Dining LA - Los Angeles Magazine (Spring 2018)

WHERE TO EAT RIGHT NOW

DINING LA ICONIC DISHES FOOD HALLS STAR CHEFS

FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

PLUS

A CURATED GUIDE TO 162 OF L.A.’S BEST RESTAURANTS

BY TED SEN E R P

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DINING LA

2018

6

PA G E

Matthew Segal

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DESIGN DIRECTOR

Steven E. Banks FOOD EDITOR

Garrett Snyder PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Julia St. Pierre ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Mark McGonigle A RT A N D P R O D U C T I O N SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Rose DeMaria ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

Jordan Williams PRODUCTION MANAGER

10 PA G E

Denise Philibert

Josef Vann

PUBLISHER LUXURY GOODS DIRECTOR

Samantha Greenfield INTEGRATED ACCOUNT DIRECTORS

Brittany Brombach, Denine Gentilella, Mathew Jongsma, Monty McMurray, Mali Mochow SMALL BUSINESS SPECIALIST

Jean Greene BRAND DEVELOPMENT & RESEARCH MANAGER

Jennifer Moran

12 PA G E

ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR

Jessie Pappas MARKET I NG & C R E AT I V E S E RV I C E S SENIOR MANAGER, STRATEGY & PARTNERSHIPS

Susan Starling SENIOR INTEGRATED MARKETING MANAGER

Kendra Tio ASSOCIATE MARKETING MANAGER

Sammy Galen SENIOR MANAGER, DIGITAL MARKETING

32 PA G E

Caitlin Cullen Kelcey Joyce CREATIVE SERVICES ART DIRECTOR

Sheila Ramezani

PLAYING THE HITS

● Some of L.A.’s most

iconic dishes and how they shaped our culinary imaginations PAGE 6

ROOMS WITH A VIEW

● These restaurants with

skyline panoramas and lush patios offer more than eye candy PAGE 16

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HALLS OF FAME

● The food hall is the

new food court. Learn to navigate the city’s best options like a pro PAGE 8

EATING LIKE A LOCAL

● A roundup of the neighborhoods with the restaurants everyone is buzzing about PAGE 22

R AISE A GLASS ● What’s the deal

with natural wine? A handy guide to the refreshing trend that’s sweeping L.A. PAGE 10

THE HOT LIST

● From the Valley to the

South Bay, Venice to San Gabriel, our city-spanning guide to L.A.’s best restaurants PAGE 32

MEET THE CHEFS

● Pasta fanatic, brunch

queen, hot chicken hero— the personalities who light up our palates PAGE 12

THE NEW ART OF DESSERT

● The latest generation of

pastry chefs is pleasing our sweet tooth with style to spare PAGE 56

LOS ANGE LES C U S T O M P U B L I C AT I O N S CONTENT SOLUTIONS DIRECTOR

Mitch Getz LOS ANGE LES M AG A Z I N E, L L C 5900 WILSHIRE BLVD., 10TH FLOOR, LOS ANGELES, CA 90036 323-801-0100; FAX: 323-801-0104 ADVERTISING & MARKETING 323-801-0020; FAX: 323-801-0103 EDITORIAL & ART

323-801-0075; FAX: 323-801-0105

R É P U B L I Q U E ’ S R OAST E D C H I C K E N , K R I S Y E N B A M R O O N G : A N D R E A D ’AG OSTO

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T H E P LAC E TO BE The remarkable stories. The familiar faces.

The air of magic. The sumptuous soufflés.

Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Perfection just happens.

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BaconWrapped Dates

PLAYING THE HITS WE LIVE IN AN AGE OF MENUS THAT CHANGE WITH THE SEASONS, BUT THESE ICONIC DISHES HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME

A .O.C . ● L I K E T H E W E S T 3rd

Street restaurant itself, Suzanne Goin’s version of the classic Devils on Horseback feels both quintessentially Californian and totally exotic all at once. Sweet Californiagrown dates are stuffed with a nugget of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, wrapped in bacon, and roasted to sweetsalty-smoky perfection. What to drink with them? Anything restaurateur Caroline Styne recommends from her awardwinning wine list. 8700 W. 3rd St., Beverly Grove, 310859-9859; aocwinebar.com

Black Cod with Miso M ATS U H I SA ● T H E F I S H T H AT launched

a restaurant empire is usually associated with Nobu, and it’s the one thing you must get no matter the location. But in truth, Nobu Matsuhisa tinkered with an age-old Japanese recipe at his flagship Matsuhisa restaurant in Beverly Hills before unleashing it to the world. The now-famous iteration—the fish sits in a salty-sweet marinade for three days before being broiled to a meltingly silky texture—tastes best from the original kitchen.

129 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-659-9639; matsuhisabeverlyhills.com 6 L A M AG . C O M

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Cavatelli alla Norcina

The Ugly Bunch

Smoked Salmon Pizza

B E ST I A

P R OV I D E N C E

S PAG O

● C H E F O R I M E NA S H E

● AC C O L A D E S H AV E

● N O M AT T E R H O W many

takes cues from the seasons for his menu at the Arts District hot spot. The menu is ever-changing, but he’d cause a revolt if he removed these ricotta dumplings studded with house-made sausage and black truffles. Comforting in its simplicity, the dish packs a subtle power that helps define the restaurant itself. 2121 E. 7th Pl., downtown, 213-5145724; bestiala.com

poured in for Michael Cimarusti’s seafood restaurant for many reasons. Here’s a big one: the chef’s devotion to using sustainably raised and caught seafood, including “ugly” delicacies like abalone, sea urchin, salmon eggs, giant clam, and razor clam.

Together they become a thing of beauty atop smoked crème fraîche panna cotta and garnished with herbs and flowers. 5955 Melrose Ave., Hollywood, 323-4604170; providencela.com

iterations Wolfgang Puck’s menu goes through, there will always be this haute mash-up of caviar, house-smoked fish, and dill crème fraîche on crispedged flatbread. The pizza is no longer on the dinner menu at the Beverly Hills flagship, but ask for it and it will miraculously appear. 176 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-3850880; wolfgangpuck.com

Pozole Verde R U ST I C C A N YO N ● AFTER MOVING SOUTH

from the Bay Area, Jeremy Fox found his footing when he joined this Santa Monica restaurant five years ago, creating ultraseasonal menus that have a strong vegetable focus without forsaking animal protein. A dish he’s been featuring from the start, his bright green pozole is laden with plump hominy, shellfish, and a tangle of shredded tortillas on top. 1119 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, 310-3937050; rusticcanyonrestaurant .com

Loco Moco ANIMAL ● W H E N J O N S H O O K and Vinny Dotolo opened their restaurant on Fairfax, they wanted to make some serious noise, and this dish made their intentions clear. With foie gras, Spam, a beefy burger, and a poached quail egg, plus house-made sriracha and teriyaki sauce, the Loco Moco captures the chefs’ uncanny knack for mixing highbrow and lowbrow. 435 N. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax District, 323-7829225; animalrestaurant.com

Roasted Chicken RÉPUBLIQUE ● A S I M P L E , C L A S S I C dish in the hands of a master becomes almost ethereal. Walter Manzke’s organic chicken is turned over a fiery spit until it’s exceptionally juicy with a gorgeous bronzed skin. Fingerling potatoes, roasted in chicken fat, are just as good. The entire dish, especially with wine, begs to be shared and followed by chocolate caramel cake from Manzke’s wife, Margarita. 624 S. La Brea Ave., Hancock Park, 310-362-6115; republiquela.com > L E S L E Y BA L L A

P H O T O G R A P H BY DY L A N + J E N I

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● P OZO L E V E R D E AT R U ST I C C A N YO N

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HALLS OF FAME L.A.’S ROSTER OF FOOD HALLS KEEPS GETTING BETTER. HERE’S WHERE (AND HOW) TO GET YOUR FILL

EAT ARCADIA ● L I N E D W I T H succulents, wood crate stools, and corrugated metal signage, the foodfilled corridor at the Westfield Santa Anita mall is anchored by a splashy Din Tai Fung, the L.A. flagship of Taipei’s famed dumpling house. Its soup dumplings remain SGV gospel, but you can also find a fine meal at Side Chick. Decorated with a chicken mural from local street artist Cache and helmed by chef Johnny Lee, it serves yardbird in myriad ways. Though roasted chicken, noodle soup, and salad satisfy, the poached Hainan chicken with chicken fat-infused rice and ginger scallion sauce is the big draw.

Finish with Japanese-style cheesecake from Uncle Tetsu, which is as fluffy and airy as angel food cake. 400 S. Baldwin Ave., 626-445-3116, westfield.com/santaanita/ entertainment/dining

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Grand Central Market

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D OW N TOW N

● T H E C E N T U RY- O L D mar-

ket is as packed with options as it is with people. Choices range from classics like carnitas tacos to Eggslut’s devilishly good burger. Madcapra’s square falafel helped propel Kismet chef-owners Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson to prominence, and their color-coded salads and sandwiches are vital. At one of the newer arrivals, Sari Sari Store, Margarita and Walter Manzke honor her Filipino heritage with serious rice bowls and a devastatingly tasty breakfast sandwich that has a longganisa sausage patty, fried egg, American cheese, and punchy atchara on soft pan de sal. For a dizzying array of seasonal fruits, flan, tapioca, and ice cream, try the halo-halo. Chase it down with a shot from Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski at G&B Coffee. 317 S. Broadway, 213-6242378, grandcentralmarket.com

Eataly

Square Mixx

C E N T U RY C I TY

KO R E ATOW N

● W I T H A H U G E market and more than a dozen spots serving prepared food, Eataly has been a people magnet since opening at the retooled Westfield Century City mall in late 2017. Wood-burning ovens produce springy Neapolitan pizzas and crispier, rectangular pies at La Pizza & La Pasta, while house-made tagliatelle with braised brisket ragù is a standout. Il Pesce Cucina is a seafood restaurant from Providence chef Michael Cimarusti and partner Donato Poto. Market fish is pan seared, grilled, or oven roasted, and don’t bypass the crudo specials. La Rosticceria cranks out plates and panini starring roasted chicken and prime rib, plus specials like lamb and pork loin. Cannoli e Bomboloni pipes Sicilian doughnuts and cannoli to order. 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., 213-310-8000, eataly .com/us_ en/stores/los-angeles

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to interesting imported Korean concepts at Square Mixx on K-Town’s California Marketplace rooftop. Nipong Naepong serves jjamppong, bowls of spicy noodle soup that riff on the flavors of places like Spain, Alaska, and Thailand, though O.G. spicy seafood noodle soup is the star. Ildossi Jjimdak specializes in braised chicken plates with rice cakes, potato, mushroom, squash, and glass noodles in an addictive garlic-ginger soy broth.

Versions are available topped with arancini, fried soft-shell crab, or whole squid. Across a synthetic lawn, Cafe Bora has become Instagram famous for perfectly formed purple sweet potato soft serve plumed with a single edible flower. Softserve alternatives include bingsu, tiramisu, and lattes.

450 S. Western Ave., 213-3838000, squaremixx.com > J O S H LU R I E

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● M A N Y C H O I C E S AT D OW N TOW N ’ S G R A N D CENTRAL MARKET

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RAISE A GLASS NATURAL WINES HAVE SWEPT L.A. HERE, AN UNFILTERED GUIDE ON WHERE TO FIND THEM

NAT U RA L W I N E has

slowly taken root in L.A., but it is still the domain of the small: handmade by small producers in small batches, championed by indie wine shops, and ruling the list at bold little restaurants.

Nothing on a label or on most wine lists even identifies bottles as natural, leaving their discovery up to curious drinkers. The rewards are great: these wines are wilder and funkier, more individual and alive than any conventional bottle. > MICHALENE BUSICO

BAR & GARDEN ● SHOP: Find 75 to 100 organic and natural wines, mostly European, at this charming Culver City spot.

TASTE: 5-8 p.m. Tuesday and Friday; 2-5 p.m. Sunday.

TOP BOTTLE: Domaine Sébastien David St. Nicolas de Bourgueil 2015 Hurluberlu Cabernet Franc ($24).

DOMAINE LA

● SHOP: This Melrose

Avenue mainstay offers 400 organic, biodynamic, and natural wines, mainly from Europe but also from the U.S., Australia, and Chile.

TASTE: 2-5 p.m. Sunday, plus midweek.

TOP BOTTLE: Noëlla Morantin 2015 Mon Cher Gamay ($23).

LO U W I N E S H O P

● SHOP: 300 to 500 natural wines, about 75 percent European, beckon in this Barbara Bestor-

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NO CHEMICALS, NO OAKY NEW BARRELS, NO FILTERING, AND LITTLE TO NO SULPHUR. FOOT-STOMPING OPTIONAL.

JON & VINNY’S

● Each of Jon Shook and

Vinny Dotolo’s restaurants offers a strong selection, but only this red-sauce spot on Fairfax Avenue includes a pocket-size wine shop—Helen’s—tucked in the back.

NIGHT + MARKET SONG ● How many wines work with Thai food? Kris Yenbamroong, chef of this Silver Lake restaurant and two other Night + Market locations, seems to have found all of them for one of the city’s most admired naturalwine lists.

R O N CO SEVERO 2 01 4 P I N OT GRIGIO

H ATC H E T H A L L

● At this Culver City

standby, Brian Dunsmoor’s wood-fired Southern cooking is paired with an impressively large list of natural wines, many of them from up-and-coming California producers.

O N WA R D 2 01 5 M A LVAS I A BIANCA P É T- N AT

B E ST I A

● The downtown spot,

one of the city’s first to fully embrace natural wine, features a changing daily selection to match the rustic Italian menu.

ELF CAFÉ

designed Los Feliz store.

TASTE: Usually Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.

TOP BOTTLE: Dario Prinčič 2013 Ribolla Gialla ($50).

STA N L E Y ’ S W E T G O O DS ● SHOP: A few dozen natural wines, mainly from California with some from Spain, France, and Mexico, are on hand at this spacious new Culver City emporium.

TASTE: Daily.

TOP BOTTLE: Onward 2015 Malvasia Bianca Pétillant Naturel ($24).

Red, White, & Orange ● Sure, there are reds, whites, and rosés. But orange wines and pét-nats are natural’s distinct eccentrics.

Savory orange wines are made by fermenting white grapes with their skins; bubbly, even beery pét-nats are fermented in the bottle with no added sugar. Both pair surprisingly well with food— and the usual rules don’t apply. Experiment freely.

● Along with the wine

list, this Echo Park vegetarian restaurant has its own rambling blog, the Elf Guide to Natural Wine (theelfguidetonatural wine.wordpress.com).

Bold Pours ● Taste the spectrum

at a wine bar with a good natural list: Bar Bandini in Echo Park, Everson Royce Bar and Mignon downtown, Esters Wine Shop & Bar in Santa Monica, Marvin on Beverly Boulevard, and Tabula Rasa Bar in Thai Town.

CO R KS C R E W: J U L I C H KA /G E T TY I M AG E S

Top Shops

Dining & Drinking

NATURAL WINE HAS NO OFFICIAL DEFINITION, BUT IN GENERAL WE’RE TALKING WINES MADE WITH ORGANIC OR BIODYNAMICALLY GROWN GRAPES, WILD YEASTS, AND MINIMAL INTERVENTION.

P H O T O G R A P H S BY DY L A N + J E N I

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MEET THE CHEFS IT TAKES A LOT TO STAND OUT IN THE COUNTRY’S BEST DINING CITY. THESE NINE COOKS MORE THAN MEET THE CHALLENGE

Nyesha Arrington

Jessica Koslow

Evan Funke

N AT I V E

SQIRL

FELIX

● F R O M H E R DAYS working in the Michelin-starred kitchens of Joël Robuchon and Josiah Citrin to her stint as a Top Chef contestant to her celebrated, albeit short-lived, run at Leona, Nyesha Arrington has more than earned her place as one of the city’s most influential chefs. After leaving Leona in early 2017 and traveling the globe, she was back in L.A. by year’s end, busy with the launch of Native. The restaurant is both an ode to the produce of Southern California (much of it from the nearby Santa Monica farmers’ market) and her own multicultural roots—predominantly Korean and African American with recently discovered Japanese and Cherokee lineage. The roasted dumpling squash says everything about her approach.

● W H AT E V E R YO U R

● L O S A N G E L E S I S enjoy-

opinion of grain bowls and avocado toast, Sqirl’s Jessica Koslow has played a major role in their seeming ubiquity around town. She opened Sqirl in 2011 as a jam-making operation in Virgil Village. In 2012 she partnered with craft coffee mavericks Kyle Glanville and Charles Babinski for a café pop-up serving bespoke brews and jam-topped toast.

It was an overnight sensation.

Since then Koslow has turned Sqirl into the definitive L.A. brunch destination by building her reputation around vibrant dishes like sorrel pesto rice bowl and ricotta toast.

Now she is set to open Tel, a massive Westside restaurantcum-marketplace focused on pan-Jewish cuisine, from Middle Eastern and Israeli to Eastern European.

ing something of an Italian food renaissance lately, and no one may be more central to it than Evan Funke. After leaving Culver City’s Bucato in 2015, Funke traveled to Bologna, Italy, and studied the local techniques for making pasta by hand. The effort paid off as, with his return to open Felix along Abbot Kinney last year, the chef is back in peak form, producing some of the best pastas this side of the Mediterranean. Take one bite of the tonnarelli cacio e pepe (a simple dish that’s perfectly crafted) or the sfincione (an airy focaccia loaf whose simplicity belies some deep, delicious magic), and you’ll see why Felix was ranked one of 2017’s best new restaurant by critics locally and across the country.

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Sarah Hymanson & Sara Kramer KISMET ● SA RA H H Y M A N S O N A N D

Sara Kramer had a whirlwind 2017, opening their muchanticipated Kismet that January and watching the accolades mount. Their stellar menu is a combination of perfectly balanced Middle Eastern flavors and ridiculously fresh Southern California produce, but Hymanson and Kramer have also gained praise for helping redefine kitchen culture. Two women succeeding on a male-dominated scene, they’ve replaced the verbal abuse of so many kitchens with a familial spirit and made staff diversity a priority.

In that way Hymanson and Kramer embody the new wave of California chefs: hyperlocal, socially conscious, bold yet refined, and inventive.

P H O T O G R A P H BY S T E V E N S I M KO

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● NYESHA A R R I N GTO N

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has been the rise of what some people call Chicano cuisine and others call Alta California cuisine—cooking that blends traditional Mexican and pre-Columbian recipes with Southern California ingredients and influences. Ray Garcia emerged as one of its champions—and pioneers—in 2015 when he opened Broken Spanish near Staples Center and B.S. Taqueria several blocks away. Whether it’s replacing non-native flavors like cinnamon and coriander with indigenous ones like epazote and papalo or giving a classic chile relleno plate an haute cuisine twist with soubise, Garcia is laying the culinary groundwork for the future of Mexican American cooking.

Jordan Kahn V E S P E RT I N E

● KRIS YENBAMROONG

Kris Yenbamroong NIGHT + MARKET ● E V E N I N A city where Thai

food was already top-notch, Kris Yenbamroong is infusing new life and ideas into the mix. One of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2016, he was never classically trained. Yenbamroong grew up in the kitchen of Talésai, the Thai place that two generations of his family have run on Sunset.

Shortly after returning from studying film at NYU, he was tasked by his mother with rejuvenating the menu. Unhappy with the tired cuisine replicated in dozens of other Thai shops, Yenbamroong decided to venture out on his own, emerging with Thai street food at Night + Market in late 14 L A M AG . C O M

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2010. Since then he’s grown Night + Market to three vividly colored locations where the mission statement is summed up in the Thai phrase aharn glam lao, or “food made to facilitate drinking and fun-having among friends.”

Johnny Ray Zone H OW L I N ’ RAY ’ S ● T H E R E ’ S A R E A S O N peo-

ple routinely line up for hours for Howlin’ Ray’s fried-chicken sandwiches. The food is just that good. Zone, an L.A. native, honed his skills at Gordon Ramsay’s West Hollywood restaurant the London and Thomas Keller’s Beverly Hills outpost of Bouchon.

From there, he revitalized the

kitchen at La Poubelle in Franklin Village before heading to Sean Brock’s Husk in Nashville. That’s where Zone came across Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, an experience he credits with changing the course of his life. We credit it with inspiring what has become one of the most desired dishes in the city, a heartfelt tribute to a fiery Nashville staple. Zone is expanding the original Howlin’ location to ease the lines. A second location is slated for Culver City.

Ray Garcia B R O K E N S PA N I S H ● O N E O F T H E most exciting

developments in L.A.’s food scene over the last few years

● T H I S PA S T Y E A R Jordan Kahn has set out to redefine the restaurant, casting Vespertine as a billion-year-old relic of a moon-worshipping civilization and its foods as the stuff of mythology. Lasting for several hours, dinner becomes immersive theater: Atmospheric music guides you through dark hallways, and a waitstaff dressed in asymmetrical garb seems to appear and disappear into the walls. In describing the Vespertine experience, Kahn has said that “food isn’t always the most important part of a meal,” though we think eating osha root with dried quince skin from a seemingly volcanic bowl or being served a bright orange wedge of mango jelly atop a basalt-like sculpture is pretty memorable. Regardless of whether you love or hate the experience, it will take years to see how far Kahn’s ideas ripple through the culinary world. > O R E N P E L E G P H O T O G R A P H BY A N D R E A D ’AG O S T O

3/28/18 5:30 PM

LOS ANGELES

From style collections to cocktail selections, a new experience awaits.

New stores. New restaurants. New views.

Dine now: Cal Mare, Eggslut, Farmhouse, Yardbird Southern Table & Bar

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ROOMS WITH A VIEW WHETHER INDOORS OR OUT, THESE EYE-CATCHING DINING SPACES PROVE THAT SCENERY CAN BE AS INSPIRING AS WHAT’S ON THE MENU

ON A CLEAR DAY at 71 ABOVE you can look out the wraparound floor-to-ceiling windows and see Catalina Island, a gray outline rising from the Pacific, on one side of the room. On the other, the San Gabriel Mountains look close enough to touch.

But while the 360-degree views are the star attraction at the restaurant, which opened atop the U.S. Bank tower in 2016, don’t underestimate what’s on the plate: Vartan Abgaryan lends an intimacy to special-occasion dining with dishes like foie gras terrine dotted with cider gastrique.

It wasn’t always this way. (Who hasn’t been to a coastal spot where food is secondary to the real estate?) Luckily, these days in L.A., striking locations and great food aren’t mutually exclusive. At Redbird, situated in the elegant former rectory of St. Vibiana Cathedral downtown, you can look 16 L A M AG . C O M

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● C LO C KW I S E F R O M A B OV E : M I C H A E L’ S SA N TA

through the retracted ceiling, past the Baroque bell tower, and see 71 Above from another vantage point while slicing into Neal Fraser’s veal chop. It might well be the most urbane dinner setting in L.A. Not that urbanity has to be fancy. At Salazar, which sits on a gritty stretch of Fletcher near the L.A. River in Frogtown, sipping salt-kissed margaritas alongside a few of Jonathan Aviles’s chargrilled carne asada tacos in the restaurant’s palm-dotted yard feels as L.A. as it gets.

