New in Echo Park: A branch of La Compadre has moved into the old Saratoga/Nikola space on Sunset near Dodger Stadium. Those who mourned the loss of El Chavo can now move up Sunset for their fix of goopy enchiladas and sickly-sweet margaritas. But what do I know, I haven't eaten at El Compadre since my dad took me to see "The Hot Rock" at the Oriental Theater (now Guitar Center) across the street. And "The Hot Rock" came out in 1972, so maybe the food has changed since then. I doubt it, though.
New on Beverly: Cayenne Mediterranean Cafe has taken over the spot next to the New Beverly Theater which was Piper Club Cafe for just a few short months. Eating L.A. thought the Piper Club had expensive, overly fussy crepes, so we'll let you know soon whether Cayenne is an improvement or just a bait-and-switch tactic like when Electric Lotus on Third turned into Red Banana for about five minutes.
Trader Joe's find of the week: The Chocolate Traveler is a cute little round tin box (practically collectible, it's so clever), filled with bitter chocolate triangles. If you were in Europe, you could tuck this in your bag for sustenance on long train trips. In L.A., it could hide out in your top desk drawer instead.
