Essay: An Angeleno dines in Mexican Chicago. They’re just like us
The Trump administration has spent weeks threatening Chicago, trolling the Midwest colossus of 9 million with incendiary online posts. In the gut, even from far away, it has felt like early June in L.A. all over again. That’s because Chicago…
This Armenian meat market’s viral social media strategy? Sexy steaks
One could assemble a cow piece by piece at Glendale’s Sevan Meat Market. Precision-cut steaks sit in neat rows. Whole feet rest tippy-toed, perpetually frozen in pre-pirouette. Packs of brains live on the shelf below, flat and frozen. This is…
Cool off with a cold bowl of noodles in the San Gabriel Valley
Sometimes my living room feels like the Earth’s core, the walls seething with a relentless heat that penetrates my soul. This summer has been especially brutal. I have not consulted any actual weather data to make this conclusion, just the…
Sweet Chile Chicken Lettuce Cups Recipe
This recipe from chef Will Coleman’s “From Cart to Kitchen” cookbook is based on the P.F. Chang’s dish that he’d order almost weekly growing up, and also represents one of the first meals he cooked for his family when he…
Cacio e Pepe Open-Faced Breakfast Sandwich Recipe
Chef Will Coleman combines two of his favorite dishes — a breakfast sandwich and cacio e pepe — for this simple recipe with bold flavors. He created it during his West Coast breakfast tour for a pop-up at Fried Egg…
How these education bills could affect your child in the classroom
One bill aims to raise lagging reading skills among California children by mandating how schools teach this critical subject. Another seeks to overhaul cafeteria meals by eliminating highly processed foods. A third aims to protect students from being derailed by…
L.A.’s Original Pantry to reopen with new owner and same workers
The Original Pantry, the iconic eatery in downtown Los Angeles that closed earlier this year, is set to make a comeback. The diner, which had been serving up hot coffee, burgers and breakfast platters for more than 100 years, was…
‘Top Chef winner Mei Lin’s 88 Club reviewed by critic Bill Addison
Two things come to mind whenever I’m savoring the rectangular prawn toasts, fried to coppery crispness, at 88 Club in Beverly Hills: how brilliantly chef Mei Lin reconfigured the abiding Cantonese snack, and how its excellence amplifies what’s not as…
JoAnne’s Island Creek Mignonette Recipe
As we were opening my restaurant Found Oyster, our general manager, Joe Laraja, was adamant that we use his mom JoAnne’s recipe for mignonette, because it was the most delicious one he’d ever had and the only thing JoAnne liked…
Here’s the best way to shuck oysters. ‘It’s not about pressure, it’s about leverage.’
Ari Kolender knows oysters. His two seafood restaurants — Found Oyster in East Hollywood and Queen’s Raw Bar & Grill in Eagle Rock — serve tens of thousands of oysters a week. Between them they’ve sold well over a million…
New Girl Scout cookie ‘Exploremores’ tastes like rocky road ice cream
Fans of rocky road ice cream can rejoice because the flavor — chocolate ice cream swirled with nuts and marshmallows — will be available in Girl Scout cookie form next year. The 2026 new Girl Scout Exploremores cookie (Girl Scouts…
This Santa Ana bakery is making purple sourdough loaves for a three Michelin star restaurant
Did you see the purple loaves of sourdough that were all over social media a few years ago? I missed them. In fact, I’m five years late to trying Karlo Evaristo’s heirloom blue corn masa sourdough bread, and I only…
Japan’s ‘Tuna King’ opens first U.S. sushi bar in L.A.’s Koreatown
Sushi Zanmai Japan’s prolific sushi restaurateur known as the “Tuna King” has debuted his first restaurant in the United States, bringing his signature focus on tuna to the heart of L.A.’s Koreatown. Kiyoshi Kimura is a legendary and record-breaking figure…
Summer Corn Farrotto with Brown Butter and Sweet Burst Tomatoes Recipe
Cook, stirring often, until the farro has absorbed the liquid. Continue cooking the farro, adding the stock a ladle- or cupful at a time and allowing the grains to absorb the stock each time before adding more, until the farrotto…
Fresh Corn Stock Recipe – Los Angeles Times
Put the corn cobs in a soup pot and any of the optional additions in a stockpot and add 3 quarts water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook…
Column: Tailgating will be the battlefield for GLP-1s vs. snack companies
It’s Week 1 of the NFL season — meaning many of us have already started grazing for the winter. Fans of losing football teams have been found to devour 16% more saturated fat the day after a big game than…
Where to eat and drink in the San Fernando Valley, according to L.A. Times readers
There are countless reasons to dine and drink in the Valley. After canvassing the region for months, the Food team released guides with 65 of our favorite places to eat and 24 of the best bars and coffee shops, plus…
Local Kitchens and Neighborly shake up the fast-casual scene in L.A.
Shira Yevin was on her way to grab lunch from the Studio City Trader Joe’s, when she caught sight of a new restaurant on the block called Local Kitchens. “I was like, ‘That sounds good, sounds healthy,’” she said. “‘Let…
Erewhon to open an exclusive tonic bar in New York City
The Southern California grocery brand that has become synonymous with luxury and wellness is taking its first steps into New York City. Erewhon said it plans to open a tonic bar within an exclusive West Village members’ club later this…
Tomat’s Black-Eyed Peas With Maitake Mushrooms Recipe
Cook the black-eyed peas: Strain the beans, discarding the soaking water, and put them in a large pot. Add enough water so that it covers the beans; the water should be 2 inches above the bean line. Bring the beans…
Café Cecilia’s Guinness bread Recipe
Guinness bread was the beginning of Café Cecilia. In a strange way, without it there wouldn’t be a café and I would have never learned how to cook. At a time when I was desperate to recover from depression, I…
Café Cecilia’s mussels toast Recipe
In Max Rocha’s London restaurant, Café Cecilia, he blends the concept of fish stew with the ubiquity of smothered toast, resulting in one of his most popular dishes: crusty sourdough that’s slicked with garlicky aioli, cider-braised mussels and sweet roasted…
After the Eaton fire, Bernee restaurant closed for good. This weekend it’s reborn as Betsy
Against all odds, Tyler Wells’ Altadena restaurant remains standing. Like roughly 10,000 homes and structures in the area, many of the surrounding businesses burned in January’s Eaton fire, changing the mountain town’s community and landscape forever. After the neighborhood’s destruction…
70 new food items each week? South Korea is the convenience store capital of the world
SEOUL — In many parts of the world, convenience stores are the shops of last resort: cigarettes, sodas and laundry detergent. But in South Korea, you might find single malt whiskies, $800 French wines, 24K gold bars, shampoo and conditioner refill…
A review of Nobu Los Angeles: With a new chef, is it still worth the hype? Was it ever?
