What to Know
- Restaurants have been opening around Southern California as the year begins
- Cipriani in Beverly Hills on Jan. 10, bringing classic Venetian cooking
- Shake Shack opened in Studio City at the end of the year while Salt & Straw is scooping in Brentwood
December + dining out and/or dining in?
It's truly a merry month that's synonymous with memorable meals, from extravagant eats to holiday treats to the sorts of goodies we wouldn't necessarily go for at any other time of the year.
But January is also a supper-centered month, thanks in palate-pleasing part to this foodie fact: Restaurant Weeks blossom around California throughout the first few weeks of the year, giving people chances to try all sorts of new-to-them tastes while also saving some dough.
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It's also a month that finds several new food enterprises opening their doors for the first time, and January 2024 has already seen a few new openings.
Like Cipriani, a Beverly Hills restaurant devoted to "classic elegance" and Italian favorites. Fans of vivacious Venetian cooking will find several savory dishes on the menu, while the atmosphere is elegant and modern: Murano chandeliers and plush leather chairs complete the sophisticated scene.
A patio is expected to open this spring.
L'antica Pizzeria Da Michele just debuted "in the heart of Belmont Shore," bringing a dash of old-world Naples to Long Beach. It's a well-timed opening, with National Pizza Day coming up in February, and a number of other sauce-laden celebrations.
Shake Shack didn't wait for January's start to get sizzling in Studio City: The latest appetizing outpost of the founded-in-NYC burger-porium opened its doors on Dec. 27.
Special themed shakes pop up seasonally, but count on those filling burgers and fries to summon devoted fans to the Ventura Boulevard location.
For aficionados of inventive ice cream, the launch of the Brentwood-based Salt & Straw is deliciously good news. Jan. 12 was the official grand opening for the scoop shop, which found its artisanal beginnings in Portland, Oregon; an earlier opening in late December got the ice cream party started. (Updated Jan. 17)
There are lots of locations around Southern California now, but for those in the San Vicente Boulevard neck o' the woods, this should hit the creamy spot.
Twisted by Wetzel's, which puts a heartier spin on the popular malls-and-more pretzels, opened in South Gate on Jan. 10. Hot dog-filled pretzels, including the kicky Baja Boardwalk, are on the menu, as well as cheese-stuffed pretzel goodies, too.
And not yet opening but something great to anticipate?
Origin Korean BBQ is headed for Koreatown in "the coming weeks," is the upbeat word. Marinated meats and stone grilling are some of the delicious culinary components of the savory eatery, which takes its flair from the '60s-era Seoul scene.
