Dining LA 2019

DINING LA FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

Family-Style Feasts Farm-Fresh Produce Dynamic Desserts

PLUS

PRESENTED BY

SPRING 2019 L A M AG .CO M

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A Curated Guide to 163 Of L.A.’s Best Restaurants 3/22/19 3:44 PM

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ONLY AT

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Set overlooking the Pacific Ocean with stunning views and the tranquil ambiance of The Spa, Solviva at Terranea Resort, is crafted with wellness in mind. Enjoy a unique restorative experience with dishes that benefit the body and the mind. Highlighting nutrient-rich ingredients and locally and sustainably grown produce, Solviva serves as the ideal destination for all diet types with a collaborative menu from both chef and nutritionist.

Join us for our 10th Anniversary on the beautiful Palos Verdes Peninsula, a hidden gem on the Los Angeles Coast.

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Words don’t do it justice.

#Terranea 866.482.1468 | Terranea.com

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DINING LA

2019

Maer Roshan

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Rose DeMaria FOOD EDITOR

Garrett Snyder PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Denise Philibert ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Tom Hicks A RT A N D P R O D U C T I O N ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

THE HOT LIST

Sarah Davidson PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Our favorite places to chow down, no matter what neighborhood you’re in (pictured: Hippo in Highland Park)

Mallory Young

Josef Vann

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PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Caitlin Cullen LUXURY GOODS DIRECTOR

Samantha Greenfield INTEGRATED ACCOUNT DIRECTORS

Dana Briskin, Brittany Brombach, Jean Greene, Mathew Jongsma, Emily McTernan, Mali Mochow ADVERTISING SALES COORDINATOR

Nathaniel Perkins M A R K E T I N G S E RV I C E S DIRECTOR, STRATEGY & PARTNERSHIPS

Susan Starling DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Kendra Tio MARKETING COORDINATOR

Haley Sovulewski DIGITAL PLANNER

Kelcey Lucille Quan Joyce C R E AT I V E S E RV I C E S CREATIVE SERVICES ART DIRECTOR

Sheila Ramezani A D M I N I S T R AT I O N BUSINESS MANAGER

Eugene C. Supnet ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE MANAGER

Rogelio Cervantes PUBLISHING SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR

Rob Burns

LIVING LARGE

Keith Corbin is freshening up comfortfood classics at Alta Adams PAGE 8

pyramid to a mole medley, these shareable dishes don’t skimp on the portions PAGE 10

●

NANCY SILVERTON ● Catching up

with one of the pioneers of California cuisine PAGE 16 4 L A M AG . C O M

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● From a pork-belly

SWEET ESCAPES ● Four dynamic

dessert makers dish about what inspires their confectionary creations PAGE 26

A PRETTY FUNGHI ● A guide to the

culinary world’s most coveted ’shrooms PAGE 12

FARMER TO TABLE ● Meet the folks that

grow premium produce for your favorite restaurants PAGE 14

FRENCH CONNECTION

L.A. MOMENT

● The man that

the lenses of local Instagrammers. This issue, peep a short-rib feast in Koreatown PAGE 56

curates Maude’s coveted wine collection PAGE 28

● The city through

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

H I P P O : L I SA CO R S O N

CALIFORNIA SOUL

COVER: NOMAD L.A.’S HONEY-GLAZED ROASTED HALF DUCK, PHOTOGRAPH BY LISA CORSON

3/21/19 5:07 PM

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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LOS ANGELES +1 310 276 2251 DORCHESTERCOLLECTION.COM

#DCmoments BeverlyHillsHotel BevHillsHotel BevHillsHotel

01/03/2018 14:47 3/20/19 11:32 AM

LOS ANGELES

T A S T E

M A K E R Shop the best in luxury, contemporary and fast-fashion favorites and dine out at one of our chef-driven restaurants or fast-casual eateries.

@beverlycenter /beverlycenter @beverlycenter /beverlycenter

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@beverlycenter

beverlycenter.com @beverlycenter beverlycenter.com

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C U L I N A R Y C O L L E C T I O N A one-of-a-kind lineup of chef-driven restaurants and fast-casual eateries CAL MARE | An homage to the coast of Italy and Southern California from chef/partner Adam Sobel in collaboration with Michael Mina.

EASY’S | Classic diner fare with a playful, yet elevated, spin from restaurateur Jeremy Fall. A revival of the popular burger pop-up, Easy’s offers an all-day food and cocktail menu.

EGGSLUT | Classic comfort fare with a twist, all-encompassing a key ingredient, eggs.

FARMHOUSE | Led by Nathan Peitso, Executive Farmer, redefines the traditional restaurant model by working directly with the region’s top farmers to grow, harvest, and create dishes.

LAMILL COFFEE | Award-winning premium specialty coffee roaster headquartered in Los Angeles. In addition to coffee, Lamill offers a selection of pastries, sandwiches and salads.

MARUGAME UDON | Japanese authentic made-to-order Udon noodles which are freshly kneaded, boiled and cooked right in front of you every day.

PITCHOUN BAKERY & CAFÉ | An authentic, family-owned French bakery offering

home-made artisan bread & pastries, sandwiches, soups, salads and other specialty items using the owners’ family recipes.

TOCAYA ORGANICA | Modern organic Mexican cuisine featuring salads, tacos,

bowls, and burritos – served in a sophisticated yet accessible fast casual setting.

YARDBIRD SOUTHERN TABLE AND BAR | Offering a modern take on Southern comfort which means shared plates and critically acclaimed fried chicken, to name a few of the restaurant’s specialties.

Quick access to the restaurants using 3rd Street & La Cienega Valet.

One hour free valet parking with validation from any Beverly Center restaurant.

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CALIFORNIA SOUL FORMER LOCOL CHEF KEITH CORBIN FINDS HIS VOICE AT ALTA ADAMS

BY GARRETT SNYDER

● K E I T H CO R B I N ’ S M E N U U P DAT E S C L ASS I C S O U L FO O D D I S H E S W I T H LO C A L P R O D U C E

K E I T H C O R B I N I S ready to cook. Stand-

ing in the nearly finished dining room of Alta Adams, the 40-year-old Watts native is already picturing customers filling the stools in front of the open kitchen at his neo-soul-food restaurant and coffee shop in West Adams. “Anyone who sits here is going to get fat,” he says with a grin. “I’ll be handing them dishes all night. I love feeding people.”

Three years ago Corbin was a newly hired manager at Locol, the community-focused fast-food concept from chefs Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi blocks away from where Corbin grew up (103rd and Grape streets). Though he’d never cooked professionally, Corbin was immediately recognized for his skills in the kitchen. “He had a great palette, a creative mind, and was quick to synthesize new information,” says Patterson, who operates Coi restaurant and 8 L A M AG . C O M

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Alta Group locations in the Bay Area.

“Those are the fundamental qualities for any chef; everything else can be taught.”

Corbin spent the next few years bouncing between Northern and Southern California, cooking at Locol and Patterson’s other restaurants, an empire that started to expand as more chef-affiliated concepts were opened under the Alta Group umbrella. When plans were made for an outpost in L.A., Patterson saw a chance to further grow the system he’d implemented.

“It became clear to me that the opportunity for restaurant ownership, especially in fine dining, wasn’t being afforded to everyone,” he says. “Alta Group was a small step toward removing those artificial barriers and addressing inequality.”

At Alta Adams—located inside a transformed Spanish Revival building along Adams Boulevard—Corbin’s menu focuses on

soul food classics (oxtail and rice, baked yams, shrimp and grits, pork chops with chowchow relish) reengineered with California produce and fine-tuned techniques.

“Soul food was always a regional thing in the South,” he says. “But after the Great Migration, those fresh ingredients are now coming out of cans. We don’t have to do that now. Let’s utilize what we have here.”

You might not realize that Corbin has slipped soy and miso paste into the braised oxtail or almond milk and candied pecans into the yams, but that’s the point. He’s used to skeptics doubting any soul food that isn’t served in Styrofoam, but for him Alta Adams means offering authentic food without sacrificing the dining experience—table service, cocktails and wine, a gorgeous outdoor patio. “What we’re doing might seem different,” he says, “but take one bite and tell me that’s not your grandma’s cooking.”

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E Y E - OPEN I NG TA ST ES. BR E AT H TA K I NG V I EWS. Feast on far more than the view at this award-winning American steakhouse with a French twist and dine on premium steaks along with first-rate seafood sourced from around the globe. Savor unique culinar y pairings artfully curated by our cheese-and-charcuterie atelier complemented by offerings from our extensive wine list of over 1,200 different types, all from the comfort of private dining rooms and discreet V IP Starlight Booths.

InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown | LaBoucherieDTLA.com

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LIVING LARGE

FAMILY-STYLE DISHES, SHAREABLE ENTRÉES—CALL THEM WHAT YOU WILL. THESE LARGE-FORMAT PLATES ARE SHOWSTOPPERS ON THE TABLE

Menashe roasts seasoned lamb neck at a low temperature for 12 to 16 hours. The result is a fall-off-the-bone masterpiece served with Iraqi flatbread, pickles, tahini, and tangy amba sauce. “The first time we made it,” Menashe recalls, “[we] had a moment of silence then started dancing like we won the championship.” 500 Mateo St., Arts District, baveldtla.com.

Grilled Whole Orata

BY HEATHER PLATT

A L I M E N TO ● Zach Pollack fell in love with

Honey-Glazed Roasted Half Duck THE NOMAD L.A. ● Inspired by the stalwart

duck at chef Daniel Humm’s New York City temple of fine dining Eleven Madison Park, the NoMad L.A. team puts its spin on the iconic dish with this hands-on fave. Dry-aged duck breast and braised leg are served with a citrus jus, pickled shallots, fresh herbs, and za’atar-spiced roti. “The idea is that you can make a sort of taco,” says executive chef Chris Flint. Top every bite with a spoonful of herbaceous, spicy jalapeño salsa. 649 S. Olive St., downtown, thenomadhotel.com.

Bun Cha Ha Noi B U T TO N M AS H ● Nguyen Tran was serving

this northern Vietnamese specialty at his underground pop-up, Starry Kitchen, years before it catapulted to international fame as the dish that President Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain shared on blue plastic stools in Hanoi. A faithful interpretation is still 10 L A M AG . C O M

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on the menu at his arcadeslash-restaurant, Button Mash, where Tran flavors marinated and grilled ground-pork patties with caramelized fish sauce and serves them alongside vermicelli noodles, pickled kohlrabi, and carrots— perfect for wrapping in butter lettuce with sprigs of mint and cilantro. 1391 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, buttonmashla.com.

“Festival de Moles” G U E L AG U E TZ A ● In Oaxaca, mole is most

often seen at celebrations—the painstaking dish is the centerpiece at weddings and holidays.

At Guelaguetza, Koreatown’s beloved Oaxacan restaurant, though, you can sample the Lopez family’s moles every day.

Dubbed “Festival de Moles,” the restaurant’s sampler features negro, rojo, coloradito, and estofado versions. “We smoke all of the chiles, and we have our own stone mill that grinds both spices and chiles,” says co-owner Bricia Lopez. The platter comes with shredded chicken breast, rice, and handmade tortillas still warm from the comal.

3014 W. Olympic Blvd., Koreatown, ilovemole.com.

“Ode to Zuni” Roasted Chicken A .O.C . ● “I don’t think I ever visit

San Francisco without at least one stop at Zuni,” says chef Suzanne Goin, referring to the restaurant muse that inspired the 24-hour dry-brined chicken she serves at A.O.C. Zuni roasts its birds to order and serves them with a crunchy-chewy bread salad. Here in L.A., Goin puts her own spin on the celebrated Bay Area dish: The poultry is marinated in herbs and spices, confited in duck fat, and finished in the kitchen’s wood-burning oven. A warm panzanella and a lemon-olive salsa complete the homey platter. 8700 W. 3rd St., Beverly Grove, aocwinebar.com.

Lamb Neck Shawarma B AV E L ● Childhood memories of

eating shawarma in Israel and Turkey inspired Ori Menashe to bring the street food’s flavors to his Middle Eastern restaurant, Bavel. Instead of using a vertical rotisserie,

grilled whole fish while in Sicily, where food stands pop up along the coast in the summer, grilling everything from octopus to branzino. The chef still sources his fish from the Mediterranean, like the Orata he serves at Alimento, plated on a bed of fava bean puree.

It’s then strewn with a salad of beans and raw shaved vegetables and topped with an almond-tomato-caper pesto.

1710 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake, alimentola.com.

Pork Belly Pyramid T H E L E G E N DA RY R E STAU RA N T ● Though technically not a

Hangzhou restaurant, the Sichuan-focused Legendary Restaurant in Alhambra serves the Hangzhou dish of Dongpo pork. The Chinese eatery presents sliced braised pork belly piled high into a pyramid.

The jiggly structure comes on a bed of salted bok choy and is ringed by a crown of steamed buns. Diners feast with a bun in one hand and chopsticks in the other, pulling away at the tender pork and stuffing it in the bread. 2718 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra, thelegendary restaurant.business.site.

