Pitfire Pizza, LA’s popular piemaking chain with 10 locations throughout Southern California, is opening in the shuttered Mohawk Bend space in Echo Park on Thursday, February 15. The beloved vegan brewery closed in October 2023 after 12 years of business in the 2,500-square-foot space. They even kept the photo booth.

Pitfire’s rework of the location is both subtle and bold. The facade is impossible to miss with a massive red and white angular paint job and the interiors are painted just as brightly. The rear is still encased in brick with a roaring fireplace; TVs remain in the bar. While Pitfire’s familiar menu of sourdough pizzas will continue to grace the kitchen, it will also pay homage to Mohawk Bend by keeping a handful of the former tenant’s plant-based favorites like the buffalo cauliflower and Impossible meatballs. Check out the exterior marquee for a list of community events happening in the space.

Pitfire Pizza Echo Park is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.

A fundraiser for All Day Baby chef Jonathan Whitener

In light of the recent passing of chef Jonathan Whitener (Here’s Looking At You, All Day Baby) on February 7, his brother Chris started a GoFundMe campaign to cover the cost of memorial services, burial, and finding a new home for the chef’s pet pig, Winston.

A Japanese Valentine’s Day dinner at home

N/Soto is selling takeout bento boxes for Valentine’s Day. Priced at $150 each, the bento boxes include pork ribs, salad, chicken and squid karaage, plus a make-your-own temaki set with fillings like uni, toro, and blue crab (instructions are included). Wine, sake, and Osteria caviar are available as add-ons. The boxes can be picked up on February 14 between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Order via Resy, which also has the full menu.

N/Soto

LA’s first cannabis consumption lounge reopens

The Los Angeles Times takes a look at the newly reopened OG Cannabis Cafe (formerly Lowell Cafe), which debuted in 2019. The report tracks a number of changes at the pioneering business including a new food menu prepared by Santa Monica’s Jonah’s Kitchen.

Taco Tuesdays at Ka’teen

Starting today, February 13, chef Wes Avila is serving a weekly taqueria Tuesdays menu at Ka’teen from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The tacos are priced at $19 for two and include fillings like leeks and potato with Oaxaca cheese, and slow-braised pork belly with charred pomegranate salsa and habanero onions.

Post & Beam chef residency at Abernathy’s

Post & Beam chef John Cleveland recently began a residency at the restaurant Abernethy’s inside the Music Center in Downtown. Diners will get a chance to experience Cleveland’s cooking beyond what’s served at his acclaimed South LA restaurant, which he took over in 2019.

Erica Allen