LA Times: This new Santa Monica pop-up is devoted to one thing: brunch

Time for brunch: Chef Ari Taymor is on the move once again. The chef started his Alma restaurant as a pop-up in Venice before opening a restaurant at a small space in downtown L.A. in 2012. After three years he moved Alma to the Standard Hollywood and ended his two-year run at the hotel last December. Now he has started a weekend-only pop-up in Santa Monica devoted to something he does exceptionally well: brunch. Taymor describes the pop-up as “serving elevated breakfast favorites with a modern twist.” The pop-up, called Little Prince, is named after the French children’s book “The Little Prince,” which Taymor’s mother read to him when he was little. “She’s always been so supportive of me in everything I want to do, especially through a tough few years,” said Taymor. “I wanted to find a way to celebrate that.” Taymor’s partner in the pop-up is restaurant consultant and developer Shane Won Murphy, who has ownership in Kettleblack and Sawyer in Silver Lake. If you had brunch at Alma at the Standard Hollywood, you’ll recognize some of the dishes at Little Prince, including the cast-iron pancakes and the smoked brisket with Anson Mills grits. The seaweed hollandaise sauce also makes an appearance, served with crispy potatoes and a smoked salmon hash. Little Prince is located in the former Fork in the Road space on Main Street, next to the Jinya Ramen Bar. General manager Steve LaFountain created a list of all-day cocktails, and the pop-up is also serving a selection of natural wines. Little Prince is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. 2424 Main St., Santa Monica, littleprince.la.

andrew noel