Welcome back to L.A. TACO's weekly roundup of food and event finds! For members' eyes only...
FITOOR ~ SANTA MONICA

Fitoor is now open on Santa Monica's Ocean Avenue for creative Indian cuisine from the group behind the Bay Area's widely acclaimed restaurants Rooh, Alora, and Pippal, with "fitoor" roughly translating to "passion" or "obsession" in Hindi. An existing location of the concept is open in San Jose, while the Santa Monica address offers an updated menu with notably more seafood recipes.
Chef Surya Kumar's menu includes starters such as avocado-burrata chaat, stuffed inside a whole avocado; Peshawari lamb seekh kebab; burst chicken koliwada; filets of asado branzino with cilantro-mint pesto, and Maryland soft shell crab poriyal with tomato chutney.
There's also pulled-butter chicken-stuffed kulcha; black truffle-stuffed kulcha; and chicken tikka-and-jalapeño pizza; plus entrees like "reinvented" paneer lababdar; Kashmiri khurchan risotto with morels; lamb shank rogan josh (pictured above); Hyderabadi chicken dum biryani; and Alleppey prawn and fish, stacked together in a curry made with coconut and curry leaf.
A happy hour menu offers paneer makhani tacos, while dessert includes a gulab jamun creme brulee and paan ice cream. To drink, you'll find Indian and local beers, European and West Coast wines, mocktails, and cocktails like Canchanchara with rum, black garlic, gardenia mix, and citrus.
1755 Ocean Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90401
PROSPERITY MARKET x CRENSHAW DAIRY MART ~ INGLEWOOD

This Saturday, catch up with Prosperity Market, Carmen Dianne, and Kara Still's pop-up farmers markets that bring together Black farmers, food producers, artists, florists, and more.
You'll find them at Crenshaw Dairy Mart's closing event for its exhibit, Free the Land! Free the People! A study of the abolitionist pod, which are autonomously irrigated, solar-powered gardens housed within modular geodesic domes, intended to provide self-sufficiency in communities hit by food and housing insecurity and the prison industrial complex.
At this free event, in addition to Prosperity Market, artists, and vendors, you'll also find workshops, activations, music by DJ Klah G, WOW Flower Project conducting farmers meet-ups, and STEAM activities for kids by Teach to Reach.
Feb. 15, 11 am - 5 pm, 8629 Crenshaw Blvd. Inglewood, CA 90305
LINGGO FILIPINO DINER @ OPEN MARKET ~ KOREATOWN

Andrew Marco and Ralph Hsiao are kicking off a Filipino diner pop-up called Linggo this Sunday at their Open Market in Koreatown. In 2019, I covered one of the duo's incredible RCTNGL pop-up dinners in The L.A. Times, and I am still talking about the inventive and beautifully executed meal today.
Linggo (which translates to 'Sunday' in Tagalog) promises breakfast, including silog plates served like Japanese teishoku sets. There will be house-made pan de sal, tocilog with sticky-sweet cured pork, garlic longganisa, and short rib tapsilog marinated in soy and calamansi, among your choices, all served with fried eggs, garlic rice, pickles, and sour-savory sinigang soup. Egg pie is offered for dessert.
"It’s a continuation of Asian-Americana," Andrew says. "A question of what else we can create under that larger umbrella. If sandwiches at Open Market defined one part of the story, Linggo is about what happens when we take that same spirit and apply it to breakfast."
Linggo launches on Feb. 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with additional dates planned for Feb. 23 and March 16 and 23.
3339 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90010
AGNII ~ COVINA

Agnii is now open in Covina for a modern Indian experience, complete with ember-fired wings and fire pits.
Dishes include white malai kofta; chicken tikka burgers; chile-studded garlic naan; curries with goat and lamb; paneer-topped kulcha; chole bhatoora; fries with mint chutney; those ember-fired wings, and for dessert, carrot halwa spring rolls; chai cheesecake from a cheesecake flight, and liquid paan shots.
147 East College St. Covina, CA 91723
DANNY BOY'S PIZZA x AYARA THAI ~ DOWNTOWN/WESTWOOD

What happens when Danny Boy's Pizza chef Daniel Holzman and Ayara Thai's Vanda Asapahu put their big, beautiful brains together? Laab duck pizza, naturally.
Available by the pie or slice, it has a fish sauce and chile paste-infused tomato sauce, with confit duck and Asapahu's laab dressing on top. And you can only get it from Feb. 15-21 at Danny Boy's Westwood and Downtown locations.
330 S. Hope St. Los Angeles, CA 90071; 10889 Lindbrook Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90024
LOQUI ~ WOODLAND HILLS

Loqui, whose achiote chicken taco is ranked #51 on our list of L.A.'s 69 best tacos, just opened a new location at the Valley Country Market in Woodland Hills. This marks the fourth location for the Bay Area-born taqueria, known for its flour tortillas, taco kits, and taco, burrito, and bowl recipes, which range from cochinita pibil to white button mushrooms.
20929 Ventura Blvd. Woodland Hills, CA 91364
FEBRUARY 7, 2025
BUTTERFLY TACO ~ CULVER CITY

Butterfly Taco, a lively rooftop Mexican restaurant and bar from acclaimed Spanish chef and World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés, is now open on top of the Shay in Culver City. The restaurant shares inspiration with his D.C. restaurant, Oyamel, which carries a Michelin Bib recognition.
The menu includes Baja-style fish tacos with masa-battered rockfish; carnitas tacos with chicharrón, avocado salsa verde, and salsa Mexicana; and tacos with mushrooms in molito made with three chiles, chile de arbol mayo, and crema. Corn tortillas are sourced variously from small local vendors, including Tehachapi Heritage Grain Project.
There's also chilaquiles; crispy brussels sprouts "Estilo San Quintín" with chile de árbol sauce, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds; four ceviches, including a bass ceviche citrico in a pineapple-habanero marinade, young coconut ceviche, and one with atun Pacifico, Maggi-lime, crispy amaranth, Fresno chile, and toasted pecans.
You'll also find queso fundido made with tequila; a Caesar salad in homage to its inventor, Alex Caesar Cardini, and for dessert, chocoflan and Oaxacan chocolate cookies, also made with Tequila.
To drink, you can get the chef's famous salt air margaritas, Oaxacan Negronis, skin-contact wines, beer, sodas, and more.
8801 Washington Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT THE JOYCE ~ DOWNTOWN

Downtown's The Joyce is honoring Black History Month with a series of collaborations with Black chefs and businesses from L.A.
In addition to an exclusive cocktail from Uncle Nearest Whiskey and a special latte from Ghost Town Oats being served all month, there will be events like a pre-fixe dinner featuring bowl-maker VIJN on Feb. 12, flower deliveries via Oldvine Florals on Feb. 14, a dinner with Bridgetown Roti's Rashida Holmes on Feb. 17, a brunch with singer Rayana Jay on Feb. 22, and a dinner with Alta Adams chef Keith Corbin on Feb. 25.
770 South Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90017
TACOS EL TORITO ~ CENTRAL ALAMEDA

Tacos El Torito is now open south of Downtown in the Central Alameda neighborhood. The taqueria makes its own fresh salsas and tortillas by hand, with meats including pastor, lengua, buche, chorizo, saudero, carnitas, asada, pollo, and more. These are also found in alambres, tortas, burritos, quesadillas, and mulitas.
4889 Compton Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90011
THE GREYHOUND'S MEZCAL MENU ~ HIGHLAND PARK

Highland Park's The Greyhound Bar & Grill has quietly morphed into a mezcal bar featuring rare varietals. The teams says it is committed "to finding the best artesanal and ancestral agave spirits from family producers that best express the terroir and spirit of Mexico."
Among the list you'll find Legendario Domingo Cupreata from Guerrero, Zinacantan Espadilla from Puebla, Mezcal Metiche 49 Salmiana from San Luis Potosi, and Legendario Domingo Cenizo from Durango, as well as Oaxaca's El Mero Mero Tepaxtate, Perro Verde Tobasiche, and Gozona “Barril Chino” Arrequeno, among the many.
One-ounce pours range in price from $10-$40.
5570 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90042
TSUKIYO SUSHI ~ KOREATOWN

Tsukiyo Sushi is now open with a large menu of Japanese nigiri, sushi rolls, izakaya dishes, and entrees in Koreatown.
There's udon, fried oysters; fried chicken; halibut carpaccio; black pork sausage; uni pasta; spicy tomato and mussel nabe; nigiri with hotate; ankimo and sea bream; eggplant karaage; fries topped with mussels and Cajun-spiced shrimp; bento boxes; eel-and-crab-laced rattlesnake rolls, and much, much more. With sake, beer, and wine to drink.
3959 Wilshire Blvd. #A-11 Los Angeles, CA 90005
STARA HOUSE RESTAURANT ~ FAIRFAX FARMER'S MARKET

And just like that, L.A. has another place for traditional Polish food. Stara House Restaurant is now open at the O.G. Fairfax Farmer's Market, serving its share of handmade pierogis, kotlet schabowy (pork schnitzel), grilled kielbasa and kielbasa dogs, krokiet (filled, rolled crepes), nalesniki (folded crepes), red borscht, and placki (potato pancakes). “Na zdrowie!”
6333 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90036
JANUARY 31, 2025
This week, we learned about a Champagne-fueled fundraising dinner for Restaurants Care and L.A. Fire Foundation at Suzanne Goin's A.O.C., a Parisian benefit for CORE at Zinque in Venice, a record sale to benefit affected Dublab musicians, and ongoing, weekly taco specials at Damian that raise money for firefighters. Along with an ongoing fundraiser for food relief in Gaza.
Here are a five new places, and one solid drink that benefits firefighters, to check out this weekend.

