WHY Chiles rellenos, lengua en mole and good margaritas, all at low prices. WHAT Manny Lares seems to be the main man at this family restaurant, but then there’s his brother, his two sisters, his niece…. We all cook, we all wash dishes, we all go to the bank, he says. Downstairs is a quiet [...]
May 22, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Jidori chicken, cornmeal pancakes with grilled shrimp and chipotle cream, Mexican Coke, $5 burger night, and bargain wines. WHAT One of the leaders of the Echo Park boom (it’s not evil gentrification, it’s a renaissance!), the Park is stylish in a barren, homespun way, with empty frames on stark walls and a simple patio [...]
May 18, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Warmth, a strong sense of neighborhood and a serious approach to food—and, more importantly, to Mexican chocolate in all its forms. WHAT The name was a poor choice—everyone stumbles over it—but everything else about this richly colorful café/deli/market succeeds. You order at the counter to eat in the café or out on the patio, [...]
May 4, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Because you can snack on squid-ink tagliolini and romanesco pizza at 3:30 in the afternoon. WHAT This casual spinoff of Piccolo in Venice may be a lot less expensive, but it has the same authentic culinary bent—think veal tongue in tuna sauce and baccala-filled ravioli. An upmarket pizza list of sauced and unsauced varieties [...]
April 20, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY A multi-purpose, festive Mexican spot with killer tequila selections in Downtown’s cocktail gulch. The downstairs rec room is fab for private parties. WHAT Silver Lake favorite Malo has spawned a bigger Downtown sister location in a cavernous and often deafeningly loud historic jewelry store. Hide out in the ’70s flashback basement lounge, or sip [...]
April 19, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Except for low prices, this place has everything that’s missing from Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s other restaurants with similar farmers’-market-friendly Cal-French cuisine: breakfast, brunch, kids’ menus, cocktail bar, even a takeout counter. WHAT This glammed-up addition to the Lucques/AOC family is light-filled by day and romantic by night, with a takeout-friendly café as [...]
April 16, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Excellent and authentic Argentinean classics: empanadas, milanesa, white fish, huge platters of sizzling meat, mashed potatoes and bread pudding, all at more than reasonable prices. WHAT At this quirky café in the middle of a deli and meat market, patrons cheer their soccer team on TV or simply kibitz while munching on sandwiches slathered [...]
April 15, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Mini pies, medium pies, maxi pies…. WHAT A sunny yellow-and-white-striped color scheme complements a case full of pies at this perky café with plenty of room for sit-down diners. Salads, sandwiches (pulled barbecue chicken on pretzel bread), main dish pot pies (chicken curry) and side dishes (roasted brussels sprouts) are more than just excuses [...]
March 25, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Good-value Indian cooking in an area that appreciates it, with free delivery to boot. WHAT Bright and busy, this affordable café has an extensive vegetarian menu, prepared in a separate kitchen, but carnivores are not neglected—the tandoor chicken is savory, and the tikka masala is satisfying. Be warned that the hot dishes are seriously [...]
March 23, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Modern Korean barbecue with an emphasis on all things porcine. WHAT Owned by the same folks as the beloved Park’s, Don Dae Gam boasts a modern feel and high-quality meats. Though beef is available, this place is really for pork lovers, with choices like pork belly, pork neck, short ribs and pork diaphragm. The [...]
March 22, 2012 | Posted in
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