A young man wearing a bucket hat and a denim tuxedo monogrammed with the letters LV across every inch of fabric leans in to talk to his dinner date. A couple takes selfies between bites of a California roll, both…
Martin Draluck’s Sweet Potato And Chocolate Chili Recipe
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 tablespoons white…
Peet’s Coffee parent company sold for $18 billion to Keurig Dr. Pepper
A new coffee giant could be brewing. The American beverage firm Keurig Dr. Pepper plans to buy JDE Peet’s, the European parent company of California’s gourmet coffee trailblazer, Peet’s Coffee, in an all-cash transaction worth about $18 billion. Keurig Dr….
Cool Off With This Icy-Salty Suero Recipe
A suero is a “water cocktail,” consisting of lime juice, ice and sparkling mineral water, all served in a tall glass with a salted rim. The same word is used for an IV of fluids in Mexico, and the two…
Salt And Vinegar Salsa Verde Recipe
Casey Elsass shares a recipe from his cookbook “What Can I Bring?” It’s bright, tangy and the perfect addition to any spread of starters. Here’s Elsass on his salt and vinegar salsa verde: Let me just get out in front…
Fried Halloumi Caprese Recipe – Los Angeles Times
In his new cookbook “What Can I Bring?” Casey Elsass shares a recipe for fried halloumi caprese. Here’s Elsass on his salad: I’m going to ask, but not demand, that you wait for peak tomatoes. This salad is especially bare…
Tell us: What are your favorite places to eat and drink in the Valley?
The food scene in the Valley is massive — spread out across 260 square miles and sustaining roughly half the population of the city of Los Angeles. Eight Times Food writers spent weeks traversing its trafficked highways, long boulevards and…
Contributor: Enough with the mac and cheese
“I’ll have what she’s having.” A memorable punch line, but not much of a menu strategy — unless you believe that best-selling qualifies as a cuisine. And yet I keep seeing the same dishes over and over, often on menus…
At Monte Carlo, generations of families shop Burbank’s best Italian deli
When I want to feel closer to my late grandmother — and to my great-aunt, aunts and cousins — I drive to Burbank. I head directly to the cookie case at Monte Carlo Italian Deli, passing beneath the wooden puppets…
For Valley Iranians, Q Market in Lake Balboa is a one-way ticket home
p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix”> Series Vanessa Anderson is the Grocery Goblin, on a mission to explore neighborhood grocery stores throughout Southern California. It hits me like a wall as the glass doors slide open: an unidentifiable scent — toasted, warm and slightly…
Adrian Forte’s Fried Plantain With Pickled Scotch Bonnet Aioli Recipe
This simple starter of fried plantains quickly became the star of Adrian Forte’s menu at Sam Jordan’s modern Caribbean restaurant Lucia, which opened on Fairfax Avenue in the spring. The caramelized, crispy plantains are heightened with a pickled Scotch bonnet…
Anajak Thai’s renovation uncovers relics as the restaurant readies to reopen this weekend
On June 30 Justin Pichetrungsi posted news on his restaurant’s Instagram account that drew thousands of responses in shock, dismay and support: He would be closing his generational family business, Anajak Thai Cuisine, for nearly two months. What followed was…
Chefs, celebrities and politicians on where to dine in the Valley
Everyone has a Valley standby, a place they go when they want to feel at home, with little fuss, a reliable menu and friendly faces. For me it’s Tiki No, a neon-lighted bar that serves up flaming Scorpion bowls in…
San Fernando Valley dining and drinking guides
Aug. 18, 2025 3 AM PT “Hey, 1.8 million people can’t be wrong, right?” This is how Evan Lovett, the social-media pop historian of all things L.A., said we should frame our thinking about the dining culture of the San…
HelloFresh settles consumer protection lawsuit with Santa Clara County for $7.5 million
HelloFresh agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit brought by Santa Clara County. The lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court, alleged the meal-kit company had misled customers and made it difficult for them to…
From cowboy to sushi chef to social media star, Tetsuya Nakao is doing it ‘Asanebo style’
On a recent Sunday afternoon, Tetsuya Nakao — the affable, upbeat 62-year-old Asanebo sushi chef with slicked silver hair — is filming one of his soon-to-be viral videos. Cheeky, occasionally unhinged and released nearly every day, they’ve garnered the Studio…
Easy Apple Cake Recipe – Los Angeles Times
Casey Elsass grew up in New England and frequented a farm in rural New Hampshire for hayrides and what he calls the best apple cake he’s ever had. He shares a recipe for his easy apple cake in his new…
Dan Tana, founder of eponymous L.A. restaurant known for celebrity clientele, dead at 90
Dan Tana, the restaurateur whose eponymous Santa Monica Boulevard eatery has for decades been a Hollywood hotspot — one with dishes named for celebrities who are liable to be there on any given night — died in Belgrade, Serbia, on…
At Oy in Studio City, find a new weekend-only bar and tasting menu in the parking lot
If you can’t find Jeff Strauss in his Highland Park deli, Jeff’s Table, or inside his Studio City bar-restaurant, Oy Bar, you should probably check the parking lot of the latter. The ex-television writer — now chef and restaurateur —…
Tokyo Fried Chicken among three prominent restaurants closing in DTLA
Tokyo Fried Chicken has closed its doors in downtown. And a buzzy Mexican rooftop lounge along with a legacy L.A. brewery in the area said they would do the same, the latest in a string of businesses abandoning the city’s…
Yue Wa market to close in Chinatown, already a food desert
Yue Wa is one of the last remaining markets in Chinatown, a place where the neighborhood’s most vulnerable residents could find affordable groceries. For the past 18 years, customers chatted while they hand-picked their produce in front of the store,…
Moo's Craft BBQ Fire-Roasted Salsa Verde
Make a charred-tomatillo salsa the way Michelle and Andrew Muñoz of Moo’s Craft BBQ do.
