FEBRUARY 10 — 12, 2023 PASADENA CONVENTION CENTER

This three-day event presents rare and collectible books, manuscripts, letters, maps, photographs, original artwork, and all manner of paper ephemera from booksellers around the world and features exhibits of four important private California collections. www.abaa.org/cabookfair

Sponsors

NOW THAT THE PANDEMIC IS FINALLY (MOSTLY) OVER, L.A. SINGLES ARE DITCHING DATING APPS AND VENTURING INTO THE REAL WORLD IN SEARCH OF LOVE—AND FINDING IT IN, OF ALL PLACES, SUPERMARKETSEREWHON

BY ANNABELLE GURWITCH

A BUNCH OF OTHER PLACES TO FIND MR. OR MS. RIGHT; THE MOST RESTAURANTS;ROMANTICAND HOW FAR WOULD YOU TRAVEL FOR LOVE?

PHOTOS

BY

CORINA MARIE

cialty supermarket was an ideal setting for uncoupled Angelenos to meet cute. “My clients were already making connections in the checkout line,” she says, so she saw the Monday night gatherings as an opportunity to “uplevel the vibe.”

Weber’s hardly the only one who’s picked up on Erewhon’s love connection potential. As the pandemic has finally started to fade away, L.A.’s singles have begun poking their heads up from their dating apps and venturing into the real world in search of actual face-to-face romance, the kind that doesn’t require swiping left or right but swiping nonetheless. “Between dinner and our turmeric teas, I’m out $100,” sighs one Shop & Shagger. And here on Venice Boulevard, as well as seven other locations—in Santa Monica, Fairfax,

Palisades, Calabasas, and Studio City—they have discovered that, at Erewhon, finding a prospective mate can be as simple as sipping a $19 Maca Bomb smoothie.

“I’ve started numerous relationships here,” says one shopper who is such a well-known fixture at the stores that the staff has started referring to him as Erewhon Famous. “When you meet someone here, you know they’re following a healthy lifestyle.”

By Allen Salkin

Officially, Erewhon has no part in the Shop & Shag events, and Yentling isn’t listed on the tonic bar menu. But it’s clear that the company’s stated mission of “creating community” has gradually morphed into the promotion of outright canoodling. Indeed, every detail in the stores seems to have been deliberately—one might even say aerodynamically— designed to be dating-friendly. From its frequent-shopper program with its suggestive name (“Members with Benefits”) to the soulful musical selections (Bowie, Coldplay, Byrne), it’s an aspirational utopia devoid of adult diapers or denture creams, but where the gluten-free energy bars are as numberless as the world’s wonders and the sultry, muted lighting rivals any Ian Schrager hotel lobby.

“It all creates a sensual mood,” notes Erewhon shopper Mariah O’Brien, an interior designer. “Everyone looks better next to natural material, and the small aisles force you to interact with people. As you squeeze by, you feel people’s energy. It’s a visceral experience.”

Discuss Both Sides Of A Political Issue

Their Mental Health

Jason Widener, Erewhon’s VP of brand management, is a bit cagier about the company’s matchmaking intentions. “When you make healthier food choices, why wouldn’t that lead to improvements in your love life?” he says, all but winking.

Whether or not the company’s executives admit it, Erewhon has become the hottest meet market in Los Angeles. “I’m here to make a sacral connection,” says one shopper, “That’s something you can’t do in cyberspace.”

HEN MACROBIOTIC pioneersMichio and Aveline Kushi first opened it in 1969 on Beverly Boulevard—naming it after Samuel Butler’s classic 1872 utopian novel (the title is the word “nowhere” spelled backward, except the “w” and “h” are in the wrong places)—it was anything but sexy. On the contrary, it was a hippie hangout for hard-core adherents of the strict diet. The scent of fermenting veggies hung in the air like a bad review, and it was hardly the pickup joint it is today, unless you were picking up carob chips in bulk.

But in 2011, foodie entrepreneurs Tony and Josephine Antoci purchased the company and quickly set about modernizing the brand and adding locations. Eventually, RDC Collective, the buzzy architectural firm that designed many of L.A.’s high-end pot dispensaries, was brought in to update the vibe, giving the stores a hipper, chiller, more intimate, and better-smelling ambiance. It also put some serious thought into customer flow and interaction in spaces that generally have a much smaller

LOVE, PLUS ONE

At the Mid City location, marketing agent Steven Waldrop and news producer Joseph Corral like drinking juices before and after morning workouts.