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

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● GRILLED W H O L E O RATA AT A L I M E N TO

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A PRETTY FUNGI THE OWNER OF LOCAL FUNGUS OUTFIT SHIITAKE HAPPENS GUIDES US THROUGH MUSHROOM BASICS

BY GARRETT SNYDER

The next time you find yourself admiring those stunning spores on your pizza, give a thought to Shiitake Happens. That’s the cheeky name of Matt Parker’s Gardena-based operation (one of L.A.’s few urban mushroom farms) that has been supplying some of the city’s best restaurants—Maude, Mozza, Spago, to name just a few—with 50 or so varieties of high-quality fungi since 2008. Parker, a Hermosa Beach native and former surf photographer, grows his mushrooms inside custom-designed, climate-controlled shipping containers (which he calls “mush rooms”) while also sourcing rarer mushrooms from sustainable farms and certified foragers north of Santa Barbara.

Cultivated varieties including button, cremini, hen of the woods, shiitake, and oyster are available yearround, but Parker says chefs go nuts when the prized seasonal varieties start to appear— morel, chanterelle, porcini, hedgehog, candy cap, black trumpet, and rustcolored lobster.

Consider this a quick guide to a few types favored in kitchens around town.

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H E N O F T H E WO O D S (Grifola frondosa)

» Also known as maitake, this delicate type consists of ruffled “leaves” that grow in large clumps; when cooked, it develops a meaty texture and roasted chicken flavor. D I S H : Diver scallops with hen of the woods, bacon, and Carolina rice at Manuela

CHANTERELLE (Cantharellus cibarius)

» This trumpet-shaped wild mushroom, available most of the year, boasts a light honey hue and an elegant flavor that’s nutty and earthy.

D I S H : Sweet corn spoon bread with chanterelles and chives at Hatchet Hall

S H I I TA K E

(Lentinula edodes) » Originally cultivated in east Asia, this rich, smoky mushroom is famous for its versatility: Once the woody stem is removed the cap can be dried, roasted, or pickled. D I S H : Kombu ramen with marinated shiitake, squash, and tofu at MTN

OYS T E R

(Pleurotus ostreatus) » This mollusk-shaped variety, one of the most widely consumed mushrooms in the world, is known for its soft, slightly chewy texture and mild, seafoodlike flavor.

D I S H : Crispy oyster mushrooms with eel sauce glaze and smashed cucumbers at Atrium

PH O T O GR A PH BY DY L A N + J E N I

3/19/19 3:06 PM

T H E B L O C L A .CO M

@TH E B LO C LA

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMA

DISTRICT BAR + KITCHEN

HATCH YAKITORI + BAR

When you see a movie at Alamo Drafthouse, delicious meals and tasty local beers are brought to your seat by a server. The menu features burgers, pizzas, salads, snacks and desserts prepared fresh from locally sourced ingredients. Plus, our chefs regularly create special menus inspired by classic cinema and big upcoming blockbusters. drafthouse.com

District is a refined New American eatery tucked into the subterranean courtyard of The Bloc. Executive Chef Hansen Lee’s interpretation of comfort food is infused with unexpected flavors. With industrial-chic interiors, a lively bar, intimate lounge and private dining areas, District is a go-to neighborhood restaurant. districtdtla.com

HATCH is a modern izakaya style restaurant that celebrates yakitori, a fresh raw bar, and creative plates. Our curated beverage list of sake, craft beer, wine and liquor are handpicked by our in-house sommelier. Grab and go with one of our signature bento boxes, or stick around for our ever-changing chef specials. hatchyakitori.com

JOEY DTLA

MARUGAME UDON

THE URBAN OVEN

We travel far and wide to bring the best ingredients back to your table.

Experience modern American classics alongside globally inspired flavors from Tokyo to Marrakech to Tuscany. joeyrestaurants.com

We are the world's largest Japanese Udon Noodle Restaurant, with over 1,000 locations worldwide. Our artisan Japanese Sanuki Udon is freshly made to order in front of you and all of our Udon noodles are made from scratch, using flour and salt imported from Japan. Come and find out why we are so popular. marugameudon.com

Born from the kitchen of one of SoCal’s top food trucks and mobile catering companies, The Urban Oven is an artisan wood fire restaurant, located in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. We specialize in handcrafted wood fired pizzas, sandwiches, pastas, salad and desserts as well as draft beers and wines. theurbanoven.com

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FARMER TO TABLE BEHIND EVERY GREAT RESTAURANT THERE’S A GREAT CHEF, AND BEHIND EVERY GREAT CHEF THERE’S A GREAT FARMER

● TO P R OW F R O M L E F T: B A R B A R A S P E N C E R O F W I N D R OS E ; RY L E Y S C H L AC H T E R ( L E F T ) A N D KAT I E L E W I S O F G R OWG O O D. B OT TO M R OW F R O M L E F T: AA R O N C H O I O F G I R L & D U G ;

BY GARRETT SNYDER

KO N G T H AO O F T H AO FA M I LY FA R M

Windrose Farm

GrowGood Farm

Girl & Dug Farms

Thao Family Farm

TARTINE BIANCO

B OTA N I C A

R U ST I C C A N YO N

N I G H T + M A R K E T SA H M

● At the Wednesday morning

● The one-and-a-half-acre

● The relationship between

● Based just outside of Fres-

Santa Monica farmers’ market, Barbara Spencer is a familiar sight. Since 2002 Windrose Farm, a 50-acre biodynamic property east of Paso Robles that she and her husband, Bill, operate, has been providing Angelenos with apples, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons (among other produce), and a wide array of pristine salad greens. In fact, it is Windrose’s leafy lettuce blends that often show up in restaurants’ kitchens, from MB Post to Lucques. At the newly opened Tartine Bianco in downtown’s ROW DTLA complex, the farm’s peppery red and green chicories are blended with farro to form a base layer for roasted squash and a drizzle of rich tahini yogurt.

urban GrowGood Farm in Bell is small but mighty. The nonprofit operation, across the street from a Salvation Army shelter, provides fresh fruit and vegetables for the 500 residents who call the place home (as well as jobs and therapy). Recently GrowGood managers Ryley Schlachter and Katie Lewis began selling produce to restaurants, too, including Porridge + Puffs, Wax Paper, Orsa & Winston, Lately Kitchen, and more. At Botanica in Silver Lake, co-owner Heather Sperling loves using GrowGood’s sprouts, fennel fronds, and flowers as colorful garnishes for various dishes.

“Whenever they have a banana harvest,” she adds, “we buy them all to make banana bread.”

Aaron Choi of Girl & Dug Farms—a six-and-a-half-acre organic venture in north San Diego County—and Jeremy Fox of Rustic Canyon dates to 2017, when Choi turned up on the restaurant’s doorstep offering what Fox called “40 containers of the most pristine minigreens and flowers” he’d ever seen. Since then, Fox and chef de cuisine Andy Doubrava have collaborated with Choi on growing tiny gherkin cucumbers, which are pickled to make cornichons for Rustic Canyon’s house charcuterie plate with capocollo, duck bresaola, and a spread of chicken liver mousse. You’ll also see Choi’s brightly flavored turnips used in a rich roasted chicken dish paired with braised greens.

no, Thao Family Farm supplies some of L.A.’s best restaurants with everything from sprouting cauliflower to Thai basil to fragrant bundles of fresh Sichuan peppercorns.

The head of the familial operation is Kong Thao, who catalogs the farm’s in-season produce via his Instagram account (@kongthao03) and regularly updates chefs on his weekly haul. Night + Market Sahm’s chef de cuisine, Intu Kornnawong, says that she will often use “pretty much whatever he has that looks good”—bok choy, squash tendrils, bitter melon leaves, cilantro, or any other leafy greens—for the restaurant’s fai daeng stir-fry, which is flash-cooked in the wok and seasoned with fish sauce, garlic, and bird’s eye chiles.

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P H O T O G R A P H S BY C H R I S T I NA GA N D O L F O

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NANCY SILVERTON A BAKERY THAT SOLD FOR MILLIONS. FOUR RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE DEFINED L.A. DINING. NINE COOKBOOKS, A MICHELIN STAR, AND TWO JAMES BEARD AWARDS. HOW DOES NANCY SILVERTON DO IT? YOU MIGHT SAY SHE WAS BREAD FOR THIS

INTERVIEW BY MARIELLE WAKIM

T H E R E I S A moment on season three, episode three of Julia Child’s Baking with Julia where a young Nancy Silverton is visibly gripped with terror. After eating a forkful of Silverton’s brioche tart with hot wine syrup, Child starts to weep. Silverton freezes. There is an eternal pause as Child composes herself. “It’s a dessert to cry over,” she marvels.

“So good.”

Most people who eat Silverton’s food experience a similar sort of palate-driven rapture: The 64-year-old chef, who grew up in Sherman Oaks and Encino, came of age perfecting her pastry skills in some of L.A.’s most storied kitchens (namely Michael’s and Spago, where she was under the tutelage of Jonathan Waxman and Wolfgang Puck, respectively). When she began experimenting with flours, yeast starters, bake times, and doughs in a borrowed Robertson Boulevard kitchen—La Brea Bakery in its nascent form—she couldn’t have known that she’d 16 L A M AG . C O M

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become one of the key architects of the artisanal bread movement we all take for granted today. The landmark bakery opened at 624 South La Brea Avenue in January 1989; only five months later she and her then-husband, Mark Peel, christened the grill next door at Campanile—a restaurant so revered for its contributions to America’s culinary landscape that it spawned eulogies from food critics when it closed in 2012. Even after losing her multimillion-dollar cut from the sale of her bread shop in the largest Ponzi scheme in history, Silverton managed to make another fortune by building an Italian empire with Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza, and chi SPACCA (all joint efforts with Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s B&B Hospitality group).

In the midst of the cooking and the baking, the three children and the divorce, the success turned ruin turned newfound success, Silverton persevered to become one of P H O T O G R A P H BY JA S O N J OYC E

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L.A.’s most prolific and long-standing culinary innovators—although she’d never refer to herself that way. (“It’s only because, next to Wolfgang, I’m probably the oldest one left,” she laughs.) At the moment, she has temporarily abdicated her throne at the corner of Highland and Melrose to bring her fennel sausage pizzas and creamy burrata with peas to a weeklong pop-up at East London’s Passo restaurant. “I wish it was more fun than work,” she says. “But I didn’t come here to have fun.”

And now L.A. is considered one of the world’s most notable food cities.

Michael’s and Spago brought a lot of excitement to the national dining scene.

Then in 1989 Campanile opened, and so

such an early stage. I still remember that day: I was following the recipe for something as simple as lentil loaf or steamed vegetables and melted cheese, a chef’s knife holding the pages of my cookbook open, and I thought, “This is what I want to do.” From then on, my path never changed.

It was 1976 when I phoned my parents to tell them I was dropping out of school and that I wanted to cook. I didn’t say I wanted to be a chef or a restaurant owner; I said I wanted to be a cook. For them to say that they understood—in an era when being a cook or a chef or a restaurant owner had absolutely no cachet—I feel incredibly lucky. My father said, “OK, as long as you enroll in Le Cordon Bleu.” I had no idea what that was, which is sort of funny. But I went in 1977, and I was not a good student.

When journalists called me up and asked me for horror stories about being a woman in a kitchen, I was like, ‘I don’t have any’...

I never realized that being a woman was an issue.

Your restaurants are kind of like unicorns: L.A. lives and dies by restaurant trends, and you’ve managed to open three places in 11 years that respond to trends and stay flush. Not many people have been able to pull that off. I’ve never really looked at it that way. We have always remained true to our food sensibilities, so we haven’t tried to rebrand ourselves. And luckily we haven’t had to. There’s a whole list of tests that dishes have to pass to make it to the menu. It’s not like all of a sudden we’re adding items because they’re trendy.

What do you recall about L.A. as a food town when you were a kid growing up in the Valley? I was born in the mid-’50s, so I didn’t understand having a choice about food. As far as my family went, eating was at home and always with the entire family. It was such an important part of my day. We all sat down together, and I learned about politics and what my mother was writing. She was a short-story and, later, television writer; my father was a lawyer. But besides the conversations that we had at the table, the food that we were eating was completely secondary.

My parents loved to go out for special occasions, though. I remember my dad saying, “We’re going to take you to a place that’s really, really special,” and that was L’Affair.

The Hit Parade

Tracing the story of a mogul in the making

1989 » La Brea Bakery and Campanile open.

1991 » The James Beard Foundation

did Patina. And within a couple years of that, Los Angeles really suffered, first with the terrible fires and then with the riots.

The food scene was completely stagnant, and you never saw customers from around the country. But fast-forward to no more than five or six years ago, and all of a sudden, something happened: People started opening restaurants. It was these second-generation kids who grew up in the business. Their families had ethnic restaurants, and they were opening up their versions of those restaurants or taking over from their parents. Los Angeles really was at the forefront of that movement—less expensive restaurants with more relaxed service. The amount of international clientele that we have at our restaurants now is so exciting to see because for so long that did not happen.

You first started cooking in the dorm kitchen at Sonoma State University— to catch a boy’s eye, as I understand it.

When did it go from casual hobby to obsession? I recognized my calling at

names Silverton Pastry Chef of the Year. 2006 » Pizzeria Mozza opens. Osteria

Mozza follows in 2007, and chi SPACCA debuts in 2013. 2014 » Silverton wins the

What was your downfall?

Definitely the baking.

That is truly outrageous considering baking became your specialty. I questioned the teachers all the time. Like, “Do you really have to use canned grapes on that tart?” Or, “What if I added less sugar?” They were always shaking their heads at me. Everything had to be so precise—there was no room for creativity or individuality. It’s not what I was good at.