Fire forces Beverly Hills pasta restaurant Funke to temporarily close
Evan Funke’s eponymous Beverly Hills restaurant, where delicate handmade pastas are rolled out and shaped in front of guests, is temporarily closed following a Tuesday evening fire. According to a representative for the City of Beverly Hills, the small fire…
Uncle Ollie’s Penthouse wants to recharge downtown L.A. nightlife
Uncle Ollie’s Penthouse, the new maximalist downtown L.A. bar that opened in April between Little Tokyo and Skid Row (a region some have dubbed “Skid Rokyo”), captures the visceral, dopamine-driven alchemy of the best kind of house party every Wednesday…
One of the last Basque-owned restaurants in California nears its end
A vibrant social scene has burgeoned on Saturday nights along Route 66 in Glendora — a sleepy suburb in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains — at Glendora Continental, a nostalgic time capsule of the local Basque community for…
The unsung solution for our waste crisis: Reusable items
Figuring out what should go into your curbside waste bins is hardly straightforward. Consider your single-use coffee cup — the one holding the latte you’re going to drink as you drive to work. It’s paper, right? So it can be…
Palestinian home kitchen reopens in Watts with falafel, Gaza fundraisers
Mid East Eats — a popular falafel pop-up turned private dinner service — is now open as a fast-casual destination for homestyle Palestinian cuisine with an L.A. edge. It’s also the first legally permitted home kitchen in Watts. Sumer and…
Venice chef Travis Lett returns with his better-than-ever izakaya
If you were dining out in Venice late last decade, you knew this place — in the thick of Abbot Kinney Boulevard’s luxury-cool retail density. MTN (pronounced “Mountain”) closed five years ago and, with a few pivotal modifications, has now…
Undeterred by tough restaurant times, students are lining up for this college culinary program
It has been a brutal stretch for L.A. restaurants. Since 2023, hundreds of notable spots have shuttered amid escalating costs for food and labor, and a weakening economy. More recently, the local scene has also been roiled by the January…
Lamb rice is the specialty at this new San Gabriel restaurant
Not since Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis introduced Angelenos to the lamb neck shawarma at Bavel have I heard this much of a buzz around a single lamb dish. My Chinese grandma is curious. My Orange County friends want to…
Paula Deen abruptly closes her the Lady and Sons restaurant
In the late 1990s, Paula Deen was an independent restaurateur whose family-operated restaurant had just received a glowing review from USA Today. Her life and career were permanently changed. Now, over 25 years later, the Georgia native has announced the…
Cole’s French Dip to remain open temporarily as crowds surge
Turning the corner on 6th and Main Streets, an hours-long line of potential customers has been waiting to get a final dip and drink at Cole’s French Dip. It’s been this way since July 7, when owner Cedd Moses and…
Fans, locals recall the ‘cranky’ owner behind legendary L.A. shack Bill’s Burgers
William “Bill” Elwell, the humorous and occasionally ornery owner of a legendary burger shack in the San Fernando Valley, has died at 98, prompting an outpouring of admiration and memories from burger aficionados and restaurateurs who were inspired by him….
This robot uses Japanese tradition and AI for sashimi that lasts longer and is more humane
A local startup is using artificial intelligence and robotics in an unlikely way: making sashimi and other fish dishes taste better, last longer and more humane. El Segundo-based Shinkei Systems wants to bring a traditional Japanese method of handling fish…
A new iteration of Taco María opens, in an unlikely place
Carlos Salgado wowed the world of Mexican food the moment he opened Taco María in 2013. His marriage of high-end with homestyle — sturgeon tacos, Flamin’ Hot chicharrones, handmade blue corn tortillas from kernels he imported from Mexico and milled…
If I give Rufus homemade dog food, can’t he live forever? Please?
My dog Rufus’ wellness journey started with what I now consider an oxymoron: healthy kibble. Just weeks after I adopted him, Rufus stayed the weekend with his first babysitters, my friend Jamie and her then-partner, a famous country singer. When…
Commentary: Relishing a grandmother’s love, one meal at a time
My most vivid food memories involve overcooked spaghetti in a wooden bowl, and my grandmother Phyllis. For decades, my grandmother’s wooden bowls sat stacked in the cabinet next to the refrigerator in her old, two-story home in Gardena. They followed…
Sang Yoon’s Egg Salad Sando Recipe
Chef Sang Yoon opened an all-day bakery cafe in the historic Helms Bakery complex in Culver City. Yoon’s Helms Bakery is 14,000 square feet of baked goods (pies by the slice, cakes, cookies, sourdough loaves and more), snacks, coffee, soft…
Andrew and Michelle Muñoz’s Barbecue Beef Ribs Recipe
Beef ribs, says Andrew Muñoz, co-founder with wife Michelle Muñoz of Moo’s Craft Barbecue, are a Saturday special at their Lincoln Heights restaurant. “We can’t make enough of them,” he says. Those ribs are cooked in a smoker customized for…
Mei Lin’s Spicy Mung Bean Noodles Recipe
Cut the noodles and assemble: When the mung bean jelly mixture is set, remove it from its container by placing a large plate or cutting board over the container and carefully flip. Grate noodles from the set jelly by using…
Can chefs create recipes simple enough for home cooks?
Here is the challenge we set out for the chefs of some of our favorite restaurants: Come up with a recipe that demonstrates chef skills and creativity but is still simple enough for an average home cook to make. That’s…
An Easy Homemade Hash for the Best Dog Ever (Yours) Recipe
When I rescued Tatty Jane from the Pasadena Humane Society, she was a super skinny, long-legged little thing with the black and gray coloring and sweetness of a poodle and the long, spindly legs and energy of an Italian greyhound….
Ohana Superette’s fan-favorite poke returns in Silver Lake
A Silver Lake poke destination is back after five years away. Ohana Superette, the casual, daytime-only poke shop from husband-and-wife team Eric and Miriam Park, recently returned with its own space and thoughtful, traditional poke. “I always try to do…
‘Rufus Hash’ Raw Dog Food Blend Recipe
Warning: Your dog will not live forever. To try to maximize their health and happiness while you are fortunate to have them prancing along by your side, I share with you one of Rufus’ favorite recipes as a jumping-off point….
Anne Burrell died by suicide, cause of death is ‘acute intoxication’
Beloved Food Network star Anne Burrell died by suicide, according to the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. On Thursday morning, the chief medical examiner listed the cause of death as “acute intoxication due to the combined effects…
Gu Grocery’s Sesame Citrus Cold Noodles Recipe
Add the toasted sesame seeds to a blender. Blend on high until blended into a powder, about 30 seconds, stopping and scraping down the sides and bottom corners to get any stuck seeds. Add the soy sauce, orange juice, garlic,…
What we learned on opening day at Elon Musk’s new Tesla Diner
Was it a restaurant opening or a car show? On Monday, Cybertrucks and Teslas filed into the parking lot and lined around the block for the opening of the Tesla Diner: a two-story, retro-modern, steel-covered restaurant with two towering movie…
In-N-Out owner Lynsi Snyder says she is leaving California
For more than 75 years, In-N-Out Burger has been a pillar of California fast-food culture, its Double-Doubles and palm tree logos becoming fixtures of the West Coast landscape. But now, the family-owned chain is making a pivot eastward, with billionaire…
Anime-themed One Piece Cafe restaurant opens in Little Tokyo
The Cortez family piled out of their car and stretched their legs. Finally, after an hour and a half drive from their Long Beach home, they had made it to Little Tokyo — specifically, to One Piece Cafe. “I was…
Caldillo Duranguense from Wes Avila’s dad, Jose Recipe
This recipe is my version of a stew or caldo from my dad’s home state of Durango, Mexico. My dad would make a modified version of this at our house where he substituted chile pasado with roasted chile poblano. This…
Beef Taquitos from Wes Avila’s mom, Judy Recipe
This is probably my mom’s favorite dish, and it was our favorite dish for her to make when my brother, my sister and I were kids. She passed away 30 years ago, in 1995, so it just just was calling…
Hot cheese breads and meat pies are only the start at L.A.’s best new Armenian restaurant
The primary draw at Tun Lahmajo, a restaurant in Burbank lined with grainy woods to resemble a summer cabin, is right there in the name. A mottled, golden-edged lahmajo lands on nearly every table — or maybe three or four…
Cento Raw Bar’s Hamachi Crudo With Cherries and Jalapeño Broth Recipe
Slice the fish and assemble the crudo: Remove hamachi from refrigerator and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Pat dry. Just before serving, cut the fish evenly into 1/4-inch slices. Place each of the fish slices onto a work surface…
Softies Burger opens bricks-and-mortar in USC Village
Josh Kim and Sam Hong had successful careers in tech — but in 2022, they decided to start making burgers, bought a few portable griddles and did their first pop-up at Thank You Coffee in Chinatown. About a year and…
Michelin-starred Shibumi closes its doors in downtown L.A.