Liquor Store

Celebrating 55 years, Wally’s seduces with its gentleman’s club vibe and sophisticated clientele who come for the more than 8,000 hand- picked varieties of wine, spirits, beer, and gourmet snacks. The store’s surfeit of top-drawer booze and food is an aphrodisiac in itself. L.A. matchmaking expert Pattie Stanger’s take: “You wanna know where the millionaires go? They go to Wally’s. Men are impressed by women who know about wine. So if you say, ‘What are [you] gonna eat tonight?’ and he says, ‘Steak,’ you respond, ‘You know, I kind of want a Duckhorn with that.’ He’s gonna be like, ‘What?!’ ” 447 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, and 214 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica.

DOG PARKS

WEHO DOG PARK

With views of the Pacific Design Center, West Hollywood’s vest-pocket dog run is packed with a wide range of the young and old, gay and straight, professional and not. All are out to let their canine friends have a day in the sun and check each other out, which inevita- bly leads to meet-cutes among owners when Spot and Princess take a shine to each other.

Stanger’s take: “If you’ve been walking your dog forever and you’ve never met anyone, that means that they’re not your type or you’re not their type. So take your dog for a walk in the neighborhood you want to live in.” 647 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: SILVERLAKE DOG PARK, 1863 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake, and

LAUREL CANYON DOG PARK, 8260 Mulholland Dr., Beverly Crest.

Volunteer

Connect with potential mates by volunteering—it’s a great way to meet those with similar interests and make a direct deposit into your karma bank. Stanger’s take: “I think PROJECT ANGEL FOOD is probably the best one. And MEALS ON WHEELS. At both, you’re working in the kitchen with footprint than most other supermarkets (the Silver Lake Erewhon, for instance, is just 12,000 square feet compared with the 50,000 square feet of the average Vons). The aisles in Erewhon aren’t numbered like other supermarkets either. Instead, the stores are staffed with swarms of young “shopping consultants” who happily escort customers to whatever product they’re seeking, plying them with friendly conversation along the way, which in turn tends to spark engagement with other shoppers.

It doesn’t hurt that a lot of Erewhon’s sculpted young employees look like they just finished practicing Ayurvedic yoga on the Ionian Sea. So, not surprisingly, Erewhon workers often find themselves being chatted up by patrons wanting to take home something spicier than turmeric root tea. Take Tamar, for example, who radiates intelligence and a “Venus on the Half-Shell” vibe and works in the supplement section of Erewhon’s Beverly Hills outpost. (I witnessed one customer slyly asking if the medicinal tonics “might make a good mix with gin.”) This kind of thing

29% FORMALITY IS OUT

20% of L.A. singles are ok going somewhere close to home of L.A. singles are ok meeting dates for TO SAVE ON GAS

Coffee Or Drinks

from overly interested customers. (Though she currently isn’t dating, she’s managed to deftly swat away her supermarket suitors with an air of cool professionalism.)

In any case, by 2020, Erewhon had new stores sprouting up across the city, but then, just as the chain was starting to take off, the pandemic hit L.A. Suddenly, squeezing through Erewhon’s extra-cozy aisles seemed less like a sensual dance with strangers and more like a deadly high-wire act. Like every other business here and in the rest of the country, foot traffic at the stores slowed to a crawl. Even Erewhon’s most devoted customers people you don’t know, and interacting. UNION RESCUE MISSION is amazing downtown. Serve holiday dinners at THE LAUGH FACTORY. Sean Penn’s charity, CORE, is helping communities in crisis. If you’re gay, you want to go to the GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS or AMFAR GALA. And events for HEAL THE BAY.”

SPORTS EQUINOX, WEST HOLLYWOOD

The gym of gyms is where you’ll find models and actors and well-off men and women—or at least those who claim to be while spending $300 a month for a membership. Stanger’s take: “That gym is great. It’s a matchmaking dating club. You’d be surprised what shit goes down.” RUNYON CANYON PARK is the place to get your outdoor fitness on with the most incredible views of the city—and of hot hikers, too. Stanger’s take: “Runyon is the number one gold standard in the singles community. And you can bring your dog.” TOPGOLF, the luxury sports entertainment complex in El Segundo, is where guys and dolls work on their swing, golf-related and otherwise. Stanger’s take: “It’s a great way for girls to learn golf because it’s very much a man’s sport. Especially if you’re standing at the range and you’re like, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’ He’s like, ‘Let me show you how to hold the club.’ ” Equinox, 8590 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; Runyon Canyon, 2000 N. Fuller Ave., Hollywood Hills; Topgolf, 400 Pacific Coast Hwy., El Segundo, CA.