I was a C-plus student at that school.

And yet you managed to land gigs working under Jonathan Waxman at Michael’s and Wolfgang Puck at Spago.

How did you go from C-plus student to all-star apprentice? Before Le Cordon Bleu, I found this restaurant in Marin County called 464 Magnolia, and I started working there for free. After Le Cordon Bleu, I returned as their lunch chef for a year. In 1979 my mother showed me this

James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef.

2015 » Nancy’s Fancy, Silverton’s

line of gelato and sorbetto, launches. 2018 » Silverton and Matt Molina collab on

Triple Beam Pizza in Highland Park.

The pair’s Italian joint next door is coming soon.

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DIVERSE PLATES FOR UNIQUE TASTES Our location will bring you in, but our food will win you over. Located across from L.A. Live in Downtown Los Angeles, Nixo is the rooftop lounge that takes dining seriously. Come find yourself in flavor at Nixo Patio Lounge.

L U X E C I T Y C E N T E R H O T E L | 1 0 2 0 S O U T H F I G U E R O A S T R E E T | L U X E C I T Y C E N T E R . C O M | 2 ND F L O O R

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● N A N CY S I LV E RTO N D U R I N G A R E C E N T P O P - U P AT LO N D O N ’ S PASS O ; F E E D I N G C H I C K E N S I N H E R B AC KYA R D W I T H M A R K P E E L , O L I V E R , A N D DAU G H T E R , VA N E SSA

But you didn’t start in the kitchen, right? The only thing that was available was this job working the computer. As far as I know, Michael’s was the first restaurant in the country that was computerized both in point of sales and ordering from the kitchen. I was so at bad it—I put the wrong things in for the kitchen, and then they’d cook them, and then they yelled at me. Jonathan Waxman said, “Come work with the pastry chef. He is very temperamental, he’s got one foot out the door, nobody knows how to do the pastries here—come in and learn everything that he does.” Desserts! My downfall in ’78! But it’s like, “Sure, I’d love to.” So Jonathan dragged me into the kitchen, and that’s where I started working with him, too—this 22- or 23-year-old genius.

What was it like being a woman in a kitchen back then? Have you ever felt like your gender was a hurdle in this field? When journalists called me up and asked me for horror stories about being a woman in a kitchen, I was like, “I don’t have any.” I worked for Michael McCarty, Jonathan Waxman, and Wolfgang Puck,

and they all treated me with respect. I never realized that being a woman was an issue or a problem. There were many more women in California who were cooking the food that I wanted to eat: Alice Waters and Joyce Goldstein and Judy Rodgers and Barbara Tropp and Patty Unterman in Northern California. In L.A. there was Evan Kleiman and Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken. I read their books; I ate their food. Besides Jeremiah Tower and Mark Miller, I couldn’t even tell you any other men whose food was influential at that time.

A number of people on that list are credited as pioneers of California cuisine, and you’re counted among them. Do you think of yourself as a “celebrity chef ”? I always take it with a grain of salt. I started La Brea Bakery because I wanted good bread at my soonto-open restaurant, Campanile. I knew from making bread at Spago that I needed a bakery environment. The only way to do that was to have a wholesale-retail bakery. So I did it. If it wasn’t me, it would’ve been somebody else two years later. But I was there at the right time.

People were saying, “You’re responsible for bringing bread to L.A.” That’s a big compliment—but I didn’t bring bread to L.A. Maybe I started a bakery, maybe I raised the bar for restaurant bread, but I certainly did not invent bread. While I was at Michael’s, I went to Ecole Lenôtre,

in France. I discovered Poilâne bakery, and when I ate that bread, it was like, “Wow—this is what bread is supposed to be.” Around that time I tasted the bread that Steve Sullivan was baking at San Francisco’s Acme Bread. Those two influences gave me that road map for what I wanted to achieve.

You opened La Brea Bakery and Campanile within months of each other. What was it like in the early days? Looking back, it’s one of those moments where you go, “Wow, I actually did that.” Because if somebody were to tell me what it was going to involve, including having two children and eventually a third, it’s like, no, this is not what I want to do [laughs]. But it doesn’t happen all at once. And then, before you know it, it’s happened. You’re caught up in it, and there’s no looking back. I did get the advantage of opening the bakery first, but the hours to run that bakery—going in at 3 in the morning, which got backed up to 10 o’clock at night, working that ten-hour shift, and then having to create the desserts for the opening of a restaurant— what helped was living over Campanile.

Since I lived upstairs, I could sleep for three hours, run down for four, throw something in the oven. I looked and felt like a mess. Maybe that’s why I wear dresses to work all the time now, to make up for those years where I was flour coated and chocolate stained.

AT PASS O : JAS O N J OYC E ; WITH MARK PEEL AND CHILDREN: IRIS SCHNEIDER/LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES

article about Michael’s that was actually from Los Angeles magazine. She had gone the night before and loved it—she said she wanted me to go there to see if I could get a job. We booked a reservation, and that’s where I met Michael McCarty. He said, “Absolutely. Come in tomorrow.”

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ACCLAIMED CHEF JEAN-GEORGES ARRIVES IN THE GOLDEN STATE WITH A FOCUS ON LOCALLY SOURCED, CONTEMPORARY CALIFORNIA CUISINE. 9850 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 | www.waldorfastoriabeverlyhills.com | 310 860 6566

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After you and Mark Peel sold Campanile in the early aughts, you sold La Brea Bakery for what’s reported to be somewhere between $55 and $79 million.

Was it hard for you to give up your darlings? La Brea Bakery and Campanile were under one limited partnership. Our managing partner, Manfred Krankl, had the foresight to say we should separate the two. We kept all the same investors but made two different entities. When the time came to sell—I won’t say for how much, but it was more than $79 million— I got a fraction of it. There was an incredible amount of debt and close to 50 partners involved. So, yes, it was a nice chunk of money. But two years later, I lost it all, so it didn’t matter [laughs].

You mean with the pizzeria and the osteria. How did Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich get involved with those?

Mario and I were acquaintances. It’s not like we hung out or had a long history.

He had asked me if I would move to New York and help him with his baking program at Del Posto. It was around that time that I started to realize that my relationship with Mark and my days at Campanile were numbered. But I couldn’t move to New York because I had a small child. So I said, “How about you move to L.A. and we’ll open a restaurant here?”

● A T C A M PA N I L E , S I LV E RTO N C H A N G E D T H E D E SS E RT G A M E BY T H R OW I N G OV E R S L I C E-A N D - S E RV E PAST R I E S I N FAVO R O F CO M P OS E D P L AT E S

His immediate reaction was, “Nope. People don’t eat there, people don’t stay up there.” He didn’t think it was a very exciting dining city. It wasn’t until I came back from one of my summers in Italy, where Jeremiah Tower pointed me in the direction of a mozzarella restaurant in Rome. It was a fantastic concept. I must’ve seen Mario soon after I returned, and I told him I wanted to have this tiny, 25-seat place with me behind a mozzarella bar. That’s when he and Joe stepped in, and it became a giant operation.

In 2017, four women accused Mario of sexual harassment. Chefs like John Besh in New Orleans, Paul Qui in Texas, and Mike Isabella in D.C. are also facing harassment or assault charges. What needs to change in the restaurant industry? What does moving forward look like for you? What I’ve tolerated at my restaurants has never changed, and people who work for me know that. But what I needed to do dur-

ing these times was to reassure my staff about who I am, what I tolerate, and what I believe. So for myself, it’s not anything that I need to change or be different because that is who I am and have always been. Besides that, it’s moving forward and reminding people that if you thought this was OK, it’s not.

You’re involved in all three of your kitchens, and you’re still working behind the osteria’s mozzarella counter a few nights a week. Not that anyone’s trying to get you to retire—please don’t—but is there an end in sight?

I’m so stimulated by the people I work with at my restaurants, and often I’m lucky enough to play the role of the editor.

When it comes down to realizing dishes, I get to step in and guide them. It’s such a satisfying relationship. It’s what keeps me so involved and interested. So I’m not going anywhere. And the best part is I don’t see myself at the end of my career—I see myself as just starting. ●

G EO R G E R OS E /G E T TY I M AG E S

That’s right—Bernie Madoff literally made off with your reported $6 million profit. How’d you get that news? I was on my way to do an event with a couple of our cooks at Meadowood in Napa. We just had lunch in Oakland, at Oliveto, and I called my dad to check in. He said, “We’ve lost everything. It was all a scam.”

So what did I do? The only thing I could do. I celebrated at French Laundry. We had reservations anyway. It was just like, “Wow, I’ve got nothing. I’ve got zero.” But my immediate reaction was, “Thank goodness I have a job.” It was only a year or so before that, maybe two, when I decided that I needed to leave Campanile.

When my marriage was splitting up, I had no intention of leaving, but it became obvious that it wasn’t a good working environment for me. Truth be told, I could’ve said, “I’m going to take a few years off and figure out what I want to do.” That would’ve been devastating. But the fact that I was earning a living kept me on my feet.

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HOME IS WHERE THE

FAMILY-CRAFTED COFFEE IS

WELCOME TO DON FRANCISCO’S COFFEE CASA CUBANA Cater your breakfast and lunch meetings with fresh locally roasted coffee, Cuban-style pastries and sandwiches from our NEW Family Style Catering Menu. Host your private events in our AIA|LA Restaurant Design Award-winning space. Or, come by anytime and relax in our home, where you’re always welcome.

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The taste of California meets relaxed dining Welcome to Gelson’s – we’re a food lover’s paradise! Why not sit down, relax, and enjoy the nosh at one of our eleven wine bars, including Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica, Century City, and Silver Lake?

• Our in-store bar/restaurants offer curated wines, craft beer, and a mouthwatering menu of light bites.

• There’s no need to make reservations or leave a tip.

• You can also visit our Carving Cart, Sandwich Station, and Salad Bar as well as our Soup, Chili, and Hot Foods Bar. Or, browse our selection of Wolfgang Puck signature items.

• As always, Gelson’s prepared gourmet foods feature Mediterraneaninspired recipes highlighting the very best of California’s amazing harvest.

Nosh at Gelson’s today.

Life tastes better here!

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SWEET ESCAPES

DESSERT MENUS IN L.A. ARE AS CREATIVE AS THEY’VE EVER BEEN THANKS TO A NEW GENERATION OF SUGAR GENIUSES PULLING INSPIRATION FROM THEIR OWN BACKYARD AND AROUND THE GLOBE. HERE ARE IMPRESSIVE OFFERINGS FROM FOUR DYNAMIC PASTRY CHEFS, WHO REVEAL WHAT GOES IN THE MIX

FROZEN PEAR SODA ESPUMA, FERMENTED HONEY, AVOCADO LEAF

BY LESLEY BALLA

HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU

“ Chef Jonathan [Whitener] and I like to hit up international markets for inspiration, and that’s how we found Zandukeli’s Pear soda. It has the essence of pear with a hint of bubble gum. I knew I wanted to create something with it, and I settled on an espuma, which has the texture of a frozen cloud. Underneath are tapioca pearls in fermented honey, which we make at the restaurant. It also has avocado leaf gelée.

Avocado leaves, which we found in a small Mexican market, have a flavor similar to anise. The French sorrel granita adds brightness and acidity. The whole thing oddly tastes like bananas.”

The Marjolaine

P R E T TY & P I N K : C H R I S FO R D ; A L L OT H E R D E SS E RTS : DY L A N + J E N I

AST RY C H E F P T H E SSA D I A D E M

TESSE

“ This is my take on the classic marjolaine, a traditional layered cake, but more deconstructed. It has dark-chocolate crémeux (rich pudding), white-chocolate espresso mousse, hazelnut nougatine, thin sheets of dark chocolate,

white espresso ice cream, and hazelnut meringue crisp. I’ve been making variations of this for over a decade now. It was originally one of the petit gâteaux (little cakes) that my team and I made for the National Pastry Team Champi-

onship back in 2007. We were the very first all-female team to ever compete in a pastry competition, and it holds many fond memories for me.”

AST RY C H E F A N D P M A N AG I N G PA R T N E R SA L LY C A M AC H O M U E L L E R

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PRETTY & PINK THE BLVD AT BEVERLY WILSHIRE HOTEL

Coconut Mousse, Pineapple, Lime Coconut Granita, Nata de Coco

“ This dessert layers raspberry mousse, raspberry pâté de fruit, whipped cream, puff pastry, and fresh raspberries. My inspiration was the classic French dessert, mille-feuille, which usually contains pastry cream and puff pastry, but my version transforms it into a more fruit-forward dessert.

The Beverly Wilshire has such a history, but it stays relevant by modernizing its look and appeal. I took the same approach with this dessert, and the result is classic yet modern. The flavor really sings in the spring and early summer when the berries are at their peak.”

X E C U T I V E PAST RY C H E F E CHRIS FORD

P R E T TY & P I N K : C H R I S FO R D ; A L L OT H E R D E SS E RTS : DY L A N + J E N I

NIGHTSHADE

“ I love piña coladas, and I love using lime in cooking, and this dish captures both. When I visited Match Stoneware in Culver City, there was this bowl that had an exterior that looked like a coconut, so we worked with them on one for this dessert. The green sphere inside is coconut mousse stuffed with pineapple that’s been cooked with lemon verbena. I add finger limes for a jolt of acidity when you bite down. The

DineLA19_SweetEscapes.indd 27

green exterior is actually sprayed on, which gives it a matte, bumpy texture.

