Palate looks ready to roll; Newsflash: Cheesecake Factory crowded

Hordes of hungry mothers storm the Cheesecake Factory

First, the obligatory Americana report.
Observation 1) The line snaking all the way down the sidewalk for the Cheesecake Factory before opening on Mother's Day was kind of pathetic.
Observation 2) The patio at Katsuya looks pleasant, but who wants to eat expensive sushi at noon with the sun beating down? Katsuya seems like more of a nighttime spot.
Observation 3) Eleven o'clock is kind of late to start opening restaurants on Sunday. People might like to have breakfast before they shop. We ended up at Cafe Primo, a decent enough cafe that got completely slammed since it was the only place open, resulting in an angry horde of shoppers yelling at the cooks "Just hand me my bagel, right now!" (OK, that was me, but everyone was doing it.) Enough of the Americana. I suppose you could eat at the crepe stand or the Jody Maroni sausage stand if you're desperate, but better to eat somewhere else if possible. Palate Food & Wine is in the former Cinnabar space on Brand

Anyway, Octavio Becerra's Palate on Brand looks ready to open any day now. There's a grape theme, with giant shiny grapes hanging above the booths and photos of grapes screened onto the wall dividers. So yes, wine is the focus, and there's even an "eno-gastronomic library," according to this report from EaterLA.

No, this is definitely not the bar from Yee Mee Loo. Apparently it's in storage.