 Photo via Village Tavern Instagram Atwater Village is about to get a new bar/restaurant on Glendale Boulevard! The Village Tavern, opening hopefully very soon, will focus on craft beer and good food, and we are pretty darn excited!
Construction on the 1,774 square foot retail storefront started in May last year, and included an entire renovation of the former String Surgeon, which was part of the Racket Doctor next door. Owner Maurice Rodriguez had a decent challenge turning the space from a retail joint to a restaurant, and included re-zoning the space for a kitchen and full liquor license. They built benches along one side and a bar made of reclaimed wood on the other, and new plumbing, electrical and mechanical was also needed.
 Before and after  12 taps at the Village Tavern In the kitchen is Chef Marcel of Stop, Guac n’ Roll created a unique Mexican/BBQ fusion menu. In addition to rotating 12 taps dedicated to local and California craft beers (including Golden Road and Eagle Rock Brewery), a selection of bottles and cans will be available.
Maurice, who is a 33-year resident of Atwater Village, also brought in local artists to create two murals: One dedicated to the Red Car trolleys created by Devon Paulson, the other on the front patio a collaboration by Steven Melgar, Jorge Ruano, and Eyeone.
“I’m really excited about the direction Atwater is headed with lots of new shops popping up on the Boulevard bringing lots of excitement to my neighborhood,” Maurice said in an email, “I hope that Village Tavern will be a different and exciting new restaurant/bar experience on the Boulevard.”
Now that all the heavy lifting is about finished up, they are completing the final touches and are hoping to open in early May.
The Village Tavern accommodates 50 indoor seats and a 310 square foot outdoor patio with 22 seats, and is licensed from 11:30 am to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 am to 2:00 am Friday and Saturday.
The new Village Tavern is located at 3216 Glendale Boulevard.
You may have heard… Atwater Village is getting a beer festival!
It’s a great idea, especially with all the popular craft beer locations popping up in Atwater Village and the area, including Link N Hops just last year, The Morrison, and The Village Tavern (opening soon).
This is the first year for the Atwater Village Beer, Wine & Food Festival, but certainly not the last – Andy Hasroun, who owns 55 Degree Wine and Link N Hops in Atwater Village, will be holding the festival annually. Based in the parking lot of his two businesses, the festival will have a wine and beer garden for those 21 and overs where you can sample over a dozen local and West Coast craft beers (like Eagle Rock Brewery, Tap It, Firestone, Golden Road) and a selection of wines.
Food trucks including CoolHaus, Sam Choy’s, Munchie Machine, Me So Hungry, and Gourmet Genie (plus more) will be parked out front alongside Glendale Boulevard. DJ Poet and Delta Force from the Black Eyed Peas will be one of the performers on stage as well.
Advance tickets (food sold separately) are $30 regular admission (12 tastings), $40 for VIP tickets (24 tastings + extras), and $15 for designated driver (includes soda and sausage sandwich). Prices go up the day of, so they recommend buying your tickets in advance. Additionally, VIP tickets are running out!
The event is also sponsored by the Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce.
We are very excited to attend – see you there!
Atwater Village Beer, Wine & Food Festival
April 28 from 1-6:00 pm
AtwaterVillageFestival.com
Click here for tickets
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The small, skinny space nestled between Kaldi Coffee and Atwater Grill on Glendale Boulevard has been recently going through a transformation from an Optometrist’s office to a brand new, organic cold-pressed juice bar.
Simply (and aptly) called “The Juice,” owners Melissa Cronkhite and Elizabeth Halpern have partnered up to completely renovate the space down to the studs. Hoping to open within the next month or so, the duo are “very excited to be part of the Atwater community.”
In addition to 12 daily menu offerings and daily specials of cold-pressed juice, they are also offering a variety of smoothies using vegan ice cream (like frozen banana and raw almonds) or as scoops. The juice menu includes offerings from the simple Carrot and Coconut, to bright greens like Apple, Celery, Kale, Romaine, Parsley, Lemon and Ginger, and Cucumber, Kale, Romaine, Parsley and Lemon. On a hot day, we’d recommend trying the Pineapple, Parsley and Mint (one recipe we often do at home!). You can also purchase 16 oz or 32 oz of fresh coconut or almond milk.
Pricing is not bad although not cheap – $8 will get you a 16 oz. juice, but it is organic, and cold-pressed juices are incredibly flavorful and healthy. If you’re breaking a sweat down at Heartbeat House just a couple of doors down, this will definitely be a great option for those looking to finish off a workout with something nutritious!
Additionally, all fruit and vegetable scraps will be going to L.A. Compost and Enrich LA to be turned into composted used for gardening projects across Los Angeles.
Welcome to the neighborhood! The Juice will be open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, seven days a week. They are located at 3145 Glendale Blvd.
After just a few months of renovating the former Kama Sushi on Los Feliz Boulevard, The Morrison will officially open this Monday, December 17.