It’s made from white chocolate and freeze-dried passion fruit with green cocoa butter food coloring. The dish’s namesake, nata de coco, is a like a jelly made by fermenting coconut water and coconut meat. Ultimately I just wanted to say, ‘I put the lime in the coconut!’”

C H E F D E C U I S I N E M AX B O O N T H A N A K I T

3/21/19 10:23 AM

● A N D R E Y TO L M AC H YOV I N M AU D E ’ S W I N E R O O M

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FRENCH CONNECTION FROM KAZAKHSTAN TO BURGUNDY, THE STORY BEHIND SOMMELIER ANDREY TOLMACHYOV AND MAUDE’S COVETED WINE COLLECTION

BY GILLIAN FERGUSON

DAY L I G H T P O U R S T H R O U G H the skylight of Maude’s private

wine loft, softly illuminating a wall of bottles lining the perimeter of this second-story hideaway. Tonight, after a dozen courses, diners who’ve plunked down $500 for the highest-tier pairing at Curtis Stone’s Beverly Hills restaurant will end their meal here, sipping grand cru wines while wrapped in cashmere blankets to ward off the room’s 60-degree chill. A few hours before service, sommelier Andrey Tolmachyov gives me a tour of the racks, from the whites of Italy and Austria, past rosé and orange until he stops at the reds. “This is where the unicorns are,” he says, gazing up at a row of Burgundy’s finest in which just one bottle of Armand Rousseau or Domaine Dujac might cost more than a plane ticket to where it was made.

Tolmachyov is 27 and, in the parlance of Instagram, living his best life. When Stone decided to pivot from spinning his monthly tasting menus around a particular ingredient to creating quarterly menus inspired by wine regions around the world, he hired Tolmachyov away from Osteria Mozza. As the team was getting January’s inaugural Rioja-themed menu off the ground, Tolmachyov traveled with Stone and a few colleagues to Burgundy—specifically the town of Beaune in the Côte d’Or—where they spent their days traversing the storied terrain of Chablis, Puligny-Montrachet, and Meursault, selecting the wines Tolmachyov is now pouring alongside chef Justin Hilbert’s escargot and oeufs en meurette.

That arrangement, where wine dictates the menu as opposed to the other way around, is about as common as letting backup P H O T O G R A P H BY S H AYA N A S G H A R N I A

DineLA19_WineDirector.indd 7

singers perform a solo. The uniqueness of the opportunity isn’t lost on Tolmachyov. “The whole concept was a dream,” he says.

“Going to Burgundy, seeing the landscapes, the soil, the history, the culture, and the cuisine—people work in this industry for years before they get to experience that.”

A decade ago, he was living in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan. His father made wine, not from grapes, but with leftover cherries grown in the orchard of Andrey’s grandmother.

When his family immigrated to Brooklyn just before his 16th birthday, his English vocabulary consisted of words he gleaned from video games: start, reset, options. After high school Tolmachyov enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, and, as fortune would have it, scored a postgrad job as a kitchen server at New York’s acclaimed Eleven Madison Park. In two and a half years, buoyed by his relentless enthusiasm, he went from being too young to drink to passing his Level 2 Certified Sommelier exam. “Sometimes when I talk about wine I sound really, really snobby,” he says with an embarrassed smile, “but my wine palate was shaped at EMP, and you get spoiled fast.”

When Maude’s burgundy menu had wrapped up by the end of June, Tolmachyov had uncorked at least eight bottles of grand cru burgundy each evening during service, bottles that you’d rarely find on the shelf at Total Wine, ones that are coveted by collectors across the world. For now he’s savoring the moment. “If you work elsewhere you read about these wines in books and watch people post about them online,” he says, still in disbelief, “but at this level you get to pour them every night.”

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PROMOTION

TOP CHEFS

ERIC DUCHENE EXECUTIVE CHEF

At Cast & Plow, Chef Eric Duchene is committed to fresh, organic, locally grown and raised ingredients to create delicious dishes while promoting health and sustainability.

He is so passionate about the origins of his ingredients that there is a map on every menu detailing the locations of his purveyors.

Born in Toulon, France, Duchene was inspired by his family, particularly his mother and grandmother, who regularly made dishes from the garden. After he received his bachelor of culinary arts from Golf Hotel in Hyeres, France, he joined acclaimed Chef Eric Rippert at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Over the next 10 years Duchene was promoted to Naples and then as Executive Chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey, where he oversees Cast & Plow, as well as the banquets and pastry teams.

Duchene’s style is simple, refined and flavorful. Avoiding overcomplication, he employs a modern approach to do justice to the natural flavors of fresh ingredients. Taking the time to build flavor, marinate, reduce and concentrate flavors is a priority. Yet it is when he is able to connect the food with his guests that Duchene feels most successful.

Cast & Plow The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey 4375 Admiralty Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292 310.574.4333 castandplow.com

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3/25/19 10:37 AM

ENTRE NOUS FRENCH BISTRO

119 West Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91105 | (626) 844-4500 | entrenousfrenchbistro.com

Discover 125 restaurants in 22 historic blocks

PROMOTION

Old Pasadena dining includes a variety of experiences

1810

121 West Colorado Boulevard | Pasadena, CA 91105 | (626) 795-5658 | 1810restaurant.com

Fast-Casual Chef-Driven Patio Dining Top-Rated Neighborhood CafĂŠ

90 minutes FREE parking in Park & Walk Garages

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MAESTRO RESTAURANT

110 East Union Street, Pasadena, CA 91103 | (626) 787-1512 | maestropasadena.com

DiningGuide_DG19.indd 43

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THE HOT

Mayocoba bean stew at Mh Zh P. 48

LIST

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 AFrame has always been Hawaiian—at least in the abstract—but it wasn’t until a revamp a couple of years back 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.

Audrey at The Hammer WESTWOOD » New American $$$

Hanging pendants by artist Jorge Pardo invigorate this indoor-outdoor looker inside the Hammer Museum. Lisa Giffen confidently delivers standards like turmeric roast chicken, buoyed by of-the-moment vegetables. Salty shaved bottarga tops a paper-thin flatbread. Try the margarita spiked with cinnamon and passion fruit. 10899 Wilshire Blvd. (310-443-7037 or audreyatthehammer.com). L-D Tues.-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.

Cassia

SANTA MONICA

» Southeast Asian $$$

Bryant Ng mines his Chinese Singaporean heritage, honors wife Kim’s Vietnamese background, and works in the wood-grilling technique he honed at Mozza at this grand Southeast Asian brasserie. Hunker down at

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

THE VALLEY

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

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

DOWNTOWN

$ $$ $$$ $$$$

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.

2019

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.

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.

Cut

BEVERLY HILLS

» Steakhouse $$$

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

L I SA CO R S O N

Spring

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Felix

VENICE » Italian $$$

Evan Funke is a pasta purist who can slip Italian lessons into any meal. He 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.

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

Forma

SANTA MONICA

» 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 Parmigiano-Reggiano. 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. (424-231-2868 or formarestaurant.com) L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

» Pan-Asian $$

Sang Yoon is doing to the cuisines of Southeast Asia what he did to burgers at Father’s Office. Spicy chicken pops are a lesson in the tingling effect of Sichuan peppercorns. Lobster rolls get the banh mi treatment.

Whole steamed fish, smothered in black bean ghee, is promptly picked clean. A Spanish mackerel crudo with coconut vinegar and green papaya cools things down.

Kato

ERIN SIMKIN

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 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.

» 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.

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. After tackling Rioja, which meant Spanish flavors and inventive takes on tapas, he’s on to highlight French Burgundy. Be sure to book tickets well in advance. 212 S. Beverly Dr. (310-859-3418 or mauderestaurant.com). D Tue.-Sat. Beer and wine.

SANTA MONICA

MTN

VENICE

» California $$

» Japanese $$-$$$

Travis Lett’s beachy izakaya juts out on Abbot Kinney like a mountain carved from slate. Stools crowd around an open kitchen where sake-marinated wings sizzle over binchotan charcoal. The Gjelina chef’s dedication to sourcing is on display even as he adheres to Japanese tradition: Handmade noodles bob in heritage pork broth, while a salad features Big Sur seaweed. 1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd. (424-465-3313 or mtnvenice.com). D nightly. Beer and wine.

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

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 low-affect 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 flavor 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 hinoki​andthebird.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

BEVERLY HILLS

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.

At the apex of Abbot Kinney’s affection for beachchic 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.

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

Matsuhisa

Milo & Olive

Gjelina VENICE » New American $$$

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 the engaging wine program—which offers Loire finds mixed in with hip California gems—pushes boundaries in a good way. 12517 W. Washington Blvd. (310-391-4222 or hatchethallla.com). D nightly. Full bar.

As expected, the wide range of beverages is well thought out. 3239 Helms Ave. (310-202-6808 or lukshon.com). L Tue.-Fri., D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

DIALOGUE

SANTA MONICA

Modernist Cuisine $$$$

› T H E R E A L C O N V E R SAT I O N 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 house-fermented vinegar cutting through the short rib stock that glazes the roasted blackberry Thermidor. 1315 3rd St. Promenade (dialoguerestaurant .com). D Tue.-Sat. Beer and wine.

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. Also at 3322 W. Sunset Blvd. and 9043 Sunset Blvd.

Papilles

HOLLYWOOD HILLS » Cal-French $$

The retro-cool French bistronomie movement that’s sweeping Paris may be the lodestar of Papilles, but the strip mall restaurant renders a very L.A. interpretation. With no-nonsense cooking and most of the wine bottles in the under-$50 sweet spot, Papilles has L A M AG . C O M 33

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become the indispensable back-pocket Hollywood hub for a piping hot bowl of leek-and-potato velouté, a well-edited cheese board, and a glass of unfiltered red arbois. 6221 Franklin Ave. (323-871-2026 or papillesla.com). D nightly. 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 openmindedness 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 seasonal salads are not afterthoughts but highlights.

11712 San Vicente Blvd. (310-481-7108 or pizzana .com). L-D daily. Beer and wine.

studded with clams. 1119 Wilshire Blvd. (310-3937050 or rusticcanyonwinebar.com). D nightly. Beer and wine.

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

Sichuan Impression WEST L.A. » Chinese $-$$

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 and salt cod chowder at Dockside, followed by a barrel-aged nightcap at the dimly lit Grain Whiskey Bar. 119 Culver Blvd. (310-683-5019 or playaprovisions.com).

B-L-D daily. Full bar.

The Westside spin-off of the Alhambra original, Sichuan Impression serves a selection of dishes intended to be particularly nostalgia-inducing for expats of Chengdu, the largest city in China’s Sichuan province. The cooking here balances spiciness with subtlety, showcasing a cuisine that tantalizes the tongue while foreheads perspire and lips go numb.

QianJiao “Leg-crossingly Yum” Beef is a beef soup bobbing with slices of tender brisket and tripe; handmade wontons will make you realize why these spicy dumplings are a crowd fave. 11057 Santa Monica Blvd. (310-444-7171 or sichuanimpression.com).

L-D daily. Beer and wine. Also at 1900 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra (626-283-4622).

Roberta’s

Spago

Playa Provisions » New American $$

PLAYA DEL REY

CULVER CITY

» Italian $$

The Platform complex gained a dose of Brooklyn cool by adding a branch of this venerated pizzeria known for puffy-edged pies topped with spicy soppressata and a kiss of honey. It’s the rest of the offerings, though, that stun: dry-aged beef carpaccio, heirloom tomatoes in raw cream, and a killer natural wine list. Platform, 8810 Washington Blvd., Ste. 104 (robertasla.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

The Rose VENICE » California $$

The Rose, 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 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

SECRET DISH: PUFFY TACOS » You won’t find puffy tacos on the menu at Josef Centeno’s temple of Tex Mex, Bar Amá, but trust us—the San Antonio staple is always on hand if you ask. Pillowy deep-fried corn tortillas come filled with a choice of chicken, chorizo, lengua, picadillo, shrimp, or potato.

BEVERLY HILLS

» California $$$$

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.

The appearance of white corn agnolotti is still how peak summer is announced in Beverly Hills. 176 N. Canon Dr. (310-385-0880 or wolfgangpuck.com).

L Tue.-Sat.; D nightly. Full bar.

Sushi Tsujita » Sushi $$$$

SAWTELLE

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. (310-231-1177 or sushitsujita.com).

L daily. D nightly. Beer, wine, shochu, and sake.

Tallula’s

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

» 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.

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 sphere, velvety rice porridge harmonizes trout roe and yuzu jam. Buttery poached crab conceals an egg yolk that erupts near the final bite. 3599 Hayden Ave. (323-320-4023 or vespertine.la).

D Tue.-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 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. (310-2026400 or thewallacela.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

DOWNTOWN Bäco Mercat

HISTORIC CORE

» Mediterranean Fusion $$

With help from Jeremy Fox, Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan have remade the old Marix Mexican restaurant into a 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.

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.

Tar & Roses

Badmaash

SANTA MONICA

SANTA MONICA

» Mexican $$-$$$

» Cal-Mediterranean $$

Andrew Kirschner’s laid-back restaurant combines creativity and smarts. Wood-fired flavor is the animating spirit of these small plates, often accented with fresh herbs. 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.

