Each Friday our editors compile a trusty listing of suggestions to reply essentially the most urgent of questions: “The place ought to I eat?“ Right here now are 4 locations to take a look at this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you happen to want some concepts on the place to drink, right here’s our listing of the hottest locations to get cocktails on the town.
January 20, 2022
For a glittery night time out with associates, steak, and tuna tartare: the Hideaway
It’s not that the brand new Beverly Hills restaurant the Hideaway is definitely hiding, per se — it’s extra that the semi-subterranean hotspot seems like a getaway. The dim night room carries its personal type of everlasting filter because of muted inexperienced and pink tones, numerous leafy corners, rustic garden-esque seating, and candles galore, all best for tucking into drinks and bites with associates or a date. The Rodeo Drive handle is definitely an eye-opener (as are among the costs) however that’s type of the purpose: There’s neon signage right here, certain, however the place isn’t pretending to be something greater than a come-as-you-are hangout for anybody who occurs to indicate up. In case you consider that you just belong on the Hideaway, downing tuna tartare on little wonton crisps, or watching the chef carve a New York wagyu steak tableside, then you definitely do. Carry a bunch, hand around in a nook, canoodle with somebody particular, and benefit from the trip. 421 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. —Farley Elliott
For stable Vietnamese sandwiches exterior the SGV: O Banh Mi
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In part of city that’s chock-full of well-branded eating places — full with cool logos and design-forward interiors — it was fairly a visit to step into O Banh Mi in Los Feliz. With its identify scrawled in everlasting marker on the glass door and a barebones inside, the restaurant is placing its vitality the place it counts — and that’s within the meals. Swing by on Fridays for the favored banh mi full of shredded roast pork and topped with an elongated shard of crispy pores and skin. The sandwich is served alongside a container of wealthy pork jus. The basic banh mi dac biet full of pickled greens and chilly cuts is beautiful too, with a creamy and wealthy pate that ties the whole lot collectively. O Banh Mi is open seven days per week from midday to three p.m. 1997 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027. —Cathy Chaplin
For a heated patio scenario in Venice with tasty lobster pasta: Paloma
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These chilly winter nights really feel like the right purpose to truly get out of the home and escape a little bit bit, and that’s precisely what Paloma in Venice gives. There won’t be a extra purely coastal European menu in Los Angeles, one which feels untethered to a selected delicacies and extra rooted in a Mediterranean way of life. Assume the second season of White Lotus with out the treachery. Paloma’s expansive patio, the one nearer to the constructing, provides among the warmest heating on the town, all the higher to get pleasure from huge plates of sea bass carpaccio, citrus and fennel salad, and lobster spaghetti pasta that includes juicy chunks of the principle ingredient. General the meals right here is effectively executed and predictable, with the whole lot from hummus and meatballs to a terrific branzino grilled over an open wooden flame. There are occasions when a dinner with associates is likely to be aspirational, retaining to a delicacies or a menu idea, however different instances everybody simply needs one thing that feels acquainted and comforting. Paloma fills that void with fashion, and loads of heat. 600 S. Venice Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291. —Matthew Kang
For good kebobs and dreamy hummus: Mini Kabob in Glendale
There’s quite a lot of causes to like Mini Kabob. First, it’s a family-run affair by Armen Martirosyan and his mother and father Ovakim and Alvard, who all the time have pleasant faces. Secondly, it’s in a comfortable nook of Glendale with a picnic desk out entrance. And eventually, the meals is among the greatest Center Jap within the area. All menu decisions are unbelievable whether or not the hen or beef kebobs, however the clear winner is the Matirosyan’s lule selection. The marinated floor beef is cooked over an open fireplace with outcomes which can be extremely juicy and served over completely cooked rice with roasted tomatoes and jalapeno. Get an additional garlicky toum sauce as a result of there by no means appears to be sufficient. Be conscious of ordering instances, the spot closes by 6 p.m. and closed on Monday and Tuesday. 313 1/2 Vine Avenue, Glendale, CA, 91204. —Mona Holmes
