EPISODE 75: 10 CELEBRITY OWNED RESTAURANTS TO KNOW ABOUT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

In this week's episode of Living in the Sprawl: Southern California's Most Adventurous Podcast, host Jon Steinberg shares his list of 10 celebrity owned restaurants to know about in Southern California. His list includes: Chingon Kitchen in Highland, Herd Burger in Torrance, Clutch Roadhouse in Venice, Beignet Box in Studio City, Blue's Fish and Soul in Santa Clarita, Hart House in Westchester, Trejo's Tacos in Hollywood, A Restaurant in Newport Beach, Pizzana in Brentwood and Tagine in Beverly Hills.

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Transcript

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Hello listeners and fellow explorers. This is living in the sprawls lovely and talented producer slash wife, Lisa Steinberg. I wanted to thank all of you for your continuous support of the show. As a new podcast on the scene, John and I self-support the logistics and research that go into the show. The number one way to support the show is to rate, review and share this podcast with everyone, you know, Many of you have been doing this and it has helped immensely. I also invite you to check out our website and the show notes for other ways to support the show. We are currently working with companies. We currently use ourselves. To get discount codes for our listeners and support the show in the process. These companies include. Every table, just CBD store, gold belly cats, botanicals, and so much more. By using the links on our website, you are letting them know we sent you an intern, supporting the show. You can also support us on Patrion and pod fan. Please check out the website@livinginthesprawlpodcast.com. For updates on companies we are working with our testimonies links codes and new living in the sprawl merchandise Again thank you to all of you our lovely listeners for tuning in every week and allowing us to do what we love Without further ado you're humble correspondent John steinberg Hello, and welcome to another installment of living in the sprawl. So in the California's most adventurous podcast, I am as always your humble host of corresponded. My name is John Steinberg joined by my lovely and talented producer slash my wife. Her name is Lisa Steinberg. We are the team here at sprawl enterprises. Ready to bring you yet another exciting foray to the vast expanse. terrain that we have lovingly dubbed the sprawl. On the show today, an examination. Of celebrity. Well, not quite that. Specifically, we're going to be examining 10. Celebrity owned restaurants. That you can visit in the Southern California sprawl. This region is synonymous with celebrity. If you've seen 2000 sixteens Lala land. And you've never visited the area. You probably think, well, City of stars. All of the famous people in the world happened to live within the greater Los Angeles area. Well, that's not exclusively accurate. It's kind of close. And the truth is that. With the. Celebrity culture. And all that it brings to bear. A natural extension. Of this culture. His restaurants, Hangouts places to eat. Places to spend time without. Feeling like you're going to be mobbed by TMZ reporters. In short. This area has an abundance of establishments that are owned by extremely recognizable faces. The modern. Quote, unquote, celebrity restaurant. For our purposes, let's say it begins a 1991. When planet Hollywood first opened its doors. In New York city. Previously. The hard rock cafe. And it's association with glamorous rock musicians. Have laid the framework. But. When Arnold Schwartzenegger Sylvester Stallone. And Bruce Willis. Went. Their own personal cache. To the planet Hollywood business. Venture. Uh, trend began. We started seeing. Establishments like Bubba Gump. In Margaritaville. In Sammy Hagar is Cabo. Wabo come to fruition. A mere association with a celebrity was a way to stand out from the crowd. Distinguish oneself in an increasingly competitive culinary landscape. The promise of planet Hollywood. The. Sales pitch as it were. Seem to go a little, something like this. If you found yourself. Looking for a place to dine out. And wanted to rub shoulders with a list. Action stars. Well, there was indeed a place. That you could do it. And it was called planet Hollywood. And if you didn't believe that sales pitch well. All you needed to do was look at the surrounding walls, littered with memorabilia from Terminator. Rocky and diehard films. Pictures with. The future governor of California. Sliced alone and Bruce Willis, which adorned. Planet Hollywood. And you could feel like you were. In close enough, proximity to a star. Today. Planet Hollywood still exists. All be it. With a. Uh, fanfare. Not. Equally on par. With the acclaim. That used to hold. No today. As