CHAM GASTROPUB ~ KOREATOWN
Cham Gastropub is now open in KTown, serving a menu that spans the gamut from Korean-inspired shrimp-and-corn risotto, cheesy buldak, charcoal-smoked pork ribs, and coconut-lemongrass mussels to chicharrones, tteokbokki, wings, kimchi jjigae, eggplant, and gochujang-braised pork belly. All served alongside a considerable stock of cocktails, beer, spirits, and high-quality soju.
985 S. Kenmore Ave, Los Angeles, California 90006

BOA STEAKHOUSE x BANDERO TEQUILA ~ FOR LAFD
BOA Steakhouse has partnered with Bandero Tequila to raise funds for L.A. firefighters through the LAFD Foundation, donating all proceeds from its tableside espresso martini until February 9. The cocktail is made with both Bandero blanco and Bandero Cafe and is available at all L.A. locations of the steakhouse, as well as at all locations of its sister IDG restaurants, Sushi Roku and Katana.
Currently, BOA is also offering a winter menu with compelling new dishes, including a Thai massaman curry with sunchokes, and a unique, hot seafood platter.
West Hollywood, Manhattan Beach, and Santa Monica.

DOLLAR SKEWERS BY JUMAK ~ PASADENA
Pasadena's Jumak has transformed into an all-you-can-eat Korean skewer concept, with a side of mala hot chicken sandwiches (goddamn, we love this city). Skewer options, which are also offered a la carte, include lamb, beef, pork, chicken, tofu, mushroom, and rice cake, with sides of chow mein, shrimp tempura, fried rice, malatang soup, and fries (see above note about our love for this city).
All-you-can-eat sets are priced at $25 and $38 (which adds hand rolls to your meal). The restaurant also serves a la carte bowls with lamb, beef, pork, tofu, and chicken, along with sandwiches based on the same proteins. The restaurant also has a menu for DineLA Restaurant Week.
45 North Raymond Ave. Pasadena, CA 91103

LUNCH AT A TI ~ ECHO PARK
Modern Mexican sensation A Tí has launched lunch, held 11 AM to 3 PM every Saturday and Sunday. You'll find tacos, quesadillas, and costras on blue corn Kernel of Turth tortillas, bearing everything from beef cheek, birria, and lengua to oyster mushrooms, plus an al pastor special, and its NY Times-lauded crispy taco.
There's also a chicken tamal with chef Andrew Ponce's 462-day-old mole, a beef, bean, and cheese burrito, and pozole rojo, with optional sides like pickles, fried jalapenos, and caramelized onion.
Will you have that with a plum paloma? A mezcal with a Modelo chaser? Water? We can't wait to hear.
1498 Sunset Blvd. #2, Los Angeles, CA 90026

SAL'S PLACE ~ WEST HOLLYWOOD
Madone! Sal's Place is popping up again, straight from Provincetown, Massachusetts, so chef Siobhan Carew and her crew can ride out winter and spring in West Hollywood. The Cape Cod-imported, Italian-inspired concept serves dishes like vongole with littleneck clams, a peppercorn-crusted filet mignon with shoe string fries, orecchiette with sausage, brassica, and marscapone, plus tuna crudo, Basque cheesecake, and other classic dishes that go great with its sage gimlets and "Spicy Part Time Lovers" with Tequila, Aperol, elderflower, and jalapeño.
350 N. Robertson Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90048

MULTI COOK MULTI BAR ~ MID-WILSHIRE
Fresh Ukrainian eats are the focus of Multi Cook & Multi Bar in Mid-Wilshire, which opened earlier this month to offer a wide variety of to-go and dine-in dumplings, and other dishes from the region.
Varenyki dumplings are available with brined cheese, blueberry, cherry, potato-and-bacon, and even chocolate-and-cheese as fillings, among other choices, while pelmeni and Georgian khinkali dumplings are filled with the likes of pork-and-beef, salmon, veal, lamb, and other respective meats and sweet fillings.
Other treats in the huuuuuge menu include different varieties of syrniki, blini, stuffed rolls, and peppers, as well as kebab, fish cutlets, chicken Kyiv, fritters, solyanka, borsch, Crimean chebureki, sausages, meatballs, and more.
5466 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036
JANUARY 24, 20205
From eateries and entities like Yama Sushi Marketplace, Bracken Kitchen, ROW DTLA, TLV Tapas Bar, Yume Sushi Bar, and so many others helping feed those both fighting and affected by the fires, to those sharing proceeds like Koi and Firefly, to everyone organizing fundraisers like The Slice & Pint and Valerie Echo Park, L.A.'s restaurant community has had our city's back from the troubled start of 2025.
We urge you to dine out, however, wherever you are able, as restaurants, from fine-dining to street stands and food trucks, are still facing an uncertain future. With Dine LA Restaurant Week(s) kicking off today, in which $5 for every reservation will go to The American Red Cross with the goal of reaching $100,000, the opportunities abound.
Here are a five new places, and one flavorful benefit event, to check out this weekend.
PACIFIC CATCH ~ SANTA MONICA

Pacific Catch is now open for lunch and dinner in Santa Monica, following a pre-opening period in which proceeds were donated to Surfrider Foundation's local chapter and Life Rolls On. The Bay Area-born seafood sensation stands a few blocks from the beach, focused on sustainable seafood in "Pacific Rim"-inspired recipes.
You'll find griddled Hawaiian-style lobster rolls with tarragon-dill lobster salad, avocado, radish, and romaine, as well as East Coast-style, butter-warmed lobster rolls, chilled tarragon-dill lobster salad, and a grilled lobster tail served with skirt steak, grilled chile-miso broccolini, and butter-toasted Hawaiian rolls.
There are also sticky Korean ribs, chowder made with applewood bacon and your choice of grilled salmon or Manila clams, different pokes and ceviches, sashimi tacos on sushi rice and nori, and wagyu cheeseburgers.
Drinks take a tiki approach, with options like caramelized pina coladas, rum old fashioneds, and lemongrass mojitos.
120 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401
PERUVIAN BOWL ~ VENICE

Peruvian Bowl recently opened in Venice's seaside Gingerbread Courts. Allied with Peruvian celebrity chef and partner Mathias Brivio, the restaurant has a short menu of poke-inspired bowls, including the Asian bowl with soy sauce-flambeed chicken with mushrooms, scallions, and fried egg; a ceviche bowl with cancha served on mashed sweet potato; a lomo saltado bowl; as well as bowls topped with causa, veggies, and spicy tuna respectively. In addition, there's leche de tigre, salchipapas, and sandwiches made with lomito, chicharron, and butifara.
517 Ocean Front Walk Venice, CA 90291
DISTRITO 14 ~ BOYLE HEIGHTS

Boyle Heights' Distrito 14 has transformed into a cider bar, with a new food menu from acclaimed chef Jonathan Perez of Macheen. Now you can pair your eats with naturally fermented cider from Sonoma made with single-varietal or even hibiscus-flavored, as well as cider cocktails like a ginger apple Moscow mule, guavada, or matcha yuzu cider-and-coconut spritzer.
New dishes include shredded turkey taquitos with mole poblano and feta; pork belly chicharrón wraps; wild yellowfin pastor tostaditas; hanger steak carne asada served with Sonoran flour tortillas and pasilla peppercorn sauce (as well as a vegetarian maitake mushroom counterpart); a pescado frita burger with yuzu aguachile dill slaw; fried chicken burger with honey salsa macha; and a cheeseburger with a Zacatecas-style chorizo patty, cilantro-lime aioli, and chile pasilla relish.
For dessert, there's pan de elote with dulce de leche ice cream, and horchata French toast with Oaxacan granola and prickly pear sorbet, among the options.
1837 1st St. Los Angeles, CA 90033
CITY TACO ~ UNIVERSITY PARK

We were surprised to learn that San Diego's City Taco has a location in L.A., serving among the shops at USC Village. We've enjoyed the creative taco concept when vacationing south, including the tacos with chorizo asado, battered basa fish, beer-battered chile rellenos, and surf-and-turf with steak and shrimp on flour tortillas, along with sides of frijoles charros and elote. Every Tuesday, the local location offers 10% off all food, with discounts on beer and live DJs in the early evening.
835 W. Jefferson Blvd. Ste. 1735 Los Angeles, CA 90089
AL DENTE PASTA SHOP ~ WEST L.A.

