What’s Popping Up? First Look From Chefs Jon and Vinny At What’s Coming to SoFi Stadium And More

In the second of a series of videos introducing their four food concepts to be featured at SoFi Stadium, chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo give a sneak peek at what can be expected from their culinary program, LA Eats. Together with Legends Hospitality, the duo is bringing San Vicente to the stadium with some traditional Italian favorites like thick cut pizzas and the stromboli dog – a city-link hot dog wrapped in traditional capicola, mortadella, salami, and Italian provolone, then fully baked inside pizza dough.

Their Fairfax concept includes a cheeseburger sub and chicken salad sub, as well as jalapeno cheddar sausage and vegan chili.

FREE MARKET Playa Vista, which includes a handful of food and beverage concepts, is officially set to open to the public this Saturday, May 1. The massive 21,000 square foot open format space will include food and beverage in addition to retail and cultural installations. Among others, FREE MARKET will feature Joliet Cafe and Bar, a new concept from Ben Adams and Alex Meza as well as another outpost of popular taco shop Loqui.

Ise-Shima (Discover Torrance)

Torrance Restaurant Week will take place Friday, April 30 through Friday, May 7. Highlights include 21 Square Bar + Kitchen at Marriott Torrance Redondo Beach, Andre’s Restaurant and DoubleTree by Hilton Torrance – South Bay is offering a three-course menu for $25 with options including seafood linguini, cheese ravioli, cobb salad or chicken marsala. The Depot Restaurant is providing a special summertime rosé vodka and Meyer lemon martini accompanied by an ahi tuna tartare dish. Ise-Shima at Miyako Hybrid Hotel has a Chef’s Special Box and Torrance Bakery is giving away a free cookie when you buy five. Yorkshire Square Brewery is offering $2 grilled or beer-battered crispy tacos.

Uncool Burgers is kicking off burger month from Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 2 with $1 burgers and the chance for guests to win fries for life. The namesake burger comes with uncool sauce, onion jam, a cheese crisp, american cheese, and house pickles and there’s a plant-based version of the smashburger as well. For the chance to win fries for life, every hour one winner will find an Uncool sticker in the cup and can redeem a cup of fries once every week for a year.

Courtesy Uncool Burgers

Lola’s in Long Beach will be celebrating their 13 year anniversary on Monday, May 3. In honor of those 13 years, the restaurant will be offering $13 Lola’s margaritas for two (in-house) and $13 Lola’s margarita pitchers to-go (takeout and delivery only) on Saturday, May 1 – Sunday, May 2.

In other burger news, Beyond Meat will unveil their newest Beyond Burger at The Beyond Burger Mobile Pop-Up at The Brig on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. In celebration of the new Beyond Burger hitting grocery shelves during the week of May 3, Beyond Meat is giving fans a chance to be among the first to taste the burger before it arrives in stores at an exclusive 2-day mobile pop-up in Los Angeles. The newest patty contains fewer calories and 35% less fat and saturated fat compared to traditional 80/20 beef. Fans who visit the mobile truck will receive a free taste of the new and highly anticipated Beyond Burger, while supplies last.

Contrary to those erroneous shortage rumors, boba still abounds. Sunright Tea Studio, Southern California’s newest bubble tea shop, is celebrating National Bubble Tea Day on Friday, April 30 and they’re also introducing their newest Sunright Tea Studio location in San Gabriel. The menu features Sunright Boba Milk, Cheese Foam, Frosties, Coffee, The Right Milk Tea, Sunny Fruit Tea, Original Tea, and Brûlée Lattes with Oat Milk. Oreo Brûlée Boba Milk is a store favorite made of crème brûlée foam and crushed Oreos combined with sweetened fresh milk and boba. Additional selections include Brown Sugar Boba Milk, Crème Brûlée Boba Milk, Pudding Boba Milk, Red Bean Boba Milk, Grass Jelly Boba Milk and Taro Boba Milk.

What’s Popping Up is a weekly column in the L.A. Weekly that explores all that’s new in food and drink.