There are over 40 beers on tap with a price range from $6-9. Belgians, California microbrews, IPAs and more – our favorites include Mikkeller, holiday beers like St Bernardus Christmas Ale, and even a couple of sours. There’s also a craft cocktail list.
Vegan eaters may want to stick to the bar, as the menu is the typical meat-heavy Scottish fare. Menu items include Roasted Chicken with Wild Mushroom Hash and Leeks, Black Pudding Risotto, Haggis Sliders, Meat Pie, and Ice Cream Sandwiches.
 The Morrison took over the former Kama Sushi location in August The Morrison is located at 3179 Los Feliz Boulevard.
Noticeably absent from the curvy bar inside the new Bon Vivant Market is, well, alcohol! The Glendale Boulevard restaurant has applied for a full liquor license, a topic which the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council will be taking up tomorrow night, Thursday, September 13 at 7:00 pm.
The Neighborhood Council’s Board of Directors will act on an advisory level when it comes to recommending Bon Vivant’s liquor license approval to the city.
Also on the agenda, a presentation from the High Speed Rail Authority, as well as electing committee members such as the Fall Festival and Tree Lighting chairs. The meeting takes place at at Christ’s Church of Griffith Park at 3852 Edenhurst Avenue.
 Image via Atwater Village News About a year and a half ago, a Pat & Oscar’s shut its doors for good in that big Costco shopping center along the Los Feliz Boulevard part of Atwater Village. In just a few days, the new Souplantation will open its doors after months of construction.
While the official grand opening will be on Monday, September 17, 2012, the restaurant chain will hold a “Pre Opening Fundraiser” benefiting the Glendale Arts. The all-you-can-eat restaurant will open on Friday, September 14 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm, and Saturday, September 15 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. With a $5.00 donation you can try out Souplantation, and 100% of the proceeds will go to the organization.
Oddly, these companies keep calling these its “Glendale” location. Pat & Oscars (pictured), thanks Glendale on its closing announcement. And the Souplantation’s Facebook announcement sparked a debate as to whether the location should be called Glendale versus Atwater Village. The company seems to have conceded to the latter.
Souplantation is located at 2901 Los Feliz Blvd.
Glendale Boulevard is seeing a surge of new businesses and activity in the past couple of years, what with the opening of Proof Bakery, Bon Vivant Market, Links n Hops, and more. Two more spaces are gearing up to open on the popular main street of Atwater Village, including a Boba cafe and a new music venue.
Boba Loca is taking over A Boutique for Little Tots at the lower end of street at 3121 Glendale Boulevard. The menu includes, of course, Boba, shakes, smoothies, coffee, and “slush coolers” with flavors like Honeydew. Eater LA says it plans on opening up in three months (so November or December).
Just up the street at 3149 Glendale Boulevard is Vox Populi, a “a pop up music venue” by Kaldi Coffee and Jacknife Records & Taps. Vox Populi is Latin for “voice of the people.”
Kama Sushi shut its doors in the last couple of months, likely because it wasn’t exactly a Yelpers dream sushi spot. The closure and recent construction spurred a flurry of rumors about what would replace it, but now we can put those rumors to rest.
Behind the new restaurant are Marc Kreiner, Charles Lew, and Alex Kagianaris of the popular burger and beer restaurant Stout. Lew was inspired by his Scottish heritage, thus was born the Scotch-centric gastropub they are calling The Morrison.
“I wanted to do a restaurant that would pay homage to Scotland and show my appreciation for the time I spent growing up there and the people including my mother Agnes Morrison who make the country so special. It’s a culture very rich in tradition and possessing of some incredible culinary fare. Look for a modern interpretation of some true Highland kitchen favorites in an atmosphere that tastefully blends tradition with modern day comforts,” said Lew in an email.
Spacecraft is behind the new design, which is described as a “modern minimalist interpretation” (see the renderings below). Like most new restaurants, no word on an opening date, but we’ll keep on it!
The Golden Road Brewing team of beer lovers are, following a great Echo Park crawl, bringing the pub crawl to Atwater Village this Friday night.
Here’s the agenda for the tour of beers:
Bill’s Liquor (tasting) from 6:00-7:30 pm
Tam O’Shanter from 8:00-9:00 pm
Bigfoot Lodge from 9:30-10:30 pm
The Griffin at 11:00 pm
Click here for a map of the route, or check out the Facebook page for the event for more information.
Be sure to head over to Links N Hops Thursday, August 2, for its official grand opening celebration. Owner Andy Hasroun (who also owns 55 Degree Wine next door) is offering up complimentary sausage and beer samples, as well as a complimentary wine tasting for those who venture through the new gastro pub’s doors.
A must-have are the Belgian fries with the spicy ketchup. The sausages varieties are plentiful and come snuggled in fresh rolls baked specifically for Links N Hops. The gastro pub also features a delightful selection of 23 beers on tap that include local craft brews as well as international choices.
Andy also added in a few tables in front for outdoor drinking and dining in our beautiful Los Angeles weather.
Lastly, August 2 is IPA Day so be sure to order your favorite IPA in celebration!
Click here to read our review of Links N Hops.
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