Of course, when you’re talking about eye-catching dining spaces, it’s impossible to leave out the patio at Michael’s. When Miles Thompson took over the kitchen of the iconic Santa Monica restaurant in 2016, he had a tall order: Honor its storied past as a pioneer of California cuisine while also making it fresh. Thompson’s cooking has soared. Eclectic dishes (grilled octopus with a Sichuan peppercorn marshmallow) keep the space, surrounded by lush foliage, as relevant as ever. > G A R R E T T S N Y D E R

PAG E S 1 6 -1 7 A N D T H I S PAG E : A N D R E A D ’AG OSTO ; O P P OS I T E PAG E : J E SS I C A SA M P L E

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Ready for a fresh take on SoCal cool?

Gelson’s offers delicious dining options Want gourmet dining with a laid-back, neighborhoody vibe? Gelson’s restaurantquality fare is second to none. Our in-store chefs oversee the delicious menu that marries California’s legendary harvest with

Gelson’s wine and tapas bars in Century City, Santa Monica and Silver Lake feature curated wines, craft beer, and a tempting menu created by our executive chef.

(Silver Lake bar pictured above)

Mediterranean-inspired recipes – it’s a food lover’s paradise!

No matter what you choose, you’ll feel at home from the minute you walk in. There’s

Check out our new sit-down sushi bars in

no need to make reservations or leave a

Century City and Santa Monica. Gelson’s also

tip. And we don’t over-serve – you decide

offers fresh sushi to-go, expertly seasoned

exactly the portion you want.

poké, and a selection of Wolfgang Puck

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items as well as Carving Carts, Sandwich

Dine in at Gelson’s and see for yourself:

Stations, and Salad Bars.

Life tastes better here.

3/20/18 3:41 PM

Delicious discoveries Only at

When you step inside a Gelson’s, you’ll notice right away – it’s not like other grocery stores. It’s clean, spacious, and well lit. It’s quick and easy to find what you need. You’ll be choosing from the highest quality offerings in every department.

In other words, when you shop Gelson’s, you’re living the California dream, deliciously.

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EATING LIKE A LOCAL

LIKE TO STICK CLOSE TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD? YOU’RE MISSING OUT. FOR A CULINARY ADVENTURE, EXPLORE SIX OF THE CITY’S HOTTEST DINING LOCALES

Venice

West Hollywood

● T H E C O N F LU E N C E O F Silicon Beach denizens and breezy beach types has turned the neighborhood into an arbiter of cool. Driving the food scene is the hip Gjelina, its izakaya sibling, MTN, and Evan Funke’s Felix, a hub for handmade pastas. Along the main drag, there’s the Tasting Kitchen, Salt Air, and myriad stops for doughnuts, cocktails, and cold-pressed juices. It seems everyone here has time to sit and linger over beautiful pastries or cocktails at the Rose, or smoked-fish bagels at another all-day star, Gjusta. Major thoroughfares like Lincoln and Washington are dotted with fabulous spots, including the sunny Superba Food + Bread, which switches from daytime to nighttime eats with ease; Scopa Italian Roots, which is just as popular for cocktails as it is for meatballs; and Josiah Citrin’s Charcoal. Or while you’re taking in the show along the boardwalk, queue up for a deliciously sloppy Eggslut breakfast sandwich.

● F R O M B OYS T O W N T O the Sunset Strip, this city within a city has a storied past as a hub for style, nightlife, food, and music. Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s Lucques is still the quintessential California restaurant, which is probably why they keep winning awards. Across the street, Ricardo Zarate brings a personal approach to Peruvian fare in the gorgeous confines of Rosaliné. Nearby, Michael Voltaggio reconceived ink. as the more approachable (there’s a bar and a burger) ink.well. This being WeHo, the party set clamors for rooftop seats at places like E.P. + L.P. and Catch. For a more serious meal, there’s Aburiya Raku, the perfect izakaya hang, and Sushi Ginza Onodera, known for highpriced omakase experiences. Hidden at the end of Melrose, Cecconi’s, Craig’s, and Gracias Madre generate a trifecta of celeb buzz. New spots continue to open, but history prevails at stalwarts like Dan Tana’s steak house.

Culver City

pops, while his blue-cheese-topped burger at the adjacent Father’s Office is anything but. Hayden Tract, a hub for design studios, is home to Jordan Kahn’s stylized Destroyer and otherworldly Vespertine, and the Platform complex nearby has oysters and wine at Hayden and excellent tacos at Loqui. A few miles west on Washington Boulevard there are naturally fermented loaves at Lodge Bread Company; wood-fired fare and whiskey at Hatchet Hall; and cocktails at the Corner Door.

● C U LV E R C I T Y M AY be known for be-

ing steeped in movie history, but the downtown area has a trove of good restaurants, too. Akasha takes a wholesome approach with its California-centric menu, and Josef Centeno’s BäcoShop offers quick-serve flatbread sandwiches. In the Helms Bakery complex up the street, Sang Yoon’s Lukshon is still a best-kept secret for panAsian specialties like Sichuan chicken 22 L A M AG . C O M

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● GJELINA (RIGHT) O N A B B OT K I N N E Y IN VENICE

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● C H I N ATOW N ’ S FA R E AST P L A Z A

Downtown

Silver Lake

Chinatown

● T H E R E NA I S SA N C E O F downtown has no end in sight. Where to start? Everson Royce Bar makes one of the city’s best burgers, while the Factory Kitchen, Officine Brera, and Bestia take journeys through the Italian countryside via Arts District warehouses. In another Arts District pocket, sausage joint Wurstküche and Southerninflected Manuela pull in steady crowds.

Opposites attract in the Fashion District, where haunts include Rossoblu in City Market South and the funky little taqueria Sonoratown. Or head to Little Tokyo for a ramen at Daikokuya. Chef Josef Centeno’s mini empire—Bäco Mercat, Bar Amá, Orsa & Winston, and P.Y.T.—occupies a corner in the Historic Core. Elevated hotel dining is on the menu at the new NoMad near Bottega Louie, and the heights are more literal at 71 Above, which brings together contemporary Mediterranean-inflected cuisine and skyline views. A visit to the Broad museum wouldn’t be complete without a stop next door at Otium, and if you’re going to L.A. Live, hit Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish for modern Mexican.

● L I K E L O S A N G E L E S itself, Silver Lake is an amalgam of several distinct areas.

Sunset Junction serves as the heart of the area, the corridor filled with strongholds like the French bistro Cafe Stella and brunch hot spot Cliff’s Edge, with its stunning hidden patio. The seasonal ethos is strong at Forage, while the dumplings and sautéed green pea shoots are worth the line at Pine & Crane. Siblings Kettle Black and Sawyer pull in trendy crowds for cocktails and contemporary Italian and California fare. Move east on Sunset to where Mh Zh hits all the right notes with its Israeli cooking. Trois Familia—backed by Ludo Lefebvre—kills it with everything from omelets to messy burgers; and Kris Yenbamroong creates spicy, true-to-itsroots Thai fare in a pink building with a poster of Cindy Crawford hanging on the wall at Night + Market Song. In another corner of Silver Lake, Jessica Koslow’s Sqirl garners long brunch lines, and you’ll find favorites like Zach Pollack’s Italian Alimento, L&E Oyster Bar, and the all-day café Botanica clustered near the reservoir.

● JA K E P R O BA B LY WO U L D N ’ T recog-

nize Chinatown at this point, what with its mix of booming, music-filled parties on summer Thursdays, art galleries, and restaurants that go well beyond mainstays like Hop Li and Foo Chow. Far East Plaza has become one of the neighborhood’s buzziest corners, with Roy Choi’s spicy, bowl-centric Chego and Eddie Huang’s bun-centric BaoHaus. Heat-seeking devotees line up for hours at a time to sample Howlin’ Ray’s Nashville-style hot fried chicken, and next door LASA offers a powerful multicourse version of Filipino cooking. Down the street, you can find po’boys and jambalaya at the Little Jewel of New Orleans. Toward the neighborhood’s edge there are excellent pâté, steak, and biodynamic French wines at the sexy Oriel bistro and bar and local craft beers at Highland Park Brewing. Farther out still, David Chang just opened his first L.A. concept, Majordomo, serving postmodern Koreaninfluenced dishes near a tucked-away outpost of New York’s famed Apothéke cocktail bar. > L E S L E Y BA L L A

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Craft Cocktails. Local Craft Beer.

YOUR MOVIE-TIME. UNINTERRUPTED.

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PROMOTION

Salmon Burrata

K-ZO’s award-winning salmon burrata is wrapped in salmon sashimi and topped with salmon roe. Flavorful droplets of herb oil and vegetable puree paint the platter while marinated tomatoes and a sprinkling of capers, micro greens, and pomegranate punctuate this captivating ensemble.

K-ZO 9240 Culver Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90232

CREDIT BOX

310.202.8890 k-zo.com

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PROMOTION

Duck Confit Orecchiette

Chef David Codney’s love and passion for duck hunting inspired this signature dish of The Belvedere menu. The Maple Leaf Farms duck is cured in Dijon mustard, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and sugar for 24 hours before being cooked slowly in duck fat until it falls off the bone. After confit, the duck is sautéed and combined with house made orecchiette pasta (the chef’s favorite because of its dimples). Included in the sauté are braised escarole, Kenter Canyon Farms espelette, Apollo organic olive oil, sundried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.

THE BELVEDERE The Peninsula Beverly Hills 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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310.975.2736 peninsula.com/beverlyhills

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PROMOTION

TOP CHEFS

WILFRID HOCQUET EXECUTIVE CHEF

At Georgie, Wilfrid Hocquet imbues his native Southern France into the ethos, creating a Modern American menu featuring Southern Californian ingredients and sensibilities with the finesse of his classic French roots.

The restaurant is known for its use of seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients, and now Hocquet offers a concise point of view from an impressive resume that includes both savory and pastry.

Hocquet is classically trained, growing up through the ranks of strict brigade-style kitchens. He earned a culinary arts degree from Lycée Hotelier du Sacré Coeur in Saint Chély d’Apcher, and took his first position at Michelin-starred Cannes institution La Palme d’Or. Hocquet’s repertoire of experience flourished as he spent eight years working for Alain Ducasse at renowned restaurants throughout France including Le Louis XV, La Bastide de Moustiers, and Benoit. He was then recruited by Daniel Boulud to become chef de partie / chef de partie tournant at Daniel in New York.

With a passion for travel, Hocquet took an opportunity to consult for Jacques and Laurent Pourcel overseeing seven international properties as corporate executive chef. Eventually he found his way back to the U.S., settling in as Georgie’s executive chef at Montage Beverly Hills.

Georgie

310.860.7970 georgierestaurant.com

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Montage Beverly Hills 225 N. Canon Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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PROMOTION

TOP CHEFS

FRANCIS DIMITRIUS EXECUTIVE CHEF

Chef Francis Dimitrius, a Southern California native, graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in business. After graduation, he moved immediately from the classroom to the kitchen by enrolling at Le Cordon Bleu to pursue his passion and begin his culinary career.

Dimitrius has trained under Wolfgang Puck and honed his skills at renowned restaurants such as Matsuhisa, Nobu, and KOI. In 2008, he served as the executive chef at Villa Blanca and made appearances on Bravo’s Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Vanderpump Rules. Dimitrius has also been featured on Bravo’s Recipe for Deception on Bravo, Food Network’s Extreme Chef, Access Hollywood, and in the peer-reviewed book Best Chefs America.

In 2015, Dimitrius joined the Neiman Marcus Group as executive chef of Mariposa in Beverly Hills. Dimitrius has infused the restaurant’s menu with his artistic culinary creations that merge his elevated training with Neiman Marcus classics.

Mariposa Neiman Marcus (lower level) 9700 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

CREDIT BOX

310.975.4350

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PROMOTION

TOP CHEFS

DAVID CODNEY EXECUTIVE CHEF

As Executive Chef at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, David Codney oversees all aspects of the hotel’s cuisine. Leading the Food and Beverage Team since 2012, he supervises the dining experience at the recently renovated main dining room, The Belvedere, The Roof Garden restaurant, as well as catering, special events and room service.

Under his direction, The Belvedere’s menu offers Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with a focus on seafood.

Signature dishes such as Duck Confit Orecchiette, Salt Cod Croquettes and Branzino Fillets with asparagus and lemon butter are rustic and simply prepared to reflect Codney’s firm belief in letting the product shine. The Belvedere offers outdoor dining on the Terrace with a cozy fireplace, water fountains as well as lush foliage to create an urban garden oasis in the middle of Beverly Hills.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Codney grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where he discovered his passion for cooking during high school. Prior to joining The Peninsula Beverly Hills, Chef Codney spent many years of his career at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Florida, where he rose to the position of Executive Sous Chef and was a member of The RitzCarlton Task Force, successfully opening new Ritz-Carlton hotels throughout North America. When he is not cooking, Codney enjoys the outdoors with his twins, Chloe and Rowan.

The Belvedere

310.975.2736 peninsula.com/beverlyhills

CREDIT BOX

The Peninsula Beverly Hills 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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BONE KETTLE

67 North Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91103 | (626) 795-5702 | bonekettle.com

Discover 125 restaurants in 22 historic blocks

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Old Pasadena dining includes a variety of experiences MAESTRO RESTAURANT

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PRAWN

One Colorado Courtyard 16 Miller Alley, Pasadena, CA 91103 | (626) 219-6115 | prawncoastal.com

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THE HOT LIST

P. 33

W H E R E TO E AT N OW— L . A .’ S M OST E SS E N T I A L R E STAU RA N TS E D I T E D

BY

G A R R E T T

S N Y D E R

WEST A-Frame

CULVER CITY

T H E B R E A K D OW N » Hawaiian $$

Aloha spirit lives in Culver City. Roy Choi says A-Frame has always been Hawaiian—at least in the abstract— but it wasn’t until a revamp that the former IHOP space leaned into island fare. Loco moco and huli-huli chicken channel tradition, while a baby octopus terrine with foie gras and the sloppy kimchi burger take delicious liberties. 12565 Washington Blvd. (310-398-7700 or aframela.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Akasha

CULVER CITY

» New American $$

Akasha is a sceney spot, but this one has its feet planted in a pair of Birkenstocks. The menu goes beyond chef Akasha Richmond’s former vegetarian repertoire, offering meat and popular dishes like mac and cheese.

But the tenets of organic, well sourced, and local food serve as a launching point for an entire ecological vision. When the dishes work, whether it’s a bowl of quinoa and edamame or hemp seed-crusted tofu salad, they radiate an earthy integrity. 9543 Culver Blvd., (310-845-1700 or akasharestaurant.com). B-D daily; L Mon.-Fri.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Belcampo

SANTA MONICA

» American $$$

The flagship restaurant for Belcampo Meat Co. serves the same fancy flesh it sells at the adjoining butcher shop. The space evokes grand dining halls of old, where meat and men came together in bulk—only this one has a poppier paint job. The menu is also a throwback: When was the last time you saw mutton? Here a flavorful chop arrives with peas and pomegranate-andmint chutney. Ribbons of roast beef with jus blanket a thick hunk of buttered toast. 1026 Wilshire Blvd., (424744-8008 or belcampo.com/restaurant/santamonica).

L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sun.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Cut

BEVERLY HILLS

» Steakhouse $$$

Wolfgang Puck’s steakhouse on steroids is a two-tiered expanse of blond, black, and chrome, the work of Get-

WEST

EAST

Includes Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Century City, Culver City, Malibu, Mar Vista, Marina del Rey, Palms, Santa Monica, Venice, West L.A., Westwood

Includes Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, East L.A., Echo Park, Glendale, Los Feliz, Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley, Silver Lake

DOWNTOWN Includes Arts District, Bunker Hill, Chinatown, Historic Core, Little Tokyo, South Park

THE VALLEY Includes Agoura Hills, Burbank, Calabasas, Encino, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Van Nuys

CE NTRAL

SOUTH

Includes Beverly Grove, East Hollywood, Fairfax District, Hancock Park, Hollywood, Koreatown, West Hollywood

Includes Bell, Compton, Gardena, Hermosa Beach, Long Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance, Watts

$ $$ $$$ $$$$

I N E X P E N S I V E (Meals under $20) M O D E R A T E (Mostly under $40) E X P E N S I V E (Mostly under $60) V E R Y E X P E N S I V E ($60 and above)

Price classifications are approximate and based on a typical three-course dinner for one person, exclusive of drinks, tax, and tip; unless otherwise noted, these restaurants accept most credit cards.

DID YOU KNOW? These restaurants are handpicked by our editors!

We maintain anonymity as much as possible. We pay our own way. And we list only what we love. Period.

2018

ty architect Richard Meier. Even the appetizer menu is over the top: Kobe sashimi, bone marrow flan with mushroom marmalade, oxtail bouillon with chive blossoms. Nobly bred beef is listed with its geographical provenance—Illinois, Nebraska (aged 35 days), or Wagyu imported from Japanese prefectures. Sides?

Try the caramelized salsify or potato tartin. 9500 Wilshire Blvd., (310-276-8500 or wolfgangpuck.com/ dining/cut-beverly-hills). D Mon.-Sat. Full bar.

Destroyer

CULVER CITY

» California $-$$

At this indoor-outdoor daytime spot (named after a comet), Jordan Kahn rigorously imprints a Nordic aesthetic on his vegetable-forward California café menu. Roasted tomatoes and halved gooseberries nestle in a pool of kefir and kale oil; avocado wedges rolled in roasted seeds and nuts are separated by sorrel leaves; pea tendrils garnish a stack of fried cheese dumplings. Throw in an ambient soundtrack and a whitewashed open kitchen, and the effect is zen-inducing. 3578 Hayden Ave. (310-360-3860 or destroyer.la).

B-L Mon.-Fri. No alcohol.

Dialogue

SANTA MONICA » Modernist Cuisine $$$$

The real conversation at this 18-seat restaurant happens between your expectations and how former Alinea chef Dave Beran tweaks them. Tempering the haute with the homesteaded, Beran and his crew rejigger expectations of what a tasting menu can be. Soupe à l’oignon is a broth-filled, Gruyère-crusted doughnut hole accompanied by a rosemary candle. That’s housefermented vinegar cutting through the short rib stock that glazes the roasted blackberry Thermidor. By the meal’s end, you’ll feel as though you’ve made your way through an entire season in roughly 20 plates. 1315 3rd St. Promenade (no phone; dialoguerestaurant.com).

D Tue.-Sat. Beer and wine.

Farmshop

BRENTWOOD

» New American $$$

Farmshop has something for every time of day. At breakfast the place is crowded with diners devouring pastrami and eggs. At lunch chef-owner Jeff Cerciello lends a salad of avocado and bulgur a faint zing with

DY L A N + J E N I

Spring

Spaghetti with bottarga at Felix

3 2 L A M AG . C O M

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Matsuhisa

the seeds from a Schaner Farms pomegranate. At Sunday dinner, when locals come in for the fried chicken, herbed rice gets a serious spin with diced porcini and crumbled chestnuts. 225 26 St., Ste. 25, (310-5662400 or farmshopca.com/santa-monica). D nightly; B-L Mon.-Fri.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

BEVERLY HILLS

Felix

VENICE » Italian $$$

Evan Funke is a pasta purist who can slip Italian lessons into any meal. He did it first at Bucato in Culver City and now presides at Felix, a clubby, floral-patterned trattoria that occupies the former home of Joe’s in Venice. His tonnarelli cacio e pepe, a skein of strands adorned with cheese and black pepper, nods to Roman shepherds who used the spice to keep warm, while the rigatoni all’Amatriciana with cured pork cheek sings brilliantly alongside Italian country wines. 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd. (424-387-8622 or felixla.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Forma

SANTA MONICA

Maude

BEVERLY HILLS » New American $$$$

Having retired the ingredient-themed monthly menus at his Beverly Hills restaurant, celebrity chef Curtis Stone now highlights a different wine region from around the world every quarter. The results seem to be no less impressive. First up: Rioja, which means Spanish flavors and inventive takes on tapas.

Be sure to book tickets well in advance. 212 S. Beverly Dr. (310-859-3418 or mauderestaurant.com). D Tue.Sat. Beer and wine.

» Italian $$

The rustic Italian cooking at Piero Topputo and Mario Sabatini’s Santa Monica trattoria places a special emphasis on cheese, whether thinly sliced and stacked onto overflowing platters or in the fettucine dalla forma, a preparation that involves tossing warm pasta in a hollowed-out wheel of ParmigianoReggiano. Is it any surprise that the filet mignon tartare is showered with shaved cheese, too? A generous wine list and crowd-pleasing bar menu make this a quiet haunt for locals. 1610 Montana Ave. (424231-2868 or formarestaurant.com) L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Gjelina VENICE » New American $$$

At the apex of Abbot Kinney’s affection for beach-chic fashion and fresh local produce sits Gjelina, the first of Travis Lett’s growing cadre of Westside restaurants.

Wood-fired small plates come to the table aggressively dressed, like the grilled leaves of Treviso radicchio served with an unconventional bagna cauda or sweet roasted parsnips in hazelnut picada. Don’t be surprised when you’re seated at one of the always crowded communal tables, where pizzas battle for space alongside glasses of Rebula. 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd.

(310-450-1429 or gjelina.com). B-L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Mélisse

SANTA MONICA » Cal-French $$$$

CASSIA

SANTA MONICA

Southeast Asian $$$

› B RYA N T

N G M I N E S his Chinese Singaporean heritage, honors wife Kim’s Vietnamese background, and works in the wood-grilling technique he honed at Mozza. The result is the grand Southeast Asian brasserie that Los Angeles seemed destined for. Hunker down at a table on the patio to devour burnished pig’s tail with butter lettuce and fish sauce, or belly up to the raw bar for a dozen oysters with sambal cocktail sauce. 1314 7th St. (310-393-6699

or cassiala.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Hatchet Hall CULVER CITY » Southern $$-$$$

Brian Dunsmoor’s menu lends new meaning to the term “SoCal,” with grilled okra spears, vermouthbraised rabbit over Antebellum grits, and a pile of ham masquerading as a salad. The Old Man Bar in back puts out superb cocktails, but Maxwell Leer’s wine program—which plunks peanuts in chenin blanc and mixes whites with soda pop—tests boundaries in a good way. 12517 W. Washington Blvd. (310391-4222 or hatchethallla.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Hinoki & the Bird CENTURY CITY » Pan-Asian $$$

This dark, wood-paneled dining room is the place for a loosened tie and a tumbler of Hibiki whiskey. Chef Brandon Kida expands Japanese tradition with lowaffect cooking that nods to Southeast Asia and China.