Al Dente Pasta Shop is now open in West L.A., specializing in fresh, handmade pasta from Puglia-raised chef Luigi Fineo, who earned a Michelin star for Santa Monica's La Botte in 2008 and 2009.
Here you'll be able to buy, or have delivered, myriad pasta shapes for home, as well as dine-in on square Roman pizza and prepared pasta lamb neck pappardelle, bucatini carbonara, crispy gnocchi with speck and smoked scamorza, and fusili Genovese.
10581 1/2 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064
EAST SIDE LOVE BENEFIT ~ CHINATOWN

East Side Love, a benefit for those adversely affected by the Eaton Fire in Altadena, will be held this Sunday in Chinatown's Far East Plaza, featuring dishes from Amboy, Guisados, Howlin' Ray's, and a collaboration from LaSorted's with Yeastie Boys Bagels, and dessert from Scoop's.
Drinks will be provided by Engkanto Brewery, Hurray's Girl Beer, Le Chill Wine, Rancho West, and San Pellegrino, while DJs Amistad and Slow Jamz will rock the crowd.
$65 tickets can be purchased here, with all net proceeds going to organizations working to support the community of Altadena.
5:00-9:00 P.M., 727 N. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012
JANUARY 3, 2025
From eateries and entities like Yama Sushi Marketplace, Bracken Kitchen, ROW DTLA, TLV Tapas Bar, Yume Sushi Bar, and so many others helping feed those both fighting and affected by the fires, to those sharing proceeds like Koi and Firefly, to everyone organizing fundraisers like The Slice & Pint and Valerie Echo Park, L.A.'s restaurant community has had our city's back from the troubled start of 2025.
We urge you to dine out, however, wherever you are able, as restaurants, from fine-dining to street stands and food trucks, are still facing an uncertain future. With Dine LA Restaurant Week(s) kicking off today, in which $5 for every reservation will go to The American Red Cross with the goal of reaching $100,000, the opportunities abound.
Here are a five new places, and one flavorful benefit event, to check out this weekend.
The Peppered Goat ~ Van Nuys

The Peppered Goat is now open for Nigerian food with Caribbean influences in Van Nuys, from chef JohnPaul Arabome, who L.A. TACO featured in 2020. The new brick-and-mortar space sells competition-winning jollof rice, the eponymous peppered goat, plus dishes like savory pepper pies, stewed fish with plantains, and beef, chicken, turkey, and goat suya, among the many options.
15136 Stagg St. Van Nuys, CA 91405
Xibei Dumplings ~ Silver Lake

Food writer Ben Mesirow turned us on to a new place for Chinese dumplings called Xibei, now soft-open in Silver Lake from fifth-generation shumai maker Meng Defei.
Here you'll find six types of shumai, including cheesy beef, chicken-and-mushroom, shrimp-and-zucchini, and veggie shumai. There's also beef and rice bowls, scallion pancakes, fungus salad, popcorn chicken and shrimp, mushroom fries, and beef tempura, with sour plum juice, cold brew green tea, and red bean milk tea to drink.
3300 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
Lavash BBQ ~ Sunland

Looking for khorovats in Sunland? We had a feeling.
Lavash Bar B Que is now open on Foothill Boulevard, selling Armenian-style shawarma, luleh kebab, skewered ribs and lamb chops, chicken wings, chicken on rice, hummus, and more.
8236 Foothill Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 91040
Bar Siesta ~ Silver Lake

Bar Siesta is now open in Silver Lake from Botanica's Heather Sperling and Carlos Levia and Lucia Flors, the founders of Siesta Co., which specializes in Spanish conservas and products from Spain.
Currently open Thursdays through Mondays, with a heated patio, the space is both a restaurant and market, serving tapas such as hand-shaved jamon Iberico de bellota, pan con tomate, setas al ajíllo, tosta de almejas, and Sonoma lamb loin with mojo verde, along with a selection of conservas like anchovies in smoked oil and white clams in brine.
Naturally, you'll want some sherry, Basque cider, or vermouth to knock this all down. Bar Siesta delivers a wide beverage section that includes vino tinto, naranja, rosado, and blanco, as well as cava, sweet wine, and beer. Botanica's Tessa Faulkner is on dessert duty, with crema Catalan con anis and olive oil ice cream with an optional splash of Pedro Ximenez sherry, among others.
1710 Silver Lake Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
Kreung Kitchen ~ To-Go

Kreung Kitchen, the excellent Cambodian barbecue business recently featured in L.A. TACO, is now offering its skewers to go.
This way, you can place an online order and drop by Sam Oum's roving pop-up, pick up some packs of vacuum-sealed lemongrass beef, grilled chicken thigh, short rib, and pork belly skewers, and prepare them at home. He even delivers within ten miles of Culver City.
Hit Sam up on DM to place your order.
DECEMBER 20, 2024
Morena Mia Tacos ~ Artesia

Morena Mia Tacos is now open in Artesia, touting a pink tortilla for those who are seeking them. The menu is straightforward and vast, featuring street tacos, seafood tacos, burritos, quesadillas, keto tacos, vegan tacos, tortas, and fries with a mighty meat selection, including cabeza, chorizo, pastor, fish and shrimp, tripas, buche, lengua, asada, carnitas, and more.
11660 South St. Ste. 110 Artesia, CA 90701
Doner Corner ~ Sawtelle/Brentwood

Doner Corner just opened for Turkish food on Wilshire Boulevard in the Sawtelle neighborhood. Your choices include iskender, doner wraps and plates, salads, lentil soup, lahmajun, babaganoush, hummus, and a selection of pides with cheese, vegetables, and your pick of meats, including soujak and doner. For dessert, there's baklava, kunefe, and rice pudding.
11916 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90025
Popolo ~ Downtown

Veteran chefs Mario Alberto (Laurel Hardware, Olivia) and Francesco Allegro (Eagle Rock's Capri Club) are collaborating on an Italian-Mexican pop-up called POPOLO, which will have 5 PM and 8 PM seatings at Orsa & Winston this Sunday, December 22. The nine-course menu, with optional wine pairings, is promised to have several Allegro's different pasta shapes, handmade with rye and semolina flour, which a press release tells us will be paired with "sauces of chile, gremolata, vegetables, and Mexican ingredients."
Check out @popolofood on Instagram to see the full menu and DM to reserve a spot.
$95 per person ~ 122 W 4th St. Los Angeles, CA 90013
Young Dabang ~ Koreatown

A high-end tteokbokki specialist is grand-opening tomorrow in Koreatown. Young Dabang has such variations on the Korean rice cakes as a grilled brisket tteokbokki, rose tteokbokki, cheese fall tteokbokki, and soondae tteokbokki, all served with instant ramen, quail eggs, and yaki mandu dumplings. In addition, there is kimbap and sides such as blood sausage, butter garlic fries, tempura, corn fritters, and fish cake skewer soup.
610 S. Berendo St. Los Angeles, CA 90010
The Street ~ Granada Hills

There's a(nother) new Sonoran taco in town! The Street is an L.A.-emblazoned taco truck at Balboa Plaza in Granada Hills, selling tacos, gringas, burritos, caramelos, lorenzas with Chihuahuan cheese, and mulitas on your choice of flour or corn tortilla. Each comes with cabbage, frijoles de olla, pico de gallo, and avocado salsa.
You'll be able to have those filled with flame-grilled asada, chicken, adobada, longaniza, chambarete (beef shank), birria de res, and chile poblano with beans and queso fresco. The business also offers papas locas, as well as delivery and takeout.
10349 Balboa Blvd. Granada Hills, CA 91344
Baby Blues BBQ ~ Venice

