Opening “soon” but with no firm date established yet (By Frank Sabatini Jr.)
Hillcrest on the Radar
By Frank Sabatini Jr.
A dramatic wave of color has appeared at the southwest corner of University and Fifth Avenues, where the former Chocolat Hillcrest cafe stood. The facade is now slathered in bold red paint with yellow signage announcing the upcoming arrival of Mr. Charlie’s, a vegan knockoff of McDonald’s. The concept was started in Hollywood in 2022 by co-founder Taylor McKinnon, a British transplant who also runs a marketing agency in L.A. with his business partner. Parallels to McDonald’s grub will include the Mr. Chuck, which resembles a Big Mac; the Mr. Royale tailored after a Quarter Pounder, and the Not Chicken Nuggets—all plant-based and hopefully delicious. (When we spoke to McKinnon, he didn’t know exactly when the eatery would open.)
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Hillcrest was recently recognized by The Advocate, a national LGBTQ magazine, as being among one of the “six gayborhoods to visit in 2026 that are still thriving.” The publication cites how Hillcrest solidified its standing as a LGBTQ-friendly area back in the early 90s. It was when advocates fought to make sure “the heavily queer neighborhood didn’t get split into different municipal districts during a redistricting effort.”
What the article doesn’t mention, however, is how Hillcrest began taking shape as a gay-friendly neighborhood in the 1970s, when LGBTQ locals and transplants took advantage of the available surplus of low-cost housing at the time. With the wave of new residents came new businesses and bars that served as safe havens from anti-gay discrimination.
Other gayborhoods mentioned include Greenwich Village in New York; Asbury Park in New Jersey; and the Halsted in Chicago.
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The walk-up taco shop at Washington Street and Third Avenue long known as La Posta, and famous for its inebriated late-night patronage, has turned into Crest Taco under new owners. The smallish structure was given a much-needed makeover. It now features big windows, decorative tiles and gleaming new kitchen equipment. It was taken over in partnership by Bubbles Market & Spirits, plus longtime chef Nicholas Garcia (formerly with Santa Luz Country Club) along with general manager Shayne Somo. The food, Garcia told us, “is traditional Mexican made with fresh produce and butcher-block meats. No canned anything except for my tomato paste.”