Wild boar ribs are rubbed with Sichuan peppercorn.

The kitchen makes ample use of binchotan charcoal, which burns clean and allows the flavors of ingredients to shine, whether it’s that of a dry-aged New York strip—seared and glazed with umami butter—or roasted yam with crème fraîche and crispy lardons.

10 W. Century Dr. (310-552-1200 or hinokiandthebird .com). L Mon.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

A N D R E A D ’AG OSTO

Kato

SAWTELLE

» Cal-Asian $$$-$$$$

A five-course dinner at Jon Yao’s Kato will cost you $55—which is a stellar deal, and even more impressive is the inventiveness of the food he’s serving. Drawing influences from both Taiwanese and Japanese cuisines, Kato’s seafood-driven tasting menu veers from luscious

» Japanese $$$

Now that a generation has been weaned of Matsuhisa’s spicy brand of sushi, the restaurant has regained its reputation as a serious spot. The chefs wait to see whether you’re a newbie who’s come for signature dishes like the toro with caviar or the uni shooter with bonito broth. Prove to them that you appreciate raw fish in all its variety. 129 N. La Cienega Blvd., (310-659-9639 or nobumatsuhisa.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly. Full bar.

Since it opened in 1999, Josiah Citrin’s two-star Michelin Award winner in Santa Monica has never wavered from celebrating the difference between eating and dining. That his trademark curl of fresh pasta with lobster bolognese and brown butter truffle froth and the poached egg garnished with caviar remain staples isn’t a sign of stagnation but evidence that he got it right the first time. 1104 Wilshire Blvd. (310-3950881 or melisse.com). D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

Michael’s

SANTA MONICA » California $$$

Since starting at Michael’s, 28-year-old chef Miles Thompson has reinvigorated the venerable establishment. (Restaurateur Michael McCarty practically bounces through his goodwill tour of bar and garden tables.) Cocoa nibs add the perfect crunch to pillowy rabbit meatballs with English peas. Tiny leaves of just-snipped mugwort balance the brooding force of black rice and baby turnips. Each bite captures that old Michael’s magic, an alluring spell of on-point food and good conversation in the night air. 1147 3rd St. (310-451-0843 or michaelssantamonica.com).

D Mon.-Sat. Full bar.

Milo & Olive

SANTA MONICA

smoked hamachi in charred scallion sauce to soothing rice porridge thickened with dried scallops and crab— all served in a bare-bones strip mall space. 11925 Santa Monica Blvd. (424-535-3041 or katorestaurant.com).

D Tue.-Sat. No alcohol.

Lawry’s the Prime Rib BEVERLY HILLS » Steakhouse $$$

The Lawry’s system is streamlined entertainment.

First comes the salad, dressed by waitresses who hold the sauce boats high. The chef materializes in shoes so white they befit a Rose Parade marshal and carves the prime rib to your specifications before the Yorkshire pudding is plopped down. Finish with a slice of banana cream pie frosted with roasted coconut flakes. 100 N. La Cienega Blvd. (310-652-2827 or lawrysonline.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Lukshon

CULVER CITY

» Pan-Asian $$

Sang Yoon is doing to the cuisines of Southeast Asia what he did to burgers at Father’s Office next door. The spicy chicken pops are a lesson in the tingling effect of Sichuan peppercorns. A whole steamed fish, smothered in black bean ghee and cilantro, is promptly devoured. A crudo of Spanish mackerel with coconut vinegar and green papaya cools things down. As at Father’s Office, the wide range of beverages is well thought out. 3239 Helms Ave. (310-2026808 or lukshon.com). L Tue.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

» California $$

At the most Italian-influenced of the restaurants she owns with husband Josh Loeb, Zoe Nathan tops artisanal breadlike pizzas with pork belly sausage, an abundance of wild mushrooms, or razor-thin rounds of spicy soppressata. A nest of wild arugula cradles a briny trifecta of fried capers, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and anchovy dressing. 2723 Wilshire Blvd.,(310-4536776 or miloandolive.com). B-L-D daily. Full bar.

MTN

VENICE

» Japanese $$-$$$

Travis Lett’s beachy izakaya juts out along Abbot Kinney like a mountain carved from slate. Stools crowd around an open kitchen where sake-marinated chicken wings sizzle over binchotan charcoal. The Gjelina chef’s dedication to sourcing is on display even as he adheres to Japanese tradition: Handmadenoodles bob in heritage pork broth, while a salad features Big Sur seaweed. 1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd. (424465-3313 or mtnvenice.com). D nightly. Beer and wine.

Native

SANTA MONICA » New American $$

Born and bred in L.A., Nyesha Arrington has a knack for harmonizing the city’s array of influences. Beef tartare is paired with perky Korean mustard sauce, and roasted rutabaga (from the nearby farmers’ market) is crowned with crumbled Ethiopian injera.

Don’t overlook the coconut-and-brown-butter pancakes—a crowd-pleaser during weekend brunch. 620 Santa Monica Blvd. (310-458-4427 or eatnative.la).

D Tue.-Sun.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

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3/16/18 12:01 PM

n/naka PALMS » Japanese $$$$

Niki Nakayama tailors the rituals of kaiseki dining to a bungalow in Palms. The multicourse dinner is high formality without the airs; dishes land soon after you are seated. Whether in a skein of spaghettini with paper-thin abalone, a seared Wagyu slice with a blistered shishito pepper, or diced shiitakes folded into a butter sauce over Alaskan king crab, a pointillist intensity comes through in every dish. 3455 Overland Ave. (310-836-6252 or n-naka.com).

D Wed.-Sat. Beer and wine.

Night + Market Sahm VENICE » Thai $$

Kris Yenbamroong expands his family of Thai food restaurants with a third outpost in Venice (sahm means “three” in Thai) and brings along the flowered plastic tablecloths that adorn his other locations. Sinuses will be as clear as the plates, thanks to spicy franchise faves like crispy rice salad and pastrami drunken noodles. If heat isn’t your thing, try the Peking duck pizza on flaky roti. 2533 Lincoln Blvd. (310-301-0333 or nightmarketla .com) D Wed.-Mon. Beer and wine.

Pizzana

BRENTWOOD

» Italian $$

A narrow wedge of a room, the former Adoteca space has found its true purpose as a swank neighborhood pizza spot. It’s not easy to make over the local pie joint, but 32-year-old chef Daniele Uditi has reimagined an urban standby with equal parts purism and playfulness, becoming a neighborhood favorite in the process. Most impressive is the open-mindedness that has him layering chorizo and queso fresco on the Messicana and a hearty short rib ragù (what he calls “Neapolitan Sunday gravy”) on the Pignatiello. And in a real twist, appetizers and salads are not afterthoughts but highlights. 11712 San Vicente Blvd. (310481-7108 or pizzana.com). L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Spago, Antonia Lofaso understands high-volume cooking, and her take on hearty Italian-American is respectful yet inventive. For the squash blossoms, she mixes ricotta and mozzarella in the filling for more stringiness. In the eggplant caponata, she adds crunch with freshly roasted almonds. 2905 Washington Blvd.

(310-821-1100 or scopaitalianroots.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Shunji Japanese Cuisine SAWTELLE » Japanese $$$

Shunji Nakao has worked at Matsuhisa and the beloved Asanebo. His finest performance, however, is happening at his eponymous restaurant on Pico, which is housed in a barrel-shaped former barbecue joint. Nakao is as likely to structure his elaborate omakase menus around purple asparagus as around succulent slices of golden-eye snapper. You may be entertained by a massive, squirming sweet shrimp, rubies of agedashi tomato “tofu”, or by Nakao himself.

His jokes are as sharp as his knife. 12244 W. Pico Blvd., (310-826-4737 or shunji-ns.com). D Tue.-Sun.; L Tue.-Fri. Beer, wine, shochu, and sake.

Sotto

» Italian $$

The kitchen where Steve Samson tends the fires would be the focal point if there wasn’t so much happening on the plate. Cauliflower florets and cured lemon duel beneath a grilled mackerel scapece. An egg, presented sunny side up, cooks in a bowl of minestra, a country soup chock full of wild mustard greens, just as it would in Umbria. Strewn over hand-rolled buds of pasta in tomato sauce, the Sardinian cheese Fiore Sardo adds a hint of sharpness, a modest indulgence, like a shepherd’s treat. 9575 W. Pico Blvd. (310-277-0210 or sottorestaurant.com). D nightly. Full bar.

BEVERLY HILLS

» California $$$$

Brooke Williamson has created an all-day, multiconcept hub for taking in food, drink, and sea breezes.

Grab a coffee and a bowl of quinoa cream of wheat at the casual King Beach cafe; bring the kids for an afternoon sundae from Small Batch, the creamery out front. For dinner it’s whole Dungeness crab at Dockside, followed by a nightcap at the dimly lit Grain Whiskey Bar. 119 Culver Blvd. (310-683-5019 or playaprovisions.com). B-L-D daily. Full bar.

Following 2012’s overhaul, Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant has turned into a streamlined space that’s striking enough visually to draw out the nuances of Lee Hefter’s cooking. There’s vitality when the cushioned house style is applied to the jagged edges of contemporary dining. Binchotan charcoal, wild nettles—they’re all here. A thin layer of smoked mascarpone tops the veal tartare in a marrowbone. The appearance of white corn agnolotti is still how the peak of summer is announced in Beverly Hills. 176 N. Canon Dr. (310-385-0880 or wolfgangpuck.com). L Tue.Sat.; D nightly. Full bar.

The Rose VENICE » California $$

SAWTELLE

Playa Provisions » New American $$

PLAYA DEL REY

The Rose Café, a Venice institution, isn’t the same as it was when it first debuted in the 1970s. But this reincarnation is pretty tasty. Chef Jason Neroni whips up breakfast burritos, kale salads, and other classic beachside fare alongside such signature dishes as cacio e pepe and a cauliflower T-bone smothered in almonds and shishito piperade. A case full of baked goods delivers a rock-solid breakfast, and the wine list is stocked with great things to sip under the sun. 220 Rose Ave. (310-399-0711 or rosecafevenice.com). B-L-D Tue.-Sun.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Rustic Canyon SANTA MONICA » New American $$$

Chef Jeremy Fox has bestowed great energy on a Santa Monica fixture that has always been as mellow as a day at the beach. His market-driven approach is thoughtful without being ponderous and always pretty on the plate. He reduces French onion soup to its essentials, pouring a burnished consommé over pickled ramps and a crouton bubbling with Gruyère. The pozole, made with Rancho Gordo hominy, is thickened with green garlic and studded with clams. 1119 Wilshire Blvd. (310-393-7050 or rusticcanyonwinebar .com). D nightly. Beer and wine.

Scopa Italian Roots VENICE » Italian $$

The bartenders are a blur as they shake out Negronis for a thirsty crowd at this hangar-size spot. Trained at

Sushi Tsujita » Sushi $$$$

Clad in a kaleidoscope of bamboo panels, the sushi restaurant hails from Tokyo (as does the Tsujita ramen spot nearby) and specializes in edomae-style sushi, which dates from the 19th century. Expect restraint, a touch of ceremoniousness, and masterful precision, down to the temperature of the fish. But they do make a few non-edomae allowances. “Sure, we’ll do sashimi,” the waitress says, then reminds you to squeeze the sudachi into the teapot filled with matsutake broth. 2006 Sawtelle Blvd. (310-2311177 or sushitsujita.com). L daily. D nightly. Beer, wine, shochu, and sake.

Tallula’s

SANTA MONICA

» Mexican $$-$$$

With help from Jeremy Fox, Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan have remade the old Marix Mexican restaurant into an fun and splashy beach spot. The seasonal menu is filled with such creative dishes as duck chilaquiles and grilled swordfish tacos, plus favorites like gooey nachos that arrive piled on a baking sheet and beg for a margarita or two. 118 Entrada Dr. (310-526-0027 or tallulasrestaurant.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Tar & Roses

SANTA MONICA

The Tasting Kitchen VENICE » Italian $$-$$$

Casey Lane’s inspired, ingredient-driven Italian cooking changes daily and has become a mainstay along Abbot Kinney. A base of farro will support hunks of spicy sausage one night, walnuts and winter squash on another. A bowl of fresh tagliolini might star fresh cockles or pork and persimmons. There’s gleeful disorder here, from the illegible writing to the size of the dishes (nothing’s quite a small plate nor quite a main course). Cocktails—the Aficionado mixes tequila, cynar, and port—are just as daring. 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd. (310-392-6644 or thetastingkitchen.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Tavern

BRENTWOOD

PICO-ROBERTSON

Spago

flavor is the animating spirit of these small plates.

With advance notice, the kitchen can cook a standing rib roast or entire goat, but none is needed for the whole fried snapper. Roasted peaches are the perfect coda to a meal. 602 Santa Monica Blvd. (310-587-0700 or tarandroses.com). D nightly. Full bar.

» Cal-Mediterranean $$

Andrew Kirschner’s laid-back restaurant combines creativity and smarts. Bruschetta toppings are noted on a blackboard (Who’s going to argue that a chili crab cake hardly belongs on a Cal-Med menu?). Wood-fired

» California $$

There’s a nod to Old Hollywood here, from the atrium populated with celebs to the menu, which skews vintage with Suzanne Goin’s versions of Devils on Horseback, Gulf shrimp cocktail, and the sinus-clearing ode to Dijon, Devil’s Chicken. Tavern’s casual Larder could be Goin’s most significant contribution to L.A. 11648 San Vicente Blvd. (310-806-6464 or tavernla.com).

B Mon.-Fri.; L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Valentino

SANTA MONICA

» Italian $$$

Owner Piero Selvaggio’s Santa Monica institution is a refuge for old-school restaurant ways. Oil-packed tuna cushions thin pink slices of veal loin in a superb rendition of vitello tonnato. Plucked from the water bath, the cardoon flan is as airy as it is hearty.

The din may have subsided with age, but here you’re presented with a minuscule fork meant for savoring the marrow in each osso buco bone. 3115 Pico Blvd., (310-829-4313 or valentinosantamonica.com). D Tue.Sat.; L Fri. Full bar.

Vespertine

CULVER CITY » Modernist Cuisine $$$$

Housed in a dramatic glass-and-steel building designed by starchitect Eric Owen Moss, Jordan Kahn’s avant-garde tasting menu project elicited broad reactions from critics, and for good reason: Meals cost a small fortune ($250 per person), last up to four hours, and involve dishes that don’t always look like food (at least as we know it). Kahn is treading through unexplored territory, and he knows how to transport and excite. Served in a black earthenware sphere, velvety rice porridge harmonizes salty trout roe and sweet yuzu jam. Buttery poached crab, tiled with a fragrant layer of fresh allspice leaves, conceals an egg yolk that erupts near the final bite.

3599 Hayden Ave. (323-320-4023 or vespertine.la).

D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

Vincenti

BRENTWOOD » Italian $$$

There’s new art on the walls, chic furniture, and an airier look throughout this Brentwood bastion. The white tablecloths may be gone, but very much in place are Nicola Mastronardi’s intelligently robust seafood-focused cooking, the playful Monday pizza nights, a seasonal attentiveness—from fava beans in summer to truffles in fall—and the heartfelt hugs of owner Maureen Vincenti as you stroll out the door. 11930 San Vicente Blvd. (310-207-0127 or vincentiristorante.com).

L Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. Full bar.

The Wallace CULVER CITY » New American $$

At this popular spot in downtown Culver City, roasted carrots and parsnips are laced with honey and cumin, while sprouting broccoli gets tossed with dukkah—a blend of nuts and spices—and marinated feta. Most dishes are meant for sharing, including the irresistible flatbread with bacon marmalade and melted

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greens. Buoyed by an ambitious cocktail program, the Wallace elevates the neighborhood nightlife scene while staying true to casual farm-to-table dining.

3833 Main St., (310-202-6400 or thewallacela.com).

D nightly; L Mon.-Fri.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

DOWNTOWN HISTORIC CORE

» Mediterranean Fusion $$

Josef Centeno’s flagship has all the Moroccan bistilla and Provençal brandade you could want. The signature bäco sandwich may hold pork belly dripping with salbitxada—an almond and onion sauce that nods to Barcelona—but the thrumming kitchen has the spirit of a time-tested hash house, turning out such brilliant combinations as hamachi crudo with crushed avocado and hash browns as well as crisp ricotta fritters with honey, lemon zest, and dill. 408 S. Main St. (213-6878808 or bacomercat.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

Badmaash

HISTORIC CORE

» Indian $-$$

The Indian gastropub concept comes from the fatherand-sons team of Pawan, Nakul, and Arjun Mahendro, who are all well versed in the culinary techniques of East and West. The menu features contemporary mash-ups, like a version of poutine that’s smothered in chicken tikka, tandoori-spiced chicken wings, and a spicy lamb burger. If tradition’s your thing, you’ll be comforted by the familiar (and delicious) spice-stewed chickpeas, potato and pea samosas, and what they call “good ol’ saag paneer.” Refresh with craft beer or an Indian lime soda. 108 W. 2nd St. (213-221-7466 or badmaashla.com). L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Bar Amá

HISTORIC CORE

ARTS DISTRICT

DOWNTOWN » New American $$$ › O V E R L O O K I N G T H E L O B B Y at the NoMad hotel, the Mezzanine is a grand destina-

tion pulled off with Big City verve. Roast chicken for two, a holdover from chef Daniel Humm’s NYC menu, has truffle-and-foie-gras stuffing piped under its skin, while a fruits de mer platter is gilded with grilled Monterey abalone. Cocktails are superb, but a selection of vintage Champagnes suits the room. 649 S. Olive St. (213-358-0000 or thenomadhotel.com/los-angeles ). D nightly. Full bar.

» Tex-Mex $$

Josef Centeno brings the flavors of his Texas heritage to 4th and Main and redeems an entire cuisine written off as sizzling fajitas and combo plates. The same adept hands that preside over neighboring restaurants Orsa & Winston, Bäco Mercat, and P.Y.T. transform Tex-Mex classics such as Frito pie into towers of lengua chili-doused corn chips in a poquito cast-iron skillet. Short fideo noodles form a bed for octopus and smoky sausage. All hail the flour tortilla and the curiously viscous queso dip. 118 W. 4th St. (213-6878002 or barama.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

Bestia

THE MEZZANINE AT THE NOMAD

» Italian $$$

Ori Menashe and his wife, Genevieve Gergis, envisioned a warehouse east of downtown as a testa-serving, guanciale-curing, pasta-extruding temple of authenticity, and darned if they didn’t achieve it.

Menashe lights up beef heart tartare with champagne vinegar and boosts grilled orata with an anchovy-andlemon paste. Gergis’s panna cotta with persimmon wedges ends a meal—whether it’s lardo-draped pizza or brothy cassoeula—on an exquisitely soft note. The dining room is always booked, but regulars know to look for room at the bar. 2121 E. 7th Pl. (213-514-5724 or bestiala.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Broken Spanish SOUTH PARK » Mexican $$$

At his modern Mexican-American spot near L.A. Live, Ray Garcia draws inspiration from the humble braise.

Tender rabbit with bacon and nopales speaks to hours spent in the oven. Charred eggplant enchiladas are crafted from heirloom-corn tortillas. For the “Abuelita” hot chocolate, Garcia pays homage to the Nestlé brand but with high-grade cacao. These deluxe ingredients heighten what’s already compelling: a chef fluent in the language of modern cooking who celebrates the family table. 1050 S. Flower St. (213749-1460 or brokenspanish.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Everson Royce Bar ARTS DISTRICT » New American $$

What does former Osteria Mozza chef Matt Molina cook when he’s not confined to Italian? Life-changing

bar food, it turns out. This Arts District drinking and small-plates destination from Silver Lake Wine owner Randy Clement offers potato taquitos, crispy shrimp and pork dumplings, buttermilk biscuits with honey butter, and one of the best burgers in town. A deep wine list and stellar cocktails are a sure draw, too. 1936 E. 7th St. (213-335-6166 or erbla.com). D nightly. Full bar.

The Exchange HISTORIC CORE » Middle Eastern $$$

The Freehand hotel’s restaurant (located off the lobby) melds Latino and Israeli influences with aplomb.

A dribble of the hot sauce zhug pushes the heat in a crisped tuna baguette sandwich amped with chile morita; airy grated tomato sits on a cloud of tahini.

Dinner skews rustic—think whole grilled fish. Cocktails are strong, with date honey rounding out an oldfashioned in a new way. 416 W. 8th St. (213-437-9511 or freehandhotels.com). B-L-D daily. Full bar.

The Factory Kitchen ARTS DISTRICT » Italian $$$

Angelo Auriana led the kitchen at Valentino for more than a decade; restaurateur Matteo Ferdinandi was a business partner of Celestino Drago. Together they champion northern Italian fare: silky handkerchief pasta smothered in pesto, plump casonsei dumplings sautéed in sage butter. 1300 Factory Pl., Ste. 101 (213-996-6000 or thefactorykitchen.com).

L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly. Full bar.

Faith & Flower SOUTH PARK » New American $$$

A grand restaurant that’s seemingly custom-made for entertaining guests of L.A. Live, Faith & Flower hits hard with dishes that span the flavor spectrum.

Bone marrow thickens the sauce for oxtail agnolotti; shards of puffed beef tendon add the crunch. An anchovy-and-crispy-shallot salt bomb transforms grilled bok choy into drinking food. Finish with a Straus Greek yogurt panna cotta topped with yuzu granita, puffed rice, and rubylike pomegranate seeds. 705 W. 9th St. (213-239-0642 or faithand flowerla.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Lasa

CHINATOWN

» Filipino $$

If you’ve followed the city’s wave of new Filipino restaurants, there’s a fair chance you’ve heard of brothers Chase and Chad Valencia. The cooking at their Far East Plaza restaurant exudes the sharp, resonant flavors of traditional Filipino food and the produce-driven aesthetic of California—Alice Waters filtered through Manila. A brilliant riff on panzanella weds tomatoes with a salted duck egg aioli, while a longstewed brown rice is enhanced by roasted trumpet mushrooms. 727 N. Broadway, Ste. 120 (213-443-6163 or lasa-la.com). L Tue.-Sun.; D Wed.-Sun. No alcohol.

Majordomo CHINATOWN » Pan-Asian $$-$$$

A cavernous dining hall located in a gritty industrial zone north of Chinatown, Majordomo is the latest addition to David Chang’s Momofuku empire. Crisp Korean peppers, stuffed with sage-scented pork sausage and fried tempura-style, resemble the offspring of a jalapeno popper and the homey Korean snack gochujeon, while plump sugar snaps brightened with shaved horseradish evoke wasabi peas. You can assemble a stellar meal from small plates here, but the place champions the large-format splurge. Two can take down a cream-topped mountain of horchata shaved ice, but the $190 rack of smoked short ribs? Consider forming a posse. 1725 Naud St. (majordomo.la). D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse DOWNTOWN » Steakhouse $$$-$$$$

Giant cuts of beef hang in a glass-walled aging chamber at Joachim Splichal’s steak house. Service in the moderne dining room is flawless, meats are cooked perfectly, the sweet potato fries are festive, and the lemon meringue pie is a perfect coda. 330 S. Hope St., (213-6800330 or patinagroup.com/nick-and-stefs-steakhouse-la).

