Saved by the Max, a ‘Saved by the Bell’ pop-up restaurant, is headed to L.A.
From the return of a high school favorite to fancy gelato, here’s what’s happening in the L.A. food and drink world:
School’s out: If you grew up in the ‘90s, you may have spent your afternoons watching Zack Morris swoon over Kelly Kapowski at a booth at the Max diner on the show “Saved by the Bell.” Now, NBC Universal, the folks behind the show, are bringing Saved by the Max, a “Saved by the Bell”-inspired pop-up diner, to Los Angeles later this year. The pop-up, complete with colorful booths and chairs, neon signs and vintage arcade games — just like the Max in the show — just finished a successful year-long run in Chicago, and is headed to L.A. The L.A. menu will include dishes named after characters on the show, including Tori’s fried chicken; A.C. sliders; Mac & Screech and the Kelly Kapowski Monte Cristo. You can also order a Bayside burger. The exact location and launch date for the L.A. diner will be revealed via social media @SavedByTheMax on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
You so fancy: Chef Nancy Silverton has won a number of James Beard Awards, started La Brea Bakery, starred in an episode of the Netflix documentary series “Chefs Table,” and is behind the Mozzaplex, a trio of the best restaurants in the city. She’s also making excellent gelato. Her gelato company, appropriately named Nancy’s Fancy Gelato and Sorbetto, has moved to the former Mast Brothers chocolate factory in the Arts District. The 6,000-square-foot space is where all the gelato will be made and hand-packed. The new facility will likely allow Silverton to expand her line of flavors and eventually make toppings and sauces. 816 S. Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, www.nancysfancy.com.
After-dark eats: Night markets in other countries are where you will typically find some of the best street food around. On June 16 and 17, Koreatown will host its own version, called Ktown Night Market. The event will be held at the Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools and feature more than 50 food vendors. You can expect ddukbokki; fish cakes; kimbap; fried chicken; sushi tacos and pizza churros. There will also be food trucks, including Kogi BBQ and the Lobsta Truck. Pre-sale tickets are $2 and will be $5 at the door. 701 S. Catalina St., Los Angeles, ktownnightmarket.com.
The cat is back: The Cat & the Fiddle restaurant and pub, the Sunset Boulevard restaurant known for its large courtyard patio and musician crowd, has reopened at a new space on Highland Avenue in Hollywood. The original restaurant closed after 32 years in business in late 2014. (April Bloomfield is opening a restaurant in the original space on Sunset Boulevard). The new location features a Tudor-style facade and a garden patio. Menu highlights include a Sunday roast cooked in the wood-burning stove; fish and chips; and bangers and mash. The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. 742. Highland Ave., Hollywood, (323) 468-380, www.thecatandfiddle.com.
Food fest: The 8th annual L.A. Food Fest is happening Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This year’s lineup will showcase chefs from Baja and Mexico City, including Dante Ferrero, Olivier Debois, Diego Hernández (who just opened Verlaine in Los Angeles), Benito Molina, Paco Ruano, Pablo Salas and Matteo Salas. Ferrero, who is an asado specialist, will be grilling an entire cow, two goats and two pigs on a custom grill from Mexico. Tickets range from $50 to $95 and include samples from more than 100 food vendors. 3911 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, lafoodfest.com.
Still hungry? Everytable, the restaurant that charges different prices for the same meals based on neighborhood, has opened a location on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Cascabel restaurant in Toluca Lake, by “Top Chef” contestant Alex Eusebio, has just launched a weekend brunch. Chef Josef Centeno’s Ledlow has combined its lunch service with PYT next door, and is now only serving dinner out of the Ledlow space. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams will open a scoop shop at the Commons at Calabasas on Wednesday. Caña Rum Barhas introduced Subsuelo Sundays with live music and drink specials every week. 4th Street Market, the Santa Ana food hall, has introduced two new food vendors including Red Envelope and Wingman.
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