Baby Blues BBQ is back! Following a 2022 fire at its Venice location, the neighborhood favorite is now in business again, offering its time-honored hushpuppies, babyback and Memphis ribs, cornbread, pulled pork, brisket, smoked chicken, XXX hot sauce, and banana pudding once again amid a collection of vintage Venice and Americana artifacts.
Baby Blues also rocks a plant-based menu, with country-fried tofu sandwiches, beet burgers, sauteed okra, and more.
444 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA 90291
December 13, 2024
OMG Kebab ~ Woodland Hills

OMG Kebab is a Persian street stand grilling up lamb liver, lamb hearts, lamb chops, and lamb kidneys on a metal mangal in Woodland Hills. It also serves Bandari hot dogs, ribeye steak, koobideh, and chicken kebab sandwiches. Find it Tuesdays to Sundays from 8 PM - 2 AM.
20635 Ventura Blvd. Woodland Hills, CA 91364
The Mouth ~ Burbank

That crust-covered flying saucer you see above you? That's a burger. Specifically, it's the "Pocket Burger" at The Mouth in Burbank.
The patty is grilled to order with cheese, then slipped inside of an ingredient-topped Dutch roll, both halves of which are then sealed together with a sandwich press, resulting in a burger neatly encased inside its own crusty buns. The restaurant also offers burgers on croissants and traditional smashburgers, plus loaded fries, shakes, and chicken sandwiches.
4017 W. Riverside Dr. Burbank, CA 91505
Broken Engrish ~ Studio City

Broken Engrish is serving a vegan take on traditional Taiwanese dishes out of a takeout location on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. The plant-based menu includes dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, a jackfruit-based beef noodle soup, five-spice onion rings, braised minced Beyond "pork" on rice, and mapo tofu waffle fries.
3711 Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 91604
Rasarumah ~ Historic Filipinotown

Lincoln Heights-raised chef Johnny Lee recently opened Rasarumah on Beverly Boulevard with the group behind Barra Santos and Found Oyster. Here, Lee is focused on Malaysian and Southeast Asian flavors, in dishes such as satays featuring your choice of pork jowl or chicken thigh.
There's also Malay fried chicken wings; shareable plates of chile crab; noodle dishes like char kway teow with shrimp and Chinese sausage; banana leaf-steamed black cod, and Wagyu beef cheek rendang.
Thurs-Mon., 3107 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
Mas For More ~ Chinatown

Free toys? Free pictures with Santa? Free Villa's tacos?!
Christmas Day has nothing on MasForMore's 5th Annual Toy Giveaway, which is going down this Sunday, December 15th, in Chinatown. The event finds the nonprofit Production Club distributing toys to 3,000 kids in under-served communities between the ages of 3 months to 16, along with an afternoon of DJs, free food and drinks, snowy surprises, family-friendly activities, free kids books in English, Spanish, and Chinese, and more.
Villa's Tacos will be serving the event, offering two tacos per person (one black bean with nopales, and one soyrizo-and-papa) with an included agua fresca. Toys are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the event is open to all, whether you're there for toys or to donate funds.
11AM to 4PM, 1725 Naud St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
LaSorted's x Phillipe the Original ~ Chinatown

LaSorted's Chinatown is collaborating with neighboring French dip legend Philippe the Original. Through the month of December, LaSorted's will be topping their thick-crust Sicilian pizza dough with provolone, mozzarella, parmesan, and Phillipe's roast beef and mustard, along with a side of au jus for dipping. $8 a slice/$48 per pie.
984 N. Broadway Los Angeles, CA 90012
DECEMBER 6, 2024
Ettore Vino E Cucina ~ The O.G. Farmer's Market On Fairfax

A romantic, organic wine-focused Italian restaurant has blossomed in the Original Farmers Market on Fairfax. Ettore Vino e Cucina combines the Mendocino vintages of Italian-born winemaker Ettore Biraghi and Sofia Rivier with the culinary wonders of Filippo Cortivo (owner of Larchmont's Osteria Mamma) into a enchanting, sit-down experience mere steps from the historic stalls and food-crazed crowds.
Catalan-raised chef Mònica Angelats Coll, a vet of Brera, Cecconi's, and All'Angelo, is at the helm of a tight menu featuring pastas like red-wine tagliatelle with mushrooms, kale, and hazelnuts; lasagna bolognese rolls; wild boar sugo ravioli; and heavenly gnocchi Sorrentina with straciatella. There's also a grilled fish of the day, baccala with polenta fries, braised lamb shanks, and affogato and torta caprese for dessert.
The boutique organic winery's sulfite-free wares are on offer here, with an accessible option to try three reds or whites by the glass for $25.
6333 W. 3rd St. Ste. 120 Los Angeles, CA 90036
Carnitas Villaseñor ~ Paramount

We can see Carnitas Villaseñor, it's golden-brown cueritos shining in the sun, as it pops up on weekends in Paramount with buche, costillas (ribs), carnitas maciza, and thin sheets of confit pork skin. Along with sides of curtido, salsa macha, pickled onions, salsa roja, and for a sweet treat, buñuelos.
8033 Alhambra Ave. Paramount, CA 90723

Holey Moley ~ Santa Monica
Whoever says you can't play 27-holes of miniature golf at a restaurant while drinking a gin cocktail from a toy bathtub and eating fried pickles and double bacon burgers and doing karaoke in a private room has clearly never been to Holey Moley, which grand-opens today on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade in a mad maelstrom of inventive, pop culture-themed miniature golf, quirky drinks and snacks, and caterwauling to "Pink Pony Club," all designed to entertain and delight you and your friends.
They may have just a little too much time to think, too.
1315 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Blk Crust Pizza ~ Altadena

Blk Crust Pizza is a new pop-up pizzeria, appearing every Thursday through Saturday at Ace Smoke Shop and Rancho Bar in Altadena, from 6-11 P.M.
The Black-owned business handmakes Neapolitan-style pies, which are fired in Gozney ovens, and have local ingredients and a black crust made from dark dough that rests for 72 hours. Its $18-$20 pie options include a spicy pepperoni with jalapeño and Brooklyn-made Mike's Hot Honey, and classic pies topped with cheese-and-basil and pepperoni. The outfit also caters.
Thurs-Sun., 6-11 P.M., 2501 Lake Ave. Altadena, CA 91001

Kiez - Küche & Beer Garden ~ Highland Park
The owners of Wirsthaus and Rasselbock have opened Kiez, a Berlin-inspired, contemporary biergarten with outdoor and indoor seating in Highland Park, taking over the former Wolfie's Hot Chicken and Hinterhof space. Kiez is regional German slang for "neighborhood."
You'll find numerous taps of German and Belgian ales in front of a graffiti-scrawled bar and more steel beams, street signs, and glass than wooden tchotchkes and suggestive dirndls. There's also a piece of the Berlin Wall in this pet-friendly spot.
Menu items include sausage platters; soft pretzels; wild boar sausages; cheddarwurst, bratwurst, and currywurst; lamb burgers; and beef goulash with housemade spätzle, in addition to vegan sausages and other meat-free takes on traditional drinking foods.
Kiez also serves "flammkuchen," a pizza-like flatbread that comes in varieties like the "classic," with bacon, Parmigana Reggiano, and creme fraiche, and the "supreme," with tomato sauce, spicy beef sausage, olives, onions, pepperoncini, and spicy aioli.
4939 York Blvd. Highland Park, CA 90042
November 22, 2024
Tomat ~ Westchester

Tomat, an innovative new destination for hyper local cooking, is now open in Westchester from North London-raised chef Harry Posner and Natalie Dial, a husband-and-wife team.
Posner's menu is inspired by his Persian heritage, the couple's extensive world travels throughout Japan and Europe, plus local farmers markets, including their own nearby garden that fuels the restaurant's sustainable, "seed-to-table" philosophy.
Dishes include barbari bread with roasted tomato butter, white seabass ceviche with sunchoke chips, a massive Peads & Barnetts pork chop with apple and tomatillo, duck dry-aged in-house and paired with a fesenjan mole made with saffron, pomegranate, and walnuts, and dessert of sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and burnt milk gelato.
Coffee and pastries like pistachio croissants, mushroom Danishes, and miso chocolate chip cookies can be enjoyed by day in this community-centered space, while a rooftop terrace makes the ideal roost for a Martini or Paper Plane cocktail while watching actual panes land at LAX.
6261 W. 87th St. Los Angeles, CA 90045
Somerville ~ View Park-Windsor Hills