Renowned for its elegant izakaya-style dishes and tasting menu served counterside, Shibumi earned its first Michelin star in 2019. Now, nine years since the restaurant’s opening, it will close on July 19, chef-owner David Schlosser wrote in an Instagram post…
Finding the best restaurants in Los Angeles through restaurant gift certificates
The average wedding registry is filled with blenders, dishware and sets of fancy glasses and knives. Bride-to-be Liv Dansky didn’t need any more kitchen equipment. As a seasoned recipe developer, food writer and kitchen gear reviewer, her collection of appliances…
Where to find the best French fries in Los Angeles, and maybe the universe
I will never understand the allure of the fat French fry. Steak fries are contemptible. Wedges of bland starch with no crunch, like a mouthful of molded mashed potatoes. There is no amount of ketchup, ranch or aioli that can…
Honduran home cook sells burritos for L.A. workers and millions on TikTok
On a Friday morning, Maria Sanchez stands next to a construction site. Steel beams are being hoisted into the dusty pink sky behind her. The trunk of her Hyundai Sonata is open. Inside is precious cargo — dozens of carne…
Melody Wine Bar to close permanently in Virgil Village
Melody, the Virgil Village bungalow that constantly thrummed with diners who settled into its open-air living room and patio to try burgeoning food pop-ups, swill natural wine and jam to owner Eric Tucker’s genre-spanning DJ sets, is set to close…
Hawa Hassan’s Fried Cauliflower with Tahini Recipe
When the oil is ready, add the cauliflower and cook, turning the florets as needed to color evenly and adjusting the heat if necessary to maintain the oil at 365 degrees, until the cauliflower is tender and deep golden-brown, 4…
Susanna MacManus, doyenne of Olvera Street’s Cielito Lindo, dies
Susanna MacManus was teaching Spanish at Occidental College in 1997 when the family business came calling. She had grown up helping out at Cielito Lindo, sometimes falling asleep in the booths of the tiny restaurant while her mother, Ana Natalia…
My 2 Cents to close after 12 years on Pico Boulevard
My 2 Cents, a soul food bistro that anchors a section of West Pico Boulevard that’s home to multiple Black-owned restaurants, is set to close permanently on July 31. Opened by chef Alisa Reynolds in 2013, the restaurant became a…
Cole’s French Dip to close permanently in downtown L.A.
Cole’s French Dip, the oldest restaurant and saloon in Los Angeles, is slated to close its doors Aug. 3. The last day of service for the landmark restaurant, which claims to have invented the French dip, will be Aug. 2….
After closing due to ICE raids, El Gato Night Market remains plagued by fear
From afar, it looks unassuming: rows of multicolored tents bustling with customers. But up close, it’s a cherished yet common scene that dominates summer dining in L.A. — street vendors slice juicy al pastor off a rotating spit, dicing it…
Gladstones reopens in Pacific Palisades after January wildfires
Perched along the Pacific Coast Highway with an oceanfront view, Gladstones Malibu has long served as a pit stop for residents and road trippers looking to refuel over mai tais and clam chowder. Now, following nearly six months of closure…
Readers respond: What California restaurants should our critic visit next?
There is always more to discover in California. When restaurant critic Bill Addison took on the challenge of writing a guide to the 101 best restaurants across the state, his intention was to compile the places that told the richest,…
Contributor: I tried this new abomination at Whole Foods so you don’t have to
I love pickles. Dill pickles, kosher dill pickles, cornichons, full-sour pickles, half-sour pickles, quarter-sour pickles, quick pickles, gherkins, German senfgurken. Not bread and butter pickles. Those are not pickles. The flaccid, round slices with their fluorescent yellow tint and sickeningly…
‘I truly fell in love with L.A.’ Rene Redzepi’s next Noma pop-up
Noma’s René Redzepi and his international team of chefs, servers, foragers, fermentation geeks, programmers and more are coming to Los Angeles next year for a months-long residency — the restaurant’s first in the U.S. “We were supposed to be in…
The best trompe-l’œil fruit desserts in L.A.
More than 115 million people watched a video of French pastry chef Cédric Grolet make fruit pies that resemble giant blueberries, peaches, oranges and raspberries. A peach dessert molded and spray-painted to look like a real peach drew 63.6 million…
A frightened restaurant industry weighs how to protect immigrant staff
p]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix”> Celia and Joe Ward-Wallace, owners of South LA Cafe, built a rapid response network in case a raid were to occur. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) As restaurants navigate what they can do in times of crisis,…
Groundbreaking L.A. wine bar A.O.C. to close: ‘Continuing felt untenable’
A popular and groundbreaking wine bar from two of L.A.’s most celebrated restaurateurs is set to close this summer. On Saturday the Lucques Group’s Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne announced they will shutter the Brentwood location of A.O.C. on Aug….
Mixed Berry Pie with Cinnamon Crumble Topping Recipe
Make the filling: Combine the sugar with 2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan (preferably with a light-colored bottom so you can see when the sugar colors) and stir with your finger to make a sandy mixture. Cook over medium…
New L.A. restaurant Lucia showcases Afro-Caribbean fine dining
At one of the city’s most anticipated new restaurants, diners feast on Wagyu-stuffed Jamaican patties and saltfish-and-fig croquettes while seated in sculptural, shell-like booths. A showstopping flower-like art installation crowns the bar at the center of the modern Afro-Caribbean restaurant….
I became a pie expert by baking 60 a day. Here’s everything to know about pie
Despite being an obsessive baker since I was a little kid, until I was 31 I had never baked a pie from scratch. Meaning: I had never made pie dough. And pie dough scared me. Cutting butter into flour? What…
Summer Berry Double-Crust Slab Pie
This mixed-berry slab pie is made using a baking sheet rather than a traditional pie pan. It’s like a giant Pop-Tart. You can eat it like a traditional pie, on a plate with ice cream or whipped cream, or you…
These are L.A.’s 2025 Michelin-star restaurants. Somni, Providence receive three stars
Wednesday night’s Michelin Guide announcement was a historic one for Los Angeles: For the first time in the guide’s history, the global dining compendium awarded three stars — the highest rating possible — to an L.A. restaurant. In fact, it…
Hailee Catalano’s Mean, Green Turkey Sandwich Recipe
This turkey sandwich is a bit spicy, pleasantly crunchy and bound together with a delicious cilantro variation of [my] roasted garlic sunflower seed dip: a dairy-less dip! Soaked sunflower seeds blend into the creamiest, smoothest dip, with a texture similar…
Persians gather in L.A. restaurant to find solace as war spreads
Late last week, before the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear targets, Shaheen Samadi sat inside the minimalist dining room of Azizam restaurant in Silver Lake, sipping ceylon tea with cardamom, a drink that reminds him of the tea he grew…
L.A. restaurants and nonprofits mobilize to deliver groceries to sheltering immigrants
Last weekend, a trio of restaurateurs and a small army of volunteers took over the patio of Boyle Heights’ X’tiosu, packing bags brimming with corn, squash, celery, potatoes, jalapeños, oranges, radishes and sopita ingredients such as boxes of dried pasta….