HISTORIC CORE

» Indian $-$$

The Indian gastropub concept comes from the father-and-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 smothered in chicken tikka, tandoori-spiced chicken wings, and a spicy lamb burger. If tradition’s your thing, you’ll be comforted by spice-stewed chickpeas, potato and pea samosas, and what they call “good ol’ saag paneer.”

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Refresh with craft beer or lime soda. 108 W. 2nd St. (213-221-7466 or badmaashla.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly. Beer and wine. Also at 418 N. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax District (213-281-5185). L-D daily.

Bar Amá

HISTORIC CORE

» 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 TexMex classics such as Frito pie into towers of lenguachili-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. (213-687-8002 or barama .com). L-D daily. Full bar.

ARTS DISTRICT

» Italian $$$

Ori Menashe and his wife, Genevieve Gergis, envisioned a warehouse east of downtown as a testaserving, guanciale-curing, pasta-extruding temple of authenticity, and darned if the two of them haven’t achieved it. Menashe lights up beef heart tartare with champagne vinegar and boosts grilled orata with an anchovy-and-lemon paste. Gergis’s panna cotta with persimmon wedges ends a meal—whether it’s lardodraped 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.

Breva

SOUTH PARK » Mediterranean $$$

Tasting Kitchen chef Casey Lane makes the most of the loft-like lobby at the restored Hotel Figueroa, cooking brasserie fare with a Basque accent. Pedro Ximénez lends a fruity glaze to mushrooms, while parsley butter enhances grilled oysters. If fried chicken with potato salad seems staid, the salty bits of jamón Lane sneaks in are a nice surprise, as is the house-made Picon, a bitter aperitif the bar turns into a fine punch. Hotel Figueroa, 939 S. Figueroa St., Ste. 300 (213-660-3006 or brevadtla.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. (213-749-1460 or brokenspanish.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Dama

FASHION DISTRICT

» Pan-Latin $$

Building on their Venice trattoria, Scopa, cocktail kingpins Pablo Moix and Steve Livigni have partnered again with chef Antonia Lofaso, this time at an open-air Latin-inspired dinner house in the Fashion District. Fried pork with whipped beans and spicy beef empanadas complement daiquiris and not-too-sweet piña coladas blended to order. A sundae with brûléed bananas honors the building’s past as a fruit packinghouse. 612 E. 11th St. (213-741-0612 or damafashiondistrict.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 sure

BAVEL

ARTS DISTRICT » Middle Eastern $$$

› AT T H E I R OA S I S - L I K E Middle Eastern restaurant, Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis tease out threads of Israeli cooking that stretch to Lebanon, Turkey, Morocco, Georgia, and beyond. Fat summer okra, poached in oil until they begin to melt, come layered over whipped feta. For a showstopping spin on shawarma, Menashe rubs a hulking section of lamb neck with earthy spices, roasting the concoction so the juices seep onto house-baked laffa bread below. Sticky, sweet baklava, the treat of countless kebab shops, is elegantly reconfigured with walnut and warm apricot. 500 Mateo St. (213-232-4966 or baveldtla.com).

D nightly. Full bar.

draws, too. 1936 E. 7th St. (213-335-6166 or erbla .com). D nightly. Full bar.

9th St. (213-239-0642 or faithandflowerla.com).

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

The Exchange HISTORIC CORE » Middle Eastern $$$

Guerrilla Tacos ARTS DISTRICT » Mexican $-$$

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 with a bed of herbs. Cocktails are strong, with date honey rounding out an old-fashioned in a new way. Freehand Hotel, 416 W. 8th St. (213-395-9531 or freehandhotels.com). B-L-D daily; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Though Wes Avila swapped his acclaimed taco truck for a slick counter-service spot, Guerrilla Tacos’ menu has remained blessedly unchanged (mostly): taquitos stuffed with fresh crab, tempurabattered fish tacos, roasted eggplant and labneh spackled onto a crunchy tostada. Avila’s complex salsas are still the best in town, while the cocktails provide another reason to visit—try the shrimp tostada paired with a rum-spiked yuzu lemonade.

2000 E. 7th St. (213-375-3300 or guerrillatacos.com).

L-D daily. Full bar.

The Factory Kitchen ARTS DISTRICT » Italian $$$

Kasih

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.

LITTLE TOKYO

» Indonesian $$

Housed in a corner unit of a luxury apartment complex, Kasih offers gorgeously plated Indo staples like nasi goreng (fried rice) and gado-gado (salad with peanut sauce) with a high-gloss finish. Crisp squares of fish skin provide a briny anchor for citrusy snapper ceviche, while airy shrimp crackers with a colorful sampler of sambals—chili pastes tricked out with pineapple and roasted tomato— serve as a tantalizing spin on chips and dip. 200 S. Los Angeles St. (213-266-8156 or kasih.la). B-L daily; D Mon.-Sat. Full bar.

Hayato

ARTS DISTRICT

» Japanese $$$$

Brandon Hayato Go’s ambitious—and intimate— six-seat kaiseki restaurant offers an experience you’d be hard-pressed to find outside Tokyo: a $200 multicourse meal steeped in the nuances of washoku, or traditional Japanese cooking, presented in a format that’s time-honored and intricately attuned to the seasons.

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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 patina group.com/patina-restaurant). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

Dungeness crab poached in delicate dashi with green yuzu rind; steamed abalone with a sauce made from its own liver; fatty charcoal-grilled blackthroat sea perch seasoned with little more than salt—each course becomes a small essay on impeccable ingredients gently refined. Row DTLA, 1320 E. 7th St., Ste. 126 (213-3950607 or hayatorestaurant.com). L-Wed.-Sat.; D Tue.Wed.; Fri.-Sat. Beer, wine and sake.

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 lobes of uni are glazed with miso. Naruke’s magnum opus may be a luxuriant slice of tamago. The custardy omelet serves as dessert with just the right sweet note. 521 W. 7th St. (213-225-6285 or qsushila .com). L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.-Sat. Beer, wine, and sake.

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

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.

Nightshade

ARTS DISTRICT » New American $$$

Top Chef winner Mei Lin knows how to subvert expectations. Her blooming onion, fried to an ethereal crunch, coated with a shake of dehydrated tom yum powder, and served with an airy ranch stand-in made from whipped coconut cream, seems engineered to upend convention. Then there’s her famous congee, presented in a pale pink bowl with a color wheel of toppings: anchovy-laced X.O. sauce, dried pork floss, crispy shallots, scallions, and an oozing onsen egg. It’s a final comforting foil to the wildly provocative desserts, MOCA-esque compositions that involve frozen mandarin saucers and matcha-dusted orbs. 923 E. 3rd St., Ste. 109, (213-6268888 or nightshadela.com). D Tues-Sun. Full bar.

Rappahannock Oyster Bar ARTS DISTRICT » New American $$

Filipino $$

At this Chesapeake Bay shellfish company’s restaurant in ROW DTLA, the raw bar delivers the goods you’d expect from a century-old oyster farm. The kitchen supplements the menu with off-kilter Southern fare, like kimchi-cheddar biscuits and skirt steak with mole barbecue sauce. Dessert is warm cookies paired with a sherry White Russian. ROW DTLA, 787 S. Alameda St., Ste. 154 (323-435-4004 or rappoysterbardtla.com).

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

› IF

Redbird

LASA

CHINATOWN

YO U ’ V E F O L L O W E D the wave of new Filipino restaurants in the City of Angels, there’s a very good 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 riff on panzanella weds tomatoes with a salted duck egg aioli, while a long-stewed 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.

The NoMad L.A. DOWNTOWN » New American $$$

Situated in the grand lobby of a restored hotel, the NoMad is a splashy destination pulled off with big-city verve. Roast chicken for two, a holdover from chef Daniel Humm’s NYC menu, has truffleand-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.

Officine Brera (Brera Ristorante) ARTS DISTRICT » Italian $$$

When an Italian restaurant lists three varieties of regional risotto on the menu, you know it’s not kidding 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 a 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 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 set next to a painterly schmear of avocado. His influences are made clear in a funnel cake: a web of fried dough topped with dollops of foie gras mousse and preserved strawberries. 222 S. Hope St. (213-935-8500 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

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 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. (213-788-1191 or redbird.la).

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

Rossoblu

SOUTH PARK

» Italian $$$

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 pistachiostudded 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.

71 Above

FINANCIAL DISTRICT

» New American $$$

At 950 feet in the air, the mountains-to-sea view is dramatic, but the menu gives you plenty to gaze at on the plate. A sliver of foie gras terrine rests languidly beside grilled country bread. Tart mustard seeds contrast with charred octopus tendril in the same way chicharróns play off a refined spread of king crab. Taking the panoramic pic can wait until the last praline 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. 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.

O R I A N A KO R E N

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

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7212 melrose avenue los angeles, ca 90046 323.917.5178 ln2pizzashoppe.com facebook: @ln2pizza twitter: @LN2pizzashoppe instagram: @ln2pizzashoppe

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Angelini Osteria BEVERLY GROVE » Italian $$$

Gino Angelini grew up on his grandma’s lasagna in a town outside the Adriatic city of Rimini and came to L.A. to cook with Mauro Vincenti. He’s not above finishing a crostino of lardo with 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 the veal kidneys need is cooked-down onions and a splash of wine. 7313 Beverly Blvd. (323-297-0070 or angelinirestaurant group.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly. Beer and wine.

Animal

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. (323-7829225 or animalrestaurant.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Beer and wine.

CAL MARE

A.O.C.

BEVERLY GROVE » California $$$

› WITH

I T S 8 , 2 0 0 - S Q UA R E - F O O T 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. 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 Center, 8500 Beverly Blvd., Ste. 115 (424-332-4595 or

michaelmina.net). D nightly; brunch Sun. Full bar.

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

Simone

ARTS DISTRICT

» New American $$$

Housed in a cavernous photo studio turned Art Deco hot spot, Simone is a fittingly ambitious home for upscale and refined California cooking.

The kitchen dresses silky swirls of burrata with tart violet plums cooked down to a delicate sauce and enough salt to keep it from wandering into dessert territory. Black cod wrapped with licorice-y hoja santa leaves comes dotted with a puree made from burnt corn husks. Simone might still be finding its voice, but the ripe sweetness of a mezcal-guava sabayon offers reason for optimism. 449 S. Hewitt St. (424-433-3000 or simoneartsdistrict.com.) D Tue.Sun. 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

SECRET DISH: CHOWDER POUTINE » Silver Lake seafood spot L & E Oyster Bar offers an off-menu spin on the hearty Canuck snack: hand-cut fries smothered in clam chowder, melted cheddar, Nueske’s bacon, and house hot sauce.

cake remains a benchmark. 544 S. Grand Ave. (213891-0900 or watergrill.com). L-D daily. Full bar. Also at 1401 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica (310-394-5669).

L-D daily.

CENTRAL 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, and platters of fresh sashimi, garnished with pickled chrysanthemum flowers and marinated seaweed instead of the usual soy sauce and ginger. Chefs silently trim fish in a large open kitchen, while fatty cuts of meat crackle 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.

Alta Adams WEST ADAMS » California Soul Food $$

Riffing on his grandmother’s recipes, Watts native Keith Corbin slips soy and miso paste into braised oxtail, and spiced cashews into baked yams. Soul food in this city is too often synonymous with Styrofoam containers, yet the low-lit room here, carved out of a transformed Spanish Revival building, is a lovely place to linger. Hot sauce splashed onto skillet-fried chicken is pure pleasure, enhanced by a bourbon drink the bar tints with roasted peanuts and huckleberries. Finish the night with a heroic wedge of coconut cake. 5359 W. Adams Blvd. (323571-4999 or altadams.com). D nightly. Full bar.

» 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. (323-297-1133 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 panLevant 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. Hummus with crispy artichokes is electrified with cured lemon. Orlando Hotel, 8384 W. 3rd St., Beverly Grove (323-579-1600 or theorlando.com/ dining.aspx). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

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

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.

A N D R E A D ’AG OSTO

BEVERLY GROVE » Cal-Italian $$$

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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 “scaloppini”—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.

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 the districtbyha.com). L-D daily; 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.

E.P. + L.P.

WEST HOLLYWOOD

» Pan-Asian $$$

With a killer rooftop dining area, this dual-concept restaurant and bar would probably attract sceney crowds regardless of its menu. But talented Aussie chef Louis Tikaram surprises with Thai-ChineseFijian plates that are playful and progressive, including 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. (310-8559955 or eplosangeles.com). D nightly; brunch Sun. Full bar.

Fiona

FAIRFAX DISTRICT

» New American $-$$

Nicole Rucker and Shawn Pham’s all-day spot on Fairfax is an ideal place to satiate sweet and savory cravings. Accompanying her stellar pies (key lime, chocolate chess), Rucker’s sourdough country bread serves as a canvas for Pham’s creative toasts, topped with tastes like fermented black garlic. More substantial? Savory masa pancakes come crowned with guacamole and toasted-pumpkin-seed salsa, while a salade Niçoise is finished with vegetables marinated in dashi broth. 339 N. Fairfax Ave. (323852-3210 or fionabakery la.com). B-L-D daily. Beer and wine.

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 friends​and​ familyla.com). B-L daily. Beer and wine.

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.

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.

