WHY All things good and local are found at this modestly sized temple to tempting baked goods, bursting-with-flavor vegetables and ever-changing menus. WHAT The quintessential Silver Lake café turns out some of the area’s best home-style,locally sourced cooking, from the pork belly sandwich to superb daily quiches, many involving produce from nearby backyard farmers. At [...]
December 22, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Kala jeera (black cumin) and French four spice, and knowledgeable staffers who can tell you what to do with them. WHAT This Wisconsin-based chain is the Grand Cru of spice shops. At both the newer Santa Monica branch and in Torrance, you’ll find a dizzying selection of chile powder, cinnamon and pepper blends. The [...]
December 21, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY High-quality sushi that’s a bargain at lunch—the $11.50 special gets you miso soup, five pieces of sushi and a blue-crab hand roll; many regulars opt for the chirashi sushi box for $17. WHAT Owned by a pioneering family who started the second sushi bar in the U.S. and has been running restaurants in Little [...]
December 15, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Four words: Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake. WHAT Luxurious truffles, chocolate-dipped toffee squares, square, tiered wedding cakes clad in candied rose petals, exquisite petits fours and house-made preserves are artfully arranged in the front of this commercial-kitchen space, which offers, in the See’s tradition, a silver sample tray to welcome visitors. For many Angelenos, the [...]
December 14, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Fresh tofu made on-site, as well as some vegan grocery essentials, including soy milk, tofu pudding and packaged vegan foods. WHAT Kevin Tran is L.A.’s king of fresh tofu. Come here to buy the good stuff, and allow time to eat in his amazing vegan Vietnamese café while you’re there. WHO A steady stream [...]
December 12, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For talented, gregarious chef Mark Gold, and for the Sunday brunch and dinner. WHAT Cozy, minimalist Eva has two faces: the more restrained cuisine, such as udon noodles with clams and scallops served at lunch and dinner most days, and the heartier Sunday dinners. The Sunday four-course prix-fixe meals are a great value, with [...]
December 11, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY An artisan shop that’s opening our eyes to new cuts. WHAT The butcher case offerings read like a fine dining restaurant menu: Angus beef, Kurobuta pork, farmer-direct chicken and duck. Don’t miss the well-edited fish selection, which is tweeted weekly. We love the quality and the mom ‘n pop vibe from the chef-owners; of [...]
December 10, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For an unexpected taste of Latin America. WHAT A graceful dining room inside an old California bungalow serves Guatemala’s national turkey dish, kakik de pavo, a mole-like thick soup, and pollo en crema, rich and sharp with the tang of buttery cultured cream. Enchiladas topped with a tower of shredded beef, beet salad, and [...]
December 9, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For a fantasy French bistro experience when your ship has come in. WHAT Chef Thomas Keller, he of the French Laundry, Per Se and Ad Hoc, has at last come to Los Angeles. It’s supposed to be a branch of the original Bouchon in Yountville, but this is pure Beverly Hills, large and lavish [...]
December 8, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY First-rate house-roasted beans or coffee to drink on-site in a spacious, peaceful setting. WHAT Can’t find a seat at Jones? Then head to this fine coffeehouse, which also roasts its own beans (they’re excellent) and has a lot more room to hang out than its west Pasadena competitor. Founded by Fuller Seminary folks, it [...]
December 7, 2011 | Posted in
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