Why strawberry Fanta still flows at Thai spirit houses across L.A.
Series Vanessa Anderson is the Grocery Goblin, on a mission to explore neighborhood grocery stores throughout Southern California. I cannot shake the sense that Los Angeles is a city of supreme spiritual significance. Perhaps I feel that way because of…
Downtown curfew is lifted but restaurants are still struggling
It sounded like the alarm for a severe weather warning. At 8:19 p.m. on Monday evening, my phone blared with a public safety alert that a curfew was in place from 10 p.m. to 6 am. in downtown Los Angeles….
Molly Baz’s Pistachio, Brown Butter and Halva Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Make the cookie dough: Chop the dark chocolate into irregular ¼-inch to ½-inch chunks and set aside. To the cooled butter, add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until well combined and thickened, about 1…
Vin Folk restaurant in Hermosa Beach is a South Bay culinary destination
“Hi, I’m chef Jude. I’ll be taking care of you this evening.” A young man in pristine chef whites greets our table at Vin Folk, a petite, bucolic restaurant on the northern edge of downtown Hermosa Beach. He has an…
As the summer harvest launches, uncertainty hangs over California fields
As the crucial summer harvest season gets underway in California’s vast agricultural regions, farmers and their workers say they feel whiplashed by a series of contradictory signals about how the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration might affect them. California…
These Mexican supermarkets are showing up for immigrant communities
Evelin Gomez works at the juice bar inside a Vallarta Supermarket in Carson, a place where Mexican culture functions as the business’s beating heart. In the last week, Gomez said, her customers and co-workers have been rattled by ICE immigration…
L.A.’s Jon Yao of Kato was named best chef in California at the James Beard awards
On Monday evening some of the country’s most celebrated chefs, beverage professionals, restaurateurs and bakers filled Chicago’s Lyric Opera House for the 35th annual James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards. The awards are considered some of the highest honors…
Protest curfews wallop downtown Los Angeles restaurants
The Mermaid hasn’t turned a profit since Saturday. The aquatic-themed Little Tokyo bar is typically open daily and a hub for regulars, community events and off-duty workers of the hospitality industry, all bathed in soft blue lighting meant to replicate…
Cherries Jubilee Recipe – Los Angeles Times
This effortless dessert brings the good vibes. Any dessert you set on fire is impressive. And its components remind me of my Black life — not a monolith. The origins of cherries jubilee go back to Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee…
Tell us: What is the best restaurant in your corner of California?
For me, it’s got to be Holbox, the best restaurant in the state of California as far as I’m concerned. For our restaurant critic, it’s these 101. In his most ambitious project to date, critic Bill Addison spent over a…
Contributor: In precarious times, an old restaurant idea makes new sense
Back in the 1980s, the norm-busting adman Jay Chiat liked to pose the question, “How big can we get before we get bad?” as his Los Angeles-based boutique agency attracted clients like Apple and Nike. It is all too easy,…
Grand Central Market, an embodiment of immigrant L.A., confronts new climate of fear
Most weekdays the foot traffic and the din of business are constant in Grand Central Market, a food hall and staple of downtown’s historic core since 1917. In a way, the market, with its oldest stalls ranging from Mexican to…
Pasjoli reopens after temporary closure. Will it be your new favorite neighborhood restaurant?
Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol. Snoop Dogg went by Snoop Lion for a time, and briefly Snoopzilla. Shifting your brand as an artist can be a welcome, and sometimes predictable, step in a career that spans a…
ICE raids are sending street vendors into hiding
Francisco has been working as a taquero for over a year, but he’s never felt as worried as he does now, in the shadow of a week of ongoing sweeps in Los Angeles by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “We…
California dining guides: Where to eat
Los Angeles can feel like a microcosm of the whole world, particularly when it comes to dining. At some point, though, the road will call. Maybe it’s a two-hour drive into the desert, or a short flight to the Bay…
South L.A. is set to lose a community garden near USC. What’s next?
What was intended to be a rallying event for the USC Peace Garden turned into a day of quiet mourning as student employees and the surrounding community came to accept that the beloved green space would be forced to close….
It can’t be a protest in L.A. without street food. Meet the vendors
When Cinthia Soriao, Edgar Hernandez and Sesarin Hernandez set up their aguas frescas stand with an extra gallon of milk on Sunday morning, they never imagined they’d be using it to quell the burn of tear gas hours later. The…
The best new burgers in Los Angeles
I consumed six burgers in the last seven days. One was wrapped in yellow paper on a restaurant patio in Eagle Rock that felt like a friend’s backyard. Two were smash burgers with crunchy, lacy edges in a coffee shop…
Where Jonathan Gold found spicy comfort food in Koreatown
Sun Nong Dan is a specialist in sullungtang, a gentle broth made by boiling beef bones for hours, even days, until the liquid turns a shimmering, pearlescent white that is pretty much the opposite of what French chefs are taught…
Why some L.A. coffee shops are discontinuing cream top add-ons
Luscious, fluffy and often garnished with cocoa powder or a few carefully placed coffee beans, the cream top has become L.A.’s favorite coffee add-on. Sometimes called sweet cream or just whipped cream, the topping has become a staple in third…
Alba's Spaghetti al Limone
A recipe for spaghetti al limone from chef Adam Leonti of Alba in Los Angeles features browned butter, lemon zest and juice and plenty of Parmesan.
