In which L.A. TACO's Hadley Tomicki fills you in on the most exciting new restaurants, pop-ups, and events cracking in and around Los Angeles...
Montebello
Don Chamorrón, which specializes in chamorro de puerco (slow-cooked, Michoacán-style pork shanks in adobo), has his own brick-and-mortar restaurant in Montebello. The good Don's menu includes chamorro plates and tacos, plus pork belly tortas, tostadas with your choice of pork foot, tongue, or headcheese, sopa Tarasco with guajillo and beans, gorditas with five guisado options, and large tacos trancas with potato or beans in mole. You'll also find aguas frescas, cheesecake and pay (pie) de elote for dessert, and sides of chicharron de habanero and jalapeno.
477 Washington Blvd. Montebello, CA 90640
Venice
Cypress Park local and prized L.A. chef Ray Garcia (Asterid, Que Barbaro, Broken Spanish) is now in command of The Rose, one of Venice's oldest operating restaurants. Garcia is rapidly transforming The Rose into a destination restaurant, with all-day dishes spanning a spectrum from light to hedonistic. Dinner dishes include a bone-in lamb's neck, mussel escabeche, baked naan with cashew muhammara, Panzanella salad with burrata di Puglia, vegetarian tostadas with ricotta and fava beans, hand-cut pappardelle with braised rabbit, and softshell crab with marcona almond romesco, Calabrian chile, confit fennel, and pickled herbs.
220 Rose Ave. Venice, CA 90291
Hawaiian Gardens
Chef Imran Mookhi's Shor will commemorate the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha from June 15-17 in Hawaiian Gardens. The 100% Halal restaurant, which comes from the team behind Michelin-recognized Khan Saab, will offer menu specials. Reservations are available now. Central to these offerings is an entree of sikandari raan, a preparation of grass-fed, spice-rubbed goat leg meant as a nod to the Qurbani/Udhiya (sacrifice), that time when Ibrahim obliged to kill his son on the command of a supreme deity. It will be offered on June 17th. Shor will also offer three prix-fixe menus to mark the occasion, priced from $55-$75, with dishes such as lamb rogan josh and keema mattar (minced meat with peas).
12155 E. Carson St. Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716
Santa Monica
As part of its recurring collaborations with local eateries, Santa Monica Brew Works is offering a golden "Ole Hickory Hells Lager," made with grain smoked on pecan wood by Kevin Bludso's Bludso's BBQ. Coming in at 4.9%, the smoky brew is only offered until it runs out.
1920 Colorado Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90404
Long Beach
Broken Spirits Distillery is now open in Long Beach, taking over the shuttered Portuguese Bend space. House spirits include rye, bourbon, single malt whiskey, wheated bourbon bottled in bond, gin, vodka, and barrel-aged aquavit. A huge cocktail selection comprises signature creations like Santeria and "Passin' Me By," as well as classics like gimlets, jungle birds, and negronis. The distillery comes from the team behind Villains Brewing, Craft, and Smoke & Fire, which offers a commodious, meaty menu with tacos bearing smoked brisket, pork belly, tri-tip, or mushrooms, "El Grito" burgers, smoked meats including steaks, chicharrones, and pastrami, as well as dishes like pho, pozole, wings, brisket quesadillas, and baked brie with bacon jam.
300 The Promenade North Long Beach, CA 90802
Westwood
Los Angeles finally has a Pret A Manger to call its own. The compulsively-organized concept, which originated in London, is a staple of sandwich fanatics-on-the-go, known for its great quantities of freshly-made sandwiches, salads, croissants, cookies, baguettes, and organic coffee, standing at the ready to suit all tastes. Expect esculent icons like the Classic Super Club, jamon-beurre sandwich, spicy chicken Caesar wrap, and Rainbow veggie sandwich, with all unsold product donated to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine at the end of the day. The brand plans to open in Studio City next.
10906 Le Conte Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90024
Glendale
Chef Travis Matoesian's El Gato Negro, a street pizza pop-up, is collaborating with Armenian barbecue wunderkind iii Mas Bakery & Deli tonight in Glendale. There will be a pizza with smoked dates, tzatziki, and six-hour braised lamb shank, as well as a pizza with batata harara (Lebanese spicy potatoes) and fior di latte, plus iii Mas' mortadella and labneh sandwiches, concluding on dessert of kadayif and/or labneh and murabba for dessert.
June 7, 9 pm - 12 am, behind Mush Meat, 415 E. Broadway Glendale,CA 91206