Churches

Eleven percent of married couples say they met their partners in church. Nondenominational churches like MOSAIC and AGAPE make it easier to break the ice. Stanger’s take: “If you are gonna go to a Catholic church and you’re not Catholic, good luck to you. The nondenominational ones like Agape, that’s really the way to go. Go to the church you have interest in; don’t go to a church just because you heard the hottest men are Catholic.” Mosaic,

7107 Hollywood Blvd.; Agape, Saban Theater, 8440 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills.

Museums

THE GETTY CENTER is one of the most iconic buildings in Los Angeles, and architect Richard Meier’s multiple travertine patios and viewgrabbing nooks offer plenty of opportunities to turn chance encounters into romance.

Even the tram that carries you and a carful of strangers from the parking garage to the musuem is fair game—why retreated into their homes, resorting to Grubhub for their meals and apps like Hinge, Raya, and Match (or Pornhub) for their social needs.

But in recent months, as life in L.A. has approached something resembling normalcy, Erewhon found itself perfectly positioned to exploit a postpandemic resurgence in reallife romance. “People were enjoying solo sex 25 percent more during the pandemic, and that rate seems to be holding,” notes sexologist (and longtime Westside resident)

Dr. Rob Weiss. At the same time, he adds, “interactions on apps began trending away from hookups and toward cultivating real intimacy.” In other words, a lot of singles were both self-satisfying and sick to death of screen time. “Apps don’t allow for authenticity,” explains a Studio City Erewhon-habitué who’d met his fiancé in the parking lot. “But what’s more real than grocery shopping?” (Who cares if it’s a corporately choreographed authenticity?) not strike up a conversation and see where it leads? Stanger’s take: “I had my second date of my last relationship there, and it was really romantic. We were drunk on boxed wine, and he threw me against the wall and made out with me. It was kind of sexy. ” 1200 Getty Center Dr., Brentwood.

HONORABLE MENTION: THE BROAD, 221 S. Grand Avenue, Downtown.

Hotels

Far from being mere places to sleep, hotels

For singles once again looking for the kind of oxytocin-charged, oneenchanting-evening-style encounters that, in pre-digital times, used to take place in singles bars and dance clubs, this kind of “dating experience,” as Weber characterizes it, can be had through Shop & Shag.

The postpandemic inaugural event on Monday night drew a slew of these neoromantics, ranging in age from early 30s to late 50s—an undeniably attractive crew in drapey garments suggesting they were either so relaxed or smoking-hot that the fabrics were melting off their bodies. Also, there are lots and lots of dogs. Shoppers at Erewhon saunter past the numerous signs announcing Erewhon’s noanimals-inside policy without second thought. But as a regular reminded in L.A. are often where the action is, with some of the hottest bars and restaurants—not to mention townies. Stanger’s take: “THE MAYBOURNE in Beverly Hills, on Thursday night and on Sundays, has a huge singles scene because a lot of people go to AVRA across the street. Another one would be the POLO LOUNGE, epecially at lunchtime, and the pool at THE ROOSEVELT in Hollywood. Also the PENTHOUSE restaurant at THE HUNTLEY. In Santa Monica, CASA DEL MAR and SHUTTERS still crank. TERRANEA RESORT in Rancho Palos Verdes has a big scene in the summer and spring. So does the rooftop deck at the WALDORF ASTORIA in Beverly Hills— JEAN-GEORGES there has great food. SURF RIDER has a seductive bar scene in Malibu; so does CALAMIGOS GUEST RANCH AND BEACH CLUB.”

Public Garden

Love is always in bloom at the HUNTINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENS. The Desert Garden there is where urban naturalists meet and love can take root. Tip for singles angling to go steady: 1919

CAFE, a hangout for local literati who work on their laptops while working the room. Stanger’s take: “You get both sides of the street here: male, female, gay, straight, people who are very cultured.” 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino.

Recovery

Since 1948, WeHo’s be- served as the locus for countless 12-step programs—and, inevitably, romantic rendezvous.