January 13, 2022
For a seafood extravaganza in a comfortable nook of Echo Park: Lonely Oyster
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As an LA resident who enjoys minimal driving on weekends, trekking all through Northeast LA for meals is a pleasure. It begins by staking out these spots that associates raved about, or an effort from a well-known identify in a nook of Echo Park. Lonely Oyster proprietor Don Andes — who owns the less-than-a-mile-away Little Pleasure Cocktails — lately introduced on chef Dominique Crisp to organize a menu that features scallop carpaccio, grilled oysters, and a trio of lobster rolls for dinner. The chef provides wagyu and eggs, seafood Benedict, and smoked salmon tartine at brunch. It’s a secure and wonderful wager to accompany any of the aforementioned with a bloody mary anytime from midday to five p.m., which is the right time to indicate up for weekend daytime eating. 1320 Echo Park Avenue, Echo Park, CA, 90026. —Mona Holmes
For enjoyable sandwiches with critical dimension: Monroe Place
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The better Eater LA staff has been a fan of Monroe Place, the small Culver Metropolis store serving thick focaccia sandwiches, for fairly a while. It’s straightforward to grasp why: The menu is charming, proprietor Sara Fakhfouri is a personable and warming presence behind the counter, and the sandwiches themselves are stacked and action-packed. Hovering round $15, every sandwich is a meal-plus of high quality elements and slight surprises just like the spicy serrano-cilantro unfold on the Serenity Now herbed turkey sandwich, or the dill and mint within the Greek yogurt-laced Dilly Dally hen salad. There are alternatives for vegetarians and vegans, jamon and manchego for the remaining, and every sandwich will be made right into a salad on the spot — although lacking out on the Bub and Grandma’s focaccia seems like a disgrace. In fact, there’s no incorrect solution to get pleasure from Monroe Place. 8541 Washington Boulevard, Culver Metropolis, CA 90232. —Farley Elliott
For a elaborate night time out with Mexico Metropolis vibes: Damian
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Simply because the vacations and the brand new 12 months are in our collective rearview doesn’t imply celebratory eating wants to return to a halt. For anybody in search of a fancier night time out, head to Damian within the Arts District. The restaurant’s moody lighting, industrial touches, and pops of greenery transport diners to Mexico Metropolis for the night. The bar seats are a certain wager if a last-minute desk isn’t out there. The tostada topped with fish and furikake makes for a stable begin earlier than diving into all issues wrapped in heat, corn tortillas. The lobster with luscious pineapple butter is to not be missed, identical goes with the chocolate mil hojas and hibiscus meringue for dessert. 2132 E. seventh Place, Los Angeles, CA 90021. —Cathy Chaplin
For a carb-loaded weekend lunch in Santa Monica: Milo & Olive
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For some purpose on a current go to, a bunch of neighboring tables have been questioning what that unimaginable aroma was wafting by means of our space. Oddly sufficient, a couple of folks hadn’t even heard of the legendary garlic knot at Milo & Olive, a hulking spectacle of allium and dough. The starter is certainly one of many carbohydrate alternatives on the Rustic Canyon sister restaurant in additional inland Santa Monica, the place blistered wood-fired pizzas topped with sausage and kale or suave bowls of carbonara reign. Don’t fear, the salads — from the chopped to the arugula and radicchio — work as recent foils in opposition to the carb assault. Might Milo & Olive be certainly one of LA’s most unsung neighborhood eating places? I want we had one on our block. 2723 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90403. —Matthew Kang
January 6, 2022
For a fiery begin to the brand new 12 months: Mr. T
