WHY Indonesian street food in its natural habitat. WHAT Set up in a parking lot behind a Duarte motel, Pondok Kaki Lima is one of L.A.’s brightest beacons of Indonesian cooking. The weekly food fair is a collection of a handful of vendors, most of which specialize in a single dish, even if they serve [...]
February 3, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY A wee, charming spot with good, affordable wines, cheeses and charcuterie—just the place to transition from the work day to the evening. WHAT The smart folks behind one of our favorite wine bars, Bacaro, run this 600-square-foot spot in the heart of Downtown. Where Bacaro’s focus is Italian, here it’s French, with good, affordable [...]
January 29, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY For the little-known Muslim fare of Xinjiang, China’s autonomous far western region. WHAT The food at this homey café, a mesh of Chinese elements and central Asian nomad cooking, likely bears little resemblance to anything you’ve eaten in L.A. Sure, Xinjiang lamb kebabs are well known, but owner Munire Omar brings out zhuafan, a [...]
January 27, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Better-than-you’d-think cooking in a no-frills café. WHAT Owner Robert Humphreys brings his classical training (at Patina and elsewhere) to his funky, everyday café, and the result is a gift for East Pasadenans. There’s good coffee in the morning, worthwhile and affordable wines and beers at night, and one of the best burgers in Pasadena. [...]
January 20, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Kogi goes stationary. WHAT The thing to get at this simple little café is the rice-bowl version of owner Roy Choi’s infamous short rib and spicy pork tacos, though the grains are somehow not as captivating as the Kogi Truck tortillas. But at these bargain prices, it’s still a fun-to-taste game. The prime rib [...]
January 3, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY A former textile factory transformed into a warehouse of authentic Italian cooking. WHAT Owner Antonio Pellini originally intended for Eatalian to be just a production facility for cheeses, gelati and baked goods. But the airy, industrial space is so big that a dining room was an easy addition. The restaurant veteran (he ran five [...]
January 2, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Berlin’s favorite street snack pops up at Sunset Junction, with a simple menu of saucy sausages and killer fries. WHAT Choose from pork, beef, chicken or tofu all-natural sausages and select a heat level of sauce. After they’re grilled and sliced, the sausages are topped with an organic curry-flavored tomato sauce; you can add [...]
December 24, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Because darts, vegan sausages and beer go well together. Even in Burbank. WHAT A neighborhood pub with more than 40 draft beers, Tony’s has a no-bottle policy—all beers, wines and sodas are served on draft. The multi-animal/no-animal sausage menu comes with the de rigueur selection of über toppings, and a nice chili comes ‘sin [...]
December 23, 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 A place to taste made-in-L.A. beer right at the source. WHAT Actually in adjacent Glassell Park, Eagle Rock Brewery is a friendly spot to quaff the brews that are pioneers in L.A.’s craft-beer scene. Manifesto Eagle Rock Wit (wheat beer), Solidarity black mild (a dark beer with a light taste) and Revolution XPA pale [...]
December 2, 2011 | Posted in
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