“I met my fi rst boyfriend at the Log Cabin,” says a 32-year veteran of meetings there. Besides providing “love, compassion and kindness from strangers,” he adds, the cabin’s Saturday night meetings can feature get-down trappings complete with disco lights and DJs, “like a full-on party in recovery.” 621 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood.

Record Store

Music and passion are always in fashion at AMOEBA MUSIC. The vinyl mecca has been the scene of a whole lotta love since it reopened on Hollywood Boulevard in 2021. Management confirms that “multiple couples who met here or had their first date here have come back to take engagement photos.”

(One dude popped the question while the store cranked the lovebirds’ favorite Led Zeppelin tune.) Amoeba patrons who’ve been hit on say the musician-branded clothing section is where the most sparks fly. 6200 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

Bookstores

Getting lost and found in the stacks is still a thing. At the LAST BOOKSTORE in downtown L.A., one employee met their future spouse amid exemplary customer service. At VRO-

PUPPY LOVE me, “There’s a saying: If you’re single in L.A. and don’t have a dog, what are you doing?”

In Venice, shaman Mychal Prieto and actress Jennie Jaturapatporn bond over their dogs.

I discreetly eavesdrop on a few of the attempted sacral connections.

“I’m a van lifer,” Zian, a vegan, tells Jackson, a 37-year-old paleo devotee, extolling the virtues of her mobile housing lifestyle.

“Oh, cool, where do you shower?” he asks her.

“At your house?” she suggests with a sly smile.

While no one has yet compiled stats on the success rates of relationships struck up at Erewhon, there is anecdotal evidence that suggests some of them have staying power. Jason Stuart, a fiftysomething comedian, tells me that he once stopped into the Beverly Hills market after a gym workout and made meaningful eye contact with a fetching Italian in the snack section. Then, when Stuart sat down for a nosh outside, the Italian— who turned out to be a chef named Antonio—took one look at Stuart’s pasta lunch and said, “I could make that so much better.” Antonio did just that

MAN’S in Pasadena, SoCal’s oldest bookstore, the SRO crowds at the new TEPITO COFFEE CAFE encourage flirty bookworms to share tables. With its proximity to the Sunset Strip and perennially hot 1970s L.A. vibe, BOOK SOUP continues to be the sexiest bookstore in Los Angeles. And, truly, what is sexier than mingling with hotties who actually read books? The Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., Downtown; Vroman’s, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.

Beach

DOCKWEILER is one of the few local beaches that allows alcohol, bonfires, and dogs—the dreamy trifecta for those looking for a love match amid Southern California’s classic romantic atmopherics. Even the roar of jetliners taking off from nearby LAX serves as a reminder that the opportunity to find love is often fleeting and life won’t wait. 12000 Vista del Mar, Playa del Rey.

during their two years together, until he returned to Rome.

Juliette Hohnen, a well-known L.A. realtor, isn’t looking for love herself but has plenty of clients who are, many of whom hold memberships at fancy coteries like NeueHouse, Soho House and the San Vincente Bungalows. “But they don’t meet people to date there,” she says. Where do they meet? “The parking lot at Erewhon.”

Another longtime customer shares that he often catches shoppers in the Venice parking lot checking their hair and teeth in his Tesla’s side mirrors, which have motion-activated sensors that can record footage. (They were all probably on their way to the arbored garden, which is known as ground zero for Erewhon hotness). “I just came from a photo shoot,” hairstylist Jerrod Roberts told me as he sipped on a tropical turmeric

51% DISTANCE IS NOT AN ISSUE of L.A. singles say they’d start a relationship with someone who lives MORE THAN 3 HOURS AWAY

42% say their stance on distance CHANGED DURING THE PANDEMIC smoothie. “A model I know told me this is the hot place for dating.”

As it happens, there is no shortage of sexy shoppers at any of the chain’s locations. “Our client base is very attractive!” explained an employee at the Silver Lake market as we watched customers sashay through the store as if they were walking a runway rather than wandering the aisles. Everyone seemed to embody that patented Eastside loucheness—baggy silk pajama bottoms with anime characters, Miu Miu jackets, nails like knives, kitten ears over cashmere beanies. After a few minutes of this impromptu fashion show, he headed off to do his own grocery shopping at the cheaper Ralphs. “But I’d rather meet someone here,” he said, because, you know, “the attractiveness.”

Back at Shop & Shag, Mychal, a holistic life coach sporting a jade necklace gifted to him by a Mayan timekeeper, had stopped in at the tonic bar with his partner. Instead of the soup line, he favored a no less saccharine opening. “What’s your favorite chocolate?” this sumptuous calls for sparkling wines and mocktails named “free spirits.”