L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly. Full bar.

Officine Brera ARTS DISTRICT » Italian $$$

When an Italian restaurant lists three varieties of regional risotto on the menu, you know it’s not kid-

L I SA CO R S O N

Bäco Mercat

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ding around. You can’t miss the roaring wood fire lighting up the glass-enclosed kitchen; it’s responsible for the prized slow-roasted pork shank and the prime rib chop. There’s an sweet-ish dressing here, a temperature issue there, but that won’t keep us from ordering the chestnut pasta with quail ragù. 1331 E. 6th St. (213-553-8006 or officinebrera.com). L Mon.Fri.; D nightly. Full bar.

Orsa & Winston HISTORIC CORE » New American $$$$

In this minimalist venture, Josef Centeno gives us his most austere yet farthest-reaching restaurant. The format is limited to multicourse tasting menus ranging from $80 to $225, along with a few à la carte dishes of what he calls “antipasti,” such as grilled geoduck with shaved fennel and diced pomelo. Crumbled furikake seaweed and good olive oil create a sauce for thin slices of testa. Cooked like a risotto and capped with a furl of sea urchin, the satsuki rice nears evanescence with yuzu-pecorino cream. 122 W. 4th St. (213-687-0300 or orsaandwinston.com). L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sat; brunch Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Otium

BUNKER HILL » New American $$$

If ever there was a restaurant that invites gawking, Otium is it. A cube of polished wood with Miesian girders, the Broad Museum-adjacent eatery takes full advantage of its 20-foot ceilings and loftlike space.

The plates are heavy speckled stoneware and sport chef Timothy Hollingsworth’s globally inspired but unmistakably California cuisine. Delicate morsels of hamachi are crusted in nori powder and served raw next to a painterly schmear of avocado. His influences are made clear in a funnel cake: a spiderweb of fried dough topped with airy dollops of foie gras mousse and preserved strawberries. 222 S. Hope St. (213-9358500 or otiumla.com). L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sun.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Patina

DOWNTOWN

» Cal-French $$$

The current incarnation of Joachim Splichal’s decades-old flagship, burrowed in a corner of Walt Disney Concert Hall, is under the watch of chef Andreas Roller, who goes for nuance with a European take on California seasonality. A whisper of lemon thyme is all that’s needed to transform a John Dory fillet. A sprinkle of chicory streusel and a few carrot curls dress an elemental salad of Windrose Farm greens.

Wine drinking is a sport here, and Martin Riese is its coach. 141 S. Grand Ave., (213-972-3331 or patinagroup .com/patina-restaurant). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

P.Y.T.

HISTORIC CORE » Vegetarian $$

This is the first time Josef Centeno has tried his hand at a style of cooking that’s almost entirely produce oriented. Grilling over coals brings out the twilight sweetness in last-of-the-season figs. Shaving walnuts on a Microplane allows Centeno to shade pristine baby carrots with a pesto made from their tops. The saline kick from grated Paski Sir—a Croa­tian sheep’s milk cheese—adds umami to creamy grits. Thickly cut San Marzanos (from a Lincoln Heights school garden) are at their most lyrical between flaky pastry and a luscious swirl of crème fraîche. 400 S. Main St. (213-687-7015 or pytlosangeles.com). D Tue.-Sat.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Q

FINANCIAL DISTRICT » Japanese $$$

Hiroyuki Naruke specializes in a profound style of Edo-era sushi rarely seen stateside. Fish for the seasonal omakase menu is prepared with exactitude.

Translucent wafers of Korean fluke are wrapped in kelp to cure; sayori (needlefish) is slivered and marinated in soy; and tender lobes of rich uni are glazed with miso. Naruke’s magnum opus may be a simple, luxuriant slice of tamago. The custardy egg omelet serves as dessert with just the right (slightly) sweet note—a humble cube of gratitude to end the night.

521 W. 7th St. (213-225-6285 or qsushila.com). L Tue.Fri.; D Tue.-Sat. Beer, wine, and sake.

CENTRAL

Redbird

HISTORIC CORE » New American $$$$

Neal Fraser has defined his own kind of L.A. elegance over the 20 years he’s been cooking in his native city. Setting up shop in the deconsecrated St. Vibiana’s Cathedral offered an opportunity to add theatrics to a space that’s contemporary and classically plush. Truffles and lentils transform slices of smoked tofu from wholesome to haute, while lamb belly spins on a spit in the former rectory. As if the food weren’t dramatic enough, a retractable ceiling reveals the illuminated bell tower. 114 E. 2nd St. (213788-1191 or redbird.la). L Fri.; D nightly; brunch Sat.Sun. Full bar.

Rossoblu

SOUTH PARK

» Italian $$$

Aburiya Raku

WEST HOLLYWOOD

» Japanese $$$

Like its Vegas predecessor, this stalwart izakaya has become a late-night haunt for superb and unfussy Japanese drinking food: grilled yakitori, tempura sardines, and bountiful platters of fresh sashimi, garnished with pickled chrysanthemum flowers and marinated seaweed instead of the usual soy sauce and ginger. Chefs silently trim whole fish in a large open kitchen, while fatty cuts of meat crack and sizzle over binchotan charcoal. 521 N. La Cienega Blvd.

(213-308-9393 or aburiya​rakula.wixsite.com/weho).

L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sun. Beer, wine, and sake.

It turns out you may want to rethink your idea of Bolognese sauce. At least, if you find yourself at Steve Samson’s new restaurant in the City Market South development downtown. The chef is rigorously mastering the hand-rolled pastas, grilled meats, sausages, and salumi of the Emilia-Romagna region where he spent childhood summers with his grandmother.

A flute of Lambrusco and some pistachio-studded mortadella are transportive, but everyone is here for soulful tortellini en brodo or that stellar ragù Bolognese. 1124 San Julian St. (213-749-1099 or rossoblula .com). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

Angelini Osteria BEVERLY GROVE » Italian $$$

71 Above

Animal

FINANCIAL DISTRICT

» New American $$$

At 950 feet in the air, the mountains-to-sea view is dramatic, but Vartan Abgaryan gives you plenty to gaze at on the plate. A sliver of foie gras terrine rests languidly beside grilled, big-crumbed country bread.

Tart mustard seeds contrast with the char of an octopus tendril in the same way crackling chicharróns play off a refined arrangement of king crab petals.

Taking the panoramic phone pic can wait until the last praline almond on a caramel custard has been consumed. 633 W. 5th St. (213-712-2683 or 71above .com). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly. Full bar.

Shibumi

HISTORIC CORE

» Japanese $$

David Schlosser focuses with Jedi determination on kappo cuisine, which in Japanese means something like “to cut with a kitchen knife and cook with fire.”

The chinmi, or “rare tastes,” might include lobster fermented in its tomalley (i.e., guts), jellied sea bream skin, and irizake—pickled plum cooked with sake. Schlosser creates his elaborate meals at a counter in view of guests. Details reflect the chef, extending to the sanded cypress bar, glasses with thread-thin stems, and dishes served in Meiji-era bowls. 815 S. Hill St. (213-265-7923 or shibumidtla .com). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

Spring

HISTORIC CORE

» French $$$

If you order the steak tartare at downtown’s new Francophile destination, take a moment to inspect the diced olives, fennel, tomato, and celery. Try to find a single minuscule cube that isn’t identical to its neighbor. You won’t. Tony Esnault’s food may have the precision of classic French, but Spring never feels rigid. An intricate dessert of Cara Cara oranges, meringue batons, and panna cotta proves that even fancy tweezer food can be soul satisfying. 257 S. Spring St. (213-372-5189 or springlosangeles.com). L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

Water Grill DOWNTOWN » Seafood $$$

Over the years much has changed at downtown’s onetime power lunch bastion, but its impeccable handling of seafood has not. Beer comes by the pitcher, nautical bric-a-brac adorns the walls, and the raw bar is filled with pristine oysters, bay scallops, and sea urchins. Fish are offered whole, either charcoal-grilled or served escabeche-style. The crab cake remains a benchmark. 544 S. Grand Ave. (213-891-0900 or watergrill.com). L-D daily. Full bar. Also at 1401 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica (310-394-5669). L-D daily.

Gino Angelini grew up on his grandma’s green lasagna in a town outside the Adriatic city of Rimini and came to L.A. in the ’90s to cook with Mauro Vincenti.

He’s not above finishing a crostino of lardo with white truffles, but his wheelhouse is a more understated realm: soup is thick with soft potatoes, tripe is buoyed by a slow-cooked soffritto, and all those veal kidneys need is cooked-down onions and a splash of wine. 7313 Beverly Blvd. (323-297-0070 or angelini osteria.com). L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sun. Beer and wine.

FAIRFAX DISTRICT » New American $$

At the first of their two Fairfax District enclaves, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo have maintained—even honed—their knack for rejiggering comfort food into balanced, thoughtful dishes that leap with spurts of acid and fat. Charred onion pho dip with tendon puffs could rule any Super Bowl spread, while braised veal tongue with black mustard resembles an amplified riff on a deli staple. Nearly a decade later, the cooking here still feels vibrant, from the punchy hamachi tostada to the decadent foie gras loco moco.

435 N. Fairfax Ave. (323-782-9225 or animalrestaurant .com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

A.O.C.

BEVERLY GROVE » California $$$

Unforced and driven by culinary excellence, A.O.C. is anchored by a courtyard with soft sunlight and laurel trees. Caroline Styne’s wine list doesn’t shy away from the ecology of vineyards, while Suzanne Goin’s cooking has become indispensable. The tarragon burrowed in Little Gem lettuce with green goddess dressing is an ideal. The roasted chicken heaped on a torn-crouton salad with wilted radicchio is an homage to San Francisco’s Zuni Café—a tip of the hat only a great restaurant can bestow.

8700 W. 3rd St. (310-859-9859 or aocwinebar.com).

L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Chi Spacca

HANCOCK PARK

» Italian $$$

At this Mozza team addition to the corner of Melrose and Highland, a passion for butchery and wood fire is palpable. Diaphanous sheets of speck and pucks of fried trotters are piled onto picturesque salumi platters. The beef and marrow pie is stuffed with beef cheeks, cipollini onions, and mushrooms. A behemoth tomahawk chop—for sharing—comes to the table as the coup de grâce. 6610 Melrose Ave. (323-2971133 or chispacca.com). D nightly. Beer and wine.

Cleo

BEVERLY GROVE » Mediterranean $$-$$$

Chef Danny Elmaleh is masterfully exploring his Persian heritage. Set in the former Churchill space, the buzzy high-ceilinged room mixes Carnaby Street with a dash of Laurel Canyon. Elmaleh’s cooking clings to the shores of the eastern Mediterranean and manages to stay true to a number of cultures. His kibbe, lamb meat pounded with bulgur, has the silky heft of the Lebanese original. 8384 W. 3rd St., Beverly Grove (323-579-1600 or cleothirdstreet.com). D nightly; L Mon.-Fri. Full bar. Also at 800 W. Olympic Blvd., downtown (424-888-7818). L-D daily.

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Named after the star ingredient formaggio, Forma features pastas served dalla forma — a traditional and unique Italian preparation method where freshly cooked pasta is finished in large wheels of various classic Italian cheeses just prior to being served. Along with these pasta dishes, Forma offers a diverse, contemporary Italian menu with a collection of small plates and entrees. Ideally located on Montana Avenue with a clean modern, comfortable setting, Forma also features a cheese bar with over 60 cheeses from all over the world. These serve as a perfect complement to its extensive international beer menu and fine wines.

1610 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica 424.231.2868 | formarestaurant.com

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The rustic charm of fried clam bellies and a loaded lobster roll have New England transplants (including chef-owner Michael Cimarusti) feeling homesick. At the raw bar a tatted-up crew lops the spines off sea urchins and shucks oysters from both coasts.

That’s linguiça heating up a Portuguese fish stew, and house-smoked albacore beneath a pile of arugula. But Cimarusti knows that sometimes the best way to prepare fish is to just grill it. 8171 Santa Monica Blvd. (323-848-2722 or connieandteds.com).

L Wed.-Sun.; D nightly. Full bar.

Craft

CENTURY CITY » New American $$$

Tom Colicchio may be the reigning arbiter of talent on Top Chef, but at heart he’s a Jersey kid who grew up on floppy pizza slices at the shore. There’s an unforced naturalness about the hit of garlic in the roasted Bintje potatoes or the way harissa paste electrifies the skate wing. The large portions fit in with the high-rises of Century City, so don’t be shy about ordering that loin of Berkshire pork. Pastry chef Shannon Swindle’s work is sensational. 10100 Constellation Blvd. (310-279-4180 or craftlosangeles.com).

L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. Full bar.

Crossroads

BEVERLY GROVE » Vegan Mediterranean $$

White-tablecloth vegan—it was bound to happen. The booths are tufted, the Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph is original, and Tal Ronnen’s food is universally appealing. You’d swear the chopped hearts of palm that go into his “crab cakes” are Maryland crabmeat straight from the Chesapeake. The breaded “scallopini”— made from quinoa—is crisp and rewarding. Pastry chef Diane Luu’s cannoli show how good a dessert without milk, eggs, or butter can really be. 8284 Melrose Ave. (323-782-9245 or crossroadskitchen.com).

L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly; brunch Sat.- Sun. Full bar.

Dan Tana’s

WEST HOLLYWOOD » Italian $$$

This old-fashioned hangout is a favorite among those who live for great steaks and chops served by waiters who have been around, well, forever. The room is dark, the drinks strong. The spaghetti sauce is right out of Little Italy. Celebs who hate to be bothered love the place. 9071 Santa Monica Blvd., 310-275-9444 or dantanasrestaurant.com). D nightly. Full bar.

The District by Hannah An BEVERLY GROVE » Vietnamese $$

In a flashy two-story space that opens onto West 3rd Street, the District is the solo work of Hannah An of the An family (Crustacean, AnQi). Delicate bánh bèo rice cakes arrive in a cluster of porcelain bowls topped with scallion and shrimp, and a frilly version of pho bo stars slices of filet mignon. There are thick house-made noodles, of course, slathered in garlic oil and studded with lobster or tossed with uni and crab. Chopsticks pry Manila clams from their shells in a broth of garlic and lemongrass, while gin-based District Mules go down with far less effort. 8722 W. 3rd St., 310-278-2345 or thedistrictbyha.com). L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

E.P. + L.P.

WEST HOLLYWOOD

» Pan-Asian $$$

With a killer rooftop dining area, this dual-concept bar and restaurant would probably attract sceney crowds regardless of its menu. But talented Aussie chef Louis Tikaram surprises with Thai-Chinese-Fijian plates that are both playful and progressive, including woodgrilled abalone with curry paste, spicy salmon larb, and “Lou Dogg’s” fried chicken lashed with black vinegar. And you can still sip a fruity cocktail upstairs afterward. 603 La Cienega Blvd. (310-855-9955 or eplosangeles.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Eveleigh

WEST HOLLYWOOD » New American $$$

A former Sunset Strip cottage-turned-Kenneth Cole store is now a chic bastion of California cuisine. The patio with the cityscape view is the place to be. Small

plates range from yellowtail crudo to a braised pork cheek with roasted veggies. Larger appetites can devour a rib-eye cap with chanterelles or a ruby fillet of ocean trout with crispy skin we’d eat by itself. 8752 W. Sunset Blvd., (424-239-1630 or theeveleigh.com).

D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Guelaguetza KOREATOWN » Mexican $

An authentic Oaxacan restaurant located in a former Korean banquet hall makes for a happy jumble. The clayudas, giant tortillas, are irresistible when spread with asiento, a traditional condiment that could pass for whipped lardo. Moles are a specialty. Thick with pounded almonds, olives, and roasted chiles, the almendrado is a tapestry of interwoven elements. Seeing abuelas and Korean hipsters enjoy live music together in the evenings is to understand Guelaguetza.

It’s perfectly L.A. 3014 W. Olympic Blvd. (213-4270608 or ilovemole.com). B-L-D daily. Full bar.

Gusto

BEVERLY GROVE » Italian $$

Gusto is Vic Casanova’s dream realized. Here the former Four Seasons chef puts out what he wants, whether it’s a pork spin on braciola that’s not much to look at but tastes like nonna’s, or the sophisticated sweetbreads milanese with arugula. Handmade pastas, unfussy pizzas, roasted bone marrow, and pork meatballs satisfy a neighborhood need. 8022 W. 3rd St. (323-951-9800 or gusto-la.com). D nightly.

Full bar.

The Hearth & Hound HOLLYWOOD » New American $$$

The Spotted Pig chef April Bloomfield’s restaurant in the former Cat & Fiddle space centers on a brawny wood-fired hearth and a big brick patio.

At home with rusticity, the veteran British cook imbues her vegetable dishes with meaty gravitas: smoky roasted cabbage with whipped oysters and lamb drippings, and sliced peewee potatoes with crème fraîche and Swiss chard. The wine program is full of deep cuts thanks to curators Taylor Parsons and Beastie Boy Mike D. 6530 Sunset Blvd. (323-320-4022 or thehearthandhound.com).

D Mon.-Sat. Full bar.

Here’s Looking at You KOREATOWN » Fusion $$-$$$

A breakout restaurant from two Animal alumni— chef-partner Jonathan Whitener and managing partner Lien Ta—landed on a K-Town corner. The cocktails are considered, as is the decor (a lone photo of Morrissey, a splash or two of craft-chic geometric patterns), while Whitener’s menu is freewheeling. Slices of raw hiramasa alternate with precisely cut radishes and are served with serrano chile emulsion and charred onion powder; a whole dry-aged Peking duck comes with arepas instead of Chinese pancakes. 3901 W. 6th St. (213-568-3573 or hereslookingatyoula.com).

D Wed.-Mon. Full bar.

The Hungry Cat HOLLYWOOD » Seafood $$$

Chef David Lentz’s seafood spot has all the farmers’ market ideals, cooking chops, and playful sense of experimentation of his co-owner/wife’s restaurant, Lucques—without the tablecloths. House-made chorizo with clams and fresh shell beans belongs alongside a beach bonfire. Seared black cod with green papaya and coconut rice finds the savory side of tropical. The pug burger is exactly what a place with a superior list of microbrews needs: something big, juicy, and covered with bacon and cheese. 1535 N. Vine St. (323-462-2155 or thehungrycat.com). D daily; L Mon.-Fri.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

ink.well

BEVERLY GROVE

CAL MARE

BEVERLY GROVE Cal-Italian $$$

› WITH

I T S 8,200-square-foot dining room and wide-open kitchen, chef Adam Sobel’s palace of Italian seafood in the Beverly Center wouldn’t be out of place in Manhattan or Vegas. Thick lozenges of amberjack crudo are sprinkled with fried capers and cherry peppers, and tender pumpkin-filled agnolotti bring out the briny sweetness of truffled sea urchin sauce with Dungeness crab. The opulence of the restaurant is captured by its signature bite: a warm zeppole stuffed with mozzarella di bufala, caviar, wildflower honey, and a glossy sheet of prosciutto. Beverly Cen-

ter, 131 La Cienega Blvd. (424-332-4595 or michaelmina.net). D nightly. Full bar.

nality. He corns lamb belly so that it radiates a pastrami-like richness. The salt-and-charcoal-roasted potato ignites when spritzed with black vinegar, and the house-made “Doritos” (they could pass for vegan chicharróns) are superb. 826 N. La Cienega Blvd.

(310-358-9058 or mvink.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Jar

BEVERLY GROVE » New American $$$

The wood-paneled room projects an undeniable stateliness, but Suzanne Tracht and her longtime chef, Preech Narkthong, are as fluent in modern idioms as they are in old-school set pieces. Brussels sprouts might be fired up with kimchi. At brunch the signature dish is the chilaquiles, and the watermelon juice mimosa is as refreshing as any agua fresca. Then again, the pot roast with browned onions and a side of chunky house-made applesauce is as potent as anything on the menu. 8225 Beverly Blvd., (323-655-6566 or thejar.com). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

Jon & Vinny’s

FAIRFAX DISTRICT

» New American $$

Somewhere on the menu rife with things like deconstructed poutine is an invitation to set aside preconceptions and simply taste. Recently relocated (and with an updated name), ink.well is still driven by chef-owner Michael Voltaggio’s dedication to origi-

» Italian $$

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s homage to the neighborhood pizza joint is an in-demand reservation because the food is so darned good, not because the two guys are stars. The Italian canon is prepared with the signature gusto of their first venture, Animal, but there’s also a more rarely seen delicateness.

An eggplant slice dipped in egg wash and carefully

A N D R E A D ’AG OSTO

Connie and Ted’s WEST HOLLYWOOD » Seafood $$$

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DINING IN HOLLYWOOD

HARD ROCK CAFE DAVE & BUSTER’S

Hollywood & Highland features over two dozen restaurants and eateries with tastes for every palate.

Make reservations for dinner.

Enjoy a quick bite.

Find late night drinks and a meal after a night out on the town.

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fried ensures that this parmigiana showcases stewed San Marzano tomatoes instead of oil. 412 N. Fairfax Ave. (323-334-3369 or jonandvinnys.com). B-L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Kali

LARCHMONT VILLAGE

» New American $$$

Rather than bacon bits in the frisée aux lardons, chef Kevin Meehan adds crackling duck skin to the rubystreaked greens for texture. Kali never strays too far from the bistro fare that once characterized California cuisine, but the restaurant doesn’t play it safe either: Witness the honey-glazed and seared avocado halves or the Flannery Beef filet mignon served over fire-roasted onions that arrive with stalks intact. 5722 Melrose Ave. (323-871-4160 or kalirestaurant.com).

L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly. Full bar.

Kismet

EAST HOLLYWOOD

» Middle Eastern $$

Sarah Kramer and Sarah Hymanson of Madcapra have expanded beyond falafel with Kismet, an all-day restaurant specializing in California-fied versions of Middle Eastern classics. The “Turkish-ish Breakfast” is an enormous spread of cold morning fare with a sesame-sprinkled hunk of Bub & Grandma’s bread. At dinner a platter of rabbit feeds two and comes with triangles of pan-seared “flaky bread” for swiping through a rich stew of curried chickpeas. 4648 Hollywood Blvd. (323-409-0404 or kismetlosangeles.com). B-L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Lalibela

FAIRFAX DISTRICT » Ethiopian $-$$

The strip of Fairfax known as Little Ethiopia has long been dominated by the same handful of restaurants. Chef-owner Tenagne Belachew worked in a few of them before opening her own sophisticated haven, which invites with the swirling aromas of berbere and burning sage. Stretchy disks of injera— the sour, teff-flour pancake that doubles as utensil for scooping up food by hand—arrive piled with uniquely pungent delights. There are wots, or stews, made with chicken or spiced legumes or grilled lamb scattered with bulgur. 1025 S. Fairfax Ave. (323965-1025 or lalibelala.com). L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Le Comptoir KOREATOWN » California $$$

Patina and French Laundry alum Gary Menes harnesses the vitality of fresh produce that he grows himself in a community garden to create thrilling renditions of the classics. Here “velouté” might mean silky cauliflower in a locally handcrafted bowl.

