Echo Park’s former Button Mash space, a local fixture for nine years before its September 2024 closure, is slated for a comeback this fall as the Ravine Club. This new sports bar marks the first hospitality project for television writer Hank Chilton, known for his work on shows like Nip/Tuck and Ash vs. Evil Dead. Chilton aims for an “elevated sports bar experience,” combining game day staples with a focus on better food.
Chef Hugo Sanchez, owner of South Gate’s Brown Soul Brewing, will craft a menu featuring wings, hot dogs, hamburgers, and tacos, alongside gluten-free options. The project taps into local sports culture with Alex Soto, founder of the Dodgers fan group Pantone 294, joining as a co-founder. Investor George Angon is also a co-founder and partner. Operations and beverage consulting comes from Taylor Parsons and David Rosoff, whose resumes include local spots like Mozza and Republique. Chilton, a lifelong Dodgers fan, aims for the Ravine Club to be a welcoming spot for all fans, not exclusive to one team, and accessible for those heading to or from the park. The club plans to open for weekend morning games, with a weekday lunch menu eyed for 2027. Before its official debut, the Ravine Club will serve food and host sets at the Echo Park Rising music festival on August 29 and 30.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles-based Prime Pizza is expanding its footprint further into the South Bay. A new location is scheduled to open in Torrance sometime in September, adding to its growing list of establishments across the region.
Over in the San Fernando Valley, B.J. Novak’s Chain will host a residency at Westfield Topanga starting September 2, showcasing comfort food remakes from notable chefs. Calvin Eng will offer a Cantonese fish sandwich, while Mason Hereford puts his spin on a spicy chicken version. Roy Choi will evoke mall food court nostalgia with a teriyaki chicken bowl, and Mei Lin will present a mapo wagyu wrap.
For those looking for something different, the Getty Villa Museum and Latino Theater Company are presenting a new take on Antigone from September 10 to October 3, reimagined within pre-conquest Tenochtitlan. Complementing the performance, the Getty will offer a $110 prix fixe dinner and an à la carte menu, both featuring era ingredients like chorizo molotes and roasted poblano tamales. Separately, Pacific Palisades residents will note the revival and reopening of Rick Caruso’s Palisades Village, a shopping destination that experienced a prolonged closure following the 2025 Palisades Fire, as reported in an August 14 newsletter.