Somerville opens today along the Slauson Corrdior from Yonnie Hagos and Ajay Relan, the locals behind Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen and LOST Rooftop Cocktail + Taco Bar. The restaurant, wine, and cocktail bar seeks to honor South Central's culture and history, and features a piano and stage for live performances among an enchanting atmosphere of Art Deco fixtures, polished wood walls, and a floor of Italian white oak.
Bouchon and Broken Spanish veteran Geter Atienza's menu features housemade Parker rolls with truffle butter and a "Black Goddess" salad with dressing made from charred onion ash and squid ink, as well as duck confit with sour cherry star anise jus, collard greens lasagna, braised lamb shank with saffron polenta, cheese and charcuterie, and a steak section with add-ons such as brown sugar-braised bacon and baked mac-and-cheese.
Cocktails include "A Love Supreme," a clarified take on the Japanese Slipper, with Haku vodka, Midori, Cointreau, and lemon.
4437 W. Slauson Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90043
ASB Kitchen ~ Various L.A. Locations

ASB Kitchen is a Belizean/Caribbean food stand popping up around town, from Compton to Sawtelle, and also offering delivery. Dishes include oxtails, jerk chicken, wings, salmon, stew chicken, and Aussie lamb chops with beans and rice. Check out Instagram for its location.
Catch it today in Baldwin Hills, starting at 11 A.M., at 5080 Obama Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016
Bahia Hollywood ~ Hollywood

Bahia Hollywood is now open along the Walk of Fame amid the bones of the old Fox Theater. The concept offers brunch and dinner menus that include birria, bone marrow tacos, tuna tiradito, aguachile, braised short rib, and a seafood pasta with shrimp and octopus. Drinks include the "Nice Papi" with mezcal, guava, lemon, dry vermouth, and oblea falsa.
While many of those items are served from a full-size taco truck in the restaurant's entry, on Saturday evenings, a back lounge promises to come alive with Tropicana-style feathered dancers, live music, and Latin dancing. On future Sundays, it plans to hold a tea party with mate drinks, conchas, chicken empanadas, and huevos rancheros.
6506 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028
Mean Cow Burgers ~ Lynwood

A halal wagyu smash burger spot called Mean Cow is now open in Lynwood and we're hearing good things. The simple menu offers messy burgers with single, double, triple, and quadruple patties made from Australian wagyu, with cheese, pickles, sauce, and a side of fries. There are also chopped cheese-covered "cow fries" and additional patties can be ordered at $4 a pop.
3150 E. Imperial Hwy. Lynwood, CA 90262
Lodge Bread ~ Beverly Hills

Chef Or Amsalam's Lodge Bread opens next Wednesday** in Beverly Hills, having shuttered its Pico-Robertson bakery for bigger digs. Here you'll find all the whole grain, naturally leavened sourdough loaves and pastries the business is known for, along with a Middle Eastern-inspired menu featuring its popular shakshuka, huge cinnamon Rolls, plus smoked pastrami and jambon and beurre sandwiches, salads, toasts, and more.
295 South Robertson Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211
**We've updated this post as the initial opening date was pushed back by two days.
"Festival Comunitario Del Faithsgiving" ~ Pico-Union

A thousand free turkeys will be given away to households in need on Tuesday, November 26, at Pico Union Project's 11 annual “Festival Comunitario del Faithsgiving” from 2:30-4:30 p.m., along with school supplies, backpacks, diapers, clothing, pantry staples, and other necessities.
There will also be live entertainment from Bob Baker Marionettes, all female mariachi ensemble Mariachi Las Colibri, Tegan the Clown, and musician Norton Wisdom.
"All are welcome as recipients, volunteers, or simply to join the community," organizers say.
1153 Valencia St. Los Angeles, CA 90015
November 15, 2024
Wax On HI-FI ~ Downtown

Wax On HI-FI is a fun destination now open across from the Last Bookstore in Downtown, from Atlanta transplant TJ Johnson. At this Tokyo-inspired DJ bar, chef Yukari Matsushita prepares a rare fusion of Japanese and Creole food. There are also cocktails and DJs playing all vinyl sets, with an emphasis on blues, soul, hip-hop, and funk.
The menu includes wagyu patty melts on toasted milk bread, tempura po' boys, pork belly jambalaya, curry with karaage and andouille sausage, chicken biscuit sliders, and miso mac-and-cheese, while you'll have sake highballs, drat beer, and sake flights to drink.
212 W 5th St. Los Angeles, CA 90013
Arcane's Last Drop Bar At Boba Bear ~ Koreatown

To celebrate the new season of the streaming animated epic Arcane, Boba Bear is turning its Koreatown space into the show's Last Drop Bar from November 18 through mid-February. The all-ages event will have completely immersive decor and themed cocktails like the "Knuckle Sandwich" with soju, habanero, jalapeno, and mango.
There will also be limited edition merch like the show's brightly colored "Shimmer" vials featuring non-alcoholic boba drinks, and activities like Vi's Punching Game, a Jinx-themed photo booth, and exclusive events like cocktail classes and cosplay contests.
Tickets are $10, which includes 1 drink. Reservations here.
414 S. Western Ave. #C Los Angeles, CA 90020
Grandma's Kitchen ~ Delivery

Grandma's Kitchen prepares "Lebanese street food" for delivery throughout L.A. and pick-up at its West L.A. ghost kitchen. A large menu of options includes spiced chicken rolls, charcoal-grilled lamb and chicken skewers, falafel plates, spaghetti with Lebanese ground beef, kafta-stuffed pitas, kafta smashburgers, falafel burgers, stuffed grape leaves, tabbouleh salad, and more.
2352 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064
Tacolina ~ Silver Lake

The team behind Blue Plate Oysterette and Blue Plate Taco have just opened Tacolina in Silver Lake. The upscale, Baja-inspired restaurant features a big, palm-filled outdoor cocktail bar, gorgeous jungle patio, and a stage for live performances, along with handmade tortillas, farmers market ingredients, custom furniture from Jalisco and Michoacan, and coastal Pacific Mexican vibes.
At brunch, you'll find chilaquiles verdes, bacon breakfast tortas, frijoles con pollo, and Bloody Marias. For dinner, a wide range of dishes includes taquitos with Mary's Chicken, portobellos, and Chihuahua cheese, plus tacos with cochinita a la plancha, skirt steak, fried velvet shrimp, and grilled or battered red snapper.
There are also entrees like shrimp a la diabla with salsa macha, a fish of the day, and skirt steak to pair with orange, pink, red, sparkling, and white wines, plus cocktails like a tobacco old fashioned, carajillo, and guava daiquiri. An agave list includes G4 Tequila and six expressions of Mal Bien mezcal.
Today, the restaurant also opens its Jaguar Room, a sexy cocktail haunt draped in Jaguar print, jaguar statues, and with its own cocktail menu.
2815 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026

Brewjeria's 5th Anniversary Weekend ~ Pico Rivera
Pico Rivera's Brewjeria Company is "chela-brating" five years with different special guests, live music, and exclusive barrel-aged beer, craft ale, and merch releases every day, starting yesterday and going through November 17. Here's the schedule of events:
Friday, November 15 - La Fiesta Continues 3pm
Doobie Burgers x Tortas el Aguila special takeover with live music showcase featuring three local bands.
Saturday, November 16 - Street Food Celebration 2 pm
No Mambres, Los Dorados L.A., and The Basket Taco special takeover, with DJ Residual Funk & Friends and limited barrel releases.
Sunday, November 17 - Grand Finale 2 pm
A's BBQ feast with live performance by Rafa & Porque Si, and final anniversary beer releases.
4937 Durfee Ave. Pico Rivera, California 90660

Maison Kasai x Huneeus Wines ~ Downtown
On Wednesday, November 21, Michelin-starred chef Josh Gil's Maison Kasai will prepare a six-course wine dinner paired to vintages from Northern California's Huneeus Wines, which will include those from their llumination, Flowers, and Faust labels.
Dishes include Santa Barbara spot prawns with kushi oysters, sorrel and apple; artichoke katsu with a rich chicken glaze; A-5 wagyu and scallop pasta with truffle consomme; tea-smoked duck breast and swordleaf and cherry gastrique; prime ribeye and cap; and a dessert of persimmon and buttermilk.
$150 per person reservations can be found here.
1254 S. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90015
November 8, 2024
Thai Curry Pan Con Pollo ~ Mid-City

Blue Boy, a pop-up acclaimed for its pizza, will make Thai-inspired, Salvadoran panes con pollo with a braised chicken yellow curry, ancho mayonnaise, cucumber, red cabbage, and fried shallots on beautiful bolillos, with a Thai chile and Aleppo pepper oil and spicy curtido served on the side. The fusion sandwiches will only be offered this Saturday and Sunday only at Convi in Mid-City, from 12 PM to 4 PM.
5001 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016
Fuegos ~ Exposition Park