Rather than a slab of venison, the “tranche” is a roasted slice of butternut squash. Hotel Normandie, 3606 W. 6th St. (213-290-0750 or lecomptoirla.com).

D Tue., Thu.-Sat. Beer and wine.

Lucques

WEST HOLLYWOOD

» Cal-Mediterranean $$$

The first in Caroline Styne and Suzanne Goin’s necklace of restaurants, Lucques is still as vibrant as the day it opened. From the roasted vegetables (they truly are roasted here) to the bright yet subtle sauces to punchy dishes like short ribs with sautéed greens, cipollini, and horseradish cream, the place is defined by a relentless sense of poise and ease. 8474 Melrose Ave. (323-655-6277 or lucques.com). L Tue.Sat.; D nightly. Full bar.

Mardi

WEST HOLLYWOOD » New American $$

Kris Tominaga (the Hart and the Hunter) has a knack for combining common ingredients in uncommon ways. His latest endeavor is Mardi, which occupies the courtyard at the Palihouse hotel. Here a salad of soft-boiled egg, celery, peanuts, and shaved horseradish tastes familiar, though you’ve never had anything like it. A slab of headcheese is fried like schnitzel, turning an intimidating bit of offal into a comforting chicken parm proxy. Roasted carrots (aka the brussels sprouts of 2016) sport a silken puree of dates and sesame seeds. 8465 Holloway Dr., (323-656-4020 or mardirestaurant.com). B-L-D daily. Full bar.

Night + Market

WEST HOLLYWOOD

» Thai $$

Kris Yenbamroong’s Thai canteen takes on the aggressive flavors of rural northern Thailand. Spicy crispy rice salad and links of sour pork sausage are bolstered by copious amounts of fish sauce, chiles, and dried herbs. A portrait of Pete Sampras looks on while you choose between sparkling gamays or plastic towers of Chang beer. An outdoor patio feels like a friend’s backyard. Boredom is impossible here. 9043 W. Sunset Blvd. (310-275-9724 or nightmarketla.com).

D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

Norah

WEST HOLLYWOOD » Southern $$

Southern flavors have been inflecting local dishes for some time now, but the subtle way they appear in Mike Williams’s lobster Bolognese gnocchi and his Little Gem salad (the buttermilk dressing had us licking the plate) feels as fresh as a new pair of boots.

The smoked tomato is a bit heavy-handed in the uni butter-poached shrimp, but fried hominy cakes with hot sauce have just the right drawl. 8279 Santa Monica Blvd. (323-450-4211 or norahrestaurant​.com).

D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Odys + Penelope HANCOCK PARK » New American $$$

When chef Quinn Hatfield’s namesake restaurant closed, he swapped toque for trucker hat to cook in a dining room of exposed brick and stacked logs. Using an arsenal of open-fire cooking methods, the chef has achieved his most soulful fare. Cleaverwhacked smoked lamb neck is piled in lettuce cups with a swirl of green hummus, while razor-thin onion strings elevate a churrasco-cooked sirloin cap.

Wife Karen’s desserts—such as chocolate pie with rye crust—prove why she’s one of the best pastry chefs in town. 127 S. La Brea Ave. (323-939-1033 or odysand​penelope.com). D nightly. Full bar.

189 by Dominique Ansel BEVERLY GROVE » New American $$$

Dominique Ansel is famous for his sweets, but it’s the chef ’s savory skills that are on display at his groovy upstairs spot at the Grove. Whether you order husk-wrapped elote bread, rainbow carrots, or “chowder” with clam-filled tortellini, the menu charms with the same trickery found in Ansel’s whimsical desserts. Except the plum-glazed rib eye—that’s just a nice cut of steak. The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr. (323-602-0096 or dominiqueansella .com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Osteria Mozza/Pizzeria Mozza HANCOCK PARK » Italian $$$

Nancy Silverton’s osteria and pizzeria may share a street corner, but their true link is a fearless approach. The osteria strives for big-city elegance, with space in the dining room for a cheese counter, where you can order a plate of burricotta with radicchio. Most people opt for more: sweetbread piccata or short ribs with horseradish. Next door it’s about pizzas with billowing crusts and hearty toppings such as fennel sausage. Osteria: 6602 Melrose Ave. (323-297-0100 or osteria​mozza.com).

D nightly. Full bar. Pizzeria: 641 N. Highland Ave. (323-2970101 or pizzeriamozza.com). L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Papilles

HOLLYWOOD HILLS » Cal-French $$

The retro-cool French bistronomie movement that’s sweeping Paris may be the lodestar of Papilles, but the restaurant renders a very L.A. interpretation.

With the no-nonsense cooking of Lynne Tolentino and most of the wine bottles in the under-$50 sweet spot, Papilles has become the indispensable backpocket Hollywood hub for a piping hot bowl of leekand-potato velouté, a well-edited cheese board, and a glass of unfiltered red Arbois. 6221 Franklin Ave., (323871-2026 or papillesla.com). D nightly. Beer and wine.

Park’s BBQ KOREATOWN » Korean $$$

There’s Korean barbecue and then there’s Park’s, an unremarkable-looking space where the tables are

covered with enough heavily marbled slices of beef to make a butcher weep. Your mosaic of banchan— little dishes of tender fish cakes, marinated greens, crunchy kimchi—is refreshed before the last bite as overhead fans whisk away any meat-scented charcoal smoke that might linger on your clothes. 955 S. Vermont Ave., (213-380-1717 or parksbbq.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

Petit Trois

HOLLYWOOD

» French $$

If there’s one thing Angelenos and the French have in common, it’s the ability to make informal look so vachement cool. Petit Trois, Ludo Lefebvre’s take on a casual French bistro, is—like its neighbor, Trois Mec—a collaboration with Animal’s Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. Here a simple omelet with Boursin becomes a master class in egg cookery. Bread is for sopping up the melted butter left in the bottom of your escargot dish. 718 N. Highland Ave. (323-468-8916 or petittrois.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

Petty Cash Taqueria FAIRFAX » Mexican $$

The cooking at this boisterous Tijuana-inspired taquería can be as subtle as a sledgehammer. Guacamole is topped with layers of sea urchin; happy hour nachos are taken to the stoner extreme with crunchy tangles of fried pig ear and slow-poached eggs. But the molcajetes de aguachile—seafood floating in a house-made “Clamato”—allude to the grace that chef Walter Manzke and crew infuse into the machismo.

7360 Beverly Blvd. (323-933-5300 or pettycash taqueria.com). L Fri-Sun.; D nightly. Full bar.

The Ponte

BEVERLY GROVE

» Italian $$$

Orient Express blue and English mustard yellow murals are outside; taupe banquettes and Art Deco fixtures rule the dining room. In this elegant garden spot that was once Terrine, Scott Conant practices a nuanced version of supper club Italian, where vongole balance on squid ink tagliolini and broccoli rabe pesto lends a jolt to plump veal polpette. 8265 Beverly Blvd. (323-746-5130 or thepontela.com).

D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Providence

HOLLYWOOD » Seafood $$$$

Donato Poto runs the Michelin two-star dining room, its walls the color of damp sand, while the kitchen walls can barely contain chef Michael Cimarusti’s passion for fish. Santa Barbara prawns grilled with a wisp of rosemary represent the West Coast; New Bedford scallops chopped into a tartare and served with sea grass and toasted brioche compete for the East. Cimarusti respects the pristine state of great fish so much that any additional ingredient has to earn the right to be on the plate. 5955 Melrose Ave. (323-460-4170 or providencela.com). L Fri.; D nightly. Full bar.

République

MID WILSHIRE » Cal-French $$$ République may be devoted to French food, but its soul is Californian.

Walter Manzke is as skilled at making garlicky snails in puff pastry domes as he is with roasted cauliflower with Coachella Valley dates. At breakfast people murmur over cast-iron pots of shakshouka. At dinner the strip loin—served with poached marrow— can be had in two sizes. Afterward it’s time for Margarita Manzke’s griotte tart. 624 S. La Brea Ave. (310-362-6115 or republiquela.com). B-L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Rosaliné

WEST HOLLYWOOD

» Peruvian $$$

Former Mo Chica chef Ricardo Zarate has returned with a determined focus to an airy dining room in the former Comme Ça space. His cooking here centers on Peruvian cuisine’s core tenets. Most notable of all is fire, evidenced in flame-kissed shrimp with yuzu kosho and plancha-seared steaks. The bracing ceviches for which Zarate is rightly famous are in full force too: scallop and sea urchin floating in leche

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de tigre with fried garlic, or delicate Ensenada sea bass from in a tamari-yuzu-walnut dressing. 8479 Melrose Ave. (323-297-9500 or rosalinela.com).

D nightly. Full bar.

reaches rustic heights accompanied by clams in a mustard-laced broth. 716 N. Highland Ave. (323-4848588 or troismec.com). D Mon.-Fri. Beer and wine.

Salt’s Cure

FAIRFAX DISTRICT

HOLLYWOOD

» New American $$-$$$

Zak Walters and Chris Phelps continue their locavore-meets-carnivore ways at their Hollywood digs.

All ingredients come from within a six-hour drive of the restaurant, where they’re transformed into ham confit with shaved radish and broccoli rabe puree, or cotechino served in a pool of brothy flageolet beans. A flatiron steak is topped with bordelaise and béarnaise sauces, doubling down on the decadence. 1155 N. Highland Ave. (323-465-7258 or saltscure.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly; brunch Sat.Sun. Full bar.

Son of a Gun

BEVERLY GROVE

HOLLYWOOD

» New American $$$$

An ambitious vision that’s been whittled down to 26 seats in a repurposed pizza parlor (and can be experienced only through tickets purchased in advance), Trois Mec is a restaurant of modulated grandeur and uncompromising standards. Ludovic Lefebvre grates Salers cheese onto potato pulp with onion soubise and bonito. Cooked over almondwood, ibérico pork

DININGLA_HotList.indd 44

» New American $$

The menu at low-key Wolf is the antithesis of Top Chef alum Marcel Vigneron’s foam-happy TV persona. Vigneron updates white miso black cod with a dashi broth that includes bobbing flecks of watermelon radish. The sweet sting of burnt carrots— their stems included—is mellowed by luscious coconut cream. Nicely pungent grated horseradish blankets fried potatoes crisped to their most delicious state. The blueberry soufflé is punctured with a spoonful of violet ice cream. 7661 Melrose Ave. (323-424-7735 or wolfdiningla.com). D Tue.-Sat.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

EAST

» Seafood $$

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo deliver a certain brand of sun-drenched seashore nostalgia. Dropping into the nautically themed dining room for chilled peeland-eat shrimp and a hurricane feels as effortless as dipping your toes in the sand. There are buttery lobster rolls and fried chicken sandwiches alongside artfully plated crudos and uni-slathered burrata. 8370 W. 3rd St. (323-782-9033 or sonofa gunrestaurant.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

Trois Mec

Wolf

Alimento

SILVER LAKE

» Italian $$$

Chef Zach Pollack navigates regional demarcations like a Fiat cutting between Roman buses. While the roasted escarole with Parmigiano-Reggiano and anchovy vinaigrette evokes something essential about the Italian cucina, the marsala-deglazed chicken livers summon the era of scaloppini and spumoni. Pastas are a highlight here: Whole-wheat bigoli—tubular strands from northern Italy’s Veneto region—tap into an earthy realm. 1710 Silver Lake Blvd. (323-9282888 or alimentola.com). D Tue.-Sun. Beer and wine.

All’Acqua

ATWATER VILLAGE

labrian chiles. The menu from Don Dickman includes sides such as braised pea tendrils, secondi like grilled lamb shoulder, and generous spreads of antipasti, salads, and cheese. Grab a table beneath the Sputnik chandeliers to indulge in pork milanese.

3280 Glendale Blvd. (323-663-3280 or allacqua restaurant.com). L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Babita Mexicuisine SAN GABRIEL » Mexican $$

Nestled in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it suburban storefront, San Gabriel’s Babita Mexicuisine finds the gracious middle ground with heavy drapes, white tablecloths, and such daintily presented dishes as green cilantro margarita sorbet, tequila-soaked salmon sopes, or during winter, chiles en nogada enveloped in goat cheese cream and pomegranate seeds. Boisterous chef-owner Roberto Berrelleza gladly shares his recommendations, while his wife, Elba, refills your sangria glass. 1823 S. San Gabriel Blvd., (626-288-7265 or babita-mexicuisine.com).

D Tue.-Sat. Beer and wine.

Bone Kettle PASADENA » Indonesian $$

The Komodo crew channels its Indonesian heritage with a sleek restaurant dedicated to beef-bone broth and chewy hand-cut noodles. Shareable meaty additions include a Flintstones-esque beef rib and roast oxtails. The spicy mie goreng pedas—fried noodles with a sous-vide egg—might seem like overkill. It’s not. 67 N. Raymond Ave. (626-795-5702 or bonekettle .com). D Tue.-Sun.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Botanica

SILVER LAKE

» Italian $$

Every neighborhood deserves access to primo charcuterie, cacio e pepe, and pizzas decked out with Ca-

» California $$

Thanks to its sun-kissed patio, Botanica is a fine place to linger, especially for those indulging in chilebutter Turkish eggs and an Aperol Spritz before noon on a Wednesday. The gorgeously curated restaurant

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and market (opened by two food media veterans) might seem specifically designed for Instagram, but compelling evening dishes like spice-braised chicken with chickpeas and sweet roasted stone fruit with buratta make this a real neighborhood destination. 1620 Silver Lake Blvd. (323-522-6106 or botanicarestaurant .com). B-L-D Wed.-Sun. Full bar.

CaCao Mexicatessen EAGLE ROCK » Mexican $-$$

it’s the creeping, tantalizing heat of “water-boiled” fish or the nubs of cumin-rubbed mutton skewered with toothpicks. Most likely, they’re waiting to experience the electricity of Sichuan chili oil in a bowl of wontons. Your tongue will be numb for at least a minute—when feeling returns is when addiction sets in. 828 W. Valley Blvd. (626-588-2284).

L-D daily. No alcohol. Also at 8526 W. Valley Blvd., Rosemead (626-899-8886).

Two words: Mole fries. CaCao Mexicatessen offers this and a slew of other Mexican specialties scribbled nonchalantly on a chalkboard. Everything is handmade, down to the thick corn tortillas. Step up to the counter and order a taco with squash blossoms, strips of poblano, and queso fresco or one with smoky bacon strips. Tortas are stuffed to the point of cumbersomeness, and a tangy nopales salad could feed four. The aguas frescas change daily: pineapple and grapefruit is a zippy surprise. 1576 Colorado Blvd. (323-478-2791 or cacaodeli.com).

L-D daily; B Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Cosa Buona ECHO PARK » Italian $$

Cafe Birdie

Din Tai Fung ARCADIA » Chinese $$

HIGHLAND PARK

» New American $$

Figueroa Street is on fire. That’s where Cafe Birdie has landed, with its bistro vibe and seven-ingredient cocktails. The menu of mostly Cal-Med small plates—pork collar with salsa verde, fresh pastas with meaty ragù—also includes several toasts, which sound prosaic yet taste compelling, such as the one with tuna conserva and clams. Enter the speakeasy via the back patio and enjoy a cocktail list of updated classics. 5631 N. Figueroa St. (323-739-6928 or cafebirdiela.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Chengdu Taste ALHAMBRA » Chinese $$

Why does no one blink an eye when they have to wait hours for a table at Chengdu Taste? Perhaps

Zach Pollack amassed a following for revisionist Italian at Alimento, but at his new modern pizzeria on the corner of Sunset and Alvarado the spotlight is on indulgent Italian American fare like smoked mozzarella sticks, gooey eggplant parm and hearty salami-strewn chopped salads. Don’t miss the Hawaiiana pizza—it’s what happens when a Neapolitan purist cuts loose. 2100 W. Sunset Blvd. (213908-5211 or cosabuona.com). L Mon., Wed.-Fri.; D Mon., Wed.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Now a mini-chain with locations across SoCal, the Taiwanese-owned, Shanghai-style dumpling house rules the roost when it comes to xiao long bao.

Steamed buns are pillows of rice flour bearing bites of cooked-down pork. Sheer crab and pork purses erupt with juices at the first nibble. Service has snap and elegance, and though there’s always a wait, once seated you never feel hurried. 1108 S. Baldwin Ave. (626-574-7068). L-D daily. No alcohol. For other locations, go to dintaifungusa.com.

Freedman’s ECHO PARK » Jewish $$

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Friends & Family EAST HOLLYWOOD » New American $$

There’s a lot to love about Daniel Mattern and Roxana Jullapat’s homey all-day café near the heart of Thai Town. The former Cooks County chef duo pull in crowds with supple buckwheat pancakes and crispy olive-oil-fried eggs before shifting to revamped tuna salad sandwiches and fried chicken around lunchtime. Be sure to save room for Jullapat’s desserts like the caramel-glazed brownie.

5150 Hollywood Blvd. (323-668-2000 or friendsand familyla.com). B-L daily. Beer and wine.

Good Girl Dinette HIGHLAND PARK » Vietnamese $

For years Diep Tran has been fusing Eastside hip with her family’s Vietnamese cooking (they own Little Saigon’s legendary Pho 79). Now she’s got Good Girl Dinette, a tidy, modern gem of a restaurant in a historic Highland Park storefront. Start with a house-made soda created from seasonal organic juices. An order of spicy fries—russet potato sticks topped with a robust mix of chiles, garlic, and cilantro—will feed the table. 110 N. Avenue 56 (323-2578980 or goodgirldinette.com). L Tue.-Sun.; D Tue.Sun.; brunch Sat.-Sun.

Journeymen

Channeling the spirit of an old-time deli, this strip mall diner blends schmaltzy nostalgia with modern

WWW.WALDO RFASTORIA B E VE RLY H IL L S .COM

flair. Sweetbread schnitzel is topped with quincespiked Russian dressing; lox-draped latkes arrive as a potato waffle. Chef Liz Johnson has fun going lowbrow (hot dogs with Hatch chile cream cheese), but the best dishes are straight homages: a Reuben with house-smoked pastrami or airy cheesecake with guava jelly. 2619 W. Sunset Blvd. (213-568-3754 or freedmansla.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. Full bar.

|

ATWATER VILLAGE

» New American $$

Gjelina alum David Wilcox and Guy Tabibian’s California-inspired tapas bar in the old Canelé space

F O R R E S TA U R A N T R E S E R VAT I O N S , P L E A S E C A L L +1 31 0 860 6566

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offers the right blend of serious food and casual cool. Slabs of pâté-smeared toast are brightened with grilled peaches; a plate of turnips gains depth from seared ham. Ordering can occasionally be wonky—a mix of counter and tableside service— but it helps tables turn at a good clip. 3219 Glendale Blvd. (323-284-8879 or journeymenla.com).

D nightly; brunch Fri.-Sun. Beer and wine.

L & E Oyster Bar SILVER LAKE » Seafood $$

Silver Lake residents demanded romantic streetside-patio seating, premium shellfish, and sparkling wine, and restaurateur Dustin Lancaster supplied it.

Waltz to the upstairs bar for the “daily dozen”—maybe a mix of Naked Cowboys, Hama Hamas, and Kumamotos—and a glass of bubbly. Or grab a table to experience the talents of chef Dominique Crisp, who knows that chorizo-smeared toast is the ideal vehicle for smoked mussels and that sometimes Dungeness crab begs for a serious dose of Louie dressing.

1637 Silver Lake Blvd., (323-660-2255 or leoysterbar .com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Little Beast EAGLE ROCK » American $$

The twinkly patio and front porch alone ensure a steady stream of neighborhood date nights. The menu, executed by a Chateau Marmont alum, includes pan-roasted chicken with squash hash, a perfectly cooked flat-iron steak with cipollini, and a dreamy combo of burrata and beets. 1496 Colorado Blvd., (323-341-5899 or littlebeastrestaurant.com).

D nightly. Beer and wine.

Lost at Sea PASADENA » Seafood $$$

A sophisticated seafood spot from Tim Carey and Santos Uy (Papilles) has brought new life into Old Pasadena. Diners nurse wines by the glass and dip

into sweet corn velouté. Barramundi with tarragon fumet and turnips leans toward classic French while mole verde with bigeye tuna evokes Mexican cuisine. A savory take on panna cotta, made with cauliflower, is crowned with sea urchin and trout roe. 57 E. Holly St. (626- 385-7644 or lostatseapas .com). L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Mh Zh

SILVER LAKE

» Middle Eastern $

The arty crowds spilling onto Sunset are in line for Conor Shemtov’s plucky Israeli cooking at Mh Zh (pronounced “MAH-zeh”), a minuscule corner space where milk crates double as furniture and menus are scrawled onto paper bags. Soulful small plates are worth the quirks: Lamb ragù with pickled beet stems sits atop a bed of tahini, while roasted potatoes need only a squeeze of charred lemon.

3536 W. Sunset Blvd. (323-636-7598). D Tue.-Sun. No alcohol.

Night + Market Song SILVER LAKE » Thai $$

Song means “two” in Thai, and with this Silver Lake outpost, Kris Yenbamroong continues his exploration of Thai regional cooking. A spread of nam prik might contain tiny eggplants dressed with shrimp paste or a pork ragout that you heap onto pork rinds. Jungle curry bubbles in a metal hot pot, its surface brimming with peppercorn strands, chicken thigh, and wilting herbs. Or opt for more familiar territory: there’s always the som tum-topped fried chicken sandwich. 3322 W. Sunset Blvd. (323-665-5899 or nightmarketsong.com).

L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. Beer and wine.

Ostrich Farm ECHO PARK » New American $$

A minimalist white storefront along Echo Park’s main drag, Jaime Turrey and Brooke Fruchtman’s

neighborhood spot offers a comfortingly familiar menu with enough twists to stand out (think salt cod croquettes with red pepper rouille). Mushroom risotto with leeks and grilled salmon with succotash pair well with a globe-spanning wine list and bright, refreshing cocktails. 1525 W. Sunset Blvd. (213-5370657 or ostrichfarmla.com) D nightly; brunch Tue.Sun. Full bar.

