LA Venues

The 1.6 million-square-foot, LEED-certified Anaheim Convention Center is nearing completion on its 100,000-square-foot open-air Grand Plaza, right for alfresco meetings and events. It's slated for a grand opening ceremony on January 24, to correspond with the opening of the music industry's NAMM Show.

Chef David Myers and Milo Garcia of MAI Studio are creating a new signature restaurant, Hinoki & the Bird, for the Century, Related Companies’ luxury condominium tower. The menu is meant to capture the essence of California cooking with inspiration from Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisines. The restaurant, slated to open this month, will take cues from Myers’s explorations of the Silk Road, most notably in Japan, where he has established multiple locations of his high-end SOLA pastry shop brand.

The Pub at Golden Road Brewery has just opened a new section for private events. The Parlour holds 75 seated and has a fireplace, piano, and 120-inch drop-down screen. The Snug room holds 12 seated with a TV with HDMI and DVD hookups. The game room holds 10 for a reception and has a pool table and TV. The banquet room holds 32 seated, as does the View room.

Crowne Plaza Costa Mesa Orange County opened December 10. Following a conversion from an independent brand, the Hotel Hanford, the new property has modern design touches by CRDS Inc. meant to reflect a relaxed Southern California vibe. The 224-room property is located adjacent to South Coast Plaza and in close proximity to John Wayne Airport and Disneyland. The hotel has a pool, terrace, lounge, wine salon, and 9,000 square feet of meeting space.

Barton G. Weiss is slated to open an outpost of Barton G. the Restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard in February. The 1,900-square-foot space in West Hollywood will reflect his signature flair for dramatic presentation. Helming the kitchen will be executive chef Jeff O’Neill of the Dining Room at the Villa by Barton G., Weiss’s restaurant within the former Versace Mansion on Miami’s Ocean Drive.

Southern California-based Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar opened its newest location in Beverly Hills in December, offering steak house fare and a wine list with more than 100 wines served by the glass. The 7,200-square-foot restaurant seats 250 and has a two-story all-glass wine room, a second-story mezzanine dining room, and a patio marked by a soaring floor-to-ceiling glass window. Design Development Group of Agoura Hills oversaw the buildout and interior design.

Chef Suzanne Goin and business partner Caroline Styne, owners of Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern, and the Larder at Maple Drive restaurants in Los Angeles, have signed a lease to move their small-plates restaurant A.O.C. to 8700 West 3rd Street, the existing location of Il Covo (pictured). The opening is planned for early in the new year.

RivaBella, the fine-dining Italian restaurant from Innovative Dining Group in partnership with chef and restaurateur Gino Angelini, is slated to open this month. The 8,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor space was designed by Studio Collective, and it's meant to evoke the mood of a rustic Tuscan farmhouse.

Downtown Long Beach’s oldest remaining building is now an event space. Choura Events reached an exclusive agreement with the city of Long Beach to transform the historic former Masonic lodge at 230 Pine Avenue into a private event space that will be available in January. Known by its address, 230 Pine, the multilevel venue holds 400 guests. The building was constructed in 1903 and is one of the last remaining examples of local architect Henry Starbuck. Its exterior is highlighted by three peaked gables, which accent its historic brick façade.

Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Palm Desert is undergoing a $5 million renovation. Having previously finished a meeting space renovation, the property wrapped its plaza and fitness center renovations in December. Overall, the venue will have redesigned suites, a revitalized spa and expanded fitness center, a revamp of the plaza incorporating additional outdoor seating with fire pits, a new look and feel to R Bar (creating a larger lobby space), and the upgraded meeting and convention space, which includes an all-new executive meeting space.