Latest news with #Mathers'
Eater
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
One of Venice's Best Rooftops Returns as a Breezy Greek Hangout With Unbeatable Views
Skip to main content Current eater city: Los Angeles The prime rooftop of Venice's Hotel Erwin has been remolded into Kassi Venice Beach, opening on Friday, July 4, with a tight menu of Greek-inflected mezze, grilled skewers, and salads, plus a view of the Pacific Ocean. Coming from the Wish You Were Here group, which operates Elephante in Santa Monica and Belles Beach House in Venice, Kassi first opened in West Third Street back in 2019 before closing and resurfacing in Las Vegas's Virgin Hotels. There, it morphed into more of a party-like Italian American restaurant that befits Vegas. But the menu will return to its original Greek and Eastern Mediterranean flavors in Venice, operating from lunch to fairly late. On the rooftop, umbrellas encircle an elevated patch of clipped greenery, with lounge seating and dinner tables accommodating 185 diners at a time. Swaying palm trees and the shoreline offer a real island vibe as skateboarders, cyclists, and performing dancers thrive on the concrete expanse just a few blocks away on the Venice Boardwalk. Takes on Greek classics like a spanakopita quesadilla, fried zucchini chips, crispy saganaki with Fresno chile jam, and a cucumber-tomato-feta salad comprise the starters; familiar mezzes like hummus and tzatziki come with za'atar-sprinkled flat bread. Five-ounce portions of skewers feature lamb meatballs with pomegranate molasses, beef tenderloin in red chermoula, and harissa honey chicken. The food options are limited enough that decision fatigue shouldn't settle in. Kassi is as much about the drinks as it is panoramic views. Shaken sippers like the Oracle of Delphi mix tequila with watermelon, mazzura, and cucumber, while draft cocktails like honeydew thyme paloma should help the bartenders churn out boozy drinks. White and red wines lean toward Greek origins, while Bondi Brewing Co. lager hints at Mathers' and Lim's upbringings in Australia. Wish You Were Here, founded by Nick Mathers and helmed by chef Thomas Lim, seems to do these breezy spaces well, given the success of Belles and Elephante, the latter of which has expanded into other states like Arizona. Kassi should fit seamlessly into the Venice restaurant milieu, a relaxed, easygoing Greek restaurant with stunning vistas for days. Kassi Venice Beach is open Sunday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and until 12 a.m. Thursday to Saturday; it's located at 1697 Pacific Avenue, Venice, CA, 90291, with reservations on OpenTable . Tickets to the opening July 4 party, also available on OpenTable, cost $40 each. See More:
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Shock reason couple could be booted from Aus
A young British couple who met and fell in love in Australia has been left in limbo, fearing every day they could be given just 28 days to leave the country after one of them was diagnosed with an incurable disease. Jessica Mathers, 30, and Robert O'Leary, 31, have called Sydney's eastern suburbs home for the last eight years and have settled in Bondi Junction. The pair met in Sydney at a backpackers hostel in 2017 on separate working visas before moving out together to Kings Cross. They decided to apply for a permanent residency visa in May of 2022. But their application was rejected in 2023 due to Ms Mathers' ongoing health condition, leaving them 'completely in limbo' and facing deportation. In 2020, Ms Mathers was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and her condition has remained stable after receiving regular treatment under the Reciprocal Health Care Arrangement with their homeland (the UK). 'We've been struggling since my diagnosis,' she told NewsWire. 'The minute we applied for the next sponsorship in 2021 we were having to go through a whole new process because I now have a health condition that I declared.' 'It doesn't seem fair at all that you can be told to leave a place where you have built your life, your friends (and) your family have been to visit you,' Mr O'Leary said. Ms Mathers was told she would have to wait six months for the Commonwealth Health Minister to review her sponsorship application. 'I lost jobs in probation because they just couldn't wait for me any longer,' Ms Mathers said. 'I used to be an agile project manager in e-commerce, I have a ten-year career, and now I'm doing temp receptionist roles.' The couple expressed their frustration at the frozen state of their appeal, having not realised it would be 'such a fight'. 'Considering we're English, its Commonwealth – it's all covered under the reciprocal Medicare agreement at the present moment,' Ms Mathers said. Mr O'Leary said he was 'definitely disappointed' in how their visa application was being handled by the Australian Government. 'It's down the lines of discrimination against us. If you worked for a company and they said 'oh we're going to let you go because you've got a health condition' – in this day and age there would be uproar,' he said. 'Three years on from (Ms Mathers' diagnosis) we were declined because Jess had a health condition, which is kind of that same factor of being told you can't remain because of a health condition you were diagnosed with when you lived here.' Ms Mathers' condition has not stopped her from working as normal and contributing to the community. She currently works in a temporary position at a North Sydney law firm and DJs up to 12 hours on weekends. Alongside this, she has participated in clinical trials for MS and actively raises awareness for the condition – work which got her nominated for the 'Bondi Creative Woman of the Year' award. Mr O'Leary owns his own construction business – O'Leary Cranes and Construction – and works as a carpenter, exceeding the 80 points required on his visa by attaining 110. Despite the couple spending close to a decade working as skilled migrants in Australia and paying taxes, the government rejected their permanent residency application, citing the potential future costs of Jessica's condition. The couple are currently awaiting their appeal before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). If they fail in their case, they will be given 28 days to leave the country. 'We could get the appeal date tomorrow, there's no way of knowing, it could be next year but it could be tomorrow,' Mr O'Leary said. 'Twenty-eight days to effectively pack up your life, say goodbye to your friends – like you won't be able to come back, not even as a visitor. So it's see you later, you're never coming back, your life here ceases to exist … That would be heartbreaking,' Mr O'Leary said. 'We've met here. It's where we've always been. We've been living together for eight years now,' Ms Mathers said. 'Our whole life is Sydney.' To gain support for their fight, Ms Mathers and Mr O'Leary have organised a petition titled 'Please do not deport me and my partner, because she was diagnosed with a health condition'. They currently have 1815 signatures and are asking for the Minister for Home Affairs to review their case and 'make changes to the immigration policies that unfairly target individuals with well-managed health conditions', the petition reads. 'We're trying to do something to help our situation before it reaches the final points – it might actually make a real difference,' Mr O'Leary said. The couple hopes that their eight years of contributions to the Aussie community, economy and society is enough to grant them permanent residency in the place they call home.
