Goldburger, a smash burger restaurant with locations in Los Feliz, Highland Park, and a forthcoming third in Granada Hills, is opening in the former Burgerlords space in Chinatown. Owner Allen Yelent says the menu will be similar to his other locations and he hopes to open sometime in October 2024.

Yelent fondly remembers when the original Burgerlords opened in Chinatown. “I think it’s beautiful,” he says. “I think it’s iconic. It just feels like a really great LA institution.” When he heard that the revamped Burgerlords was closing, he reached out to the original owner of Burgerlords, Fred Guerrero, to find out what was happening with the space and to connect with the landlords. Since the location was already a burger restaurant, the transition to Goldbuger has been relatively straightforward, with Yelent just having to hire staff and pick up a few more pieces of equipment.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Yelent is particularly excited about the architecture and history of the new location, as well as the vibrant Chinatown community. “I’m excited being part of a community that’s very old and very passionate about its community,” he says.

Birdie G’s goes down to five nights a week

In an Instagram post, Birdie G’s in Santa Monica announced that it wouldn’t be open seven nights a week anymore. Instead, starting on October 1, the restaurant will be closed on Sundays and Mondays. The post says that with the extra days closed, the team can devote more time to enhancing the dining experience, and revamping the menu from chef Jeremy Fox.

A fundraiser for chef Shirley Chung

Industry Only is hosting its first-ever public event on October 27 to raise money to support chef Shirley Chung during her battle with stage four tongue cancer. The event will feature restaurants, including Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Rice Box, and Chimmelier. Tickets are $50 a person, and all the funds will go directly to Chung.

Far Bar celebrates Ohtani’s historic season

LAist reports that Little Tokyo’s Far Bar has been giving patrons free sake shots every time Shohei Ohtani hits a home run. Owner Don Tahara, a lifeline Dodgers fan, was inspired to offer the free shots by the massive Ohtani mural that went up right across from the bar. He serves Sho Chiku Bai ‘Kyoto’ Junmai for the shots to celebrate Ohtani’s historic 54 home runs so far this season.

LA Loves Alex’s Lemonade raises money for pediatric cancer research

Matthew Kang

Chef Suzanne Goin, Caroline Styne, and chef David Lentz are hosting a fundraiser and food tasting for Alex’s Lemonade Stand, an organization that raises money to support the fight against childhood cancer, on October 5 at UCLA’s Royce Quad. This year’s Kids Campaign fundraiser, which is organized by Suzanne and David’s daughter Alex Lentz, is dedicated to the life of Mark Yenbamroong, the son of Night + Market co-owners Sarah St. Lifer and Kris Yenbamroong, who died in August 2024 after a battle with brain cancer. Tickets are available here.