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November 1 - November 7, 2024 Volume CXXIII Issue 214
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Michael Mina’s Egyptian-Mediterranean Restaurant Opens in Santa Monica Inside, the 270Seat Restaurant’s Interior Draws Inspiration From Greek and Egyptian Coastal Aesthetics
Renowned chef Michael Mina has opened his newest culinary venture, Orla, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that delves into Mina’s Egyptian roots. Located at the Regent Santa Monica Beach hotel, Orla offers an experience that combines Mina’s distinctive high-end techniques with flavors from the Mediterranean and the Middle
East, creating an homage to his Egyptian heritage. Originally from Cairo, Mina moved to Washington state as a young child. His career, launched in New York at Chef Charlie Palmer’s Aureole, has since included iconic restaurants such as San Francisco’s Aqua, which established him as a powerhouse in fine dining. Today, Mina’s MINA Group oversees more than 30 restaurants globally, spanning cuisines from American to Japanese to Italian. However, Orla marks a personal and culinary return to his heritage. Orla’s menu, crafted by Mina and Executive Chef Jacob Solomon, a Los Angeles native, showcases Mina’s take on EgyptianMediterranean fare, with items like caviartopped fateer and charcoal-grilled octopus with saffron broth, as reported by The Los
Angeles Times. The “kebab platter,” designed for two, features filet mignon, lamb kofta, and chicken dolmas, presented with traditional Middle Eastern dips and rice, as reported by LA Magazine. Inside, the 270-seat restaurant’s interior draws inspiration from Greek and Egyptian coastal aesthetics. Its main dining room features a handcrafted mosaic octopus floor and ocean views, designed by the AvroKO firm. For Mina, the ambiance is integral to creating an immersive dining experience, a vision shared by Strategic Hotels, which partnered with him on the restaurant’s development. The hotel’s transformation from the former Loews to the Regent signals a commitment to luxury and culinary innovation that complements Orla’s unique appeal. For Mina, Orla represents the culmination
of years of exploration into Egyptian cuisine, a journey he also captured in his recent cookbook, My Egypt: Cooking from My Roots (LA Magazine). As Orla opens its doors in Santa Monica, Mina’s lifelong ambition to showcase his heritage is now a centerpiece of his culinary empire.
Malibu Breaks Off Negotiations With SMMUSD, Proceeds with Petition
supplementing its original 2017 petition. This necessary time to address all stakeholders’ needs, Authority (JPA) Agreement. The City Will new study excludes prior financial concessions especially those of historically marginalized The Revenue Sharing Agreement aimed to Malibu had offered as part of negotiations with groups and special needs students. What some allocate both current and future revenues fairly Submit an Updated SMMUSD. Malibu officials assert that the see as delay, we see as due diligence.” between SMMUSD and the proposed Malibu plan maintains the financial and operational Despite reaching significant milestones Unified School District, ensuring financial Feasibility Study assumptions previously established for toward separation last month, the latest setback stability for both. The Operations Transfer creating an independent Malibu Unified School highlights the complexities of dividing resources Agreement outlined how personnel, operational to the County District (MUSD) and ensuring stability for and governance between the two communities. practices, and other resources would be the proposed MUSD and the reorganized Last month, the SMMUSD and Malibu divided between the two districts. Meanwhile, Committee on School both SMMUSD. subcommittees had agreed on a proposed the JPA Agreement established a shared District Organization, “Malibu has been working in good faith for package that included three major components: governance structure to oversee the separation’s a fair and equitable separation,” said Malibu a Revenue Sharing Agreement, an Operations implementation and help maintain collaboration Supplementing Its Mayor Doug Stewart. “But due to missed Transfer Agreement, and a Joint Powers on critical issues affecting both communities. deadlines by the SMMUSD Board, we’re now 2017 Petition moving independently, submitting an updated The City of Malibu has decided to move forward unilaterally with its petition to separate from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) following a breakdown in negotiations. The Malibu City Council voted unanimously to pursue school district independence after the SMMUSD Board did not meet agreed deadlines to finalize a separation agreement. The City will now submit an updated feasibility study to the Los Angeles County Committee on School District Organization,
feasibility study without previous financial concessions.” Malibu’s proposal, developed through years of discussions, outlines that both districts would remain fiscally solvent and provide services at pre-separation levels. The proposal is expected to be reviewed in public hearings on November 8 at the SMMUSD District Office in Santa Monica and November 13 at Malibu High School. In response, Jon Kean, Vice President of the SMMUSD Board, said, “We are very close to completing this process. It’s crucial we take the
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