(It worked for me. During my visit, I scored a “Honey Mama Lavender Rose Indulgence,” a cakey confection infused with a scent reminiscent of your grandmother’s linen closet, that left me swooning.) Sure, go ahead and roll your eyes, if you must, but I found the whole evening endearing. When setting off on a new relationship, we need to see a potential partner through rosecolored glasses. But rose-petaled chocolate certainly doesn’t hurt. Maybe my Golden Milk latte just boosted whatever it was supposed to boost, but in addition to the $83 I spent on sprouted-nut snacks, I bought into what Weber, the brains behind Shop & Shag, told me about her event: “Inspiring more meaningful, loving relationships—this, to me, is the solution to all of the world’s problems!” Just remember to bring a dog.

1: There’s a line in dating that I will take to my grave. My grandmother said it, my mother said it: You only get the love you think you deserve.

2: Those who travel in packs do not get as much attention as the person who goes out alone. The secret is that there are no friends around you who are going to disrupt meeting this [person]. It’s better to be alone, and you decide yay or nay.

3: The more normal you are, the more likely you are to get into a serious relationship: “Hi, I’m Dave. I live around the corner. Can I buy you a drink?” Try to be consistent with your personality.

4: Bartenders make the best matchmakers. Tip the bartender. Lean in and say, “Hey, is there a regular here that you know is single and that you think I would be great with?” They’re bodyguards, they’re matchmakers, they’re therapists all rolled into one. So be nice to your bartender.

5: Get out of your neighborhood. Who says you can’t live in L.A. and go to Calabasas for drinks at night? Why can’t you go downtown? How about spending the evening in Santa Monica or going down to Manhattan Beach?

6: You can’t walk in with the expectation, like, “Tonight’s the night I’m gonna meet ‘the’ person.” It’s like being on vacation. When we’re on vacation, we don’t expect shit. And then what happens? You end up having a fling because you are detached from the outcome. You’re not making it Serious City. You’re just letting what happens happen.

SEVERAL AMERICAN CITIES are known for great art or commerce or even revolution, but few can offer the same truly romantic ambiance all year-round that Los Angeles does—balmy weather, painterly light, and a stylish, laid-back atmosphere. Those things, paired with the city’s proximity to farms and vineyards, make L.A. the ideal place for an allur- ing dinner anytime of year but especially on Valentine’s Day since Angelenos are, after all, the country’s experts in creat- ing magic. Here, a range of perfect meals for perfect dates all around the city.

Some Like It Hot Damian

2132 E. 7th Pl., Arts District, damiandtla.com cream and pomegranate has been known to be persuasive.

CHEF’S CHOICE ORSA & WINSTON

122 W. 4th St., downtown, orsaandwinston.com

Going Alfresco Cara Cara

1100 S. Broadway, downtown, properhotel.com

This rooftop restaurant from chef Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne is, literally, a towering achievement atop downtown’s Proper Hotel. Banquettes or seats around the stylish firepit provide excellent skyline views. The Portuguese-influenced menu is also a draw, complete with cumin-spiced piri piri fried-chicken strips and crackly focaccia with white trumpet mushrooms or roasted pears. A setting

Mexico City culinary icon Enrique Olvera and his team have carved out a unique industrialchic setting in the Arts District, particularly on the plant-lined patio, where a colorful mural and scenic skylights add to the fun for diners who flock here to enjoy modern Mexican food, like luxurious lobster al pastor and uni tostada over a Caesar salad. Weekend brunch is a great time to visit, when masa-battered fried chicken is served with live marimba accompaniment. If your date’s still on the fence, the hibiscus meringue with Chantilly

Josef Centeno offers an intimate, five-course tasting menu in downtown’s Old Bank District. Couples can get comfortable in banquettes or sit near the open kitchen to interact with the folks crafting their food. The menu ostensibly draws on Japanese and Italian culinary traditions but actually casts a more global net. No two dinners are ever the same here, and diners can’t preview menus online. Centeno wouldn’t have it any other way, which adds electricity to each meal. Don’t worry about where the current menu will lead; just trust that you’re in good hands.