Celebrity KBBQ restaurant Baekjeong returns to Koreatown in a new location
One of L.A.’s — and Korea’s — most popular Korean barbecue chains just returned to Koreatown after a year and a half of closure. Now Baekjeong is back in a new location, its tabletop grills charring galbi, thinly sliced brisket,…
West Hollywood’s Chin Chin will serve its last Chinese chicken salad in July
One of L.A.’s most iconic Chinese American restaurants will close next month, ending nearly a half-century of Chinese chicken salads, dumplings and pan-fried noodles in West Hollywood’s Sunset Plaza. The first location of Chin Chin — a decades-long celebrity haunt…
Where to find the best duck preparations in Los Angeles
“To do duck you have to be really disciplined, like cut out your social life,” says Chartchai Vongsanikul. “Period.” Vongsanikul, who goes by Chef Bob, is calling me on his semi-day off to talk about duck. He’s the chef at…
Sesame-Crusted Feta Recipe – Los Angeles Times
This is a basic b— “recipe” that I did not innovate by any means, but I wanted to include it [in my cookbook “Fry Day”]. It’s easy, it’s delicious, it’s user friendly and adaptable. If you’re unable to find Greek…
Taverna-Style Greek Gigantes Recipe – Los Angeles Times
As many of my close friends in Athens know, I have a borderline obsession with gigantes. My favorite taverna in Athens makes gigantes that I can only describe as “pillows of perfection,” which I usually eat within my first 48…
Commentary: Guess who suddenly has a ‘TACO’ allergy? How a tasty sounding acronym haunts Trump
Guess who suddenly has a “TACO” allergy? President Yuge Taco Salad himself. In the annals of four-letter words and acronyms Donald Trump has long hitched his political fortunes on, the word “taco” may be easy to overlook. There’s MAGA, most…
The iconic California avocado is in trouble, and this farmer is fighting to save it
VALLEY CENTER, Calif. — Norman Kachuck stood on a loamy ridge overlooking his inheritance. Avocado trees blanketed the hillsides of ACA Groves in three directions, just a portion of a 372-acre spread studded with 16,000 specimens, many of them dense with branches…
These are the closed historic L.A. restaurants that we miss the most
In their soul, everyone has a historic restaurant they miss dearly in Los Angeles. Some fell victim to the mounting challenges that restaurants face in L.A.: gentrification, rising retail rental costs, and a prolonged financial fallout following pandemic closures, Hollywood…
Bay Cities Italian Deli responds to health department closure
One of L.A.’s most iconic sandwich shops closed last week after health inspectors cited a vermin infestation among other infractions, but representatives for Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery — home of the famed Godmother sandwich — say that no…
Will we lose Thrifty ice cream forever when Rite Aid stores close?
It was like a scene from a movie about an asteroid hurtling through the universe on a collision course with Earth. Many of the shelves at the Rite Aid in El Segundo were bare. Row after row empty. The air…
How Couplet became L.A.’s Gen Z coffee whisperer
On a recent drizzly morning, Couplet Coffee owner Gefen Skolnick stepped into her rainbow-hued cafe at the edge of Echo Park and Westlake, stopping by tables to greet visitors who were sipping on drinks like bananas-and-cream matcha. Some of them…
Ramon Barragan, founder of Barragan’s chain of Mexican restaurants, dies
When Tony Barragan worked at his family’s Echo Park Mexican restaurant in the 1970s, he regularly heard longtime customers tell newcomers about the story of his father. How Ramon Barragan came to Los Angeles as a 16-year-old immigrant. How he…
Is the late-night teahouse the future of nightlife in L.A.?
Teahouses built for spending extended time in, open until the wee hours of the night, are popping up all over the city. Some are elusive, hidden in plain sight or only accessible via a mysterious membership. Others have gone viral…
Here’s how to lose weight safely with GLP-1s and reduce food cravings
Are cookies and chips the new cigarettes? And soda, breakfast cereals and ice cream the new opioids? In his new book, “Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine: The New Science of Achieving a Healthy Weight” (Flatiron Books), former FDA Commissioner David A….
Inside look at chef Curtis Stone’s growing lifestyle empire
If you want to find Curtis Stone, a winding, twisting drive through the Santa Monica Mountains should get you there. The Melbourne-born celebrity chef and TV personality behind Gwen in Hollywood and the Pie Room by Curtis Stone (in the…
Shu Lin’s Rice Cooker Salt-Baked Chicken Recipe
Variations: The Mei Wei Jia salt-baked chicken seasoning packets can be found at 99 Ranch market. A friend, Joe Zee, shared his grandmother’s simple ginger-scallion condiment, which can be served alongside the chicken. Combine 1/2 cup grated ginger with 1/2…
At the Madonna Inn, come for the caveman room, stay for the pink cake
The signage is pink, the rooms are pink, and the rose-patterned carpet is pink. But none are as quintessentially pink — or recognizable — as the long, hand-peeled ribbons of custom-dyed white chocolate atop the pink Champagne cake at the…
Newly opened Cedric the Entertainer and Anthony Anderson BBQ joint reopens
After a three-day pause in operations due to a lack of permitting, a new barbecue venture from comedians Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer reopened Friday afternoon. AC Barbeque is located in a corner of the Westfield Century City mall’s…
Why Pasjoli in Santa Monica is closing for a reset
At bistro Pasjoli, chef Dave Beran crammed a duck carcass into a gleaming, bell-shaped, medieval-looking contraption, and table-side dining in Los Angeles was never the same. When Beran opened the restaurant in Santa Monica in the fall of 2019, he…
Tariffs give 157-year-old chocolate maker Guittard a bitter taste
During the Gold Rush of the mid-1850s, Etienne Guittard, a French chocolatier, sailed to California like many others, hoping to strike it rich. However, he soon realized his fortunes lay not in the mines but in selling the chocolates he…
Madonna Inn’s Pink Cloud cocktail Recipe
Picture-perfect and pink, Madonna Inn’s signature cocktail matches the famous San Luis Obispo hotel in every regard. The Pink Cloud is the most ordered drink at the inn’s Silver Bar, where patrons sit on swiveling wood and pink-leather stools or…
Michelin adds 3 Los Angeles restaurants to its 2025 California guide
On Wednesday Michelin, the company behind the influential global dining guide, teased 13 new restaurants that will appear in the 2025 California Guide to the state’s top restaurants, with three of them in the L.A. area. According to a representative…
Firstborn in Chinatown is one of L.A.’s most exciting new Chinese restaurants
In Chinatown’s newest restaurant, mapo tofu inspires steak tartare, pillowy gnudi are made with tofu (not ricotta) and medallions of table-side-sauced lamb saddle evoke Sichuan’s cumin-spiced lamb skewers. Firstborn fills the long-empty former Pok Pok space in Mandarin Plaza with…
Who makes the best pastrami dip sandwich in Los Angeles?