An Argentine restaurant named Fuegos is now open in Exposition Park. The business sells rustic-looking, handmade empanadas, frozen to go, or to eat hot on the spot.
There are also chicken milanesa sánguches (sandwiches), tortillas de papa, choripan, and medialunas on croissants. Empanada varieties include hand-cut beef, chicken, ham-and-cheese, vegan beef, caprese, corn, and onion-and-cheese.
3957 S. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90062
Bomba Yucateco Delicacy ~ San Pedro/Lawndale

Bomba Yucateco Delicacy is a self-described specialist in cochinita pibil, the achiote and naranja agria-marinated, banana leaf-wrapped, slow-cooked pork from Mexico's Yucatán state. Owner Freddy Estrella is originally from the city of Merida.
Find the pop-up this Saturday at Brouwerij West in San Pedro and Sunday at Far Field Beer Co. in Lawndale, serving dishes like tacos, nachos, quesadillas, and tortas with your choice of cochinita pibil, asada made with recado negro, and portobello mushrooms.
Made Burgers ~ Lawndale

Made Burgers is open in Lawndale with a tight menu of fun burgers, hot dogs, and sandwiches. There's a take on the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, for example, featuring applewood-smoked bacon and a big ol' onion ring on a brioche bun, plus the "Colossal Burger" with two patties and pastrami. You can also expect sandwiches with ribeye steak, BBQ brisket, and pulled chicken, as well as tater tots, skinny fries, and hot dogs in the fashion of Seattle, L.A., and Chicago. 4 out of 6 of the burgers are priced under $10, too.
14916 Hawthorne Blvd. Lawndale, CA 90260
Jin Cook ~ Santa Monica

Jin Cook is open in the mostly Korean cooking-bereft Westside. An extensive menu offers traditional, hot stone-cooked dishes such as galbi-tang, sundubu, bulgogi, galbi, garlic suyuk, tteokbokki, and deep-fried shiitake mushrooms, as well as a side menu with cheese curry katsu, sweet pumpkin cheese curry katsu, fish katsu, and other styles of katsu. For dessert, there's hotteok pancakes with black sugar syrup. Mmmm...
3001 Wilshire Blvd. Ste. C Santa Monica, CA 90403
November 1, 2024

Orla ~ Santa Monica

Orla is now open in Santa Monica from multiple James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Mina. The menu taps Mina's Egyptian heritage for an innovative fine-dining Mediterranean menu that includes phyllo-crusted Dover sole, salt-baked sea bream, a pasta section with toasted orzo-and-spicy duck and a macaroni bechamel with black truffles, plus prawns wrapped in kataifi, flaming black truffle saganaki, and black harissa-grilled lamb chops. Dessert includes table-side baklava service.
From a beautiful, steeped, brass-accented bar, you'll be served cocktails like "Arabian Nights," a negroni with Darjeeling tea, toasted coconut, cardamom, and ginger spices, or a gin-and-tonic made tableside. A robust wine list features wines from Corsica, Macedonia, and Lebanon, including the renowned Chateau Musar.
In addition, Mina is serving many of the recipes here found in My Egypt, his new cookbook that released in October.
1700 Ocean Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90401
Sabor Chapin USA ~ Van Nuys

A blue Guatemalan food truck named Sabor Chapin USA is running in Van Nuys and Lake Balboa, offering all the fish and shrimp tostadas, bistec de carne, chaomin, pollo frito, platano con mole, tacos, and garnachas one could desire.
6300 Balboa Blvd. Lake Balboa, CA 91406
Takos Rios ~ Vermont-Slauson and Boyle Heights

Check out Takos Rios, a locally loved street stand specializing in tacos al vapor (steamed tacos) and tacos de canasta (basket tacos), with locations in Boyle Heights and Vermont-Slauson on Saturdays and Sundays. The menu is simple, with offerings of tacos with beans, potato, chicharrón, or beef, along with a tub of escabeche offered on the side.
6121 S. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90044; 1114 S. Lorena St. Los Angeles, CA 90023
Luke's Lobster ~ Santa Monica

Luke's Lobster is now open in Santa Monica for New England-style lobster, crab, and shrimp rolls built with sustainably sourced crustaceans, on toasted buttered buns with mayo, lemon butter, and a secret seasoning blend. All three rolls are available in a flight, while additional dishes include chowder, lobster bisque, poppyseed slaw, and kettle chips. Plus there's local beer and a patio with sea breezes.
Open daily, 11 am - 9 pm, 200 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401
Kitten Kafe ~ Hollywood

Kitten Kafé, a coffee business paired with erotic dancing, is now open every Saturday inside of Hollywood's Cheetahs. The concept promises Vietnamese coffee, along with mochas, latte, cappucinos, and a selection of food items, from 1 -9 pm, at which point, you can transition to cocaine if you really need to stay awake at the strip club so badly.
4600 Hollywood Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027
Plantas y Calaveras ~ Northeast L.A.

Plantas y Calaveras, a cannabis-friendly Dia de Los Muertos celebration, is going down this Sunday in Northeast L.A from 4-8 pm. Ivan Vasquez of Madre will be doing an educational mezcal tasting, there will be an "Indigenous charcuterie board," plus Catrina-style face painting, tamales and pozole from chef Jennie Flores, a bong bar from Mota Glass, and gift bags from Cannabiotix, plus guests are invited to bring a photo of a departed loved one for the ofrenda.
A $50 per head donation is optional and appreciated. RSVP here.
October 25, 2024
Tacos Los Palomos ~ El Monte

Next Tuesday, October 30, Indigenous-owned Tacos Los Palomos will open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant space in El Monte. This will bring the taco truck's celebrated papas rellenas and al pastor to a seated experience, along with meats including tripas, cabeza, lengua, buche, carnitas, asada, suadero, and more, found in tacos, burritos, tlayudas, alambres, nachos, tortas, and quesadillas.
Opening at 2 p.m., 11725 Garvey Ave. El Monte CA 91732
Zizou ~ Lincoln Heights

Zizou is a captivatingly beautiful French-Moroccan restaurant and bar open in Lincoln Heights, serving a tight menu with a soundtrack of eclectic international tunes and a transporting backyard patio made for lingering. The restaurant's owners, lifelong friends from France and veterans of Figaro Bistro, built the impressive space themselves.
Dishes include ribeye steak with frites, almond and apricot tagine, servings of black and green olive tapenade, mariniere mussels in a broth of white wine and herbs, samourai calamari with harissa aioli, and a dessert of tarte tartine with caramelized apples. A DJ'd dance party called Fete Francaise is planned for this Saturday night and welcomes costumes.
2425 Daly St. Los Angeles, CA 90031
Mayumi Filipino Market ~ Hawthorne

Over 15 Filipino food vendors will amass at Mayumi Market this Saturday at Common Space in Hawthorne. In addition to food stands like Masa Catalina, Full Send BBQ, Ube For U Bae, Papa's Polvoron, and Sedap Serap, expect handmade crafts and goods, DJs, dancing, tattoos, clothing, tooth gems, a photo booth, and more in honor of Filipino Heritage Month. The first 100 guests also get free goodie bags with proof of RSVP or a presale ticket.
Oct. 27, 11 am - 6 pm ~ 3411 W. El Segundo Blvd. Hawthorne, CA 90250
8 Nights At Birdie G’s ~ Santa Monica

Tickets go on sale today for "8 Nights at Birdie G's," in which chef Jeremy Fox will collaborate with a number of awarded chefs and restaurants at his Santa Monica restaurant from December 2-5 and 9-12. Each evening will find two chefs uniting with Fox's team to create unique, seasonal dishes together, along with offering some signatures.
Participating chefs include Grant Achatz of Chicago's Alinea, Shaina Loew-Banayan of Cafe Mutton in upstate New York, Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit, and Aisha Ibrahim of Seattle's Canlis, among others.
Local chefs coming to the party include Jihee Kim of Perilla, Miles Shorey of Pijja Palace, Linden's John Harris, Chad Colby from Antico Nuovo, Kwang Uh of Baroo, Mozza's Nancy Silverton, and Yangban Society's Katianna and John Hong.
See the full schedule of participating chefs and tickets here.
2421 Michigan Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90404
CookUnity NYC ~ Delivery

Ever get tired of reading about New York's hot restaurants without having the ability to instantaneously beam yourself over there? While science works on that, CookUnity is offering Angelenos a taste of New York with its Restaurants Exclusives collection, which brings dishes from other cities straight to your place for you to warm up and serve.
Starting this Sunday, October 27, you can order dishes like the beef bibimbap from Esther Choi's Mok Bar or the short rib ragu from Ambra, as well as dishes from chefs Akhtar Nawa, Einat Admony, and more. The offering stretches through November 17. Meaning long after the Dodgers have routed the Yankees in the 2024 World Series.
Launching October 27 at CookUnity.
Jumsim ~ Downtown