you'll see from this compilation of 10 spots to visit in Southern California. It's more about. Appealing to trends. Being true to oneself. Reaching. A broad coalition of customers. In 2020 to the celebrity restaurant. Does it mean. That you might. Keyword mite. Run into sliced alone at a planet Hollywood in some abstract concept of a family vacation. Near the city of Orlando. No, today. The celebrity owned restaurant is more. About essence. Combined with social media. And instant. Fan to celebrity interaction. We now know far more about these stars than we ever did before. The restaurants they own. Are extensions of that. Connection. And as you'll see. It's all about being true to one's own essence. So let us count down R 10. Celebrity owned restaurants in Southern California. That you could check out for your self. And number 10. George Lopez's. Chingona. Kitchen. This. Actually has a couple of different outlets, but we're going to focus on the one located. Inside. Sandman. Well, Casino and resort actually, it's been renamed to Yamaha at the San Manuel. Casino and resort. Funnyman George Lopez. Who grew up. Not all that far from where this podcast is being recorded in the San Fernando valley. Opened. His. Fast casual, Mexican. Outpost. At Sandman, well, casino. Catering to gamblers. Visitors hungry patrons. From all walks of life. Here you can snack on signature nachos. Or indulge. In. A true behemoth. Of a burrito. Outposts of chin go and kitchen also exists at the. Bruise food hall and Torrance, and actually the second. Bruce Hall, which just opened in Hermosa beach. Lopez opened a Chingona kitchen in Phoenix. And his budding culinary empire shows no signs of stopping at number 10. It's Chingona kitchen. From my chronic comedian, George Lopez. At San Manuel Yamaha up at San Manuel. Hotel and casino in Highland. California. At number nine. Colin cow herds, the herd Berger located. At the bruise food hall in Torrance. And at the brews food hall in Hermosa beach. Long time. Sports radio personality. And Fox sports contributor, Colin coward. Opened. This quintessential laid back. So they're California eatery. A few years back offering. Burgers fries. Locally brewed. Beers. A sports bar. That's not exactly a sports bar or. Maybe to look at it from a different vantage point. A new interpretation of a sports bar. We've covered. The proliferation of food halls around the Southern California area. And the bruise. Which is adjacent to the. Enormous Del AMO. Fashion center in Torrance. Is an example of what's possible. All of the ordering. Is it done? When you walk through the doors. And though there are multiple. Kitchens on hand. It's a one stop ordering system. Cutting down on labor costs. Overhead. While not sacrificing anything in the way of flavor. Originality. Or dining concept. For those that listen. To cow herds daily. Fox sports show. Dining. At his, upon a miss. Restaurant. It's a great opportunity. To forge a relationship. With the commentator. Beyond merely. Tuning in as you drive to work. The food's solid in the way. That. You didn't anticipate. At a local sports bar. They aren't reinventing the wheel. Aspiring for Michelin star status. Colin coward and the folks. That helped bring this restaurant to life. Our offering reliable. Delicious. And affordable meals that everyone can enjoy as they watch the Rams chargers, Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, angels, Bruins, or Trojans take on whoever they happen to be playing. On the day in question. And number eight clutch Roadhouse. This is in Venice, inland Venice, but Venice, nevertheless, and comes to us. By a way. Of John. Cuentas most recognizable. Two audiences. From his. Turn as Miguel Revus on. The breakout. Basic cable. Hit, this is us. I was reminded of. Your prototypical biker bar. Roadside. Pit stop. A place to feel up for the long haul. Even though you are smack dab. In the middle of west Los Angeles. They've got. Burgers pulled pork sandwiches. Outstanding chicken wings. All of the accoutrements you would expect to find at. Roadside establishments. There's. A well-worn. Biker aesthetic. To clutch. Loud rock music. Plays. As folks. Dressed, at least partially in the leather. Flock to the bar to snag. Another anchor steam. On tap. Clutch Roadhouse is a great option. For those that aspire. To travel the length. Of the Pacific coast highway. On a motorcycle, but don't have the time the motorcycle or the inclination to put it all together. Redefining the idea of a comfortable biker bar. It's. Clutch Roadhouse. From this is us cast member, John Uh, number seven. Benny box in studio city on Ventura Boulevard. This. Dessert specialist. Comes to us by way of multihyphenate singer songwriter, actress, all around Renaissance woman. Christina Milian. I keep coming back to the word, cute. To