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Want to learn how to make your favorite Italian food? The cooking school at Eataly is now open

A bowl of cacio e pepe at the new Eataly inside the Westfield Century City Plaza. The Italian marketplace has opened a cooking school where you can learn to make pasta and more Italian food.
A bowl of cacio e pepe at the new Eataly inside the Westfield Century City Plaza. The Italian marketplace has opened a cooking school where you can learn to make pasta and more Italian food.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times )
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From pasta-making in Century City to holiday libations in Koreatown, here’s what’s happening in the L.A. food and drink world:

School is in session: You may still have to wait seemingly forever for a table at one of the restaurants at Eataly. But if you want to visit the Italian marketplace in Century City for a cooking class, just make a reservation online. La Scuola, the Eataly cooking school below the market/restaurant area (near the stall that sells gelato), is now open. This is where you can learn how to make all your favorite egg and semolina pastas, risotto, gnocchi, a Christmas Eve feast of seven fishes and more. The classes are led by chef Denis Dello Stritto, who was recently chef at Culina at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, and who grew up near Naples, Italy. Classes start at about $50. For more information and for a full class schedule, visit www.eataly.com/us_en/stores/los-angeles. 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 310-8000

XOXO: Chef Michael Hung has opened XO, a restaurant in the former Stir Market space on Beverly Boulevard. Hung, who is also the chef at Mama Lion in Koreatown, opened the restaurant with partner Abby Gavino. XO has a dine-in, full-service area for dinner and brunch, a quick-service counter for lunch and a grab-and-go area for any time. The dine-in menu includes dishes such as crispy duck buns; chicken “pho-tza” ball soup with coriander-scented matzo balls; and lemongrass-scented roast chicken. There’s also a crispy-tofu schnitzel with green papaya salad. XO is serving beer and wine at the bar, as well as soju cocktails. The restaurant is part of Ardour Hospitality, the group run by Gavino and Hung. 7475 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, www.xoonbeverly.com

Cheers: We still have to wait for the NoMad hotel and restaurant to open in downtown L.A. next year. But in the meantime, owners chef Daniel Humm and restaurateur Will Guidara are offering an early taste of the bar program during a holiday pop-up in Koreatown. NoMad New York City bar director Leo Robitschek and bar manager Dave Purcell have teamed with the Walker Inn in Koreatown to offer special holiday cocktails starting Sunday. Why should you be excited? For one, Robitschek led the NoMad NY bar team that was named No. 3 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list this year. The pop-up will be open every Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night through Dec. 19. Some of the specialty cocktails include the Nut King Cole, made with dark rum, rye whiskey, Velvet Falernum, roasted chestnuts and lime; and the Into the Woods, made with Douglas fir liqueur, blanc vermouth, maple syrup, lemon and egg white. At the Walker Inn, 3612 W. 6th Street, Los Angeles, (213) 263-2709, www.thewalkerinnla.com

Popping up: Shuk, an Israeli street food-pop up, will open on Main Street in Santa Monica (next to Jinya Ramen) on Thursday. Chef Gregg Drusinsky was inspired by the open-air markets of Jerusalem. The word shuk, or souk, refers to an open-air market or marketplace in western Asia and North Africa. The menu includes Drusinsky’s versions of classic dishes, including brisket Rendang tagine with laffa bread; falafel-stuffed charcoal pita; and shawarma chicken wings with green labneh. The pop-up will run through Dec. 17 on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Dinner is $55 per person. 2424 Main St., Santa Monica, www.shukpopup.com

Jenn.Harris@latimes.com

@Jenn_Harris_

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