Jumsim is now open for traditional Korean cuisine just a block away from City Hall in Downtown. Dishes, served at lunch and dinner, include ddukbboki, bulgogi, pork duruchigi, yukgaejang, beef or egg bibimbap, galbi, and more.
206 S. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
Lucky Chick ~ Venice

Lucky Chick, a Turkish halal stand, is open in Venice, Monday through Saturday afternoons and evenings, outside of the Whole Foods on Lincoln Boulevard.
Here you'll find a simple menu and two-man crew from Turkey, slicing döner-roasted chicken shawarma into pitas and rice plates, while another prepares lamb kebabs on the side. In addition, the stand offers daily changing Turkish specials.
225 Lincoln Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90291
October 19, 2024
Ek' Balam Yucatan Cuisine ~ Echo Park

Chef Juan Chan and Rocio Rodriguez's Mayan-inspired pop-up, Ek' Balam (which L.A. TACO's own Memo Torres claims has some of the city's best cochinita pibil), will make a rare appearance at Echo Park's Bar Flores this Saturday evening.
The pop-up sesh will have a three-item menu featuring a trio of panuchos with black beans and chicken adobo, plus two tacos with that good, good cochinita pibil on handmade tortillas, and the classic Mayan dish known as of polcan, served sans meat and stuffed with a blend of different beans into a fritter of masa de maiz.
In addition, Ek' Balam will offer a la carte servings of its poc-chuc taco, cochinita pibil, polkanes, and panuchos.
4 P.M. - midnight, 1542 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
Churro Chica ~ Arleta

Churro Chica is a small puesto set up at Arleta's Good Times Farmers Market on Sundays, as well as weekend nights on Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The bakery sells freshly fried churros, along with mini churros, hot donuts in flavors like blueberry, glazed, and churro-spiced, plus milk teas made with assam black tea and donut holes.
Sun. 9 am - 2 pm, 9968 Bordeaux Ave. Arleta, CA 91331
Taste of Soul ~ Crenshaw Boulevard

The 19th Annual Taste of Soul, one of the biggest family-friendly festivals in Southern California, returns to Crenshaw Boulevard this Saturday, October 19.
In addition to a ton of live jazz, DJs, gospel, and a performance by Tony! Toni! Tone!, there will be arts, crafts, activations, shopping, and culture.
Over 150 food vendors will be selling food, too, feeding an estimated crowd of 500,000 attendees. Just a few of the many include Slap Ur Mama Margarita, Uptown Style Jamaican, Ingrid's Guyanese Cuisine, Ptrains BBQ, Angela's Taste of Soul, Flavors of East Africa, Mussels and Pearls, Taste of Joy, and Taco Zone.
Entry is free ~ Oct. 19, Crenshaw Blvd. between Obama and Stocker.
TropiKiKi Pop-Up ~ Long Beach

Ramiro Guerrero, founder of Woven Warrior apron studio and a veteran of Bavel, Ronan, and Bazaar by Jose Andres, is organizing TropiKiKi, a feast at Roxanne's in Long Beach on Saturday night, where he'll be cooking with L.A. chefs Mario Alberto (of Olivia) and Edgar Nava (of Correas Mariscos/Market).
Alberto will be supplied by the Long Beach Mushroom Farm in preparing wild mushroom tamales made with chiles guajillo and chipotle, while Nava will make a shrimp-mango ceviche and grilled mahi mahi tacos.
For vegans, Guerrero will be making a plant-based taco dorado with butternut squash, pomegranate, and salsa habanero, while additional vegan options include a cauliflower ceviche.
Tamales will be available for takeout by the dozen, while Roxanne's mixologist will be pairing tropical, Dia De Los Muertos-inspired cocktails, and former Bavel bartender Bree Ciocan will make non-alcoholic drinks.
Oct 19, 6 to 9 pm, $29 per person, $35 the day of. RSVP here.
Chefs United For a Cure ~ Venice

On October 29, chefs Mei Lin, Antonia Lofaso, and Brooke Williamson will come together at Scopa Italian Roots to celebrate L.A.-based food writer Simon Majumdar, who recently disclosed that he is in remission for Oligodendroglioma, a rare and incurable brain cancer.
The night is being held to raise funds for treatments against this disease, while recognizing researchers and advocates who are working to advance brain cancer research.
The 21+ event will begin with a reception and canapes like Williamson's Peruvian scallops on the half shell, Lin's French onion caviar cones, and Lofaso's fig toast, before continuing onto a four-course family dinner with options such as cumin lamb ribs, cavatelli, and corn and crab raviloi, and then finish on affogatos and cannolis.
Tickets for the event can be obtained, and donations made, right here.
OCTOBER 12, 2024
Squidward ~ Little Tokyo

If you see skewers of squid flying by on a tuk-tuk, that's most likely Squidward, which sets up nightly in Little Tokyo to sell small and giant skewers of grilled chile-marinated squid, Sichuan bobo chicken, and scallion pancakes with toppings like egg, bacon, cheese, and pulled pork from a motorcycle-towed food cart.
Found next to 332 E. 2nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90012

BeachLife Nights ~ Redondo Beach
BeachLife Nights comes back next Friday and Saturday (October 18 and 19th) to Redondo Beach, offering two nights filled with great live bands and, this year, a new live barbecue and dining component led by hunky Aussie chef Curtis Stone.
Friday night will be headlined by the great Michael Franti and Spearhead, with openers The English Beat, reggae band Soja, and The Rookies, while Saturday night finds Santa Barbara reggae band Iration taking the top slot, backed by Fortunate Youth, Donavon Frankenreiter, and Maui singer-songwriter Anuhea. And it's all going down on the beach!
If that doesn't sound irie enough, Curtis Stone will be offering a VIP barbecue experience from 4 to 6 PM with dishes like fried chicken, smoked brisket chili, and parmesan espuma mac-and-cheese while plentiful food trucks and bars will also help keep everyone loose. Tickets here.
Oct. 18 and 19, 3 -10 p.m. ~ 239 North Harbor Dr. Redondo Beach CA, 90277
Black Lagoon ~ Koreatown

Cocktail bars don't typically blast enough heavy metal or contain a sufficient number of severed limbs laying around, nor the presence of a ghoul with glowing red eyes in a gimp suit yukking it up with customers. In our humble opinion.
Black Lagoon is not your typical cocktail bar, though. It's a Halloween-driven, horror-themed mixology pop-up from hospitality veterans Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes in the back of Normandie Club.
It serves timely drinks like the "Memento Mori" (mezcal with coffee liqueur and rum) in a spooky, fun dungeon atmosphere filled with creepy props, songs by White Zombie, Tool, and Metallica, and one deep-in-character scare actor who just wants to be friends.
3612 W. 6th St. Los Angeles, CA 90020

Falafel Queen ~ El Segundo
The second location of the well-regarded Falafel Queen is now open in El Segundo. The business, which comes from a 30-plus-year employee of now-shuttered Westwood favorite Falafel King, serves steak, koobideh, chicken, and salmon kebab, along with chicken shawarma and lamb-and-beef shawarma plates and wraps, plus Greek salad, and of course, falafel.
130 E. Grand Ave. El Segundo, CA 90245
Off The Hook Festival ~ Santa Monica

More than 22 restaurants will rally on the Santa Monica Pier at the Off The Hook Seafood Festival on Sunday afternoon, showcasing their ceviches, fish tacos, freshly shucked shellfish, and other fresh seafood forms. Participating restaurants include Marelle, Boa, Layla, Michael's, Tiato, The Surfing Fox, Xuntos, and many more.
In addition, expect a live band covering yacht rock tunes, an oyster shucking contest, photo ops, and a sustainable seafood VIP lounge, all with a backdrop of the beach, Ferris wheel, and the Pacific Ocean behind you.
Proceeds benefit Heal the Bay, while Off The Hook promises to be 100% free of single-use plastics.
4-7 p.m. (3 p.m. VIP) ~ Santa Monica Pier, tickets here
Union's Kamayan Dinner ~ Long Beach

Everyone should experience a Filipino kamayan at least once in life, in which a banana leaf-layered communal table is absolutely covered with traditional dishes meant to be eaten by hand.
Union at Compound is preparing one on October 16 in Long Beach. The event will feature a five-course menu and wine pairing, including collaborations with chefs from Gemmae Bakeshop and Buvons Long Beach. The meal is meant to pay homage to chef-in-residence Eugene Santiago's Filipino roots.
Oct. 16, 5:30 p.m. ~ 1395 Coronado Ave. Long Beach, CA 90804
OCTOBER 4, 2024
There's good news if you enjoyed this week's L.A. TACO guide to the best 69 tacos in L.A.! You can try two of the included vendors, our #5 pick Mochomitos and #7 La Carreta, at tonight's First Friday party from I Love Micheladas at The Beehive in Florence!
But still, we can't be stopped, so we're giving you six more things you've got to try in the next few days, including saucy wings from Jalisco, woodfired pizzas with unbeatable views, Oktoberfest-ready blood sausage gyoza, and weed-infused Halloween candy that will only make you want more candy!!