define the interior of been a box. The type of location. You'd expect to see. In a heavily trafficked. Town square somewhere in Brussels. It has a very European. Aesthetic to it. And I mean that in the best possible sense of the word. The desserts here. What? We've all come for the venue. A wonderful post. Friday night dinner treat. And as. The location is on Ventura Boulevard. The options are plentiful when it comes. To filling up on an entree before this. Spectacular second course. We love the music. We love the movies. We're not sure how we feel about her relationship with Nick cannon. But we can say unequivocally. That we adore been a box from christina milian Number six blues, fish and soul from rapper blue face. Located in Santa Clarita. I had the privilege of frequenting this establishment. On my way out to death valley, as part of. My bachelor party weekend. Though, I can't say I'm the world's biggest. Blue face fan. The restaurant that bears his name and his co-run by his father. Is an entirely different story. If you're looking for soul food. In the Santa Clarita valley. There's no other answer than blues, fish and soul. Deep fried breaded catfish. Outstanding. Shrimp po'boy sandwiches. Soul food that belongs in the heart of new Orleans. But because this is the sprawl and it is the city of stars. The restaurant happens to be located. In a completely anonymous strip mall. Outside Los Angeles in Santa Clarita. The place has a wonderful, personalized charm memorabilia. And personal keepsakes. Art to be found. All over the interior. And the food. Clearly designed. With love care. And a decided purpose. Has everything your soul food craving, heart desires. At number six, it's blues, fish and soul in Santa Clarita from. Blue face And number five heart house. From actor, comedian. Celebrity pitch, man, all around Xtrordinair. Kevin Hart. This just opened. And your humble hosted correspondent was fortunate enough. To be. There for the launch of. This all vague in fast casual restaurant in the Westchester section. Of the city. A Stone's throw away from lax. Hart's house. Offers customers. Traditional fast food items. Except everything here is made. With. Vegetarian and vegan friendly ingredients. For 13 American dollars. You can snare. One of the restaurants signature. Spicy fo chicken sandwiches. Fry's. And a drink. It's not a novel concept. But it's executed quite well. And doubles down on. The increasingly. Noticeable popularity. Of vegan and vegetarian forward restaurants. Mr. Hart clearly wanted to provide. His fans. And those. That have just landed. At lax. With a delicious cost effective. Option. That won't. Fill you up with guilt. And three times. The amount of calories recommended. For a daily serving. The Westchester. Of posts is only the first in a planned flurry. Of restaurants backed by Kevin Hart. Coming to an area near you soon. There's a Hollywood location. Set to open quite soon. And other outlets of hearts house. Have planned opening dates within the next calendar year. For a side. Of celebrity with your vegetarian fast food consider kevin hart's heart house Number four. Trey hose tacos. From now legendary. Performer. Danny Trejo. Who knew. That the man who played Johnny 23. In con air from the 1990s. What ultimately. Cement his Los Angeles legacy. As a beloved. Restaurant tour. There's been no shortage of Danny Trejo content in the last 10 years. He's appeared on commercials. Released a best selling. Memoir. And the man has appeared in countless. Film and television productions. A true. Native sun. Trey hose tacos. Has infiltrated. Sophie stadium. Los Angeles international airport. A couple of very prominent locations exist. In the greater Hollywood portion of the city. After his tacos. Proved immensely successful. He opened. A donut forward cafe. Danny Trey hose food. And like this. Are absolutely everywhere. In the city of angels in 2022. And while. You would think that with such. Speedy expansion. That the food might suffer. That's not the case. The tacos indeed are rather delicious. Proving. That even the most. Improbable of journeys is actually possible. In a city such. As the unofficial capital of the sprawl. Los Angeles. And number three. A restaurant in Newport beach on the Pacific coast highway. This. Rebranding. Of iconic. Landmark establishment, the arches. Comes to us courtesy. Of noted director. And Corona Del Mar high school graduate MC G. The man behind. Charlie's angels. Three days to a kill. The corn music video for got the life. Terminator salvation and a host of other. Noteworthy projects. Has been around now for over a decade. A restaurant. Took the space once occupied. By a John Wayne favorite. Arches. This is neither here nor there, but the arches was also my grandfather's favorite restaurant. And in every year