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Business & Tech

Coming Soon: Mohawk Bend

Owner Tony Yanow tells us what to expect from Mohawk Bend. Hint: California craft beers, a vegan-friendly menu and eco-friendly practices.

He may not answer the question on everyone’s mind (When is Mohawk Bend going to open, already!?) but Tony Yanow spills plenty of details that have us excited about the restaurant and bar taking over the space formerly occupied by the long-abandoned Ramona Theater.

In an earlier Patch article written by Katherine Spiers, you called Mohawk Bend “a restaurant with a great bar.” Can you tell us a little bit about the food?

As we do with everything, we really focus on local, seasonal and fresh. We also believe in feeding everyone, that is vegans, vegetarians, omnivores, carnivores and gluten-free eaters too. I'm super excited about the menu that we'll be offering and I think the community of Echo Park will be pleased to see the commitment we are making to delicious, healthful food and an attractive price.

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Meals will be available from about $8 to about $20, depending on how hungry you are and what you like to eat.

We've heard about the amazing-sounding Dork burger (pork and duck). Any other sneak peaks from the menu?

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Fire roasted artichokes with Central Coast red wine aioli. Spanish style potato and onion frittata on a sizzling skillet. Bitter & Twisted Pizza Rapini, with lemon zest, garlic, chili flakes--with or without anchovy. For desert, ask about the 'nickle bag' - you'll like it!

What about the drink menu?

We are not talking much about the beer/wine/spirit program because details are being worked out. What I can tell you is that we will feature a large number of California craft beers on tap, several California wines on tap, and all of our cocktails will be made with 100% California-made ingredients including spirits, mixes, juices, sodas and garnishes.

What kind of renovations are underway on the Ramona Theater?

As you likely know, the theater structure is about 100 years old. When we took over it had been largely stripped down inside and was not in the best repair. We have put a ton into it, restoring some of the original features and mixing in a minimal, industrial modern look. We have exposed the 100-year-old brick, and the old wood ceiling. We are restoring the old marquee out front and we have cleaned up the glazed white bricks on the façade.

Originally, we wanted to tear part of the roof off and have a walled courtyard in the back area, but neighborhood residents expressed concerns about noise. So we made that back area into The Ramona Room, our principal dining room, and it has a park-like feel to it with skylights and built-in planters where vines are already growing up the brick and around the large fireplace.

The front patio will likely be a popular spot as diners can gaze out onto Sunset while being surrounded by lush plants.

We’ve heard a lot about your commitment to the environment. How will Mohawk Bend be eco-friendly?

We seem to have garnered a reputation for being very green based on our other restaurant, Tony's Darts Away in Burbank. I get a little embarrassed about it because they are pretty basic things that I think a lot of people and businesses are doing. To list a few things: 

We buy local, which reduces transportation waste, stimulates local economy, and tends to yield us better and fresher products. We buy organic whenever possible, because the food tastes better, it's safer for our bodies and the bodies of those that harvest and it's not as harsh on our farmland. We buy all of our beer and wine in kegs, which is better for the product and yields no solid waste. 

We use LED lighting--it's a little more expensive to install, but produces very nice light and uses a fraction of the electricity. All of our paper products, including menus, to-go containers, bathroom towels, etc. are made from sustainable materials and are 100% compostable. 

There are a bunch of other things like this too. All of these are readily available and while they do cost a little more and a little harder to source, we find great value in them and I believe our patrons will too.

Why do you think Mohawk Bend is a good fit for Echo Park? 

I see this place fitting in very well because we share the ideals of many local residents.  This is a progressive and thoughtful community that understands the commitment to craft that we have. Craft foods, craft beer, craft sodas, craft spirits--we champion the craftsmen/women of California and the products of their love and labor.

I get amazing feedback and emails from locals that thank me for restoring the old dilapidated theater, and others that praise us for making such a big commitment to the area. I know how passionate locals are about the area, I am just excited about being part of the EP community.

Has the neighborhood gotten behind you more now that you've responded to specific concerns?

As stated, we have had an amazing amount of support.  From the outset we had great support from the local organizations and associations. I am thrilled by the overall response from the community.

And finally, the million dollar question: When will Mohawk Bend open?

We hope to be open before the end of April.

Thanks, Tony. We can’t wait.

Mohawk Bend will be located at 2139 W. Sunset Blvd.

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