More stores to open on Larchmont
FAHERTY is now open on the Boulevard.
The Boulevard will soon have a stylish office supply shop. Shorthand, specializing in beautiful desk paraphernalia, recently signed a lease for one of the last available spots at the Larchmont Mercantile building, according to a spokesperson for the Mercantile, the new multi-shop building that originally was built as the Lipson Building in the 1920s.
Since 2016, Shorthand has brought office goods to the Highland Park area of Los Angeles. Now Larchmontians will get to stop in a new, chic shop to get greeting cards, notebooks, pens, pencils and custom stationery, among other things.
A lease also has been signed for the space previously occupied by POLA at 129 N. Larchmont Blvd. across the street from Shorthand between Le Petit Greek and Village Pizzeria. The new store, Duer, currently has a location at 170 S. La Brea Ave. Duer will sell “stretch performance denim” and lifestyle apparel. Designed for comfortable movement, Duer’s wares are crafted from plants and recycled materials.
Speaking of Village Pizzeria, we understand that the new owners [“Tenant construction underway at Boulevard shops, some opening,” Nov. 2022] and their predecessor are seeking arbitration to try to resolve a dispute concerning the memorabilia of Village Pizzeria’s founders, the Steve and Nancy Cohen family, and other matters.
Faherty, the men’s and women’s clothing store at 219 N. Larchmont Blvd., opened June 10. Operations Manager Delio Jaramillo told us that locals have been introducing themselves and welcoming the store to the neighborhood.
“It’s been great so far,” said Marsha, the store’s manager. “We love the whole culture of Larchmont.”
This store will be the New Jersey-based company’s 54th location. Faherty’s style is beachy, comfortable and bohemian. In addition to clothing, customers will find flip-flops, socks and Raen brand sunglasses.
OPEN for business, Bacio di Latte serves up scoops.
Bacio di Latte also has opened for business. With flavors like limone sorbet, peanut butter gianduja and a classic stracciatella, the store at 141 1/2 N. Larchmont Blvd. is seeing scores of new customers stopping by for scoops.
LEVAIN BAKERY was set to open June 24 after we went to press.
Another flavor note: While strolling the Boulevard, keep your olfactory senses in action to catch the scent of baking cookies. Levain Bakery opened at 227 N. Larchmont Blvd. on June 24 at 8 a.m. with a team ribbon cutting. The first 100 people in line received a Levain Bakery Larchmont Village tote bag with bakery swag, and throughout opening day there were balloon twisting, face painting and other activities. And, of course, cookies were served fresh out of the oven.
The bakery also offers pastries, cakes, breads and rolls.
The proceeds from Levain Bakery Larchmont’s opening day will be donated to Alexandria House, a bakery spokesperson told us.
Sichuan take-out ‘Sua’ to open on the Boulevard soon
Targeting a late July or August opening, owners Jing Gao and Stephanie Liu are getting ready to bring their new Sichuan grab-and-go eatery, Sua, to the Boulevard. Construction started a few weeks ago for this, the team’s first U.S. restaurant.
The duo’s goal is to make the flavors of Sichuan cuisine more accessible and convenient for people to enjoy. Their offerings, said Gao, will be “fresh, healthy and delicious — rooted in tradition, but where we are here and now.”
SUA OWNERS Stephanie Liu and Jing Gao in front of the site for their Larchmont Boulevard grab-and-go eatery.
Liu and Gao both hail from China. Gao had a restaurant in Shanghai and moved to Los Angeles to launch her Fly by Jing chili sauce. Liu’s family owns a Sichuan eatery in the San Gabriel Valley. Liu resides in the Larchmont Village neighborhood.
Gao told us that, although she was born in Chengdu, in Sichuan province, she was in a faculty family and moved to a different country every year as a child. In her 20s, she moved back to Asia for a job in Shanghai, and she realized how much going from place to place had affected her. She felt like she had lost a sense of identity. Being back in China, Gao said layers were peeled back, enabling her to discover who she was, her heritage and her cultural identity.
Food became the vehicle for her to make these discoveries. She studied with a master chef in Sichuan and spent years developing her own expression of what modern Sichuan food meant to her.
What began as a personal quest to reconnect with her roots changed into a mission to shine more light on Chinese cuisine and the culture, which, in her words, “has been devalued outside China.” She wanted to shift the narrative about Chinese food and show how delicious and high-quality it could be. “That became my guiding light and my mission,” said Gao.
In working to shift the way people perceive Chinese food, Gao realized that being in Los Angeles could serve her well. “The U.S. and its media dictate globally how we view others — and other cultures,” said Gao. When she started her Kickstarter campaign to fund Fly by Jing, its success solidified her idea that people here were ready for a high-quality Chinese food product. Fly by Jing was one of the first modern Asian food brands to launch in the U.S.
“We are super excited to open [Sua] and be part of the neighborhood,” said Gao. Sua is a Chinese slang word that means playful. The chef told us the kitchen / superette will have rows of refrigerators with ready, pre-packaged food (meals, sides and larger meals for sharing). Beverages will be available at the counter, and a retail area will carry home goods including condiments, vinegars, oils, soy sauces, misos, cookware, tea, ceramics and artfully crafted items.
There will be minimal seating in the space and some on the sidewalk. The team told us they will use the freshest local proteins and produce to combine Sichuan flavors with incredible regional ingredients.
Gao’s first cookbook, “The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp,” published by Penguin Random House, is coming out at the end of September. It will, of course, be sold at the eatery.
Category: News
