West LA can add another restaurant to its long list of Japanese restaurants that line Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, Olympic Blvd and Sawtelle Blvd. Originally in Valencia, Maru opened in the former home of Sasabune in 2013, only to close its doors for two years. Now the doors of Maru are officially open again. Located in the base of an office building with large windows that look out on Wilshire Blvd, there are two bars - a cocktail bar and a sushi bar, as well as a communal table and individual tables. The restaurant is spacious but the juniper wood tables add a sense of warmth to the space. Maru Sushi Bar Maru is owned by Chef Jason Park, a classically French trained chef. This is what sets Maru apart from the other Japanese restaurants in the area. The menu, which is seasonally inspired and market-driven, is French-Japanese. From sushi to steak, the menu has a range that will satisfy many.
In a city like Los Angeles there are restaurants on every corner and new restaurants are opening at record speed. Trying to keep up with new restaurants, it is sometimes easy to forget those that have been open for a few years or more. Let's not forget these restaurants as there are some many gems among them. And one of these gems is Via Veneto in Santa Monica. Los Angeles is blessed to have many authentic Italian restaurants in the city. Tucked into a little space on Main Street in Santa Monica, Via Veneto is one of them. Serving traditional Italian food for twelve years, they still continue to pack the house every night. And from the moment you walk in, perhaps you will feel like you have entered a little trattoria in Italy. The Italian staff will greet you and serve you, and of course, charm you in the process. On a recent visit, we were taken care of by Luca. Originally from Molisa, a region in the south of Italy, Luca has been working at Via Veneto for five years. He knows the menu inside and out and is happy to suggest many of the daily specials. With a combination of regular menu items, as well as some specials, we were ready to go. Luca welcomes us to Via Veneto

This post originally appeared on FoodableTV.com In 2014, Chef Curtis Stone opened Maude, his first restaurant in Los Angeles. Maude is an intimate 25-seat restaurant in Beverly Hills and features one...

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