Pine & Crane SILVER LAKE » Taiwanese $

An alum of Chez Panisse, Vivian Ku—together with her partner, Moonlynn Tsai—has infused the Taiwanese counter-service venture with smart sincerity. Quick orders of pickled daikon, pig’s ear slivers, and stewed bamboo shoots can be ordered straight from the deli case. Neighborhood denizens drop by for lard-seared scallion pancakes or potstickers stuffed with kabocha or spicy shrimp. 1521 Griffith Park Blvd. (323-668-1128 or pineandcrane.com).

L-D Wed.-Mon. Beer and wine.

The Royce Wood-Fired Steak House PASADENA » Steak House $$$

The hotel’s dining room remains stunning, and it has a masterful wine program run by Matt Nathanson. Marbled meat offerings include all-natural California beef and Australia’s answer to Wagyu. Sides achieve novelty, such as the summer bean fricassee with almond brown butter. The Langham Huntington, 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., (626-585-6410 or royce la.com). D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

Salazar

ELYSIAN VALLEY » Mexican $$ This auto mechanic shop turned taquería in Frogtown showcases the Mexican-style grilling skills of Esdras Ochoa (Mexicali Taco & Co.). Dirt floors, cacti, and pastel school chairs set the scene for smoky meats (carne asada, pollo, al pastor) cooked over a

Breakfast I Lunch I Catering

Beverly Hills

8635 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211 310.360.6600

Santa Monica

2408 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90403 310.453.2787

bruswiffle.com 46 L A M AG . C O M

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wood fire and served Norteño style in flour tortillas.

The patio draws crowds seeking micheladas and spiked aguas frescas, the makings of many a drinking fest beneath the palms. 2490 Fletcher Dr. (no phone; salazarla.com). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

Sea Harbour Seafood Restaurant ROSEMEAD » Chinese $-$$

Located in an anonymous stucco building near an on-ramp to the 10 freeway, the L.A. branch of this Hong Kong-style chain has a corporate veneer you have to get past (the laminated full-color menu could have come from IHOP). But you forget about all that when the waiters march out with your dim sum order (no steam carts here). In the evenings there’s as much Bordeaux as tea on the tables, a declaration of ambition and a nod to the formal manner with which this type of restaurant flirts. 3939 Rosemead Blvd. (626-288-3939). B-L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Sqirl

EAST HOLLYWOOD

» California $

What would open-faced brioche avocado toast be without kale, an egg, and a shock of “lacto-fermented hot sauce”? Originally conceived as another outlet for Jessica Koslow’s splendid jams, Sqirl grew into the neighborhood commissary. Baconserving but vegan friendly, attuned to the rhythms of a day in L.A. (breakfast until 4 p.m.), Sqirl is ofthe-moment yet anchored by something deeper.

720 N. Virgil Ave., Ste. 4 (323-284-8147 or sqirlla .com). B-L daily. No alcohol.

Trois Familia SILVER LAKE » French-Mexican $-$$

The trio of Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook, and Vinny Dotolo has made a thing of dropping destination restaurants into strip malls. Trois Familia brings the formula to Silver Lake. Pinto bean burritos

with garlic brown butter are offered alongside chicken milanese crowned with cucumber curls.

Double-decker potato tacos are what might happen when Lefebvre reimagines Taco Bell’s Cheesy Gordita Crunch. 3510 W. Sunset Blvd. (323-725-7800 or troisfamilia.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly; brunch Sat.Sun. Beer and wine.

Tsubaki

ECHO PARK

PASADENA

» Italian $$

Bruce Kalman’s produce-forward Italian cooking is all balance and ease. He parries prosciutto with peaches and pairs browned garlic with Fresno chiles in the spaghetti alla chitarra. The giadiniera is a signature: pickled florets riding the tang of house-cultured butter. Kalman butchers a hog each week, rolling the loin in belly fat and roasting the porchetta until the skin crackles. 37 E. Union St. (626-795-5841 or unionpasadena.com). D nightly.

Beer and wine.

Winsome ECHO PARK

» New American $$

Wolfdown

SILVER LAKE

» Japanese $$

Izakaya food is meant for drinking, but there’s a subtlety to some of Tsubaki’s dishes—chawanmushi egg custard with Dungeness crab, raw Tasmanian ocean trout with salmon roe—that might be lost after the first few pours. For more serious swilling there’s a Southern spin on karaage, or fried chicken, that’s soaked in buttermilk and served with honey vinegar. Afterward there is lush house-made softserve, blended with slightly bitter roasted green tea.

1356 Allison Ave. (213-900-4900 or tsubakila.com).

D Tue.-Sun. Beer, wine, and sake.

Union

shaved cauliflower salad is all delightful crunch, spiked with lime and parmesan. Snap peas, kohlrabi, and broccoli spigarello are tossed with a lemongrass dressing that stars the sour Turkish pepper urfa biber. 1115 Sunset Blvd. (213-415-1818 or eat winsome.com). B-L-D daily. Full bar.

Angelenos love eating small, grain-heavy seasonal dishes with jolts of texture and acid, and Winsome has this as-yet-unnamed genre under control. The

» Pan-Asian $$

The elevated bungalow restaurant from Forage’s Jason and Chrissy Kim has a cabin-like vibe, and locals hunker down with French wines, warm bagna cauda-dressed celery root salads, Korean-style fried chicken, and steamed buns stuffed with sticky-sweet spareribs. The prices might seem a bit splashy for this part of town, but what the hell? It’s date night.

2764 Rowena Ave. (323-522-6381 or wolfdownla .com) D Tue.-Sat. Beer and wine.

THE VALLEY Asanebo

STUDIO CITY

» California $$$

At this standout on Studio City’s sushi row, breaded oysters are soft and sea-flavored under their sweet crust. Translucent slices of kanpachi are dotted with shaved black truffles. Miso soup is heightened by the addition of spiny lobster. Its location and size have kept this place under the radar, but it remains a favorite among the city’s omakase aficionados. 11941 Ventura Blvd. (818-760-3348 or asanebo-restaurant .com) L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Barrel & Ashes STUDIO CITY » Barbecue $$

Two Thomas Keller veterans are behind this ambitious barbecue hangout, which specializes in smoke-kissed brisket and exceptionally tender

Wood fired Mediterranean inspired cuisine.

101 Wilshire Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90401 310.319.3111 www.figsantamonica.com

@figsantamonica

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cal produce is highlighted with a deft touch. That’s lovage butter you’re spreading on warm bread. The wildness of a sweet clover reduction lingers in a brined pork chop. Named after the Spanish word for “sunflower,” Girasol is as inviting as it is inventive. 11334 Moorpark St. (818-924-2323 or girasol restaurant.com). D Tue.-Sun. Beer and wine.

racks of ribs. Don’t overlook sides like butterglazed hoe cakes, pork-belly baked beans, or the served-in-its-own-bag Frito pie. At the bar expect easy-drinking whiskey cocktails and craft beers.

1801 Ventura Blvd. (818-623-8883 or barreland ashes.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

The Bellwether STUDIO CITY » New American $$

Saddle Peak Lodge CALABASAS » American $$$

Ted Hopson’s tuna crudo is fanned out above a node of Calabrian chiles. His French fries? They’re the culmination of a three-day process that leaves them stupendously crisp. That taste you can’t put your finger on in the roasted vegetables is schmaltz skimmed off chicken stock. Hopson plays the hits found at neighborhood restaurants and adds another layer of polish. 13251 Ventura Blvd.

(818-285-8184 or thebellwetherla.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Ernest Hemingway was here. Or at least that’s what the log interior, taxidermy, and menu of wild game seem to imply. Outstanding service and seasonal tasting menus that highlight as much flora as fauna keep this canyon hideaway in the realm of destination dining. The restaurant’s wild essence is captured in the Chef’s Game Trio: a sampler platter of emu medallions, elk loin, and buffalo short ribs. 419 Cold Canyon Rd. (818-222-3888 or saddlepeak lodge.com). D nightly; brunch Sun. Full bar.

Black Market Liquor Bar STUDIO CITY » New American $$

Most nights it seems as if half the Valley is here, huddled at the bar for a peaty scotch cocktail or squeezed into a booth for a bowl of fennel-perfumed mussels. Top Chef graduate Antonia Lofaso understands the complex art of drinking food, but her Italian chops are visible in the buxom ricotta gnudi with brown butter and pistachios. The deepfried fluffernutter sandwich is a reminder that food, like life, should not be taken too seriously.

11915 Ventura Blvd. (818-446-2533 or blackmarket liquorbar.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Girasol

STUDIO CITY

Scratch Bar & Kitchen ENCINO » New American $$$$

Philip Frankland Lee and wife Margarita moved their tasting menu concept from Beverly Hills to Encino, and the Valley is better off for it. Colorful nightly creations, served from a compact chef’s counter, can include anything from spicy grilled baby octopus to a grilled cheese sandwich smothered with salmon roe.

Stick around for pastry chef Margarita Lee’s fantastic desserts. 16101 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 255 (818-646-6085 or scratchbarla.com). D Wed.-Sun. Full bar.

Soca

SHERMAN OAKS

» California $$$

Justin Abram has taken over for opening chef C.J. Jacobson, who worked for a spell at René Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen. The forage-heavy ethos remains strong at this mellow street corner, where lo-

» Mediterranean $$

The Aaron Robins restaurant—named after Sherman Oaks, California—is a few blocks from his popular Boneyard Bistro. But this is destination dining, and your seat on the 19-foot Chesterfield sofa proves it. The menu hops from a Basque-style beef tongue

salad to seared grouper over a white-bean ragout.

The sautéed filet finished with Maderia demi-glace is reason enough to go. 14015 Ventura Blvd. (818-3014300 or soca-la.com). D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

SOUTH The Arthur J

MANHATTAN BEACH

» Steak House $$$

David LeFevre’s take on the American steak house is so midcentury plush, it’s an excuse to splurge.

Whether that means ordering the top-grade Wagyu at $32 an ounce or the reasonable $30 flatiron steak, wet aged and darkened on the pulley grill, is up to you. For those opposed to large primal cuts of cow, consider the sea bream, which is cleverly deboned yet served whole with charred halves of lemon and orange that beg to be given a liberal squeeze. 903 Manhattan Ave. (310-878-9620 or thearthurj.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Baran’s 2239

HERMOSA BEACH

» New American $$$

Destination dining in a South Bay strip mall would have been surprising years ago but now befits L.A.’s decentralized culinary scene. Headlights from a car pulling into the shop next door illuminate plates of gnocchi nero: jet-black dumplings with crab in a Calabrian chile-butter sauce. The same refinement extends to Tyler Gugliotta’s smoky fried chicken, slathered in soy-chile gastrique. 502 Pacific Coast Hwy. (424-247-8468 or barans2239.com).

D Tue.-Sun.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Chianina Steakhouse LONG BEACH » Seafood $$$

His popular pizzeria made Michael Dene the dean of Italian dining in Long Beach. Now the restaura-

DR

M

DAVID M. SLAY, CHEF / OWNER

WWW.PARKAVEDINING.COM 714.901.4400 || 11200 BEACH BOULEVARD, STANTON, CA 90680

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teur is a rancher, too. His luxe steak house in Naples features Chianina, a prized cattle being bred at a Utah ranch. Here, old-school staples—roasted bone marrow with onion jam, creamed spinach, potatoes au gratin—are done justice. There are even poached pears for dessert. 5716 E. 2nd St. (562-434-2333 or chianina.com). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

Coni’Seafood INGLEWOOD » Seafood $$

Sprawled along the Pacific, the Mexican state of Nayarit is known for pristine seafood. Many L.A. restaurants produce a decent version, but none with the rigor of owner Connie Cossio’s namesake marisqueria. Silvery snook are grilled whole and served with caramelized onions, while plump shrimp ceviches, mixed on the spot, are bright and briny. Paired with a chilled michelada, they’re perfect on a Sunday afternoon when an oompah band plays on the patio in back. 3544 W. Imperial Highway (310-672-2339). L-D daily. Beer and wine. Also at 4532 S. Centinela Ave., Del Rey (310-881-9644).

Fishing with Dynamite MANHATTAN BEACH » Seafood $$$

A premium raw bar near the beach shouldn’t be unusual, but it is. The same goes for velvety clam chowder. Here it achieves smoky richness—you can thank the Nueske’s bacon—without any floury glop.

On the raw bar menu you’ll find several kinds of oysters, Peruvian scallops, and Alaskan crab legs.

The ocean breeze that wafts up from the pier is a lovely bonus. 1148 Manhattan Ave. (310-893-6299 or eatfwd.com). L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Harold & Belle’s JEFFERSON PARK » Southern-Creole $$

For Creole-style food—a mélange of French, African, and Native American flavors—Harold & Belle’s is as close to the Dirty Coast as you’ll come on the

West Coast. The crawfish étouffée in spicy gravy will have you humming zydeco, while the bourbon bread pudding will leave you with a Sazerac-worthy buzz. 2920 W. Jefferson Blvd. (323-735-9023 or haroldandbellesrestaurant.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

muffins with house-cultured butter aren’t out of place. Don’t miss comforting desserts like warm doughnuts with lemon curd and Nutella. 317 Manhattan Beach Blvd. (310-545-5252 or loveandsalt la.com). L Fri.; D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

La Casita Mexicana BELL » Mexican $$

M.B. Post

Although La Casita Mexicana was always groundbreaking—placing gastronomy on the Huntington Park-Lynwood axis—it’s now a benchmark. The narrow kitchen where Ramiro Arvizu and Jaime Martin Del Campo work the stoves represents the refined logic behind traditional Mexican cooking. Charred thin-cut beef cecina contrasts with bright catcus salad, while Veracruz-style tomato sauce infused with capers, olives, and chile guero enlivens gently poached fish. 4030 E. Gage Ave. (323-773-1898 or casitamex.com). B-L-D Tue.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Little Sister

MANHATTAN BEACH » Asian Fusion $$

Chef and co-owner Tin Vuong deftly translates the flavors of Vietnam for the casual Manhattan Beach drinking scene. Start with crispy tendon chips dusted with red curry spice. Soft-shell crab fills a loose interpretation of banh mi. Digging for pork belly inside a bánh xèo crepe becomes a delicious treasure hunt. 1131 Manhattan Ave. (310-545-2096 or littlesistermb.com). L Fri.-Sun.; D nightly. Beer, wine, and sake. Also at 523 W. 7th St., downtown (213-628-3146 or littlesisterla.com). B-L-D daily.

Love & Salt

MANHATTAN BEACH

» Italian $$-$$$

Influenced by his Italian American heritage, Michael Fiorelli creates a confident version of pastacentric coastal cuisine. The venture is formal enough that a waiter scoops bone marrow over the cavatappi yet lighthearted enough that English

MANHATTAN BEACH » New American $$

David LeFevre (the Arthur J, Fishing with Dynamite) cuts a swath through genres and latitudes with the gusto of someone who’s clearly pleased to be at the stove. A cooked-down Basque piperade bathes ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms. He grills squid to a pearly transparency, reinterpreting fishand-chips with lightly battered halibut cheeks. 1142 Manhattan Ave. (310-545-5405 or eatmbpost.com).

D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Petros

MANHATTAN BEACH » Greek $$

On Saturday nights this Grecian outpost crawls with beachcombers dining on snapper with lemon and olive oil, tender grilled octopus, or roasted chicken stuffed with feta and oregano. Try the bright Cretan wines and the fresh cheeses (kasseri, kefalotiri, manouri) drizzled with honey. 451 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Ste. B110 (310-545-4100 or petrosrestaurant .com ). L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Playa Amor LONG BEACH » Mexican $$

At Thomas Ortega’s seafood-centric Long Beach spot, the made-to-order tortillas get filled with Modelo-battered fish, tangy ceviche mixto, or braised short rib spiked with chiles. This style of modern Mexican doesn’t aspire to fine-dining heights, but playful mole tater tot poutine and brimming chiledusted margaritas are fine consolations. 6527 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach (562-430-2667 or playaamorlb.com). L-D daily. Full bar. ●

TALK. EAT. DRINK. REPEAT. MODERN AMERICAN CUISINE

Oceanfront Steakhouse Elevated Entrées Hand-Crafted Cocktails SANTA MONICA 1551 Ocean Ave. Suite 105 310-395-7333

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plates smallsmall plates

plates smallsmall plates

forma dalladalla forma

forma dalladalla forma

E PEPE (peppery) 23 CHITARRA CHARCUTERIE 18 CHITARRA CACIOCACIO E PEPE (peppery) 23 CHARCUTERIE 18 homespaghetti, made spaghetti, black pepper, extraolive virgin oil - tossed in pecorino daily selection only meats CHITARRA E PEPE (peppery) 23 home made CHITARRA CACIOCACIO E PEPE (peppery) 23 black pepper, extra virgin oilolive - tossed in pecorino romanoromano cheese cheese daily selection of only of meats

CHARCUTERIE 18 CHARCUTERIE 18

homespaghetti, made spaghetti, black pepper, extraolive virgin oil - in tossed in pecorino home made black pepper, extra virgin oilolive - tossed pecorino romanoromano cheese cheese

daily selection only meats daily selection of only of meats

BOLOGNESE 25 FETTUCCINE FETTUCCINE BOLOGNESE 25

9 SOUPSOUP 9

beef ragu’ - tossed withinbutter in parmigiano reggiano BOLOGNESE & cannellini beans,FETTUCCINE escarole, shaved “raspadura’ cheese, grilled bread beef ragu’ - tossed with butter parmigiano reggiano cheese cheese borlotti borlotti & cannellini beans,FETTUCCINE escarole, shavedBOLOGNESE “raspadura’ cheese,25 grilled25 bread beef ragu’ - with tossed withinbutter in parmigiano reggiano - tossed butter parmigiano reggiano cheese cheese & cannellini beans, escarole, “raspadura’ grilled bread beef ragu’ borlotti borlotti & cannellini beans, escarole, shaved shaved “raspadura’ cheese,cheese, grilled bread

9 SOUPSOUP 9

RISOTTO MILANESE 29 RISOTTO MILANESE 29

CASTELVETRANO & TAGGIASCA OLIVES 5 CASTELVETRANO & TAGGIASCA OLIVES 5 RISOTTO MILANESE 29 MILANESE 29 zest, fennelRISOTTO CASTELVETRANO & TAGGIASCA OLIVES 5 orange CASTELVETRANO & TAGGIASCA OLIVES 5 orange zest, fennel

rice, saffron, veal ossobuco grana padano rice, saffron, veal ossobuco - tossed- tossed in granainpadano cheese cheese rice, saffron, veal ossobuco tossed grana padano rice, saffron, veal ossobuco - tossed- in granainpadano cheese cheese

zest, fennel orange orange zest, fennel

CRISPY ARTICHOKES 14 CRISPY ARTICHOKES 14 TORTELLINI TORTELLINI 26peas,26 fried artichokes, mache’, fennel, snow walnuts, aged goat cheese

26 TORTELLINI TORTELLINI 26

mushrooms, light cream, oil - tossed bella lodi cheese mushrooms, light cream, truffle oiltruffle - tossed in bellainlodi cheese fried artichokes, mache’, fennel, snow peas, walnuts, agedoil goat cheese

mushrooms, light truffle cream, truffle oil - in tossed bella mushrooms, light cream, - tossed bellainlodi cheese lodi cheese fried artichokes, fennel,peas, snowwalnuts, peas, walnuts, aged goat cheese fried artichokes, mache’,mache’, fennel, snow aged goat cheese

CRISPY ARTICHOKES 14 CRISPY ARTICHOKES 14

ARANCINI 12 ARANCINI 12

ARANCINI 12 ARANCINI 12

rice & cheese balls withtouch peas,oftouch of tomato rice & cheese balls with peas, tomato sauce sauce rice & cheese balls withtouch peas,oftouch of tomato rice & cheese balls with peas, tomato sauce sauce

9 GRAINGRAIN 9

mainmain

mainmain

9 GRAINGRAIN 9

farro, cucumbers, barley, cucumbers, tomatœs, sweet bell peppers farro, barley, tomatœs, sweet bell peppers farro, cucumbers, barley, cucumbers, tomatœs, sweet bell peppers farro, barley, tomatœs, sweet bell peppers

BURRATA STRACCIATA 16 BURRATA STRACCIATA 16

prosciutto, melon,basil micro basil creamycreamy burrata, burrata, prosciutto, melon, micro

FRESH 10 FRESH BABYBABY KALE KALE 10

TROFIE AL PESTO 19 TROFIE AL PESTO 19 freshbasil pasta, basilvegetables, pesto, vegetables, pine nuts, parmigiano TROFIE AL PESTO 19 TROFIE AL PESTO 19 fresh pasta, pesto, pine nuts, parmigiano cheese cheese freshbasil pasta, basilvegetables, pesto, vegetables, pine nuts, parmigiano fresh pasta, pine nuts, parmigiano cheese cheese BURRATA STRACCIATA 16 pesto, BURRATA STRACCIATA 16 creamy burrata, prosciutto, melon, micro basil creamy burrata, prosciutto, melon, micro basil GLUTEN SPAGHETTI GLUTEN FREE FREE SPAGHETTI 20 20 extraolive virgin oil,sundried lentils, sundried tomatœs GLUTEN SPAGHETTI 20 GLUTEN FREE FREE SPAGHETTI 20 extra virgin oil,olive lentils, tomatœs extra virgin oil,sundried lentils, sundried tomatœs extra oil,olive lentils, tomatœs FRESH 10 olive FRESH BABYBABY KALE KALE 10 virgin

andquinoa, white quinoa, fennel, heirloom cherry tomatœs, manchego red andred white fennel, heirloom cherry tomatœs, manchego andquinoa, white quinoa, fennel, heirloom cherry tomatœs, manchego red andred white fennel, heirloom cherry tomatœs, manchego

Forma ROASTED SEASONAL VEGETABLES ROASTED SEASONAL VEGETABLES 14 Restaurant & seared gem lettuce, mixed vegetables seared gem lettuce, roastedroasted mixed vegetables Cheese Bar FRESH MOZZARELLA KNOTS 12 FRESH MOZZARELLA KNOTS 12

CLAMS & RAPINI 22 BAVETTE BAVETTE CLAMS & RAPINI 22 homethin made flat noodles, clams,fresno rapini, chili fresno chili peppers BAVETTE CLAMS & RAPINI 22 BAVETTE CLAMS & RAPINI 22 home made flat thin noodles, clams, rapini, peppers home made flat noodles, clams,fresno rapini, chili fresno chili peppers home made thin flat thin noodles, clams, rapini, peppers SEASONAL VEGETABLES 14 ROASTED ROASTED SEASONAL VEGETABLES 14 seared gem lettuce, roasted mixed vegetables 14 seared gem lettuce, roasted mixed vegetables ORECCHIETTE BROCCOLI & SAUSAGES 22 ORECCHIETTE BROCCOLI & SAUSAGES 22 freshbroccoli, pasta, broccoli, homemade sausages, peperoncino, drycheese ricotta cheese ORECCHIETTE BROCCOLI & SAUSAGES 22pasta, ORECCHIETTE BROCCOLI & SAUSAGES 22 fresh homemade sausages, peperoncino, dry ricotta fresh pasta, broccoli, homemade sausages, peperoncino, drycheese ricotta cheese fresh pasta, broccoli, homemade sausages, peperoncino, dry ricotta FRESH MOZZARELLA KNOTS 12 FRESH MOZZARELLA KNOTS 12

