The two Hive Hospitality restaurants slated for the ground floor of the SLS Beverly Hills are coming into shape, with chef Ian Scaramuzza now on board as the culinary director for the casual Orion and fancy tasting counter Ôde by Jônt. Before joining the SLS Beverly Hills, Scaramuzza was the chef de cuisine of In Situ in San Francisco and was the chef de cuisine at Mélisse in Santa Monica, helping the latter to earn two Michelin stars.

At SLS Beverly Hills, Scaramuzza joins Hive Hospitality executive chef Ryan Ratino in opening Orion in late summer. Occupying most of the former Bazaar space on the ground floor, Orion will serve snacks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts a la carte for an estimated price point between $95 and $115 per person using farmers market produce and fine dining preparations. Menu items may include black cod with spinach, mussels, and vadouvan, spot prawns “Thermidor,” and a shareable cote de boeuf with marrow and seaweed vinaigrette.

In Washington D.C., Hive Hospitality manages the two-Michelin-starred Jônt serving luxurious ingredients through a French and Japanese lens. Expect a similar approach with Ôde by Jônt with a price point of $275 per person, plus beverage pairings. Diners will start with snacks in a living room space before moving to a counter for seven to nine plated courses. Desserts highlighting Japanese and California fruits are served in a separate lounge. Ôde by Jônt is expected to open in late 2024.

Two birthday bashes to know about

Legendary Santa Monica restaurant Michael’s is celebrating 45 years on April 21, 2024, with a party that will bring together many of its chefs from over the decades. Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto), Sang Yoon (Father’s Office), Brooke Williamson (Playa Provisions), Nancy Silverton (Mozza), Miles Thompson (Baby Bistro), Brian Bornemann (Isla, Crudo e Nudo), and Kazuto Matsusaka (Beacon Culver City) will be among the chefs cooking from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with a portion of proceeds benefiting No Kid Hungry. Tickets cost $250 per ticket and are available on Resy.

Shin Thompson and Chubby Group’s Michelin-recognized Niku X restaurant in Downtown LA celebrates its first year of business with a party on March 30 beginning at 10:30 p.m. with an unlimited caviar bar, passed bites, and live DJ sets. Tickets cost $120 for general admission and $180 for open bar and food.

A blaze takes down the former Junior’s Deli

SF Gate reports that the former Junior’s Deli building, which later became Lenny’s Deli, burned down from a fire that enveloped multiple structures on the block. The blaze took place on the evening of March 14, with firefighters working for two hours to put it out. Junior’s Deli opened in 1959 and closed in 2012. Its replacement, Lenny’s Deli, closed in 2019, leaving the building unoccupied since.

Evan Funke opens in Chicago

Chef Evan Funke, who opened his namesake Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills last year and expanded Hollywood’s Mother Wolf to the Fontainebleau resort in Las Vegas in December 2023, opened Tre Dita in Chicago this past weekend. Serving Tuscan-inflected wood-grilled meats and handmade pasta, Tre Dita is located inside the swanky St. Regis hotel in Downtown Chicago’s Lakeshore East neighborhood.

Eric Wolfinger

Gucci Osteria pops up in Newport Beach

The Resort at Pelican Hill will host a pop-up with Gucci Osteria from March 22 to 24. Gucci chef Mattia Agazzi and Pelican Hill chef Kyung Soo Carroll will be collaborating on a high-end California Italian menu for three dinners and two brunches. The six-course dinners featuring “risotto camouflaged as pizza” are priced at $280, while the brunch tasting menus cost $195. Get tickets here.

A swanky new Downtown lunch spot

The Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) has a fully redesigned restaurant called Famous Players with a menu by chef Marcel Vigneron. The all-day eatery, which is only open to members of the club and guests of the club, as well as hotel guests staying on the premises, is named after LAAC founder Frank A. Garbutt’s movie studio Famous Players Film Company that eventually became Paramount Pictures. The cafe and restaurant serves espresso and chilaquiles at breakfast; club sandwiches and pastrami Reubens for lunch; and seared dayboat scallops and steak frites for dinner.

Wonho Frank Lee

Wonho Frank Lee