Langer’s Delicatessen may be the most consistent restaurant in Los Angeles. It’s so consistent that my order hasn’t deviated in 35 years. The No. 1 with an extra side of Russian dressing for dipping. “You used to suck on the…
Kurrypinch’s Griddled Coconut Roti Recipe
In Sri Lanka, this everyday quick bread is usually laced with thinly sliced curry leaves, fresh green chiles and red onions, but Ghazaly’s milder, kid-friendly version drops the chile from the mix. Enjoy this roti alongside the Coconut Chickpea Curry,…
Kurrypinch’s Coconut Chickpea Curry Recipe
Make the curry: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop and sputter, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the fried garlic and ginger…
L.A. chef, battling cancer, brings Baja-style tacos to a Mongolian BBQ joint
In November, chef Joshua Gil nearly died. In February, he opened his new restaurant. “I’m a very stubborn a—,” Gil quipped recently. “I like telling people, ‘I’m Mexican. I don’t know how to give up.’” The prolific chef started pioneering…
Koreatown’s Here’s Looking at You to close next month: ‘I’ve really, really pushed all limits’
On June 13 one of the city’s most celebrated, eclectic restaurants will close after nearly a decade of accolades, frog legs and cocktails tinged with fresh fruits and vegetables. Here’s Looking at You, the genre-bending Koreatown restaurant from restaurateur Lien…
Where to find Sri Lankan food in L.A.? Kurrypinch lands in East Hollywood
There’s no shortage of delicious things to eat in East Hollywood: herbaceous lamb kebabs at Saffy’s; garlicky prawns at Kuya Lord; the entire spicy-sweet-salty pantheon of Thai Town. But until recently, there was nowhere to try kottu roti, lamprais or…
The best shopping centers in the San Gabriel Valley
The shopping centers of the San Gabriel Valley often act as points of reference that are more reliable than specific cross streets or even addresses. If someone mentions the strip mall with the Wushiland boba shop, the 99 Ranch Market…
Stags’ Leap Winery’s Carl Doumani, a Napa Valley icon, dies at 92
Carl Kheir Doumani, a mid-century Los Angeles developer-turned-wine-country icon, died April 22 in his sleep at his home in the Napa Valley, according to his family. The former owner of Stags’ Leap Winery, once at the center of a wine-country…
This shop wants to replace cookbooks lost in the L.A. fires
Los Angeles is nearly four months removed from the wildfires that destroyed more than 18,000 homes and structures in January, but much of the damage remains — both emotional and material. One L.A. shop is hoping to provide comfort to…
At new L.A. pizzeria Downtown Dough from Issa Rae, spritzes come with classic funk
A new pizzeria from entertainment multihyphenate Issa Rae and her business partners is set to debut this weekend, bringing funk-inspired pizza to their popular cafe. By day, the downtown space will continue as Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen. At night, starting…
Starbucks and unionized baristas locked in a wage standoff
Starbucks and thousands of its baristas are locked in a labor standoff. More than two years after negotiations began, the union representing workers at more than 550 stores has yet to reach a contract with Starbucks. Starbucks Workers United announced…
The Fat + Flour cookbook busts the myth that baking is hard
Pies piled with cloud-like whipped cream, cookies chewy and buttery, loaf cakes and cheesecakes bursting with ripe seasonal fruit: Walking into Fat + Flour is like entering a dessert dream world. It hasn’t always been a dream world for founder…
Vanessa Lavorato’s cookbook uses science to help cook with weed safely
The spacious kitchen of a rented house just off Melrose Avenue in Beverly Grove is in full 420 mode. The stovetop is dotted with Le Creuset cookware. A peppercorn-studded prime rib rests on the counter next to an apothecary jar…
Best new breakfast burritos in Los Angeles
If you’re a breakfast burrito fan, there’s no better pocket of Los Angeles to reside in than Pasadena. There are formidable breakfast burritos to be devoured all over Greater Los Angeles and Orange County. Your favorite will always be the…
Fat + Flour’s Vegan Lemon Lavender Cookies Recipe
After 30 minutes, place the balls of dough on the two parchment-lined sheet pans, six well-spaced cookies on each sheet. Bake them for 10 minutes on the two center racks of your oven, rotate the pans, and bake for an…
Fat + Flour’s London Fog Brownies Recipe
These brownies are made with white chocolate — an uncommon move in brownie recipes, and I’m not sure why, because, wow, are they delicious. This recipe yields a cake that bakes into a variety of textures in one pan: chewy…
Eating seafood sustainably is simpler than you think. Eat more of these
Sustainability is an incredibly complicated topic. Yet seafood sustainability is the surprisingly rare exception in which a really complex problem has a uniquely simple option — and it’s in the hands of the consumer. To put it plainly, there are…
Found Oyster’s Scallop Tostadas with Yuzu-Apple Vinaigrette Recipe
In this perfect party appetizer, the sweet funk of scallops is complemented by the savoriness of the corn tostada and the sour, spicy punch from the yuzu-apple vinaigrette. I love the texture of this dish — the dressing just barely…
All the chefs and cookbook authors you want to see at the L.A. Times Festival of Books
We’ve got an exciting lineup of cookbook authors, memoirists and food personalities appearing at this year’s Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on the campus of the University of Southern California April 26 and 27. Join us for live interviews,…
L.A. Times reader responses: favorite cookbooks and recipes
What priceless items would you grab when fleeing disaster? It’s a sobering question that thousands of Angelenos were forced to answer when wildfires erupted across the region in January. That experience made us curious about our own emotional attachment to…
Acclaimed Heritage Barbecue team takes on classic diner food
Le Hut Dinette What happens when one of the country’s rising-star barbecue chefs launches a diner? At Santa Ana’s new Le Hut Dinette, the latest project from San Juan Capistrano’s Heritage Barbecue, seven-day pastrami slides into gooey melty sandwiches and…
How to cook fish like a pro, from one of L.A.’s best seafood chefs
Ari Kolender, chef and co-owner of two of L.A.’s most popular seafood restaurants, didn’t grow up in a household that cooked a lot of fish or shellfish because his grandfather kept kosher. But in high school he crabbed from friends’…
How to Perfectly Broil Scallops With Espelette Butter Recipe
This is a visually stunning and delicious dish, and if you’ve got some Espelette butter in the fridge, the whole recipe takes less than 10 minutes to prepare. Note: Scallops cook quickly in a carbon steel or stainless steel skillet….
Egusi and Coconut Granola Recipe
Egusi is a type of melon that is commonly used in West African cuisine. The seeds are edible and are often ground into a paste or powder and used as a base for soups, stews and sauces. They have a…
The Ultimate Carrot Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
This carrot cake contains all the usual ingredients that make carrot cake distinct — carrots, cinnamon, walnuts — but with a bit (or more than a bit) more of everything! The cream cheese frosting is mostly cream cheese with just…
This is the ultimate carrot cake. More carrots, more frosting, more everything
My mom remarried when I was in my 30s. Already on my path as a food professional, I decided to make her wedding cake. Or wedding cakes. I didn’t want to risk a tiered extravaganza caving in on itself or…
How to get a reservation for Daniele Uditi’s Italian supper club
“This is not a restaurant,” says Daniele Uditi, addressing a crowd of 32 diners in a spacious warehouse in West Adams on a recent Sunday evening. “It might look like it, but it’s not.” Uditi wants to set the record…
Hibiscus Margarita Recipe – Los Angeles Times
This hibiscus margarita in Carolina Pardilla’s “Margarita Time” cookbook is from winner of the Tales of the Cocktail Pioneer Award, and author of “Tiki: Modern Tropical Cocktails,” bartender Shannon Mustipher, who wanted to create a hibiscus cocktail as a nod…
Arugula Salad with Egusi Granola, Sorghum and Sherry Vinaigrette Recipe
This is my go-to salad for any dinner party, not only because it’s refreshing, but also because it utilizes an important ingredient. Sorghum is a cereal grain that is crucial to food security in Ghana because it’s a versatile crop…
Say Cheese gourmet shop in Silver Lake to close permanently
No one really knows exactly what they want when they walk into a cheese shop. But this never deterred visitors from Say Cheese, a gourmet shop in Silver Lake where customers have come to expect high-quality samples of cheeses like…
What to use instead of eggs this Easter? Golf balls, potatoes or pierogis?
