Two home-grown empires are currently making moves, expanding to new neighborhoods with a few new tricks up their sleeves. Greens Up!, the Westside’s popular do-it-yourself and chef conceived salad shop, is opening a new store today on Main Street Santa Monica, featuring the same menu of greens, crunchies, and fruits that boosted it to trendy Montana from its original Sawtelle location. The small new shop is a stunner, with a clean cream interior and a large glass wall separating it from the street. Come by at noon today if it’s giant Thai, Greek, and Cali-influenced salads you’re seeking.
Elsewhere, reps for Buddha’s Belly tell us that the Pan-Asian concept opened its third store yesterday, this one in Thousand Oaks in The Oaks Shopping Center. In addition to the menu you may know by now, chef Hisashi Yoshiara introduced a new menu of sushi here and plans a selection of his own signature dishes. Now that restaurants have to be committed to a designer cocktail program, Budda brought in Copa D’Oro barman Vincenzo Marianella to create its libations, something that might drive discriminating L.A. barflies to the neighborhood. The restaurant will be open daily and even has an outdoor patio for those sultry Conejo Valley afternoons.
Greens Up!, 3101 Main St. Santa Monica. 310-450-1521.
Buddha’s Belly, 446 West Hillcrest Drive Thousand Oaks. 805-557-1212.
