Chef Josie LeBalch plans a small empire of follow-up restaurants to her Josie, which Squid Ink tells us is about to celebrate ten years in Santa Monica. The first of these everyday eateries will be right next door to the first, though hopefully it won’t stick with the bland working title “Next Door.” The 50-seat restaurant will have a cheese, salad, panini, and charcuterie counter, as well as a bar for craft beer, tap wines, and artisan cocktails. The market-driven menu could veer towards upscale comfort, with possible appearances from handmade pastas, short rib pot pie, fried chicken, seafood sausages, and even her family’s pate de campagne in a panini. An April opening is optimistically being planned, though the restaurant is still in its planning stages.
Josie Le Balch Plans New Santa Monica Restaurant(s) [Squid Ink]