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

A breakout restaurant from two Animal alumni—chefpartner Jonathan Whitener and managing partner Lien Ta—has turned heads on a K-Town corner. The cocktails are considered, as is the decor (a 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 nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. 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. (323462-2155 or thehungrycat.com). D daily; L Mon.-Fri.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Jar

BEVERLY GROVE » New American $$$

The wood-paneled room projects an undeniable stateliness, but Suzanne Tracht and her longtime partner Preech Narkthong are as fluent in modern idioms as they are in old-school set pieces. Brussels sprouts might be fired up with kimchi, while the pork chop sports the red hue of char siu, and steamed black mussels are graced with tender ong choy. Then again, the signature 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

» Italian $$

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s homage to the neighborhood pizza joint is an in-demand reservation be-

SECRET DISH: SMOKED SALMON PIZZA » Want a taste of the dish that helped make Wolfgang Puck a household name? Ask for Spago’s caviar-topped smoked salmon pizza—a relic from an early menu.

cause 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 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, Kevin Meehan adds crackling duck skin to crisp 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 avocado halves or the filet mignon served over roasted onions with stalks.

5722 Melrose Ave. (323-871-4160 or kalirestaurant .com). L Mon.-Fri.; D nightly; brunch Sun. Full bar.

Kass Wine Bar + Restaurant MID-WILSHIRE » French $$$

A cozy 40-seat space with a wide window looking into the kitchen, Kass is a stripped-down stage for the homey French fare of former Ortolan chef Christophe Émé. Morel mushrooms add a layer of earthiness to farro risotto while nodding toward the arrival of spring. Émé knows how to go grand, too: flecks of truffle enrich a gooey croque monsieur, while a seared New York strip is gilded with silky potatoes whipped with duck fat. Dessert might be a nice chocolate soufflé and a glass of Dolcetto. 320 S. La Brea Ave. (323-413-2299). D Tues.-Sat. Beer and wine.

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 dips with a sesame-sprinkled hunk of Bub & Grandma’s bread.

At dinner a platter of rabbit feeds two and comes with triangles of “flaky bread” for swiping up 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. (323-965-1025 or lalibelala.com). L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Le Comptoir KOREATOWN » California $$$

Patina alum Gary Menes harnesses the vitality of produce that he grows 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 squash. Don’t be fooled—the real star is an unassuming “Veggie and Fruit Plate.” Hotel Normandie, 3606 W. 6th St. (213-290-0750 or lecomptoir la.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

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steak+fish house NOW OPEN IN MANHATTAN BEACH! slaysteakandfishhouse.com

Grows with Passion.

Serves with Pride.

Chef David Slay knows delicious food starts at the source. David organically farms his own produce and grapes making the finest ingredients in his recipes and award winning wines.

Big Event?

slayestateandvineyard.com

CHEF DAVID SLAY

With his meticulous attention to detail, David tends to the organic gardens at Park Ave Steak & Chops.

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In Orange County?

Try one of our award winning restaurants Park Ave Steak &Chops

parkavedining.com il garage ristorante ilgarageristorante.com

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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.

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, the chef has achieved his most soulful fare. Cleaver-whacked smoked lamb neck is piled in lettuce cups with a swirl of green hummus, while razor-thin onion strings elevate a churrasco-cooked sirloin. Wife Karen’s desserts prove she’s one of the best pastry chefs in town. 127 S. La Brea Ave. (323-939-1033 or odysand​ penelope.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. 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 desserts. Except the plum-glazed rib eye—that’s just a fine steak. The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr. (323602-0096 or dominique ansella.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 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. (323-297-0101 or pizzeriamozza.com). L-D daily. Beer and wine.

Pacifique

WEST HOLLYWOOD» Japanese $$$

At a clubby black-and-white space on La Cienega, Joe Miller and Danielle Sobel give Japanese comfort foods a cerebral makeover. Sea urchin and scallops are set against smoked daikon. Cured egg yolk deepens grilled chicken tsukune (meatballs).

Not every riff is an upgrade, but an almondwashed martini is a neat twist. 631 N. La Cienega Blvd. (310-359-0788 or pacifiquela.com). D nightly.

Full bar.

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 meatscented 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. Also at 13705 Ventura Blvd. (818-989-2600 or valley.petittrois.com).

Providence

HOLLYWOOD » Seafood $$$$

Donato Poto runs the two-Michelin-star dining room, while the kitchen can barely contain chef Michael Cimarusti’s passion for fish. Santa Barbara prawns grilled with rosemary represent the West Coast; New Bedford scallops chopped into a tartare and served with sea grass compete for the East. Cimarusti respects the pristine state of fish so much that any additional ingredient has to earn a place on the plate.

5955 Melrose Ave. (323-460-4170 or providencela .com). L Fri.; D nightly. Full bar.

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 as he is with roasted cauliflower and local dates. At breakfast people murmur over cast-iron pots of shakshouka and drool over the pastries while waiting to be seated. At dinner the strip loin—served with soft marrow—can be had in two sizes. Afterward it’s time for Margarita Manzke’s griotte tart. 624 S. La Brea Ave. (310-3626115 or republiquela.com). B-L-D daily; brunch Sat.Sun. Full bar.

FAIRFAX DISTRICT » Cal-Italian $$$

Daniel and Caitlin Cutler may have cut their teeth at traditional Italian spot Sotto, but their chic pizzeria on Melrose is more offbeat, with tiki-ish cocktails and a brass crucifix above the wood-fired oven. Charred pies with spicy ’nduja, Gorgonzola, and celery nod to Buffalo as much as to Naples, while beef tartare is punched up with pistachios and briny olives. 7315 Melrose Ave. (323-917-5100 or ronanla.com). D Wed.-Mon. 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 de tigre with fried garlic, or delicate Ensenada sea bass in a yuzu-walnut dressing. 8479 Melrose Ave. (323-297-9500 or rosalinela​.com).

D nightly. Full bar.

» Seafood $$

Florida-raised chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo deliver a certain brand of sun-drenched seashore nostalgia. Dropping into the nautically themed dining room for chilled peel-and-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. Don’t miss the yellowfin tuna-wrapped avocado in leche de tigre.

8370 W. 3rd St. (323-782-9033 or sonofagun restaurant.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

Tesse

BEVERLY GROVE

» Modernist $$$$

The Bazaar’s luxury tasting menu concept—the name of the restaurant within a restaurant means

» Modern European $$$

Restaurateur Bill Chait, formerly of Bestia and République, lands on the Sunset Strip with Washington D.C. chef Raphael Francois. The sleek, teakaccented space leans in on butchery: house-cured sausages and pâtés freckled with green peppercorns. Buttery blue crab is layered under whipped potatoes, suggesting an elegant shepherd’s pie, while an orange blossom mille-feuille shows off WP24 alum Sally Camacho Mueller’s prowess with pastry. 8500 Sunset Blvd., Ste. B (310-360-3866 or tesserestaurant.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Trois Mec

» New American $$$$

An ambitious vision that’s been whittled down to 26 seats in a repurposed pizza parlor (and can be experienced only with tickets purchased in advance), Trois Mec is a restaurant of modulated grandeur. In his seasonal five-course tasting menu, chef Ludovic Lefebvre grates Salers cheese onto potato pulp with onion soubise and bonito. Cooked over almondwood, ibérico pork reaches rustic heights accompanied by clams in a mustard-laced broth. 716 N. Highland Ave. (323-484-8588 or trois mec.com). D Tue.-Sat. Beer and wine.

Viale dei Romani WEST HOLLYWOOD » Italian $$$

The La Peer Hotel’s lobby restaurant plays to the power-dining crowd with a stylish room and coastal Italian fare served on Richard Ginori porcelain.

Tasting Kitchen star Casey Lane highlights bright flavors and pristine seafood, from lemon-kissed crudos to squid-ink tagliarini with baby tomatoes.

Don’t overlook the Moroccan-influened chicken tagine, cooked over a wood fire, and accented with mint yogurt and slices of whatever fruit is hitting peak season. La Peer Hotel, 623 N. La Peer Dr. (310691-1600 or vialedeiromani.com). B-L-D daily.

Full bar.

EAST

» New American $$-$$$

Chris Phelps continues his locavore-meets-carnivore ways at his 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.

Somni

BEVERLY GROVE

HOLLYWOOD

Ronan

HOLLYWOOD

Son of a Gun

WEST HOLLYWOOD

République

Salt’s Cure

“dream” in Catalan—is the brainchild of playful Spanish chef José Andrés, but it’s Barcelona native Aitor Zabala helming the 10-seat counter. From a cheeky bump of truffled caviar served on a mannequin hand to a steamed cabbage leaf sandwiching scallop and burrata, Somni’s giddy wizardry offers a leap forward, or at least a new chapter, in the molecular gastronomy playbook. SLS Hotel, 465 S. La Cienega Blvd. (310-246-5543 or sbe.com/ restaurants/locations/somni). D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

Alimento

SILVER LAKE

» Italian $$$

Chef Zach Pollack navigates regional demarcations like a Fiat adroitly cutting its way between Roman buses. While the roasted escarole with ParmigianoReggiano and anchovy vinaigrette evokes something essential about the Italian cucina, the restaurant’s take on marsala-deglazed chicken livers conjure up the era of scaloppine 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. (323-928-2888 or alimen tola.com). D Tue.-Sun. Beer and wine.

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All’Acqua

ATWATER VILLAGE

» Italian $$

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

All Time LOS FELIZ » California $$

Coffee pro Tyler Wells has added dinner service to his cozy bungalow café, and the results exude neighborhood comfort. Bub and Grandma’s focaccia comes capped with burrata and blistered tomatoes; seared striped bass with beurre blanc nestles in a bed of crisp pea tendrils. The simple cooking is a fit for co-owner Ashley Ragovin’s handwritten wine list. 2040 Hillhurst Ave. (323-660-3868 or all timelosangeles.com). B-L daily; D Thu.-Sun. Beer and wine.

Babita Mexicuisine SAN GABRIEL » Mexican $$

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. (626-7955702 or bonekettle.com). D Tue.-Sun.; brunch Sat.Sun. Beer and wine.

Botanica

SILVER LAKE

» California $$

Thanks to its sun-kissed patio, Botanica is a fine place to linger, especially for those indulging in chile-butter Turkish eggs and an Aperol Spritz. The gorgeously curated restaurant and market might seem designed for Instagram, but compelling dishes like spice-braised chicken with chickpeas and roasted stone fruit with burrata make this a neighborhood destination. 1620 Silver Lake Blvd. (323-5226106 or botanicarestaurant.com). B-L-D daily. Full bar.

CaCao Mexicatessen EAGLE ROCK » Mexican $-$$

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.

Cafe Birdie

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

FREEDMAN’S

ECHO PARK » Jewish $$

› C H A N N E L I N G T H E S P I R I T of an old-time deli, this strip mall diner blends schmaltzy nostalgia with modern flair. Sweetbread schnitzel is topped with quince-spiked Russian dressing; lox-draped latkes arrive as a potato waffle. The freewheeling menu does best with straight homages, though: a Reuben with house-smoked pastrami or airy cheesecake with guava jelly. 2619 W. Sunset Blvd. (213-568-3754 or freed mansla.com). L Tue.-Fri.; D Tue.Sat.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

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 it’s the creeping, tantalizing heat of “water-boiled” fish or the nubs of cumin-y 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).

Cosa Buona ECHO PARK » Italian $$

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, eggplant parm, and hearty salami-strewn chopped salads. Don’t miss the Hawaiiana—it’s what happens when a Neapolitan purist cuts loose. 2100 W. Sunset Blvd. (213-908-5211 or cosa buona.com).

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

Din Tai Fung ARCADIA » Chinese $$

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.

Hippo

HIGHLAND PARK

» Cal-Italian $$

Hidden in a wood-trussed dining room behind Triple Beam Pizza, this Cal-Ital restaurant from Mozza vet Matt Molina balances casual and refined. Snappy wax beans are sluiced with vinaigrette for a picnicworthy salad; sweet corn cappellacci are lush pasta pillows. Harissa-rubbed roast chicken and a glass of Vermentino deliver the unfussy pleasure found at the best neighborhood spots. 5916 ½ N. Figueroa St. (323-545-3536 or hipporestaurant.com). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

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. (323-6602255 or leoysterbar.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.Sun. Full bar.

A N D R E A D ’AG OSTO

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.

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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.

Ma’am Sir

SILVER LAKE

» Filipino $$

Charles Olalia has transformed the erstwhile Bar Angeles space into a lush tropical hangout bristling with energy. The Manila native refines Pinoy classics like sizzling pork sisig and adobo fried rice withoutdampening the cuisine’s spirit. Crunchy cigar-length egg rolls called lumpia arrive draped with sea urchin, and there’s a pandan-leaf old-fashioned. Who could ask for more? 4330 W. Sunset Blvd. (323-7418371 or maamsirla.com). D Wed.-Mon. Full bar.

Mh Zh

» Middle Eastern $

tion 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. There’s always the som tum-topped chicken sandwich with ranch dressing.

3322 W. Sunset Blvd. (323-665-5899 or nightmarket​ song.com). L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. Beer and wine.

Taiwanese counter-service venture with smart sincerity. Quick orders of pickled daikon, pig’s ear slivers, and stewed bamboo shoots can be ordered from the deli case. Neighborhood denizens drop by for seared scallion pancakes or pot stickers stuffed with spicy shrimp. 1521 Griffith Park Blvd.

