Ospi comes to Venice; Ben Ford eatery bows in Playa Vista

Southern Italian restaurant Ospi arrives in Venice; Ben Ford opens Bull & Butterfly in Playa Vista

Sept. 23, 2020 9:30 AM PT

This week in dining news:

Ospi

Ospi, a Southern Italian restaurant from Jame Enoteca chef-owner Jackson Kalb, is open in Venice for takeout, delivery and outdoor dining. The menu includes house-made pasta, thin Roman-style pizzas and country bread toasts topped with chilled lobster or whipped ricotta.

2025 Pacific Ave., Los Angeles, (424) 443-5007, ospivenice.com

Ken’s Ramen

Ken’s Ramen is open in Virgil Village for takeout. Owner Will Hu originally opened his popular ramen shop in Providence, R.I., in 2013, but decided to relocate the business to L.A. last year. The restaurant’s signature ramen bowl features house-made noodles and a rich chicken broth simmered for 20 hours; the menu also includes a spicy ramen, vegan ramen and tsukemen (dipping noodles).

775 N. Virgil Ave., Los Angeles, kensramen.com

Bull & Butterfly

Bull & Butterfly, a California-inspired steakhouse from Lemonade founders Alan and Heidi Jackson opens Thursday in Playa Vista for outdoor dining. The menu from chef Ben Ford features wood-grilled steaks and vegetable dishes roasted over embers, along with an extensive list of cocktails and natural wines from Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe.

12746 W. Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 267-2900, bullandbutterfly.com

Smorg Delivered

Starting Sept. 26, DTLA outdoor food market Smorgasburg, closed since March, will partner with Grubhub to offer delivery from select Smorgasburg vendors, including Porchetta Republic, Shrimp Daddy, Amazebowls, Ugly Drum and Maury’s Bagels. The partnership will run every Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 1.

grubhub.com/smorgasburg-2020

Wolvespack

Long-running underground dinner series Wolvesmouth has launched its first takeout experience, a $130 meal kit and tasting menu for two called Wolvespack. Seasonal dishes include a watermelon tomato salad, chicken dumplings and buttermilk panna cotta; meals can be reserved online for curbside pickup.

wolvesmouth.com

Ludobab

Ludo Lefebvre has flipped the former Trois Mec space on Highland into Ludobab, a casual kebab restaurant inspired by Mediterranean and North African restaurants in Paris. The menu includes vadouvan-marinated lamb, turkey kafta, and grilled ratatouille with tomato sauce; it’s open for delivery and takeout.

716 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 484-8588, ludobab.com

Burritos La Palma

Burritos La Palma is open for takeout and delivery in Boyle Heights. The fourth location of the popular Zacatecas-style joint offers its usual menu of slender burritos filled with beef birria, chicken tinga and stewed chicharrón.

2811 E. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 301-8775, burritoslapalma.com

Ephemera

Vespertine chef Jordan Kahn will launch Ephemera, a temporary pop-up restaurant located at the former Auburn restaurant space, in November. The “gastronomic installation” will feature an array of guest chefs and seat up to 38 guests on an outdoor patio. Tickets will be released via Vespertine’s website.

vespertine.la

Closures:

Revolutionario

South L.A. fusion spot Revolutionario North African Tacos has announced it will close at the end of October after five years in business. Chef-owner Farid Zadi said he plans to reopen the restaurant in a new space in the same neighborhood. On Instagram, he said, “Please do not feel bad for us. The building is very old and in ill repair.”