for his birthday, we would go there and he would indulge with a capital I in the lobster Thermidor. But the arch is at some point in early two thousands, kind of. Well, it was no longer seen as a cool. Spot. To part with$70 for a steak. It needed some new life. An injection. Of personality, vitality, something to bring it. To the level. That folks dining at an orange county were beginning to grow accustomed. MC G. Kept. Some of the fine dining trappings while also. Implementing a daytime friendly cafe offering sandwiches, salads. And low calorie fair for the health-conscious orange county crowd. A restaurant was such a success. That a prompted Mick GTE. To open a second. Newport beach based eatery. Within the last year and a half or so, Mick G opened CDM on the Pacific coast highway, a couple of miles down the road from a restaurant. But if you're looking. For an orange county experience. Without the plastic veneer. Without the stilettos. Without the scourge that seemed. To follow the area. After the real Housewives of orange county came out. Then a restaurant from Mick G is a terrific option. It bridges the gap between Newport's. Historical place as a yacht community and it's current. Reputation as a celebrity hotspot number three it's a restaurant from director Mick G. And number two P Zana. In Brentwood. Comes to us. Through the aid. I have a couple of famous folks. None more. So then. Actor, Chris O'Donnell. Candice Nelson, the woman behind sprinkles cupcakes is also involved. And the original Pisana in Brentwood. Has been such a success. That two other outposts of Pisana. Have spawn from the original one in the San Fernando valley and the other. In west Hollywood. Here. There's every reason in the world to believe that this is another. Overpriced underwhelming. Quote, unquote, celebrity hotspot. That has the audacity to charge.$37 for a pizza. But here the food is actually tremendous. There's a Spargo inspired. Salmon pizza. That deserves your attention. As do. The outlandishly. Divine. Meatballs that you can get as an appetizer. Maybe Chris O'Donnell's best days. As a film headliner are behind him. But with five kids to raise. And a permanent gig. On a C S I type television show. Peas on a success. Might actually outlast his legacy as a thespian. For those of you that loved. Scent of a woman. The curious romcom. The bachelor. And his turn as Batman's sidekick, Robin. Do yourself a favor. And get your hands on a pizza from Pisana. Nana. And that means we have arrived at our number one spot on our list of the 10 celebrity owned restaurants that you should know about in the Southern California sprawl. Lisa. And I had the great privilege of dining at Owned by Ryan Gosling. Recently. And can honestly say this is a spot. You should go out of your way to check out. It's been around since the mid two thousands and Ryan Gosling. Is on record. Uh, saying this. Is the type of food I want to eat for the rest of my life. The Moroccan cuisine. Offered at Is a far cry. From the seafood towers found. At trendier places such as catch and Craig's. And even though Jean is technically located in the 9 0 2 1 0 1 Beverly Hills. It really doesn't feel like It's. Removed from rodeo drive. And the corporate card crowd. TGA. Jeanne is located adjacent. To a liquor store slash deli. The inside. Has a ton of personal touches. Like the citizen Kane poster hovering. On a wall. Near the restroom. The staff here. Our attentive. Knowledgeable. Everything you're looking for. From a waitstaff. And whether it's the appetizers or the entrees. If you've got a refined palate. Kasian is going to bring something to the table. That you're into. that's going to do it for another episode of living in the sprawl. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support of the show. Couple of easy ways to demonstrate a such support hop on apple iTunes, leave us a five star rating and a kind review. That stuff helps us out. A great deal. Follow us on Instagram. The handle is living in the sprawl podcast. Drop us a line. We always love corresponding with listeners by writing an email. To us@livinginthesprawlpodcastatgmail.com. We'd also like to direct you to our tremendous website designed by my wonderful wife. And it's here that you can get your hands on living in the sprawl merchandise, the living in the sprog guide. If you want it, and it's living in the sprawl related, the website is the place where you can get it. So again, on behalf of myself, I am as always your humble host and correspondent. My name is John a Stibo. Joined by my lovely and talented producer slash my wife. Her name is Lisa Steinberg. We are the team here at sprawl enterprises, thanking you for joining us on another episode. Of living in the sprawl. So the California's most adventurous podcast, talk to you all quite soon.