“scapece”, heirloom cherry tomatœs, microblack basil,salt black salt zucchinizucchini “scapece”, heirloom cherry tomatœs, micro basil, “scapece”, heirloom cherry micro basil,salt black salt zucchinizucchini “scapece”, heirloom cherry tomatœs, micro basil, black 1610 Montana Ave.tomatœs,

OF SOLE 32 FILET FILET OF SOLE 32 crispy artichokes breadcrumbs, crispy artichokes 9 breadcrumbs, BRUSCHELLA BRUSCHELLA 9

Santa Monica

OF SOLE 32 FILET FILET OF SOLE 32

breadcrumbs, crispy artichokes breadcrumbs, crispy artichokes

grilledbread, rusticheirloom bread, heirloom tomatœs, goat cheese BRUSCHELLA 9 BRUSCHELLA 9 grilled rustic tomatœs, mango,mango, goat cheese grilledbread, rusticheirloom bread, heirloom tomatœs, goat cheese grilled rustic tomatœs, mango,mango, goat cheese

BRANZINO 38 BRANZINO 38 de-boned mediterranean seasunchokes bass, sunchokes BRANZINO 38 BRANZINO 38 roastedroasted de-boned mediterranean sea bass, de-boned mediterranean seasunchokes bass, sunchokes roastedroasted de-boned mediterranean sea bass, CRUDO (*) 18 CRUDO (*) 18 wild red snapper, avocado, mango, cucumbers, fresno chili, onions, citrus CRUDO CRUDO (*) 18 (*) 18 wild red snapper, avocado, mango, cucumbers, fresno chili, onions, citrus GRILLED CALAMARI AND SHRIMP 26 red snapper, avocado, cucumbers, fresno chili, onions, CHARCHAR GRILLED CALAMARI AND SHRIMP 26 wild redwild snapper, avocado, mango,mango, cucumbers, fresno chili, onions, citrus citrus swissand chard and cannellini GRILLED CALAMARI AND SHRIMP 26 sautéed CHARCHAR GRILLED CALAMARI AND SHRIMP 26 sautéed swiss chard cannellini beans beans 424.231.2868 sautéed swissand chard and cannellini sautéed swiss chard cannellini beans beans MIGNON TARTARE FILET FILET MIGNON TARTARE (*) 18 (*) 18 avocado, fresno chile pepper, raspadura grilled bread MIGNON TARTARE FILET FILET MIGNON TARTARE (*) 18 (*) 18 avocado, fresno chile pepper, capers, capers, shallot, shallot, raspadura cheese,cheese, grilled bread formarestaurant.com APPLEWOOD GRILLED ISLAND SALMON 27 avocado, fresno chile pepper, raspadura grilled bread avocado, fresno chile pepper, capers, capers, shallot, shallot, raspadura cheese,cheese, grilled bread APPLEWOOD GRILLED FARŒFARŒ ISLAND SALMON 27 crust, andquinoa, white quinoa, APPLEWOOD GRILLED ISLAND SALMON 27andred APPLEWOOD GRILLED FARŒFARŒ ISLAND SALMON 27 ricered rice crust, white tzatziki tzatziki ricered crust, red andquinoa, white quinoa, rice crust, and white tzatziki tzatziki GRILLED SPANISH OCTOPUS CHARCHAR GRILLED SPANISH OCTOPUS 20 20 lentils, harissa GRILLED SPANISH OCTOPUS 20lentils, harissa CHARCHAR GRILLED SPANISH OCTOPUS 20 POLLETTO DIAVOLA 26 Hours lentils, harissa lentils, harissa POLLETTO ALLA ALLA DIAVOLA 26 devil's-style - roasted potatœs, olives, onions, cherry tomatœs POLLETTO DIAVOLA 26 POLLETTO ALLA ALLA DIAVOLA 26 devil's-style cornishcornish chickenchicken - roasted potatœs, olives, onions, cherry tomatœs devil's-style cornish - roasted potatœs, olives, onions, cherry tomatœs devil's-style cornish chickenchicken - roasted potatœs, olives, onions, cherry tomatœs RAVIOLO BROCCOLINI 12 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

RAVIOLO BROCCOLINI 12 single raviolo, cherry tomatœs sauce, shaved raspadura cheese RAVIOLO BROCCOLINI 12 RAVIOLO BROCCOLINI 12 single raviolo, cherry tomatœs sauce, shaved raspadura cheese CHICKEN GREEK 26 single raviolo, cherry tomatœs sauce, shaved raspadura JIDORIJIDORI CHICKEN GREEK 26 single raviolo, cherry tomatœs sauce, shaved raspadura cheese cheese breast, cucumbers, tomatœs, olives,feta onion, feta cheese CHICKEN GREEK 26 JIDORIJIDORI CHICKEN GREEK 26 breadedbreaded chickenchicken breast, cucumbers, tomatœs, olives, onion, cheese chicken breast, cucumbers, tomatœs, olives,feta onion, feta cheese breadedbreaded chicken breast, cucumbers, tomatœs, olives, onion, cheese CHICKEN MEATBALLS 12 CHICKEN MEATBALLS 12 Cuisine Type lightartichokes broth, artichokes CHICKEN MEATBALLS 12 CHICKEN MEATBALLS 12 light broth, SHORT 34 BRAISED BRAISED SHORT RIBS RIBS 34 lightartichokes broth, artichokes light broth, hours slow cooked boneless beefribs short ribs +ribs short ribs parmigiano ravioli, parmigiano BRAISED SHORT 34 BRAISED SHORT RIBS RIBS 34 Contemporary Italian 8 hours8slow cooked boneless beef short + short ravioli, cheese 8slow hours slow10 cooked boneless beefribs short ribs +ribs short ribsparmigiano ravioli, parmigiano 8 hours cooked boneless beef short + short ravioli, cheese COOKED SPLIT PEAS SLOWSLOW COOKED SPLIT PEAS 10 cheese cheese TM thick split peas swiss puree,chard, swissred chard, redpeperoncino, onion, peperoncino, grilled bread COOKED 10 SLOWSLOW COOKED SPLIT SPLIT PEAS PEAS 10 TM thick split peas puree, onion, grilled bread TM TM thick split peasswiss puree,chard, swissred chard, redpeperoncino, onion, peperoncino, grilled bread thick split peas puree, onion, grilled bread BLACK ANGUS N.Y. STEAK “TAGLIATA” 48 NATURAL NATURAL BLACK ANGUS N.Y. STEAK “TAGLIATA” 48 Credit Cards 14 oz.rancho sliced rancho steak, sautéed NATURAL ANGUS N.Y. STEAK “TAGLIATA” 48 NATURAL BLACK ANGUS N.Y. STEAK “TAGLIATA” 14 oz.48 sliced sisquocsisquoc steak, sautéed rapini rapini CITRUS AVOCADO SALAD 14 BLACK CITRUS AVOCADO SALAD 14rancho 14 thyme, oz. sliced rancho sisquoc steak,balsamic sautéed rapini 14 oz. sliced sisquocgoat steak, sautéed rapini reduction watermelon radish, almonds, cheese, CITRUS AVOCADO SALAD 14 CITRUS AVOCADO SALAD 14 arugula,arugula, watermelon radish, thyme, almonds, goat cheese, balsamic reduction All Major watermelon radish, almonds, thyme, almonds, goat cheese, balsamic reduction arugula,arugula, watermelon radish, thyme, goat cheese, balsamic reduction CRISPY CHICKEN SANDWICH 16 CRISPY JIDORIJIDORI CHICKEN SANDWICH 16 coleslaw, olives, avocado, spicy aioli, fontina onion rings CRISPY SANDWICH 16 coleslaw, CRISPY JIDORIJIDORI CHICKEN SANDWICH 16 pickles,pickles, olives, avocado, spicy aioli, fontina cheese cheese - onion-rings BURNT SPAGHETTI ASSASSINA 14CHICKEN BURNT SPAGHETTI ASSASSINA 14 coleslaw, pickles, olives, avocado, spicy aioli, fontina cheese onion rings coleslaw, pickles, olives, avocado, spicy aioli, fontina cheese onion rings apulian style burnt spaghetti arrabbiata, dry ricotta cheese BURNT SPAGHETTI ASSASSINA 14 BURNT SPAGHETTI ASSASSINA 14 apulian style burnt spaghetti arrabbiata, dry ricotta cheese stylespaghetti burnt spaghetti arrabbiata, drycheese ricotta cheese apulian apulian style burnt arrabbiata, dry ricotta Reservations CHEESEBURGER 16 CHEESEBURGER 16 hormones - antibiotics free chuck naturalsteak chuck, fontina, steak , fontina, avocado, aioli mustardCHEESEBURGER 16 16 hormones - antibiotics free natural avocado, arugula,arugula, aioli mustardfries fries 13 CHEESEBURGER MUSSELS MUSSELS 13 Yes hormones antibiotics free natural chuck steak , fontina, avocado, arugula, aioli mustardfries hormones antibiotics free natural chuck steak , fontina, avocado, arugula, aioli mustardfries san marzano tomato, fresh “peperoncino”, n’duja sausage spread, grilled bread MUSSELS 13 MUSSELS 13 san marzano tomato, fresh “peperoncino”, n’duja sausage spread, grilled bread

CA 90403

DINNER DINNER

DINNER

PROMOTION

san marzano fresh “peperoncino”, n’duja sausage grilled bread san marzano tomato,tomato, fresh “peperoncino”, n’duja sausage spread, spread, grilled bread

Entertainment

No

+ yeast flourflour + yeast

BREAD 3 BREAD 3

BREAD 3 BREAD 3

+ yeast flourflour + yeast

vegetables vegetables

POTATO 5 POTATO FRIESFRIES 5

grilledwhite rusticbread, white taggiasca bread, taggiasca e.v.o. calabrese grilled rustic spread spread salt calabrese sea saltseae.v.o. grilledwhite rusticbread, whitetaggiasca bread, taggiasca e.v.o. calabrese grilled rustic e.v.o. calabrese spread spread

Children’s Menu

BREAD 20 PIZZAPIZZA BREAD 20

Noburrata, prosciutto, cherry tomatœs, wild arugula prosciutto, burrata, cherry tomatœs, wild arugula MUSHROOMS 20 PIZZAPIZZA MUSHROOMS 20

BREAD 20 RAPINI 7 7 PIZZAPIZZA BREAD 20 RAPINI

prosciutto, cherrysautéed tomatœs, wild arugula prosciutto, burrata,burrata, cherrysautéed tomatœs, wild arugula

MUSHROOMS 20CAULIFLOWER PIZZAPIZZA MUSHROOMS 20 ROASTED CAULIFLOWER 9 ROASTED 9

fresh mushrooms, truffle oil, gratin, tomato sauce, fontina cheese fresh mushrooms, truffle au oil, tomato sauce, taleggio fontina au cheese gratin, taleggio cheesecheese fondue fondue fresh mushrooms, truffle oil, tomato sauce, cheese fontina cheese fresh mushrooms, truffle oil, tomato sauce, fontina Carryout

Yes RASPADURA LODIGIANA 20 PIZZAPIZZA RASPADURA LODIGIANA 20

sea saltsea salt

RAPINI 7 RAPINI 7 sautéedsautéed

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER 9 ROASTED CAULIFLOWER 9 au taleggio gratin, taleggio au gratin, cheese cheese fondue fondue

ASPARAGUS 8 ASPARAGUS 8

PANZEROTTO PUGLIESE 8 PANZEROTTO PUGLIESE 8

ROASTED POTATŒS 6 ROASTED POTATŒS 6

ROASTED POTATŒS 6 cheese ROASTED POTATŒS fried pastry savoryfilled pastry filled with tomato sauce and6mozzarella fried savory with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese taggiasca olives,tomatœs cherry tomatœs taggiasca olives, cherry fried pastry savoryfilled pastry filled with tomato sauce and mozzarella fried savory with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese cheese PANZEROTTO PUGLIESE 8 PANZEROTTO PUGLIESE 8

POTATO 5 POTATO FRIESFRIES 5

RASPADURA LODIGIANA 20 PIZZAPIZZA RASPADURA LODIGIANA 20 ASPARAGUS 8 ASPARAGUS 8

san marzano sauce, thin shaved raspadura cheese san marzano tomato tomato sauce, thin shaved steamedraspadura cheese steamed san marzano sauce, thin shaved raspadura san marzano tomato tomato sauce, thin shaved raspadura cheese cheese

vegetables vegetables

steamed steamed

taggiasca olives, tomatœs cherry tomatœs taggiasca olives, cherry

gluten freeand pasta andavailable pizza available $2 extra charge// notgluten 100%free gluten free environment// please your inform your of server of any allergies gluten free pasta pizza for $ 2 for extra charge// not 100% environment// please inform server any allergies gluten freeand pasta and pizza available $2 extra charge// notgluten 100%free gluten free environment// please your inform yourof server of any allergies gluten free pasta pizza available for $ 2 for extra charge// not 100% environment// please inform server any allergies (*) consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have medical certain medical conditions (*) consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggsormay increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain conditions (*) consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, eggs may riskrequest of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain conditions (*) consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish,shellfish, or eggsor may increase your riskyour of foodborne illness, if youmineral have certain conditions tap waterincrease served upon // flatespecially or sparkling watermedical 5 // medical corkage fee 30 per bottle with a two - bottle maximum

tap water served upon request // flat or sparkling mineral water 5 // corkage fee 30 per bottle with a two - bottle maximum tapserved water served upon request // sparkling flat or sparkling water 5 // corkage per with bottle two - maximum bottle maximum tap water upon request // flat or mineralmineral water 5 // corkage fee 30fee per30 bottle a with two -a bottle 50 L A M AG . C O M

DinningGuide_DG18.indd 50

3/29/18 10:32 AM

washed-rind

(washed with brine or alcohol creating an environment where molds grow)

704 MIDNIGHT MOON - CYPRESS GROVE 6 butterscotch, buttery, caramel, nutty, savory, sweet /pasteurize

607 TALEGGIO D.O.P. - CARAVAGGIO 5 sweet, slightly aromatic/pasteurized cow/Italy

609 COMTE SEIGNEMARTIN 10 MO. - LA GELINOTTE 6 nutty and smooth/raw cow/France

CHEESE BITES

PROMOTION

509 EPOISSES - BERTHAUT 8 styled without being strong, with a slight taste of hazelnut/past. cow/France

bloomy rind

intense, piquant and dry/raw cow– goat– sheep/Italy

503 CABRA ROMERO - MONTESINOS 5 crusted with rosemary, light yet complex/pasteurized goat/Spain

clean and balanced with citrus finish/pasteurized goat/California

708 WILLOUGHBY - JASPER HILL FARM 8 807 MUSTARD FIN BRIARD - ROUZAIRE 7 brie aromatized with mustard/pasteurized cow/France succulent and buttery, strong and complex/pasteurized

semi-soft

911 BRA (high moisture content and flavors from DURO very mild-toGUFFANTI pungent flavor) 6

(commonly with an edible white rind)

517 SAINT NECTAIRE LAITIER - XAVIER DAVID 5 705 HUMBOLDT - CYPRESS GROVE 6 grassy,FOG mushroomy and nutty/pasteurized cow/France

956 PECORINO TOSCANO RISERVA - CASEIFICIO IL FIO dry/pasteurized sheep/Italy

507 TETE DE MOINE - FROMAGERIE H. KAMPF intense6 and sweet and intense with a dense texture/raw cow/Switzerland cow/Vermont

8224BARELY BUZZED CHEDDAR - BEEHIVE CHEESE CO 504 MANCHEGO 3 MONTHS - LA MANCHA intense and rich, slightly salty/pasteurized sheep/Spain 7 espresso hand-rubbed cheese with subtle notes of butterscot a full flavored golden cow's milk cheese with notes of nuts and butter/raw cow/France

706 MOSES SLEEPER - JASPER HILL FARM 6 clean finish withPONT hints of oyster mushrooms/pasteurized cow/Vermont 511 L’EVEQUE - E. GRAINDORGE 510 ROSSO DI LANGA - CASEIFICIO ALTA LANGA 6 mild and buttery/pasteurized cow-sheep/Italy

604 LOU BREN - RODOLPH LE MEUNIER

8

965 LAMB CHOPPER - CYPRESS GROVE 7 buttery, caramel, creamy, nutty, sweet/past. sheep/Holland 804 FULLY

LOADED WHISKEY CHEDDAR - BEEHIVE CH fortified with rye whiskey for complex flavor with a kick/past. c

818 TRIPLE CRÈME BRIE - MARIN FRENCH 6 deliciously sheep/France rich and smooth, slightly creamy sweet flavorand with complex/pasteurized fluffy white rind/past. cow/California

955 GARROTXA - MITICA 6 creamy, herbaceous, milky, nutty/pasteurized goat/Spain

718 COULOMMIERS DE VACHE - RODOLPHE LE MEUNIER 7 buttery and nutty/past. cow milk/France

921 JEUNE AUTIZE 6 Intense sweet and light flavor/pasteurized goat/France

906 BREBIROUSSE D’ARGENTAL 6 luscious and silky, sheepy and full-flavored /past. sheep/France

963 PATACABRA - LA PARDINA 6

501 FIN BRIARD AU GRAND MARNIER - ROUZAIRE 7 sweet & sour with decadent creamieness and motes of orange zest/past.6cow/France 907taste BLUE STILTON - CROPWELL BISHOP

812 TESTUN AL BAROLO - BEPPINO OCELLI 8 the thin crust of barolo must adds a fruity tang to the robust cheese/raw cow & goat/italy

blue veined

967 BITTO - GUFFANTI 8 and rich /past. cow– goat/Italy 610 SLEEPING BEAUTY - CASCADIA CREAMERY 6

fruity, tangy and a bit savory/pasteurized (with added pencillium to the milk, then pierced to promote mold growth) goat/Spain smooth and buttery with a supple sharpness /raw cow/Washin

908 BEAUFORT A.O.C. 12 MONTHS - J. PACCARD 8 firm yet buttery taste /raw cow/France

rich and mellow with piquant aftertaste/pasteurized cow/England

968 DELICE DES BOURGOGNE - LINCET 7 rich and silky triple cream/pasteurized cow/France

901 GORGONZOLA DOLCE D.O.P. - LEONARDI 4 cow/Italy

505 ROBIOLA INCAVOLATA - LA CASERA 10 buttery, and mild/pasteurized wrapped in cabbagecreamy leaves , delicately tangy/past. goat/Italy

714 FRAN811 DE FOURME MAQUIS - COUET 9 D’AMBERT - RODOLPH LE tangy and nutty, covered with herbs/ pasteurized cow/Massachusetts

buttery, earthy, sweet/pasteurized cow/France

MEUNIER 5

802 BLUE SHROPSHIRE - CROPWELL BISHOP 6 washed-rind (washed with brine or alcohol creating an environment where molds grow) full-flavored, sharp and tangy/pasteurized cow/England 607 TALEGGIO D.O.P. - CARAVAGGIO 5 960 aromatic/pasteurized ROQUEFORT cow/Italy - PAPILLON sweet, slightly

5 salty, sharp, tangy / raw sheep/France

CHEESE BITES

709 HONEY BEE GOAT - CHEESELAND 5 slightly sweet, full of flavor /past. goat– honey/Holland

semi-hard

(firm with a low moister content from mildMATURO to pungent flavor) 620 GOUDA - PRIMA DONNA 5

508 GRUYERE CAVE AGED - KALTBACH pleasantly 6 creamy, smooth and nutty/raw cow/Switzerland

piquant flavor and solid consistency/pasteurized co

710 ABBAYE DE BEL’ LOC 7 creamy, dense with burnt caramel flavor/raw cow and sheep/France 709 HONEY BEE GOAT - CHEESELAND 5 slightly sweet, full of flavor /past. goat– honey/Holland

hard

(firm with a very low moister content a

6 RED COW PARMIGIANO REGGIANO - GUFFANTI 6 704 MIDNIGHT MOON - CYPRESS GROVE606 unique nutty, fruity, grassy flavor, richer than most reggianos/ra butterscotch, buttery, caramel, nutty, savory, sweet /pasteurized goat/California 609 COMTE SEIGNEMARTIN 10 MO. - LA GELINOTTE 6 902 CLOTHBOUND nutty and smooth/raw cow/France

GOAT CHEDDAR - QUICKES TRADI buttery flavour, rounded off with an almond nuttiness /past. go 918 BLEU D’AUVERGNE 4 911 BRA DURO - GUFFANTI 6 517 SAINT NECTAIRE XAVIER DAVID 5 intense, piquant and dry/raw cow– goat– sheep/Italy buttery yetLAITIER tangy, -with notes of spice, pepper and salt/raw cow/France grassy, mushroomy and nutty/pasteurized cow/France 957 DRY JACK RESERVE - VELLA 5 956 PECORINO TOSCANO RISERVA - CASEIFICIO IL FIORINO 6 balanced and mild/pasteurized cow/California 708 WILLOUGHBY JASPER HILL FARM 8 intense and dry/pasteurized sheep/Italy 826 ROGUE RIVER BLUE - ROGUE CREAMERY 10 succulent and buttery, strong and complex/pasteurized cow/Vermont complex with notes of butterscotch and caramel/pasteurized cow/Oregon 513CHEESE MIMOLETTE - ISIGNY ST. MERE 6 CO. 6 822 BARELY BUZZED CHEDDAR - BEEHIVE 511 PONT L’EVEQUE - E. GRAINDORGE 7 espresso hand-rubbed cheese with subtle notes of butterscotch and caramel/past. cow/Utah sweet, caramelized depth and smooth, fudgy finish/past. cow/ a full flavored golden cow's milk cheese with notes of nuts and butter/raw cow/France 824 BLU DEL MONCENISIO 6 LOADED WHISKEY CHEDDAR BEEHIVE CHEESE CO. 6 804 FULLY strong, peppery and intense/raw cow/italy 604 LOU BREN - RODOLPH LE MEUNIER 8 fortified with rye whiskey for complex flavor with kick/past. cow/Utah GOUDA - CHEESELAND 5 809a EWEPHORIA deliciously creamy and complex/pasteurized sheep/France sweet and nutty flavor/pasteurized sheep/Netherlands 509 EPOISSES - BERTHAUT 8 styled without being strong, with a slight taste of hazelnut/past. cow/France

blue veined

truffled

(with added pencillium to the milk, (aromatized then pierced to promote mold growth) with white or black