(323-668-1128 or pineandcrane.com). L-D Wed.Mon. Beer and wine.

Ostrich Farm ECHO PARK » New American $$

HISTORIC FILIPINOTOWN

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. 525 W. Sunset Blvd. (213-537-0657 or ostrichfarmla.com

Otoño

HIGHLAND PARK » Spanish $$

The arty crowds spilling onto Sunset Junction are in line for Conor Shemtov’s plucky Israeli cooking at Mh Zh, a minuscule corner space where milk crates double as furniture and menus are scrawled on 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.

Teresa Montaño’s narrow Spanish place feels like a slice of San Sebastián wedged into the old Frank’s Camera building. Tapas and pintxos range from golden fritters flecked with jamón to green olives with orange peel; chilly gin tónicas and stubby glasses of vermouth lubricate the bar. The cozy tables in back offer space to huddle over crisp-edged squid ink paella and a bottle of tintofino. 5715 N. Figueroa St. (323-474-6624 or otono restaurant.com). D Tue.-Sun. Full bar.

Night + Market Song SILVER LAKE » Thai $$

Pine & Crane SILVER LAKE » Taiwanese $

SILVER LAKE

Song means “two” in Thai, and with this Silver Lake outpost, Kris Yenbamroong continues his explora-

An alum of Chez Panisse, Vivian Ku—together with her partner, Moonlynn Tsai—has infused the

Porridge + Puffs

» Pan-Asian $

After an intermittent run as a pop-up, Minh Phan’s porridge concept has found a home inside a cheery brick building west of downtown. Heirloom rice from Koda Farms serves as a base for creative and complex toppings like spicy pork sausage with ginger and nectarines. And the side of puffs? They’re fine for dipping, but it’s the brownbutter mochi with caramel you’ll be running back for. 2801 Beverly Blvd. (213-908-5313 or porridge andpuffs.com. L Tue.-Sat.; D Thu.-Sat.; brunch Sun. No alcohol.

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 Simone Chakir. Marbled meat offerings include all-natural California beef and Australia’s answer to Wagyu, kissed on the grill with the perfect amount of smoke and sear. 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 roycela.com). D Tue.-Sat. Full bar.

Salazar

ELYSIAN VALLEY » Mexican $$ This auto mechanic shop turned taqueria in Frogtown showcases the Mexican-style grilling skills of

The Dudes’ Brewing Company is a local brewery with multiple tasting rooms in SoCal, and in some locations, custom menu items like scratch made pizza, salads, and small bites including homemade dips and hummus. Every location has at least 24 taps pouring creative local brews you won’t find anywhere else.

Hollywood, Santa Monica, Santa Clarita, Torrance, Thousand Oaks and Huntington Beach

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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 wood fire and served Norteño style with flour tortillas and bright salasa. The patio draws crowds seeking micheladas and spiked aguas frescas, the makings of many a drinking fest beneath the palms. 2490 Fletcher Dr. (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 “lactofermented hot sauce”? Originally conceived as another outlet for Jessica Koslow’s splendid jams, Sqirl grew into the neighborhood commissary known for crispy rice bowls and long-stewed legumes garnished with herbs. Bacon-serving but vegan friendly, attuned to the rhythms of a day in L.A. (breakfast until 4 p.m.), Sqirl is of-the-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 $-$$

Winsome

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

» 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 pops of salmon roe—that might be lost after the first few sake pours. For more serious swilling there’s a Southern spin on karaage, or fried chicken, that’s soaked in buttermilk and served with zesty honey vinegar. Afterward there is barely sweet soft-serve, blended with earthy roasted green tea.

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

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

Union

PASADENA

» Italian $$

The produce-forward Italian cooking here is all balance and ease. The kitchen parries prosciutto with peaches and pairs browned garlic with Fresno chiles in the spaghetti alla chitarra. Fresh bread served with giardiniera is a signature: pickled florets riding the tang of house-cultured butter. A hog is butchered each week; the loin is rolled in belly fat, and the porchetta is roasted until the skin crackles. 37 E. Union St. (626-795-5841 or unionpasadena.com). D nightly.

Beer and wine.

ECHO PARK

» New American $$

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

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. The 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 seriously ambitious barbecue hangout, which specializes in smoke-kissed brisket and exceptionally tender racks of ribs. Don’t overlook sides like butterglazed hoe cakes, pork-belly baked beans, or the served-in-its-own-bag Frito pie (ideal drinking food).

At the bar expect low-key whiskey cocktails and craft beers. 1801 Ventura Blvd. (818-623-8883 or barreland​ ashes.com). L-D daily. Full bar.

HAPPY HOUR AT THE GRILLE

Oceanfront Steakhouse Elevated Entrées Hand-Crafted Cocktails

SANTA MONICA 1551 Ocean Ave. Suite 105 310-395-7333 DELFRISCOSGRILLE.COM

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The Bellwether STUDIO CITY » New 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 gems and adds a layer of polish. 13251 Ventura Blvd. (818-285-8184 or thebellwetherla.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-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 liquor​bar.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

Saddle Peak Lodge CALABASAS » American $$$

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.

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.

SOUTH

Petit Trois Le Valley SHERMAN OAKS » French $$-$$$

The ambitious expansion of Ludo Lefebvre’s tiny bistro goes full Gallic in a white-tablecloth space near the corner of Ventura and Woodman. Buttery escargot, frisée-lardon salad, and steak au poivre remain headliners, but Lefebvre expands his hit list with chicken cordon bleu and tarte flambée.

As at any Parisian brasserie, aperitifs are plentiful, and there’s souffle for a grand finish. 13705 Ventura Blvd. (818-989-2600 or valley.petittrois.com).

B-L-D daily. Full bar.

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 top-grade Wagyu at $32 an ounce or the reasonable $30 flatiron steak, wet-aged and darkened on the 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. Dessert is a luxe hot fudge sundae that pulls out all the stops. 903 Manhattan Ave. (310-878-9620 or thearthurj.com). D nightly. Full bar.

Baran’s 2239

HERMOSA BEACH

Chianina Steakhouse LONG BEACH » Seafood $$$

His popular pizzeria made Michael Dene the dean of Italian dining in Long Beach. Now the restaurateur 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 seafood. Many restaurants produce a decent version, but none like owner Connie Cossio’s namesake marisqueria. Silvery snook are grilled whole and served with caramelized onions, while plump shrimp ceviches are mixed on the spot. Paired with an icy michelada, they’re perfect on a Sunday afternoon. 3544 W. Im-

Serving the inSanta SM Monica Serving theFreshest Freshest Seafood Seafood in

ENTERPRISE FISH CO.

Award-Winning Happy Hour Award-Winning HourSpecial 2lb.

Lobster SpecialHappy | $1 Oyster 2lb. Lobster Special | $1 Oyster Special 174 Kinney St | 310-392-8366 | enterprisefishco.com

» 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 smoke shop next door illuminate plates of gnocchi nero: ebony dumplings with crab in chile-butter sauce. The same finesse extends to Tyler Gugliotta’s smoky fried chicken, coated in sweet soy. 502 Pacific Coast Hwy (424247-8468 or barans2239.com). D Tue.-Sun.; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

174 Kinney Street 310-392-8366 enterprisefishco.com

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perial Hwy. (310-672-2339 or coniseafood.com). L-D daily. Beer and wine. Also at 4532 S. Centinela Ave., Marina del Rey (310-881-9644).

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.

Fishing with Dynamite MANHATTAN BEACH » Seafood $$$

Little Sister

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 for that—without any of the floury glop. On the raw bar menu you’ll find several kinds of oysters from across the country, Peruvian scallops, and Alaskan king crab legs.

1148 Manhattan Ave. (310-893-6299 or eatfwd.com).

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

Gabi James

REDONDO BEACH

» Spanish $$$

With Mozza alum Chris Feldmeier in the kitchen, South Bay standby Zazou has been revamped as a traditional tapas spot with beachy charm. Soft Indio dates are sautéed in olive oil and tossed with chunks of Manchego, while pan-crisped strands of fideo pasta are cooked down with local cider and fistfuls of garlic before being set off with sherry vinegar aioli. 1810 S. Catalina Ave.. (310-540-4884 or gabijamesla.com). D nightly; brunch Sat.-Sun. Full bar.

La Casita Mexicana BELL » Mexican $$

La Casita Mexicana was always groundbreaking— placing gastronomy on the Huntington Park-Lynwood axis—but it’s now a benchmark. The kitchen where Ramiro Arvizu and Jaime Martin Del Campo work the stoves represents the refined logic behind traditional Mexican cooking. Charred beef cecina contrasts with bright cactus salad, while Veracruz-style tomato sauce infused with capers,

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. Sugarcane acts as grilling skewers for ground shrimp, while soft-shell crab provides the filling for a loose take on banh mi. With craft beer in your hand, digging for pork belly inside a bánh xèo crepe feels like 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).

Love & Salt

MANHATTAN BEACH

» Italian $$-$$$

Influenced by his love for Mediterranean comfort food, Chris Feldmeier creates a confident version of pasta-centric coastal cuisine. The venture is formal enough that a waiter scoops bone marrow over the creste de gallo yet lighthearted enough that a five-grain salad with hazelnuts isn’t out of place.

Come with a crew and try one of the family-style dishes, including a gorgeous porchetta with butter beans. Don’t miss blissful desserts like a jumble of warm doughnuts with lemon curd. 317 Manhattan Beach Blvd. (310-545-5252 or loveandsalt​la.com).

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

M.B. Post

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. He grills squid to a pearly transparency, reinterpreting fish-and-chips with lightly battered halibut cheeks. There’s plenty of wordplay on the menu (“Meat Me Later”), but no pun can do justice to his bacon-cheddar-buttermilk biscuits with maple butter. 1142 Manhattan Ave. (310-5455405 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, made-to-order tortillas get filled with battered fish, tangy ceviche mixto, or short ribs spiked with chile. This style of modern Mexican doesn’t aspire to be fine dining, but playful mole-tater tot poutine and brimming chile-dusted margaritas are fine consolations. 6527 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach (562-430-2667 or playaamorlb.com).

L-D daily. Full bar.

» WE WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS. PLEASE EMAIL US AT LETTERS@LAMAG.COM.

Host Your Next Private Event at The Bistro Garden The Fireside Room seats up to 70 guests The Main Dining Room seats up to 150 guests

JOIN US FOR SUNDAY BRUNCH Starting at 11 am HAPPY HOUR MONDAY – FRIDAY 4 pm – 7 pm LIVE PIANO 7 nights a week & Sunday Brunch

12950 Ventura Boulevard Studio City • 818.501.0202

Please visit our website @ www.bistrogarden.com for more information

L A M AG . C O M 5 1

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PROMOTION DESAYUNOS

HEALTHY OMELET 12.95 Omelette with seasonal vegetables, cheese and topped with green salsa. Served with black beans.

12.95 BREAKFAST BURRITO Eggs with bacon, cheese, tomato, sour cream and hash brown. Wrapped in a flour tortilla.

With avocado add $1.95

Frida BEVERLY HILLS 236 S. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (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 All Major

HUEVOS RANCHEROS 12.95 Two sunny side up eggs on a corn tortilla, topped with salsa ranchera. Served with refried beans and rice.

HUEVOS CON CHORIZO 12.95 Scrambled eggs with Mexican sausage.

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

CHILAQUILES 14.95 Crispy corn tortillas tossed with green, red or mole sauce and two eggs. Topped with chicken, cheese and sour cream.

ENSALADAS

RESPLANDOR DE MANGO 14.95 Mixed greens, grapes, chopped mangos, caramelized walnuts and goat cheese, with a passion fruit dressing.

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

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

14.95 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.

Reservations

14.95 CESAR Fresh romaine lettuce tossed with our home made cesar dressing, parmesan cheese and croutons.

Yes

SOPAS

Entertainment Yes Children’s Menu Yes Carryout Yes Liquor Yes

SOPA DE TORTILLA 8.95 This soup combines flavors and textures of tortilla strips, garnished with avocado, cheese, sour cream and chile pasilla.

With chicken add $2.95 CONSOMÉ DE POLLO 8.95 Chicken broth prepared with vegetables, rice and chicken.

POZOLE FRIDA 14.95 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.

ENTRADAS

GUACAMOLE EN MOLCAJETE 14.95 Frida’s Favorite! Fresh avocado mixed with onions, jalapeño chile, tomato, cilantro and fresh lime juice. Prepared Tableside.

FRESH VEGETABLES Carrots, cucumber and celery.

3.95

QUESO FUNDIDO 12.95 Melted cheese served with flour tortillas. With Chorizo or mushrooms add $2.95.

FRIDA PLATTER 14.95 A sampler platter with crispy chicken and potato taquitos, cheese quesadillas, mini sopes and guacamole.

www.fridarestaurant.com

QUESADILLAS 13.95 Corn or flour tortilla. Served with guacamole, lettuce and sour cream.

With chicken $3.95 With beef or shrimp add $5.95

ESPECIALIDADES DE LA CASA

TACO COMBO 11.95 | 12.95 Two soft tacos with your choice of chicken, beef, pastor, carnitas, pollo con mole, cochinita pibil or veggies. Served with rice and refried beans.

