Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Chew On This: Bailly at Cliff's Edge, Batali at the Beach, & LudoBites for Lottery Losers

Bailly's Moved to Cliff's Edge
Chef Benjamin Bailly, formerly of Petrossian and Fraiche has a new gig: He's behind the stoves at Cliff's Edge, the Silver Lake mainstay that specializes in Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Bailly says: "I am really looking forward to cooking in this great neighborhood, and creating seasonal food that is rustic and approachable, but also refined and contemporary using fresh, local ingredients." He took over January 3, and there's a new menu which we're told is geared strongly toward sharing, and is divided into four sections, 'To Share', 'To Start', 'To Follow', and 'Desserts'.FIG Debuts Barrel-Aged Cocktails
Cheers to new drinks: FIG’s Creative Director Matthew Lehman has created three new Barrel-Aged cocktails to his menu, including the Negroni, made from Martin Miller’s Gin, Campari and Martini & Rossi that is aged in toasted oak barrels, the White Manhattan, a blend of Moonshine Corn Whiskey and Benedictine, and the Rusty Nail which is made with Highland Park 12-year Single Malt served in a vintage coup glass or a more traditional bucket.
Quick Eats Before Cirque du Soleil's OVO in SaMo @Locanda del Lago
Want a nice dinner out ahead of seeing Cirque du Soleil's OVO, but worried you'll miss the start of the show? Locanda del Lago has come with a speedy solution. An “OVO Express” menu for pre-performance diners will offer in-and-out service in one hour or less, with a choice of one appetizer and one entrée for $25 (tax, beverages, and gratuity excluded). Dishes include Minestrone Soup, Market Salad, Gnocchi ai Funghi and Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese. The “OVO Express” menu will be available up to three hours before show time from January 20 - March 25.

Mario Batali
Batali at the Beach Lunch Event
Coast Beach Café & Bar at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica will host Chef, author, restaurateur and TV personality Mario Batali in the kitchen on Saturday, January 28th as he prepares a special event lunch menu from his new cookbook, Molto Batali. Guests will have a choice of two seatings for the Batali lunch at Coast Beach Café & Bar. The three-course meal will start with a reception including passed hors d’oeuvres and glasses of Flor Prosecco Rosé at 11:30a, and again at 2:00p, with courses paired with selections from Batali’s winery, La Mozza, and Bastiniach Winery, from Batali partners Joe and Lidia Bastianich. Premium seats are available for $75 per person, while tickets for standard seating for the three-course luncheon are available for $65 per person. For reservations, please call 310.587.1707, or, reserve space online.
LudoBites Lottery Losers: Don't Give Up!
A few lucky diners scored reservations via the new lottery-style reservation system run by Urbanspoon for LudoBites 8.0, but for those who didn't, Urbanspoon tipped us off to three ways you can still get in:
1. Win Dinner for Four at LudoBites: Enter to win a table for four at LudoBites 8.0 every time you book an online reservation for an LA-area restaurant. Urbanspoon will pick up your tab... all you have to do is tweet out online reservations made on Urbanspoon between now and February 5th. For more details here.
2. LudoBites Cancellations: Check Urbanspoon after Wednesday, 1/18 for day-to-day LudoBites availability.
3. Walk-ins Every Night: Chef Ludo and Krissy have left room for 6 walk-ins at each seating, so feel free to stop by Lemon Moon any night to see what's available (tip: Krissy says that second seating around 8pm is usually easier).
New Artisan Market @Farmshop
Farmshop, Jeff Cerciello’s restaurant and bakery in the Brentwood Country Mart, has launched a new Artisan Market that showcases a meticulously curated selection of goods for the table and plate. Included is the bakery, cheese, charcuterie and butcher station. Counters and shelves are full of fresh produce, prepared foods, larder items, wine, beer, and housewares, all fulfilling Cerciello’s vision for this communal neighborhood space. The Market is stocked with all sorts of goodies and is ready to sell; look for upcoming educational events, too. The Artisan Market is currently open from 7:00am to 7:00pm daily.
A Few Extra Nibbles:
- Go Burger has a new chef, a new concept, and a new menu; Eater LA has the details.
- Squid Ink names their picks for the 7 Best Bloody Marys in L.A.
- Chef CJ Jacobson announced via Facebook he's stepping down as head chef at The Yard, says GrubStreet LA, and that he's got a new project in the works.
- Another food truck? Yep. MidtownLunch profiles the Garbage Truck.
Have a food news item to share with us? Send us an email! Plus, follow @LAistFood on Twitter for more food stories.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.