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FoodZealot

By FoodZealot
in California: Dining

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FoodZealot

FoodZealot

Posted
Posted

As a food geek and future entrepreneur, I'm morbidly curious about restaurants that close, especially ones that I like.

According to Zagat Newswire, 5 Dudley in Venice and the Woo Lae Oak location in Koreatown have closed. I was not a regular at either, but I did enjoy my visits. Does anyone know more details about the circumstances of either closing?

Any other closings of note lately?

I loves the Pork

My blog, http://www.foodzealot.com/blog

jschyun

jschyun

Posted
Posted

I think Woo Lae Oak is just being redesigned to be bigger and better, copying Chosun Galbee's redesign. I don't remember when they're reopening but probably in a year or two.

Expect more of this to happen in Koreatown, as the competition grows even fiercer.

I love cold Dinty Moore beef stew. It is like dog food! And I am like a dog.

--NeroW

Beachfan

Beachfan

Posted
Posted

I was slow to find out that Posto's closed in Sherman Oaks. At one time, it was truly great. But they kept siphoning off the chef's to cook at Valention's (both LA and Vegas).

beachfan

Beachfan

Beachfan

Posted
Posted
<sigh> Yet another place I never got to try. It's now a Drago place, correct?

Correct, and panned in last Wednesday's food section.

Unfortunately, Posto had slid dramatically.

beachfan

dfunghi

dfunghi

Posted
Posted

Now on the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and 5th street in Santa Monica there sit two closed empty restaurants. Pollys and Zackys. Neither a big lose to the finer culinary world however Pollys had decent Cinnimon rolls for late night munchies, and both are sitting on prime locations. Zackys has been empty for ?? 10 years or so? Even PF Chang passed on the Zacky locale. Landlords must be insane. Or rich, or both.

D

David West

A.K.A. The Mushroom Man

Founder of http://finepalatefoods.com/

  • 2 weeks later...
mixmaster b

mixmaster b

Posted
Posted

One that I am glad is gone: Les Deux Cafes.

How they managed not to make money on that place is anyone's guess--always packed, expensive drinks, overpriced food! I hope something nice opens there--the garden is lovely.

And that space on Robertson that is now Pearl--used to be Moomba, used to be Luna Park. Some locations just seem to be cursed.

FoodZealot

FoodZealot

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
Now on the corner of Wilshire Blvd. and 5th street in Santa Monica there sit two closed empty restaurants. Pollys and Zackys. Neither a big lose to the finer culinary world however Pollys had decent Cinnimon rolls for late night munchies, and both are sitting on prime locations. Zackys has been empty for ?? 10 years or so? Even PF Chang passed on the Zacky locale. Landlords must be insane. Or rich, or both.

D

Agreed, Zucky's location has got to be the most expensive 15 parking stalls (with 4000 sq ft of idle restaurant space attached) in LA.

As for Les Deux, I had two decent meals there, but yes, overpriced. I believe those owners are also involved with Union in Santa Monica (ex Rix, Bikini, Abiquiu space).

edit: premature postation

Edited by FoodZealot (log)

I loves the Pork

My blog, http://www.foodzealot.com/blog

Joe Blowe

Joe Blowe

Posted
Posted
Also, what was Airstream Diner now has a sign announcing that it is now called Joe Blow's Diner.

I'm Joe Blowe, and I do not endorse this diner.

So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness."

So I got that goin' for me, which is nice.

  • 1 month later...
mongo_jones

mongo_jones

Posted
Posted
I think Woo Lae Oak is just being redesigned to be bigger and better, copying Chosun Galbee's redesign. I don't remember when they're reopening but probably in a year or two.

Expect more of this to happen in Koreatown, as the competition grows even fiercer.

wasn't it woo lae oak that committed the cardinal sin of making patrons pay for banchan? or am i making that up? if true, it should be closed, razed to the ground and the earth plowed with salt.

monkeymay

monkeymay

Posted
Posted

Also, what was Airstream Diner now has a sign announcing that it is now called Joe Blow's Diner.

Yes, I believe Fred Eric is no longer involved in Air Stream, hence the name change.

In regards to the Hillmont/Cobras change, Steven Arroyo owns both, along with Malo.

We need to find courage, overcome

Inaction is a weapon of mass destruction

hollywood

hollywood

Posted
Posted
wasn't it woo lae oak that committed the cardinal sin of making patrons pay for banchan? or am i making that up? if true, it should be closed, razed to the ground and the earth plowed with salt.

Actually, isn't the K-town branch closed for remodeling?

I'm hollywood and I approve this message.

mongo_jones

mongo_jones

Posted
Posted

Actually, isn't the K-town branch closed for remodeling?

so jschyun informs us. i think the allegation about woo lae oak that i asked about applied to the westside branch--they couldn't get away with that kind of crap in koreatown; and in any case they may have discontinued the practice (if indeed they ever had it). free, constantly-refilled banchan seems an integral part of korean dining to me.

  • 3 weeks later...
jschyun

jschyun

Posted
Posted
I think Woo Lae Oak is just being redesigned to be bigger and better, copying Chosun Galbee's redesign.  I don't remember when they're reopening but probably in a year or two.

Expect more of this to happen in Koreatown, as the competition grows even fiercer.

wasn't it woo lae oak that committed the cardinal sin of making patrons pay for banchan? or am i making that up? if true, it should be closed, razed to the ground and the earth plowed with salt.

I honestly don't think this was Woo Lae Oak. Actually, I thought it was Japanese yakiniku places charge for panchan but I can't think of an example off the top of my head.

I love cold Dinty Moore beef stew. It is like dog food! And I am like a dog.

--NeroW

JayTee

JayTee

Posted
Posted

This is a bit older, but I don't get around to Los Angeles as much anymore:

Does anyone know what happened to Benita's Frites? My favorite place to get Belgian fries, it was first at the Santa Monica Promenade, and then picked up to move over to Universal Citywalk when that area expanded. Last I heard, it was gone from Citywalk. Any idea why? or maybe if it has reappeared somewhere else? Hollywood Fries wasn't as good, and unfortunately, even that has closed.

FoodZealot

FoodZealot

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I never heard a reason behind Benite's closing, but it does seem to vaguely coincide with the tide turning on all the bagel joints and the rise of the low carb craze...

Ore, welcome to the thread. You should start a new one when you've got news about a project.

Thanks to jschyun's digest of the LA Times, I guess we have an answer about 5 Dudley. Although, the end of the article mentions a special tasting menu on Thursday nights.

I loves the Pork

My blog, http://www.foodzealot.com/blog

  • 4 months later...
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