then closed the doors to get ready for this week's grand opening.

The new Lotería takes over a space on the Third Street Promenade formerly occupied by a Gaucho Grill. The lotería theme is everywhere, in enormous panels in the cantina and the main dining room and in a wall of illuminated niches holding painted wooden lotería figures. Shaw commissioned a Oaxacan artist to make these. They're in the style of the whimsical Oaxacan folk art figures called alebrijes.

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C. Soudry

Newly opened BierBeisl in Beverly Hills

Adding more raw fish to Sawtelle Boulevard, morinoya is Little Osaka's newest "authentic hole-in-the-wall izakaya," serving tapas dishes including yakitori and oden as well as sushi and sashimi. The Slice Truck also is settling into the area with its first brick-and-mortar restaurant, fulfilling owner Dave Hanley's vision of a little, local independent pizza place. Opening on Sawtelle between Coffee Tomo and Blockheads Shaved Ice is Seoul Sausage Company, the Korean catering company that's gained a following for its kalbi and spicy pork sausages at several food festivals over the past year.

From the owners of the Roger Room and Il Covo, the Pikey, a British gastropub replacing Coach & Horses, offers bites such as cardoon and sunchoke soup with bone marrow, braised lamb shank and crispy pig's ear salad from the Spotted Pig chef. On Main Street in Santa Monica, Brick+Mortar replaces Saluté Wine Bar (opened in 2008).

In other news, Acapulco in Westwood closed its doors after 33 years in business. The decision to close was based on the location's recent business performance, Rick Van Warner, a spokesman for Acapulco's parent company, Real Mex Restaurants, told The Daily Bruin. After less than a year, Taberna Mexicana in Beverly Hills has shuttered. We had high hopes. The one-of-a-kind Japanese maid cafe Royal/T Cafe announced its upcoming closure after five eventful years in Culver City -- there will be a few more art shows and the Tea Lovers Festival throughout May.

Read on for an April list of notable openings and closings:

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G. Snyder

Blind Barber in Culver City (secret bar not pictured)

Culver City's Newest Bar & Barbershop:
NYC import Blind Barber, a combination barbershop and speakeasy located inside the Culver Center on Washington and Overland Boulevard, is hosting its soft opening -- starting next week and extending to the May 17 grand opening. Blind Barber's website bills itself as "a return to the 'Roaring Twenties,'" and promises "[a] concept [that] goes well beyond cuts, shaves and cocktails within a barbershop and lounge, but rather expands into all realms of the modern gentleman: Fashion, Music, Lifestyle, Grooming and others."

A door behind the retro barbershop leads to a full-on bar decked out in dark wood and red steel chairs, along with a small kitchen that will specialize in grilled cheese sandwiches. The coolest part? Each haircut will net you a free cocktail, such as the Sweeney Todd, made with Creole bitters, or the Smoke and Dagger, jalapeño-infused Cointreau.

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Cousins Maine Lobster

Two cousins hot for shellfish, lobster delivered daily from Maine and a stove on wheels: Cousins Maine Lobster Truck soft-opens from April 27-29 in L.A. and starts serving to the masses on May 4. It's not your typical frozen lobster-dispensing truck, explains co-owner Jim Tselikis. "Beyond our storyline," he says, "we are embracing the education we can offer customers. Amazing seafood, a family story and the chance to learn about the Maine lobster industry, the fishermen and the process of catching lobsters." The menu, which hasn't been released yet, ranges from $6 for smaller items to $12 for a lobster roll.

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SliceTruck

Running a food truck is somewhat like running a test kitchen. Based on popularity, the truck either dies off or becomes a trendy brick-and-mortar restaurant. Luckily for SliceTruck, which rolled out in 2009, it now has a sit-down restaurant on Sawtelle. "We looked at this space early on and weren't sure if we'd be rejected by the neighborhood due to the fact that it was Little Osaka and we might be eroding the culture of the area by coming in," said owner Dave Hanley.

The location was appealing to the owner because there's good foot traffic and a "real neighborhood feel," and it's less obvious than being on a major street such as Wilshire or Santa Monica Boulevard. The restaurant, which replaced a long-standing boba tea shop, is open Monday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and will be closed on Sundays (probably until football season starts). PR reps have announced that the pizza joint will now be making all of its pies with KAMUT brand khorasan wheat crusts.

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D. Solomon

fries and sliders

Highland Park Kitchen on York Blvd. had been open for only about ten days in early March before a front page L.A. Times article declared Highland Park a soon-to-be "outpost of hipster cool" with York Blvd. its "ground zero." In recent years, the northeast L.A. neighborhood has seen an influx of hip, trendy businesses in an area dominated by long-standing, largely immigrant-run mom-and-pop shops.

Among Highland Park Kitchen's York Blvd. neighbors are a pawn shop, tattoo parlor, contractor's office, party-supply business and several liquor stores. Plus an art gallery, and shops with records, vintage clothes, and artsy home design accessories. As for food? There's The York gastropub, Cafe de Leche with gourmet joe, sandwich shop Schodorf's Luncheonette, and Italiano's, the neighborhood pizza standby. The La Estrella taco truck and El Huarache Azteca are down the street too. And Andre Guerrero's Italian restaurant Maximiliano's opened just a few months ago.

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Flickr/Tohru

Little Sheep's spicy herbal soup stock.

Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot opened their San Gabriel location yesterday, April 4. This is the chain restaurant's second location in the greater Los Angeles area. The menu is similar to it's Hacienda Heights counterpart, featuring herbal, spicy and vegetarian soup stock options.

"Everything is pretty smooth so far," Little Sheep International CEO Michael Wu said. "We're just ironing out the little things."

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The Charleston

Ginger Kiss

Springtime is upon us -- you can tell by the pastel-colored clothing and cocktails around town. Hopeful newbies and restaurant industry pros to look out for this season include Japanese ramen noodle shop owner/comedian Menji Miyata, bibimbap peddler/Bibigo project manager Matthew Kim, mixologist Salvatore Calabrese and burger connoisseur Adam Fleischman, to name a few.

As some of our favorite bars close (Lou's days are numbered, Palate Food + Wine), others emerge, not necessarily taking their place.

A 1920s-themed "gastropub," The Charleston, recently took over the shuttered Angels space on Wilshire Boulevard. There you'll find toasted mac 'n' cheese, short-rib tacos (small but highly recommended), marinated olives, bacon-wrapped dates, pulled pork sliders and cocktails served in spiffy glasses (try the Minted Mule). We visited the intimate bar on opening weekend (Saturday night) to find a packed house. In more opening news, Los Angeles Brewing Company opened with 100 beers on tap and Tortilla Republic debuted with a list of 50 tequilas (yes, they have their own wall).

Read on for a March list of notable openings and closings:

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