The compact Taza of Echo Park opened last weekend on Sunset Boulevard.
Micro Brew: Besides a sweet and smooth Horchata Latte, perhaps the most notable thing about the new Taza of Echo Park cafe is it’s size; the one-room operation fits into 15-foot wide square. But the owners of the take-out cafe have made efficient use of space, carving out room for a espresso maker, sink, counters and display shelves. The big windows looking out on Sunset Boulevard also help open up the small space.
Silver Lake’s Black Cat is Back, Sort Of: The owners of The Village Idiot on Melrose have branched out to Silver Lake’s Sunset Junction, opening a “New York-style tavern” in the former home of the Black Cat Tavern, reports Daily Dish. During the late 1960s, the Black Cat played an important role in the gay rights movement after a New Year’s Eve police raid triggered a round of gay-rights demonstrations. The current incarnation of the Black Cat, however, is designed to appeal to straight as well as gay customers, with “house-made charcuterie, braised beef cheek tacos, fall vegetable lasagnette, and chicken leg confit.”
Yoga On York: After living in Echo Park, Slovakian native Vanda Ciceryova went searching for a quieter and safer neighborhood and found it in Highland Park (though she might get an argument from residents living near Monte Vista Street). Ciceryova not only lives in Highland Park but she now operates what is York Boulevard’s first yoga parlor, reports Patch. Namaste Highland Park will serve as a yoga studio and also host art exhibits and perhaps offer urban garden spaces in the backyard.