With a bird-flu-induced egg shortage that has caused prices to skyrocket — and consumers, for lack of a better word, to scramble — the term “egg hunting” takes on new meaning this Easter. But will the dearth really have an…
‘Top Chef’s’ Mei Lin returns to fine dining at 88 Club
88 Club At 88 Club, planks of artful shrimp toast, piles of chewy mung bean jelly noodles and clay pots of mapo tofu spin on well-lighted marble lazy Susans. This is Mei Lin’s take on Chinese banquet dining, and it…
Contributor: My L.A. neighborhood won’t be the same when Say Cheese closes
Several Saturdays ago, my mom and I walked into our local L.A. cheese shop, which we visit weekly. This store, Say Cheese, in Silver Lake, is owned by Glenn Harrell. Glenn and I have been friends for a long time….
The best cookbooks of spring 2025, according to L.A. Times food writers
New cookbooks are a bright spot in spring, and this year’s crop is a bumper one. One emerging theme is: Go easy on yourself. Among this season’s favorite books, Los Angeles writers and chefs especially — including Nicole Rucker of…
Yangban, Korean American restaurant, closes in downtown L.A.
One of L.A.’s most groundbreaking Korean restaurants is closing in the Arts District, but it isn’t the intended end of Yangban. The celebrated restaurant — currently ranked No. 35 on the L.A. Times 101 Best Restaurants list — temporarily shut…
(You Will Love This) Mackerel Tartare With Horseradish and Dill Recipe
The powerful flavors in this tartare — often an appetizer at Queen St. Bar & Grill — come together in something like an exercise in restrained extremism. Mackerel is sometimes considered a “fishy” fish, but here it is balanced with…
The cookbooks bringing us joy and changing our lives in the kitchen this spring
Spring’s parade of cookbooks are bringing a lot of joy into our kitchens. We read, cooked and baked our way through dozens of them, finding respite in some newfound culinary wisdom. Ace L.A. baker Nicole Rucker of Fat + Flour…
Will Rory McIlroy want Irish stew or seafood at Masters champions dinner?
Winning the Masters means choosing the menu for the champions dinner the following year. Ben Hogan came up with the idea in 1952, but not until 1986 did champions begin honoring their heritage by choosing traditional dishes from their home…
Best places to eat and drink Coachella Weekend 2
While attempting to catch a breeze in Isabel and Helen’s “Take Flight” art installation with interconnected windmills during the first (scorching) weekend of Coachella, a mysterious purple structure caught my eye. As I approached it, I noticed the yellow Takis…
New tariffs raise concerns for Asian restaurants in Los Angeles
“We are freaking out,” says Billie Sayavong. He and his wife, Nokmaniphone, operate Nok’s Kitchen, one of the few restaurants in Southern California devoted to cuisine from Laos. The Westminster restaurant has been featured repeatedly on this paper’s 101 Best…
The best new foods to try at Dodger Stadium this season, ranked
“Hey, where did you get that?” “Whoa, how much was that?” “Is it any good? Can I have a bite?” I couldn’t walk more than three feet at Wednesday’s Dodger game without someone stopping me to ask about my Slugger….
Hal Frederick, owner of Hal’s Bar and Grill, dies at 91
I walked into Hal’s Bar and Grill for the first time during the summer of 1989, a year after its opening, having just moved to Los Angeles from New York City. The unmistakable sound of Miles Davis played softly throughout…
L.A. wine shop owner fears tariffs will hit mid-priced bottles hardest
The threat of tariffs has been keeping Lou Amdur up at night. As the owner of Lou Wine Shop, a small neighborhood retail establishment tucked into a strip mall in Los Feliz, his is the place where neighbors, groceries in…
Jitlada family brings ChaTraMue to Orange County
There’s a delicate art to brewing the Thai tea at ChaTraMue, the Thailand-based tea shop that’s been around since 1945. It starts with Thai tea leaves sourced from a farm in Chiang Rai. The leaves are placed in a long…
Papa Cristo’s closing, Du-Par’s and Chili John’s struggling: L.A. restaurants in trouble
A Greek institution on May 4 will serve its last flame-kissed grilled lamb, its final pillowy potatoes, its saganaki swan song. After 77 years, the family-owned restaurant Papa Cristo’s is closing, with its building listed for sale. What began as…
(No-Egg) Brown Butter Banana Cookies Recipe
To make brown butter: Add butter to a pan over medium heat and listen for the water to stop evaporating. Once it’s quiet, pay attention to the pan and start checking the color, occasionally stirring and scraping the pan to…
Genghis Cohen, Chinese American restaurant on Fairfax Avenue, to close in May
For decades, a raucous restaurant-cum-music venue along Fairfax Avenue has been a top destination for Angelenos seeking a taste of Chinese American cuisine. This spring, that restaurant is set to close, possibly to be demolished along with the rest of…
Southern California nominees for 2025 James Beard Foundation Awards
On Wednesday morning the James Beard Foundation announced the chefs, beverage programs, restaurants and bars nominated for its 2025 culinary awards — vastly scaling back the number of Los Angeles-area names previously in the running. In January the James Beard…
Le Petit Four and other West Hollywood restaurants close permanently
After a swell of community support that ultimately couldn’t save Le Petit Four, the sunny French-Californian bistro in West Hollywood closed after 44 years of business. A celebrity-favorite fixture in the Sunset Plaza shopping center, the restaurant is the latest…
Langer’s Deli will stay open amid MacArthur Park improvements, for now
Norm Langer backs the city of Los Angeles’ recent work toward combating crime in MacArthur Park, and although closing his Langer’s Deli isn’t off the table, he says he’s decided to stick around for a little while. Seven months ago,…
Menu fatigue? Enter another dimension at Darkroom in Santa Ana
The restaurant is situated in a Santa Ana industrial complex surrounded by sprawling concrete buildings, in the sort of center where you’d expect to find a post office, a cleaners and maybe a chain restaurant that pushes build-your-own poke bowls….
Most exciting food and bar pop-ups to try at Coachella 2025
It’s not just residents and local bands emptying out of Los Angeles and trekking to Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this year. Some of the region’s best restaurants and chefs are joining them too. Fans will fly in from…
L.A. chef picked to run Tesla diner in Hollywood
The Tesla diner slated to open in Hollywood will be run by Eric Greenspan, a longtime Los Angeles chef, a Tesla investor announced this week. Greenspan will be the chef de cuisine at the new diner set to open on…