Tomorrow is the ribbon cutting of the third and newest downtown Famima!! at the California Plaza on Grand Avenue near MOCA. It's about time this part of downtown receive some new food options, even if this is quasi Japanese 7-11 style. However, a made-to-order sushi bar will be the centerpiece of this location. more ›

Ed LaDou, the father of modern California-style pizza, has died of cancer at age 52 in Santa Monica. LaDou is best known for his work at Wolfgang Puck's legendary Spago; LaDou was the first to experiment with unusual and innovative pizza toppings like duck and smoked salmon, and he also helped develop the menu for the casual dining chain California Pizza Kitchen. From The LA Times:

"Ed really set the tone for the pizza," said Mark Peel, a former chef at Spago who now owns Campanile in Los Angeles. "Wolfgang had a great sense of taste, but he was not a pizza maker by any means. Ed was highly skilled, fast and clean; he was an intelligent guy who made a great, great crust. There are people who have built empires on less." more ›

Your pets want the house to themselves today. Some of yesterday's festivals like Detour, NoHo Scene and the Eagle Rock Music Festival are over with. Yet Sunday, here in Los Angeles, is still a busy day. Events continuing from yesterday's Weekend Festival Guide: Brewery Art Walk and TarFest Jazz at Drew 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.: In it's 17th year, the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science's popular music and charity event... more ›

Seattlest watches as a S.L.U.T. is born and Seattle Flickr users go nuts over a local art installation. A restaurant critic demands a Diner's Bill of Rights over a gnat next to her drink, and, in lieu of a Portlandist, Seattlest debates with itself over the identity of the Northwest's crown jewel. Seattlest also joins the guys from Fantagraphics for an ill-fated gun party in the woods. more ›

Dear CPK, What the fuck? Wait…let’s try that again. Okay. Let me start by saying I’ve been a big fan over the years, and have visited your flagship Beverly Hills location too many times to count. You guys used to have this killer menu with great, creative, original dishes that could be described as nouveau comfort food. Take for example, your Potato Leek Soup, Garlic Shrimp Pizza or my all time fav—the Tandoori Chicken... more ›

Last March, one of my favorite Los Feliz restaurants, il Capriccio, opened up a pizzeria. It’s located at the Sunset Junction, on Hollywood Boulevard next to the U-Haul, or a block up from the strip joint, depending on your frame of reference. When people talk about California pizza, they usually mean gourmet toppings, a la Wolfgang Puck, with a sweet, bready crust like California Pizza Kitchen's. While I am a fan of adventurous toppings,... more ›

Passover, the festival of flatbread, is the yearly retelling of the Jewish people’s flight to freedom after being slaves in Egypt. While star trekking through the desert with Moses, there was no time to make bread, so matzoh it was, matzoh it is, and here we are. What does this have to do with pizza? I’m glad you asked. Matzoh, everyone’s favorite constipator, does not have a ton of what you might call, flavor.... more ›

Speaking of CPK, California Pizza Kitchen opened a brand new location at Sunset and Crescent Heights late last month. After a week or so to work out the kinks and get into a groove, the grand opening activities start this week. The major part of this is that 100% of sales in the Sunset Blvd. CPK this week will be donated to AIDS Project Los Angeles. more ›