967 BITTO - GUFFANTI 8 Intense and rich /past. cow– goat/Italy

913 PECORINO PEPATO 5

6 tangy/raw sheep/Italy 610 SLEEPING BEAUTY - CASCADIA CREAMERY spicy and truffle) smooth and buttery with a supple sharpness /raw cow/Washington

907 BLUE STILTON - CROPWELL BISHOP 6 703 TRUFFLE TREMOR - CYPRESS GROVE rich and mellow with piquant aftertaste/pasteurized cow/England

8 908 BEAUFORT A.O.C. 12 MONTHS - J. PACCARD 919 CLOTHBOUND firm yet buttery taste /raw cow/France

901 GORGONZOLA DOLCE D.O.P. - LEONARDI 4 buttery, creamy and mild/pasteurized cow/Italy

620 GOUDA MATURO - PRIMA DONNA 5

7 elegant and sophisticated/pasteurized goat/California

VINTAGE CHEDDAR - QUICKES TRA matured for 24 months, balanced yet complex /past. cow/Eng

pleasantly piquant flavor and solid consistency/pasteurized cow/Holland 959 PECORINO DI FOSSA D.O.P. - L’ANTICA CASCINA 7 608 BOSCHETTO AL TARTUFO - IL FORTETO 7 TM nutty and sharp yet balanced /past. sheep/Italy 811 FOURME D’AMBERT - RODOLPH MEUNIER 5 truffle/past. cow- sheep/Italy smooth and oily, dotted LE with flecks of buttery, earthy, sweet/pasteurized cow/France

hard

602 MAHON MITICA 5 (firm with a very low moister content andRISERVApungent flavor) MOLITERNO BLACK TRUFFLE PECORINO - CENTRAL 8 802 BLUE601 SHROPSHIRE - CROPWELL BISHOP 6 full-flavored, sharp full and tangy/pasteurized and tangy/raw cow/Spain earthy, –flavored withcow/England intense truffle notes/raw sheep/Italy 606 RED COW PARMIGIANO REGGIANO -sharp GUFFANTI 6 unique nutty, fruity, grassy flavor, richer than most reggianos/raw cow/Italy 960 ROQUEFORT - PAPILLON 5 958 CASTELMAGNO D’ALPEGGIO STRAVECCHIO - GUF salty, sharp, / raw sheep/France 619tangy MELKBUS 149 TRUFFLES - UNIEKAAS 7 902 CLOTHBOUND GOAT CHEDDAR - QUICKES TRADITIONAL 7 strong/past. andgoat/England intense/raw cow-goat-sheep/Italy earthy flavors from the truffles are infused throughout the cheese/raw cow/Holland buttery flavour, rounded off with an almond nuttiness 918 BLEU D’AUVERGNE 4 buttery yet tangy, with notes of spice, pepper and salt/raw cow/France 957 DRY JACK RESERVE - VELLA 5 715 SARDO - MITICA 4 713 FIN BRIARD A LA TRUFFE - ROUZAIRE 10 balanced and mild/pasteurized cow/California 826 ROGUE RIVERbrie BLUEcheese - ROGUEwith CREAMERY nutty and a bit sharp with a great depth of flavor/pasteurized sh creamy a hint of10perigord black truffle/pasteurized cow/France complex with notes of butterscotch and caramel/pasteurized cow/Oregon 513 MIMOLETTE - ISIGNY ST. MERE 6 sweet, caramelized depth and smooth, fudgy finish/past. cow/France 824 BLU827 DEL MONCENISIO 962 CHEDDAR 12 YEARS AGED - HOOK’S 12 CREMEUX6 DES CITEAUX AUX TRUFFES- R. LE MEUNIER 10 strong, peppery and intense/raw cow/italy smooth, rich, buttery and sharp/pasteurized cow/Wisconsin GOUDA - CHEESELAND 5 EWEPHORIA rich and silky triple cream with black truffles/pasteurized809 cow milk/france sweet and nutty flavor/pasteurized sheep/Netherlands

truffled

(aromatized with white or black truffle)

913 PECORINO PEPATO 5 spicy and tangy/raw sheep/Italy

703 TRUFFLE TREMOR - CYPRESS GROVE 7 elegant and sophisticated/pasteurized goat/California

919 CLOTHBOUND VINTAGE CHEDDAR - QUICKES TRADITIONAL 6 matured for 24 months, balanced yet complex /past. cow/England

608 BOSCHETTO AL TARTUFO - IL FORTETO 7 smooth and oily, dotted with flecks of truffle/past. cow- sheep/Italy

959 PECORINO DI FOSSA D.O.P. - L’ANTICA CASCINA 7 nutty and sharp yet balanced /past. sheep/Italy

601 MOLITERNO BLACK TRUFFLE PECORINO - CENTRAL 8 earthy, full –flavored with intense truffle notes/raw sheep/Italy

602 MAHON RISERVA- MITICA 5 sharp and tangy/raw cow/Spain

619 MELKBUS 149 TRUFFLES - UNIEKAAS 7 earthy flavors from the truffles are infused throughout the cheese/raw cow/Holland

958 CASTELMAGNO D’ALPEGGIO STRAVECCHIO - GUFFANTI 7 strong and intense/raw cow-goat-sheep/Italy

713 FIN BRIARD A LA TRUFFE - ROUZAIRE 10 creamy brie cheese with a hint of perigord black truffle/pasteurized cow/France

715 SARDO - MITICA 4 nutty and a bit sharp with a great depth of flavor/pasteurized sheep/Italy

827 CREMEUX DES CITEAUX AUX TRUFFES- R. LE MEUNIER 10 rich and silky triple cream with black truffles/pasteurized cow milk/france

962 CHEDDAR 12 YEARS AGED - HOOK’S 12 smooth, rich, buttery and sharp/pasteurized cow/Wisconsin

L A M AG . C O M 5 1

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PROMOTION

SOPAS

ENTRADAS

SOPA DE TORTILLA This soup combines flavors and textures of tortilla strips; garnished with avocado, cheese, sour cream and chile pasilla.

GUACAMOLE EN MOLCAJETE Fresh avocado mixed with onions, jalapeño chile, tomato, cilantro and fresh lime juice.

CONSOMÉ DE POLLO Chicken broth prepared with vegetables, rice and chicken.

Frida Beverly Hills 236 S. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310.278.7666 Hours Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Cuisine Type Mexican Credit Cards

POZOLE FRIDA Chile guajillo broth with hominy (blanched corn kernels), spices and shredded chicken. Served with corn tostadas, cabbage, limes, oregano and radish slices on the side.

ENSALADAS RESPLANDOR DE MANGO Mixed greens, grapes, chopped mangos, caramelized walnuts and goat cheese, with a passion fruit dressing.

HEALTHY BOWL Romaine lettuce, white rice, black beans, sweet corn, sour cream, Monterrey cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo and cilantro dressing.

SALMON SALAD Grilled salmon, fresh spring mix, romaine lettuce, celery, avocado, cucumber, tomato and house vinaigrette.

TOSTADA SALAD A tostada bowl filled with spring mixed greens, tomato, white rice, black beans, sour cream, avocado and cheese. Tossed with orange mandarin vinaigrette.

QUESO FUNDIDO Melted cheese served with flour tortillas.

FRIDA PLATTER A sampler platter with crispy chicken and potato taquitos, cheese quesadillas, mini sopes and guacamole.

QUESADILLA Corn or flour tortilla filled with cheese. Served with guacamole, lettuce and sour cream.

CEVICHES FRIDA Fresh white fish with fresh lime juice, jicama, carrots, onion, jalapeños, cilantro and our special sauce.

CAMARÓN RASURADO Fresh shrimp with avocado, jalapeño chile, red onion and cilantro, prepared with olive oil and lime juice.

AGUACHILE DE CAMARÓN Fresh shrimp cooked in spicy lime Serrano chile sauce. Tossed with olive oil, red onion, avocado, cilantro and cucumber.

VUELVA A LA VIDA Fresh shrimp, fish, octopus and scallop with tomato, jalapeños, onion, cucumber and ketchup.

CEVICHE TASTING A sampling of our Ceviches: Rasurado, Aguachile & FRIDA!

All Major

TACOS Reservations Yes Entertainment Yes Children’s Menu Yes Carryout Yes Liquor Yes

All tacos are served with rice and beans.

Low Carb Tacos: Any tacos below, served on a lettuce wrap

TACOS DE FILETE Handmade corn tortillas with tenderloin strips, onion, cilantro, spices.

TACOS AL PASTOR Handmade corn tortillas with marinated pork. Topped with onion, cilantro and pineapple.

TACOS DE RIB EYE Handmade corn tortillas with grilled marinated Rib Eye, diced and topped with red onion and cilantro, a chile toreado on the side.

TACOS DE COCHINITA PIBIL Handmade corn tortillas with slow roasted pork marinated in a citrus juice, served with red onion and habanero relish.

TACOS NORTEÑOS Three flour tortilla with tender carne asada strips, grilled onion and guacamole, served with whole beans

TACO TASTING Your choice of 5 soft tacos: beef, chicken, pork carnitas, pastor, chicken mole or cochinita pibil.

TACOS DE CAMARÓN Three handmade corn tortillas filled with sautéed shrimp. Topped with fresh pico de gallo, chipotle sauce and guacamole.

FISH TACOS BAJA STYLE Fresh handmade corn tortilla with grilled fish or battered fish, topped with cabbage, chipotle sauce and pico de gallo.

TACOS DE POLLO Handmade corn tortillas with grilled marinated chicken topped with onions and cilantro.

TACOS DE VEGETALES Handmade corn tortillas with sauteed vegetables, topped with guacamole.

TACOS DE CARNITAS Handmade corn tortillas with slow cooked pork meat. Topped with onion and cilantro.

www.fridarestaurant.com 5 2 L A M AG . C O M

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PROMOTION

Westwood

10853 Lindbrook Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90024 310.209.0666 Hours Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Torrance

21438 Hawthorne Blvd Torrance, CA 90503 310.371.0666 Hours Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

PESCADOS Y MARISCOS

CARNES

PESCADO A LA TALLA Grilled fish marinated in a three chile sauce. Served with spanish rice, fried plantains and black beans.

SALMÓN A LA DIABLA Grilled salmon in a chile chipotle cream sauce. Served with white rice and grilled vegetables.

PESCADO PRIMAVERA Fresh catch in a white wine butter lime sauce. Served with white rice, grilled vegetables and jalapeño pepper.

CAMARONES AL AJILLO Sautéed prawns in garlic, white wine, butter and lemon juice.

Served with white rice.

FAJITAS DE CAMARÓN Grilled prawns with sautéed tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions. Served with spanish rice, refried beans, guacamole and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Cerritos

11169 183rd St. Cerritos, CA 90703 562.403.3666 Hours Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

ARRACHERA NORTEÑA Tender marinated charbroiled skirt steak served with a chicken enchilada Tapatía, guacamole, rice, refried beans and corn tortillas.

FILETE PATRÓN 10 oz Angus grilled Filet Mignon, special sauce topped with house onions, served with your choice of sautéed potato or grilled vegetables.

FLAUTAS DE CARNE Crispy rolled tortillas “flutes”, filled with beef topped with lettuce, sour cream, queso fresco and pico de gallo.

FAJITAS DE FILETE Fresh tenderloin strips with sautéed tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions.

Served with spanish rice, refried beans, guacamole and handmade corn tortillas.

CARNITAS Slow cooked pork loin in its own juice with spices. Served with rice, refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and fresh corn tortillas.

MOLCAJETE FRIDA Skirt steak, chicken, chorizo, panela cheese, avocado, grilled cactus and cilantro, with roasted tomatillo salsa, handmade corn tortillas. Served with white rice and black beans.

AVES Y MOLES FAJITAS DE POLLO Grilled chicken tenders with sautéed tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions.

Served with spanish rice, refried beans, guacamole and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

PECHUGA FOGATA Grilled chicken breast marinated in our achiote, chile guajillo sauce and topped with Mexican Chimichurri. Served with mixed greens and mushroom salad.

FAJITAS MIXTAS Two of the following: chicken, beef tenderloin strips or shrimp, with tomatoes, bell peppers and onions. Served with rice, refried beans, guacamole and corn tortillas.

ENCHILADAS TAPATÍAS Chicken or cheese, in our special chile ancho sauce, and topped with cheese, sour cream and red onion.

MOLE POBLANO Chicken simmered in a chile chocolate sauce. Served with rice, refried beans, a cheese gordita and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

MOLE TASTING A sample of green, poblano, black and red pipian mole over chicken. Served with rice, refried beans, a cheese gordita and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

ENCHILADAS SUIZAS Chicken or cheese, in our tomatillo sauce, topped with cheese, sour cream and red onions.

ENCHILADAS TRIO Three enchiladas with chicken or cheese, red, green and mole sauce.

MOLE NEGRO Chicken simmered in a black Oaxacan chocolate sauce. Served with white rice, refried beans, fried plantain, fresh handmade corn tortillas.

Sherman Oaks

15310 Ventura Blvd. #P5 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 818.501.9666 Hours Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

HAPPY HOUR

SUNDAY BRUNCH

Available in all locations at bar area.

Wide variety of drinks and appetizers

Live Mariachi at Torrance, Cerritos, and Sherman Oaks. Omelette, Taco Station, Pancakes, Fruit & Desserts

TACO TUESDAY Available in all locations, all day.

Carne Asada, Pastor, Carnitas & Chicken

MONDAY MARGARITA Available in all locations, all day.

Best Margaritas in town!

Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. www.fridarestaurant.com L A M AG . C O M 53

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PROMOTION

Chef’s Tasting Menu Choice of 4-course or 5-course menu *seasonal items, subject to change

$125 per person | 4-Course Menu

La Boucherie 900 Wilshire Blvd., 71st Fl. Los Angeles, CA 90017 213.688.7777 laboucheriedtla.com Hours Tuesday – Sunday 6 – 10 p.m.

Cuisine Type American Steakhouse with a French twist Credit Cards

AMUSE

Osetra Caviar

Organic Egg Salad, Vol Au Vent, Chives Blossom ~

COURSE 1

Oyster Mignonette ~

COURSE 2

Onion Soup Gruyère ~

COURSE 3

A-5 Wagyu Filet & Wild Caught Prawns

Fall Garden Vegetables, Petite Pomme de Terre ~

COURSE 4

Delice Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Ice Cream

All Major Reservations Yes Entertainment No

$185 per person | 5-Course Menu AMUSE

Osetra Caviar

Organic Egg Salad, Vol Au Vent, Chives Blossom ~

COURSE 1

Children’s Menu Yes Carryout No

Foie Gras Torchon

Sauternes Gelée, Stone Fruit Compote, Fleur De Sel ~

COURSE 2

Oyster Mignonette ~

COURSE 3

Liquor Yes

Homard et Mais Lobster & Corn ~

COURSE 4

A-5 Filet Mignon Tenderloin & Lobster

Fall Garden Vegetables, Petite Pomme de Terre ~

COURSE 5 Delice Chocolate Cake Flourless Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Ice Cream

54 L A M AG . C O M

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PROMOTION Appetizers

All-Natural Beef Tartare Aioli | Shallot | Grilled Sourdough 19 * Sustainably Harvested Oysters ½ Dozen 23 * Salt Cod Croquettes Hazelnut | Roasted Piquillo 16 Stuffed Squid Jumbo Lump Crab | Puttanesca | Garlic Aioli 23 Gulf “Shrimp and Grits” Polenta | Bacon | Tuscan Kale 24 * Dungeness Crab Flatbread Confit Tomatoes | Garlic Aioli 22 Mussels White Wine | Parsley | Chili Flakes 18 *

The Belvedere 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Grass-Fed Lamb-Bulgur Meatballs Raisins | Pine Nuts | Yogurt 16 Charred Spanish Octopus Salsa Verde | Herb Aioli | Marcona Almonds 22

Soups & Salads

Chicken-Oregano Soup White Beans | Swiss Chard 13 Potato and Leek Soup Black Truffle | Potato Chip 13

310.975.2736 peninsula.com/beverlyhills

Kenter Canyon Family Farms Arugula Roasted Eggplant | Pine Nuts | Ras El Hanout 16 Spinach and Local Medjool Date Marcona Almonds | Honey | Goat Cheese Snow 16 Burrata and Beets Orange | Watercress | Blackberries 19 Fattoush Grilled Pita | Cucumber | Feta | Parsley Roasted Shallot Yogurt 17

Hours 6:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Charred Caesar Crispy Brussels Sprouts | Kale | Garlic Croutons | Anchovy Dressing 21 * Mr. Z Mediterranean Market Salad Cucumber | Tomato | Red Onion | Mint 18

Pastas

Cuisine Type Mediterranean Credit Cards All Major Reservations Yes

Gnocchi Porcini | Pecorino | Bloomsdale Spinach 21 Gluten-Free Almond Flour Pappardelle Stewed Tomato | Basil 19 House Pork Sausage Ravioli Arrabiata | Parsley | Garlic 24 Asparagus and Foraged Mushroom Risotto Parsley | Local Olive Oil 24 Duck Confit Orecchiette Sundried Tomato | Escarole 22 Beet Fettuccine Arugula-Walnut Pesto | Goat Cheese 25 Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, eggs or unpasteurized milk may increase your risk of foodborne illness. *

Main Courses

Lobster Paella Octopus | Clams | Mussels | Shrimp 55 *

Entertainment No Children’s Menu Yes

Skuna Bay Salmon Lemon | Pickled Pearl Onion | Frisée 42 * Seared Scallops Capers | Endive 43 * Branzino Fillets Asparagus | Lemon Butter 40 Wild English Dover Sole Brown Butter | Marcona Almonds | Haricot Verts 65 Striped Bass Parsnip | Roasted Chanterelle | Cippolini Onion 38 * Santa Cruz Harpooned Tuna Anchovies | Olives | Capers | Sundried Tomato 41 * Smoked Duck Crispy Duck Confit | Beluga Lentils | Escarole 45 *

Carryout No

Veal Osso Bucco Polenta | Bone Marrow Milanese 49 Mary’s Natural Half Chicken Quinoa | Butternut Squash | Pepitas 38 * 28-Day Dry-Aged 20oz Bone-In Rib Eye Bone Marrow 79 * Veal Milanese Arugula | Pickled Onions | Lemon 45 *

Liquor Yes

All-Natural 8oz Beef Filet Mignon Roasted Cipollini Onions | Red Wine Jus 48 *

Sides

Weiser Farms Crispy Fingerling Potatoes Local Olive Oil 11 Za’atar Carrots Puffed Quinoa | Pomegranate 10 Whole-Roasted Cauliflower Garlic Aioli | Gremolata 15 Broccoli Rabe Kenter Canyon Espelette 10 Stewed Tomatoes Olive Oil | Thyme 9 Quinoa And Butternut Squash Pepitas | Cranberries 11 Stockton Asparagus Lemon | Olive Oil | Sea Salt 12 Hearth Pita Hummus | Baba Ganoush 12 Naturally Peninsula menu items represent an holistic approach to cooking.

These dishes are minimally processed and feature sustainable, organic products whenever possible.

L A M AG . C O M 55

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THE NEW ART OF DESSERT THERE’S MORE TO IT THAN SUGAR AND SPICE—AMBITIOUS PASTRY CHEFS ARE CHANGING THE WAY L.A. ENJOYS THAT SWEET FINALE

I S T H I S T H E dawn of a new age of desserts? Somewhere between all those rustic fruit cobblers and the geometry of fine dining’s sweetest course (tubes of panna cotta, spheres of gelée), a recent wave of desserts reflects the way we want to eat right now. Not too casual, not too fancy, edgy enough to be modern, and interesting enough to feel fresh.

The best desserts from some of Los Angeles’s of-the-moment restaurants are symbols of a changing landscape that chefs and diners are navigating. There’s an inkling of something different taking shape, and here’s what that inkling looks like: sour cream-and-brown sugar ice cream, strawberry-fennel granita, and preserved whole strawberries topped with curls of shaved frozen sablé dough and a splash of Pernod.

Chef Jonathan Whitener at Koreatown’s Here’s Looking at You, which opened in mid-2016, says the inspiration for his aforementioned strawberry des-

D E SS E R TS

BY T H E EC A D E D ECA

● H E R E ’ S LO O K I N G AT YO U ’ S ST R AW B E R RY D E SS E RT

sert was a classic flavor combination he grew up with: strawberries and cream.

Another of the restaurant’s desserts, bubble gum ice cream paired with fresh lychee, strikes a similarly nostalgic note.

Or take the meringue gelato at not-tooupscale Kali on Melrose. Pastry chef Susan Bae adds another dimension by making it with pulverized meringue (whipped egg whites and sugar). A sugar-and-salt-cured yolk is grated on top. It’s like a deconstructed then reconstructed egg.

These desserts combine the surprising

1930s

H OT F U D G E S U N DA E ● Celebrities flock to

C.C. Brown’s in Hollywood, which serves its treat with twoand-a-half ounces of chocolate sauce.

56 L A M AG . C O M

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1940s

ST RAW B E R R I E S ROMANOFF ● At Romanoff ’s

on Rodeo Drive, the fruit is marinated in orange liqueur and folded into ice cream.

1950s

BANANA S H O RTC A K E ● Chili is a top seller

at Chasen’s, but so is this two-layer cake, presented chilled and with banana sauce for $1.

with the sentimental, the exotic with the everyday, and elements of sweet and savory. They’re elevated and approachable.

At the daytime café Destroyer in Culver City, chef-owner Jordan Kahn’s daily offering might include milk chocolate namelaka (“smooth” or “creamy” in Japanese) with frozen cucumber cream, buckwheat milk, and cocoa streusel.

“It’s hard to find a plated dessert at a café for lunch,” Kahn says. “Just because it’s casual doesn’t mean dessert shouldn’t be thoughtful.” > B E T T Y H A L L O C K

1980s

CRÈME BRÛLÉE ● Seen everywhere

from Michael’s to Spago to Chateau Marmont: ramekins of sugar-crowned custard being blowtorched.

2000s

B U T T E R S COTC H BUDINO ● Mozza inspires

copycats with this rich pudding topped with caramel sauce and whipped cream.

> LEILAH BERNSTEIN

P H O T O G R A P H BY DY L A N + J E N I

3/28/18 5:07 PM

A TASTE OF PARADISE The dappled sunlight. The secret alcoves.

The local ingredients. The master chef.

The LA moment.

Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air. Perfection just happens.

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EY E-OPENING TASTES. BREATHTAK ING VIEWS. Feast on far more than the view at this American steakhouse with a French twist while dining on premium steaks along with first-rate seafood sourced from around the globe. Savor unique culinary pairings artfully curated from our cheese-and-charcuterie atelier complemented by offerings from our extensive wine list of over 1,200 labels, all from the comfort of private dining rooms and discreet VIP booths.

InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown | LaBoucherieDTLA.com

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3/20/18 3:41 PM