Global Bites Mazal

110 N. San Fernando Rd., Lincoln Heights, mazal.la.

Mazal is a good place to go on a double or triple date. The more plates of food covering your table on the patio, the more it feels like you’re eating in the backyard of people who love you. The Israeli restaurant features a vegetarian menu that will satisfy all diners. The tahini is subtitled “sesame tears” on the menu, and the thick-cut, air-fried Maghrebi potatoes are served on a bed of it. For the full experience, add Moroccan carrots and beets or roasted cauliflower with cilantro sauce and labneh. For the second round, get the mozzarella flatbread with sliced grapes and wildflower honey that’s essentially a romantic pizza. The fun is keeping the food coming. Also key here: string lights in the alleyway and lots of wine.

Sake To Me Ototo

1360 Allison Ave., Echo Park, ototo.la

Ototo is a sake bar and izakaya that serves Japanese “drinking snacks” to enjoy with your beer, wine, or its spotlighted sake. The salad to salty karaage, but the star of the menu is the kabocha tempura. Follow the fried food with a shaki shaki salad: shaved cabbage and fennel in a sesame dressing. But the best thing for your party to do at Ototo is to explore the many interesting sakes on the menu together. Try something new, and see where it takes you.

Tables For Two Providence

5955 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, providencela.com

For the ultimate special occasion, head to the city’s mecca for a blending of sustainable fare and multiple-Michelinstarred seafood. On any given night, acclaimed chef-owner Michael Cimarusti’s tasting menus dazzle. Providence is one of the last true fine dining restaurants in L.A., and experiencing including milk-and-honey bonbons and Providence’s own house-made bean-tobar chocolate.

CALIFORNIA CLASSIC A.O.C. WEST HOLLYWOOD

8700 W. 3rd St. Beverly Grove, aocwinebar.com

When it comes to making sure your sweetheart is happy on V Day, returning to the tried-and-true wood furniture, cement, and brick accent walls are darkly lit, creating the cozy sense of a drinking tavern as warm refuge when it’s cold out, despite being in the middle of L.A. The snacks range from a Japanese-style potato course after course in the quietly luxurious dining room is unforgettable. On February 14, Cimarusti creates unique dishes designed for romance; they’ve included “dark and mysterious” grilled wild striped bass with black truffles and “flirtatious” lychee with red raspberry and shiso. Pastry chef Mac Daniel Dimla prepares new desserts for the occasion and sweet treats for couples to take home, is always a smart move. This Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne classic just celebrated 20 years in Los Angeles—an accomplishment achieved with attentive, consistently stellar service and Goin’s flawlessly executed cooking. Sitting by the toasty fireplace, snuggling in a comfy booth, or sharing a table on the starry patio, couples here can’t help but get lost in each other (and the Spanish fried chicken with romesco aïoli).

Seafood Aphrodisiac Found Oyster

4880 Fountain Ave., East Hollywood, foundoyster.com.

Found Oyster is inspired by what it calls the mix of “classic East Coast seafood shacks with West Coast flavors.” It sort of does feel like that, if the “West Coast flavor” means being down the street from the Church of Scientology Celebrity

Centre. If opting for full oyster romance, this is a fun dining environment. The Baywatch Platter comes with a dozen oysters, peeland-eat prawns, and a tuna crudo—enough to feel like you had a seafood dinner without the bill breaking triple digits. Add the daily oysters, if a dozen isn’t enough, but the scallop tostada with apple and basil is a highlight. There’s wine and champagne to celebrate special occasions, but the vibe really does call for a Coors with your catch. A slice of Fat + Flour pie completes the workingclass cosplay.

COMMUNAL PLEASURES GINGER’S

204 Orange Ave., Long Beach, ellieslbc.com

Chef Jason Witzl’s tasting menu changes monthly at this snug 12-seat table in a space beside sister restaurant Ellie’s. For January, that meant an Italian-style Feast of the Seven Fishes starring Maine lobster and whole striped bass with Long Beach mushrooms. But offerings shift with the seasons and as inspiration strikes. The communal experience is the closest thing we have to a Southern-style boardinghouse meal, only this one is candlelit and comes with wine pairings. Just do as they do in Nashville: pass to the left.

DRUMMED OUT OF NEW YORK, COLUMNIST TURNED SUBSTACK SUPERSTAR BARI WEISS HAS A NEW BABY, A THRIVING MEDIA VENTURE, AND A NEW LIFE IN L.A. BUT NOW HER WORK ON THE TWITTER FILES IS ONCE AGAIN TRIGGERING HER CRITICS