Wood & Salt Tavern is set to soft-open in Long Beach’s Bixby Knolls neighborhood next week, the restaurant, from Bjoern Risse and Bülent Yildirim of German Gastro Management, this week announced on its Facebook page. “Good news, friends,” the post states. “We’re having a soft opening next week, [Wednesday, September 9], followed by a grand opening in two weeks.” The original plan was to open in late-August.
German Gastro Management is behind a spread of local German eateries and beer gardens across the Los Angeles area including Rasselbock Kitchen & Beer Gardens, which has locations in Long Beach and Mar Vista, and the nine-year-old Wirtshaus on North La Brea Avenue.
Wood & Salt, at 4262 Atlantic Ave., will offer a menu focused on wood-fired meat, fish, and seafood. Under the direction of Chef Brian Lavin, there will also be housemade pasta, salads, and vegetarian options.
“Chef Brian’s restaurant experience is an ideal fit for the menu concept we wanted to create for Wood & Salt Tavern,” Risse said when plans earlier this year were first unveiled for Wood & Salt. “We’re happy to welcome him to the German Gastro Management family of restaurants, and we look forward to seeing what he can do at this, our first non-German eatery.”
Taking advantage of its open-air, dog-friendly patio, Wood & Salt will start with dinner service and seating for 40 diners. It will add lunch service once the restaurant fully opens in two weeks and at that time will also expand to 90 seats total inside and out when legal to do so. Wood & Salt will operate Sunday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 3 pm. to 10 p.m.