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I managed to sneak in a stellar meal at Mr. T on the tail finish of final 12 months and haven’t stopped fascinated by it since. For a fiery begin to 2023, snag a seat on the winding bar or a extra conventional eating room desk stretching right into a twinkle-lighted patio. Mr. T hums with a cheerful crowd that’s thrilled to be in good firm and handled to a menu of acquainted but dynamic meals by chef Alisa Vannah. Take the signature “mac n cheese” for instance. The heap of rigatoni arrives beneath an aerated blanket of Comté cheese that’s blowtorched tableside. It’s the type of earthy, wealthy, and satisfying dish everybody craves this time of 12 months. Restaurateur Guillaume Guedj, who relocated from Paris to LA for the enterprise, is rarely far-off, ensuring that smiles abound and an excellent time is had by all. 953 N. Sycamore Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038. —Cathy Chaplin
For a do-it-all vacation spot within the coronary heart of town: Vicky’s All Day
The most recent participant in West Adams may appear a bit acquainted at first. The CIM-backed restaurant Vicky’s All Day is simply the newest place on West Adams Boulevard to have chef Danny Elmaleh on the helm (together with Mizlala and Johnny’s West Adams), although in observe the breakfast-to-dinner spot feels reasonably completely different than the others. It is a informal hangout for passers-by and the neighborhood at giant, meant to function a brunch vacation spot, a dinnertime meet-up joint, or a spot for a stacked double patty lunch burger or fried hen sandwiches. Elmaleh’s pan-Center Jap touches are nonetheless current in roasted cauliflower or a heaping Israeli sabich sandwich, however the menu additionally sports activities salads, pizzas, and plenty of issues roasted with flame. It’s good to have a spot like Vicky’s All Day round, just because it’s so useful for therefore many various folks and events unexpectedly. 5410 W. Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90016. —Farley Elliott
For well-made French baked items: Frenchifornia
When a colleague factors her enthusiasm to a revered French-owned bakery, it’s sure to be a stable wager. Open since 2017, Frenchifornia imports flour from France to create conventional gadgets like ache au chocolat, baguettes, macarons, palmiers, gateaus, and buttery madeleines. There’s actually one thing for everybody, from chocolate muffins and a blackberry croissant to the spelt and quinoa croissant. If one thing a little bit heartier is required, go for quiche, the smoked salmon eclair, or sandwiches with Comte cheese and ham, or just construct your personal. The bakers right here even enterprise into American sweets with chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate chip brownie. It is a full cafe that operates in daytime hours, so the espresso is powerful with a alternative of each type of milk. In an annual observe, Frenchifornia additionally serves king truffles to rejoice the brand new 12 months. 247 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91101. —Mona Holmes
For a hip, energetic steakhouse vibe within the South Bay: Boa Steakhouse
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LA simply isn’t the type of steak city that Vegas or Chicago or New York can boast they’re, however Boa Steakhouse has held a excessive commonplace of grilled beef for over 20 years on this metropolis. With well-liked Santa Monica and West Hollywood areas, it made sense for the model to begin increasing to new areas, like a glossy semi-outdoor house in Manhattan Seashore sharing the identical constructing as sister restaurant Sushi Roku. Boa simply oozes hip vitality regardless of the marginally older crowd (although it’s nonetheless family-friendly, as there have been tables with babies and even infants). Nonetheless, most individuals are on dates or celebrating particular events, and almost everyone seems to be pleased to be digging into well-made seafood and chops.
Garlicky, buttery scampi make for a stable begin whereas the signature Caesar salad is tasty, although not as enjoyable when not ready tableside prefer it often is (hopefully that adjustments within the coming months). Steak choices cater to a large viewers, from filet mignon and even Australian wagyu ribeye to dry-aged cuts. I choose the dry-aged stuff, seared to a really darkish brown, however cooked evenly medium uncommon inside, which Boa can undoubtedly accomplish. Australian wagyu is wealthy, fatty, and really tender, however lacks that further funk. Beforehand the noteworthy steakhouse in Manhattan Seashore was the Arthur J nearer to the water, however Boa is a stable choice extra inland and with far more parking. 3110 N. Sepulveda Boulevard, Manhattan Seashore, CA 90266. —Matthew Kang