12.95 |14.95 BURRITO FRIDA Your choice of beef, chicken or carnitas, with refried beans, rice, Monterey cheese and sour cream, wrapped in a flour tortilla.

14.95 | 16.95 BURRITO CAMPECHANO Combination of marinated grilled chicken and beef sirloin, with rice, beans, sour cream, Monterey cheese and guacamole, wrapped in a flour tortilla.

16.95 | 17.95 BURRITO MAZATLÁN Shrimp sautéed in a Guajillo-orange sauce, with lettuce, guacamole and caramelized onion. Served with rice and beans.

CHILE RELLENO 17.95 | 19.95 Poblano chile stuffed with queso fresco and topped with tomato sauce. Served with refried beans, spanish rice and tortillas.

PESCADO A LA PLANCHA 17.95 | 19.95 Grilled fresh fish served with house salad and white rice.

17.95 | 19.95 PECHUGA A LA PLANCHA Grilled chicken breast, served with house salad and white rice.

17.95 | 19.95 FRIDA COMBINATION 1 One Soft Taco, One Crispy Taco and One Enchilada. Served with rice and refried beans.

FRIDA COMBINATION 2 17.95 | 19.95 One Soft Taco, One Sope and One Enchilada.

Served with rice and refried beans.

FRIDA COMBINATION 3 17.95 | 19.95 One Soft Taco, Tamal and One Enchilada.

Served with rice and refried beans.

TACOS

TACOS DE FILETE 18.95 Handmade corn tortillas with tenderloin strips, onion, cilantro, spices.

TACOS DE RIB EYE 21.95 Best tacos in town! Handmade corn tortillas with grilled marinated Rib Eye, diced and topped with red onion and cilantro, a chile toreado on the side.

TACOS NORTEÑOS 21.95 Three flour tortilla with marinated charbroiled skirt steak, grilled onion and guacamole, served with whole black beanss.

TACOS DE CAMARÓN 17.95 Three handmade corn tortillas filled with sautéed shrimp. Topped with fresh pico de gallo, chipotle sauce and guacamole.

TACOS DE POLLO 15.95 Handmade corn tortillas with grilled marinated chicken topped with red onion and cilantro.

TACOS DE CARNITAS 15.95 Handmade corn tortillas with slow cooked pork meat. Topped with onion and cilantro.

TACOS AL PASTOR 15.95 Handmade corn tortillas with marinated pork.

Topped with onion, cilantro and pineapple.

TACOS DE COCHINITA PIBIL 15.95 Handmade corn tortillas with slow roasted pork marinated in a citrus juice. Served with red onion and habanero relish.

TACOS DE VEGETALES 15.95 Handmade corn tortillas with sautéed vegetables, grlled onion, corn and topped with guacamole.

FISH TACOS BAJA STYLE 17.95 FFresh handmade corn tortillas with your choice of grilled fish or battered fish, topped with cabbage, chipotle sauce and pico de gallo.

TACO TASTING 20.95 Your choice of 5 soft tacos: beef, chicken, pork carnitas, pastor, chicken mole or cochinita pibil.

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PROMOTION Cantina Frida 252 N. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, Ca 90210 310.285.6666 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.

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

FAJITAS

Lunch portions until 4pm | Monday-Friday All Fajitas serves with Spanish rice, refried beans, quacomole and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

Lunch | Dinner

FAJITAS DE POLLO 21.95|24.95 Grilled chicken tenders with sautéed tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions.

FAJITAS DE FILETE 25.95|28.95 Fresh tenderloin strips with sautéed tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions.

FAJITAS DE VEGETALES 20.95|23.95 Seasonal vegetables with sautéed tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions.

FAJITAS DE CAMARÓN 25.95|28.95 Grilled prawns with sautéed tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions.

FAJITAS MIXTAS 25.95|29.95 Your choice of two of the following items: chicken, beef tenderloin strips or shrimp, with sautéed tomatoes, green bell peppers and onions.

CARNES

www.fridarestaurant.com

CEVICHE DE PESCADO 18.95 Fresh fish with fresh lime juice, jicama, carrots, onion, jalapeños, cilantro and our special sauce.

18.95 CEVICHE DE TUNA Fresh sliced tuna with special sauce, mayo, avocado, sesame seeds, corn and crispy tortilla strips.

ENCHILADAS SUIZAS 18.95 Chicken or cheese, in our tomatillo sauce, topped with cheese, sour cream and red onion.

Served with spanish rice and refried beans.

COSTILLAS DE RES 29.95 Slow cooked ribs for eight hours in a very special sauce, best in town! Served with sautéed potatoes or grilled vegetables.

PUNTA DE FILETE AL CHIPOTLE 24.95 Slow cooked tenderloin beef tips with a chipotle sauce. Served with mushrooms, white rice, black beans and fresh handmade tortillas

LAS VEGAS Coming Soon

CEVICHE DE CAMARÓN 18.95 Fresh shrimp with avocado, jalapeño chile, red onion and cilantro, prepared with olive oil and lime juice.

CARNITAS 24.95 Slow cooked pork loin in its own juice with spices.

Served with rice, refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

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 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

AGUACHILE DE CAMARÓN 18.95 Fresh shrimp cooked in spicy Lime-Serrano chile sauce. Tossed with olive oil, red onion, avocado, cilantro and cucumber.

CEVICHE A sampling of our delicious Ceviches: Aguachile, Camarón & Pescado! .

ARRACHERA NORTEÑA 32.95 Tender marinated charbroiled skirt steak served with an enmolada, guacamole, rice, refried beans and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

SHERMAN OAKS 15310 Ventura Blvd. #P5 Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 818.501.9666

CARPACCIO MIXTO 18.95 Thin sliced tuna and shrimp with avocado, onions, cilantro and green chile in a special sauce.

FLAUTAS DE CARNE 18.95 Crispy rolled corn tortillas “flutes”, filled with beef topped with lettuce, sour cream, queso fresco and pico de gallo.

Hours Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

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

Sunday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Hours Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

CEVICHES

FILETE PATRÓN 44.95 10 oz Angus grilled Filet Mignon cooked to your taste, homemade sauce topped with fried onions, served with your choice of sautéed potato or grilled vegetables.

MOLCAJETE FRIDA 34.95 Skirt steak, chicken, chorizo, panela cheese, avocado, grilled cactus and cilantro, along with a roasted tomatillo salsa, handmade corn tortillas. Served with white rice and black beans.

PESCADOS Y MARISCOS

PESCADO A LA TALLA 24.95 Fresh catch marinated in a three chile sauce.

Served with spanish rice, fried plantains and black beans.

PESCADO PRIMAVERA 24.95 Fresh catch in a white wine butter lime sauce.

Served with white rice, grilled vegetables and jalapeño pepper.

20.95

AVES Y MARISCOS

ENCHILADAS TAPATÍAS 18.95 Chicken or cheese, in our special chile Ancho sauce and topped with queso fresco, sour cream and red onion. Served with spanish rice and refried beans.

ENCHILADAS TRIO 20.95 Three enchiladas filled with chicken or cheese, red, green and mole sauce. Served with spanish rice and refried beans.

MOLE NEGRO 23.95 Chicken simmered in a black Oaxacanchocolate sauce. Served with rice, refried beans, fried plantain and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

MOLE POBLANO 23.95 Chicken simmered in a chile-chocolate sauce.

Served with rice, refried beans, fried plantain and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

MOLE TASTING 26.95 A sample of green, poblano, black and red pipian mole over chicken. Served with rice, refried beans, fried plantain and fresh handmade corn tortillas.

PECHUGA FOGATA 23.95 Grilled chicken breast marinated in our Achiote-chile Guajillo sauce and topped with Mexican chimichurri. Served with mixed greens and mushroom salad.

SALMÓN A LA DIABLA 27.95 Grilled salmon in a chipotle cream sauce.

Served with rice and grilled vegetables.

SALMÓN AQUA 27.95 Grilled salmon with white wine sauce. Served with grilled vegetables and white rice.

CAMARONES AL AJILLO 28.95 Sautéed prawns in garlic, white wine, butter and lemon juice. Served with white rice.

CAMARONES AL TEQUILA 28.95 Sautéed prawns in an orange-tequila sauce, butter, lemon and spices. Served with white rice.

CAMARONES AL LIMÓN 28.95 Sautéed prawns in a butter-lemon sauce and spices. Served with white rice L A M AG . C O M 53

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PROMOTION

Prix Fixe Menu $155 Per Person La Boucherie 900 Wilshire Blvd., 71st Fl.

Amuse Bouche

Los Angeles, CA 90017 info@laboucheriedtla.com 213.688.7777 laboucheriedtla.com Hours Tuesday – Saturday 6 – 9:30 p.m.

Cuisine Type American Steakhouse with a French twist Credit Cards All Major Reservations Yes Entertainment No Children’s Menu Yes Carryout No Liquor Yes

Course 1 (choice of one) Octopus A La Plancha sauce verte, gigante beans, roasted heirloom tomatoes, smoked paprika Steak Tartare deviled quail egg, pickled carrots, french potatoes Diver Scallops pine nut & golden raisin emulsion, pork belly, braised romanesco

Course 2 (choice of one) French Onion Soup beef broth, madeira wine, melted emmenthaler, aged provolone Asparagus Salad 63° egg, black truffle aioli, san danielle prosciutto, watercress, caviar Beet Salad pumpernickel soil, whipped brillat-savarin, lavender, local honeycomb, citrus, dill, sorrel

Course 3 (choice of one) 42 Day Dry Aged New York Strip Halibut Lamb Rack Served with potato purée & organic market vegetables

Course 4 (choice of one) Chilled Soufflé Cheesecake honey cinnamon crème fraîche, yuzu & fuji apple sorbet Molten Chocolate Cake hazelnut crunchy chocolate, blueberry & chocolate ice cream Petits Fours & Coffee

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3/22/19 12:59 PM

ON THE MENU Join Los Angeles magazine for a year of the best food & spirits tasting events in L.A.

BURGERS BOURBON + BEER MAY 15, 2019 At Burgers Bourbon + Beer, guests taste, judge, and vote to crown the People’s Choice Best Burger among 10 competing restaurants.

Evening includes sips of bourbon, beer tasting, live music, and more. lamag.com/bbb

LAWINEFEST JUNE 1 - 2, 2019 A weekend filled with a spectacular variety of domestic and international winery, brewery and spirits booths, wine education, top brand experts, lifestyle vendors, dining hotspots and fun food trucks. lawinefest.com

CONCERN FOUNDATION THE FOOD EVENT BLOCK PARTY OCTOBER 13, 2019 JULY 13, 2019 Concern Foundation’s Block Party celebrating Los Angeles magazine’s Best of L.A.® 2019 issue is the big charity bash of the summer benefitting cancer research. This annual foodie event includes tastings from over 60 restaurants, spirits samplings, live entertainment, casinostyle gaming, and live and silent auctions. concernfoundation.org/ block-party

The Food Event is Los Angeles magazine’s annual epicurean extravaganza featuring live cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs and tastings from 40 top L.A. restaurants curated by our James Beard awardwinning dine editorial staff. Plus wine, beer and cocktail tastings all set in the beauty of Saddlerock Ranch in the Malibu Hills. lamag.com/ thefoodevent2019

BIG HOLIDAY PARTY DECEMBER 2019 In early December, Los Angeles magazine will host our annual Big Holiday Party, a spirits tasting event wrapped in a holiday theme. Guests will sample hand-crafted holiday cocktails and learn festive, seasonal recipes. The event includes photos with Santa, a variety of holiday treats, and décor depicting a winter wonderland. lamag.com/ holidayparty19

All ages are welcome to attend the Concern Foundation Block Party. Must be 21+ with valid ID to attend all other listed events.

LAmagFoodEvents_DG19.indd 1

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L.A. MOMENT THE CITY THROUGH INSTAGRAM | #LAMAGVIEWS

MELTING POT

> Food photographer Patrick Manalo (@patrickinla) loves capturing the feel of gathering around a meal. The 26-year-old Valley native­—a biotech engineer by day—snapped this picture during a hangover feast with friends at Sun Nong Dan, a 24-hour restaurant in Koreatown that specializes in the braised short-rib stew galbi jjim.

“There were four of us, so we decided to order the large size,” he says, “but even then we ended up with leftovers.”

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P H O T O G R A P H BY PAT R I C K M A NA L O

3/21/19 1:09 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.

HBA0318_LA dining mag_8 x 10.5.indd 1 Untitled-8 6

LOS ANGELES +1 310 472 1211 DORCHESTERCOLLECTION.COM #DCmoments HotelBelAirLA HotelBelAir HotelBelAir

20/03/2019 15:20 3/20/19 11:33 AM

L.A.

Eataly Los Angeles is a bustling Italian marketplace with 67,000 square feet, 3 restaurants, 9 eateries, cafes and bars, more than 10,000 products in our market and a cooking school serving high-quality premium authentic Italian food and drink.

EAT

Experience authentic Italian food and drink at our restaurants, take-away counters, and caffes.

@eatalyla

Untitled-8 10

SHOP

Discover hundred of high-quality products from Italy, local ingredients, and handmade specialties.

LEARN

Explore the world of Italian cuisine with tastings, classes, and demonstrations with our culinary experts.

WESTFIELD CENTURY CITY, 10250 Santa monica boulevard, los angeles, CA 90067

eataly.com

3/21/19 3:25 PM