Popular Asian foods supermarket 99 Ranch opened yesterday in Westwood, live seafood and all, cutting out those trips to the Valley for many a fan. An upstairs food court, just one of two in the 99 Ranch family, is currently only open with the brand's hot deli kitchen, while Peruvian sushi, burgers, fried chicken, and more dishes are coming before the end of the year. A grand opening event is planned for November 29.
1360 Westwood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90024. Closest transit lines and stop: Metro Bus Lines 20, 233, 720, and 761 - "Westwood/Wilshire" or Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Lines 1 and 8 - "Westwood/Rochester."
The Rex, one of the best steakhouses in the South Bay and L.A., for that matter, launched a new menu from chef Walter Nunez, who has been smoking meats since he was a kid and now prepares unrivaled cuts of U.S., Japanese, and Australian beef over an open fire. New items at the restaurant, which is named after a notorious gambling ship set off the Redondo coast during Prohibition, include clams casino with smoked pork belly, lobster gnocchi made with yuzu and preserved lemon, merguez-sausage-stuffed New Zealand lamb, and Spanish octopus grilled over white oak served with smoked carrots.