Alitas Jalisco ~ Whittier
Alitas Jalisco, which makes Mexican-style Buffalo wings, begins a weekly Friday night pop-up tonight at The Cellar Bottle Shop in Whittier. Flavors include jerk, mojo de ajo, caguamera, and original barbecue, and the pop-up is also known to serve tacos dorados and papas "moe-jo."
Caguamera wings come from Los Volcanes, Jalisco, and include a zesty spicy garlic sauce made by mixing lime, ajo, and chile de árbol. The blend was originally meant for shrimp before it became a local sensation on wings, which made people want to reach for a caguama of beer after eating them. This recipe comes from one of the pop-up's partners, Neyda Anaya.
If you miss it in Whittier, Alitas Jalisco will be in Hawthorne tomorrow evening at L.A. Ale Works.
Friday, 7 -11 pm, 6531 Greenleaf Ave. Whittier, CA 90601
Saturday, 5 pm -12 am, 12918 Cerise Ave. Hawthorne, CA 90250

Dante ~ Beverly Hills
There may be no better perch for a beautiful celebratory weekend brunch right now than at Dante in Beverly Hills, which just launched a new daytime menu to enjoy on Saturdays and Sundays under the hand-painted ceiling of this rooftop restaurant with live music and gob-smacking views of the city and Hollywood Hills.
The new brunch menu starts with housemade banana bread from owner Nathalie Hudson's recipe, and breakfast burrata served with ingredients like burnt honey, apple butter, roasted squash, sage, and pomegranate seeds. There's also a woodfire-grilled flatiron steak and eggs, live oysters shucked to order, a delicata squash and endive salad, bucatini al pomodoro, pizzas from a wood-fired oven like the "Rosa" with mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio, and rosemary, and morning cocktails such as seasonal Bellinis and a mini bloody "Maria," with Codigo Tequila, cold pressed vegetables, fennel salt, and pickles.
10 am - 4 pm, Sat. & Sun. ~ 225 North Canon Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Tamales Olmeca ~ Venice

For the first time, Yunia Funes Mata is bringing her celebrated tamal cart, Tamales Olmeca, to the First Friday festival on Abbot Kinney in Venice tonight. Funes Mata, who also works in the kitchen at Bestia, will be selling her unique salsa-and-crema smothered tamales at Venice's venerated 27-year-old interior design and home-goods store Tumbleweed & Dandelion.
Her tamales include "A La Bestia" with duck and Bestia chef Ori Menashe's mole, "Chicken Little" with Jidori chicken and salsa guajillo, a tamal with short ribs and jocoque, one with carnitas and salsa verde, a tamal with beef birria and cheese, and more.
5 p.m., 1502 Abbot Kinney Blvd. Venice, CA 90291

I/O Rooftop ~ Hollywood
Starting this Wednesday, Hollywood's Godfrey Hotel will begin showing horror films for both guests and locals at its I/O Rooftop bar, beginning with A Nightmare on Elm Street. Then there will be Dawn of the Dead on October 16th, Death House on October 26th, and Insidious on October 30th.
Entry to the movies requires a minimum food and drink spend of $40, which includes valet parking and a menu with themed drinks, such as the vampire-friendly concoction in an I.V. bag you see above.
October Wednesdays, 1400 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028

Lustig's Oktoberfest ~ Culver City
Starting October 7, Austrian chef Bernhard Maingher's Lustig will offer a menu of traditional and modern Oktoberfest classics at his Culver City restaurant through October 20. Dishes will include blood sausage gyoza, venison tenderloin, poached weisswurst, and beef bone marrow, served with cheesy pretzel dumpling bites, bone marrow, and chives.
3273 Helms Ave. Culver City, CA 90232
THC-Infused Halloween Candy

Razor blades in Halloween candy? Bad.
Weed in Halloween candy? Good. You know, as long as it stays out of the hands of children and stuff.
Cannabis brand Swifts is riffing off mini Butterfingers and Milky Way with its THC-infused Crunchy Munchies and Stellar Bites. Both come individually wrapped with vegan chocolate and 10mg of THC in each piece.
Perfect for anyone with big plans to go out into the night on October 31, as well as the couple who says "fuck it" and stays in on October 31 to watch a few slasher flicks while occasionally getting up to answer the door for trick-or-treaters. Just don't get your bags confused.
Available at California and Washington dispensaries.
SEPTEMBER 29
Downtown

We love mole. You love mole. This weekend is the 17th annual Feria de Los Moles at Downtown's Gloria Molina Grand Park. Held on Saturday and Sunday, this will be your chance to purchase and taste traditional moles made by 13 different chefs and restaurants. In addition, a Poblano chef will make timely chiles en nogada, and a giant mole ofrenda will be served to honor the upcoming Dia de Muertos. You'll also find mole ice cream, a market of vendors selling crafts, art, and different foods, plus a "flying" demonstration by the legendary Voladores de Papantla, and Chinelo Dancers from Morelos. Come through!
200 N. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012
Beverly Hills

Michelin-starred L.A. chefs Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee are bringing their awarded, omakase-inspired concept Sushi By Scratch back to SLS Beverly Hills for just 90 days starting October 2. The tasting menu experience is famously immersive, creative, and beautiful, offering 17 courses of nigiri at an intimate, 10-person sushi counter and focused mostly on fish and shellfish flown in biweekly from Tokyo's Toyosu Fish Market. In addition to new dishes, signature Lee sushi dishes like roasted bone marrow nigiri and an ensuing bone marrow fat-fried unagi, plus sourdough breadcrumb-sprinkled sweet corn pudding-painted hamachi, and albacore-wrapped in sake-soaked nori will be served. Three tiers of sake and whiskey pairings from a dedicated sommelier will also be available—reservations available Wednesday to Sunday at 5 pm, 7:15 pm, and 9:30 pm through Tock.
465 La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048
Downtown

Lost, a rooftop taco-and-cocktail bar from Yonnie Hagos and Ajay Relan, the co-founders of Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen, is now open in Downtown. Inspired by the energy of Mexico City, the open-air spot has an Airstream trailer turning out tacos on organic Masienda tortillas, quesadillas, and ceviches from Broken Spanish and Bouchon veteran Geter Atienza. The short food menu features tacos with Berkshire pork carnitas, guajillo-marinated chicken, and carne asada, plus quesadillas with guajillo chicken or forest mushrooms made in the style of carne asada, and a tiger shrimp ceviche with chile serrano and avocado mousse. Drinks include "Lt. Dan" with chamomile-infused bourbon, black pepper honey, and lemon juice, as well as non-alcoholic drinks like the magically delicious "Lucky Charms" with hemp-infused Aplós Calme, apricot puree, pineapple juice, and lime juice.
718 S. Hill St. Los Angeles, CA 90014
North Hollywood

Chef Tiana Giron is holding her second Pupusas Y Vino pop-up at Haley's Wine in North Hollywood this Saturday starting at 3 pm. Four pupusas will be offered, including a Peruvian-inspired revuelta filled with chicharrón, mixed cheeses, and Peruvian refried beans with a salsa criolla curtido; a Mexican-inspired pupusa with nopales and elote; and a Salvadoran-inspired pupusa with platanos and frijoles, and another with braised beef shank entomatado with a charred tomato curtido. Wines will be offered at the bar.
5124 Lankershim Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 91601
West Hollywood

A new izakaya and sake spot named Kamado is now open in West Hollywood. The restaurant's specialty is kamameshi, Japanese dishes of soy or mirin-seasoned rice mixed with veggies and meats, and traditionally cooked inside of an iron pot-stove known as a kamado. Kamameshi choices include those with uni-and-wagyu ribeye steak, snow crab, and shrimp, mussels, and squid ink.
Additional offerings include artful sashimi, simmered miso black cod, karaage fried chicken, kanpachi carpaccio, dashi omelets, anchovy butter French fries, and Jidori chicken bleu cheese katsu rolls.
521 N. La Cienega Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90048