4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: July 11
For some of Los Angeles's best vegan ice cream: Awan
For some of Los Angeles's best vegan ice cream: Awan. Nicole Adlman
Vegan ice cream doesn't always get a good rap, but Awan, a coconut-based ice cream specialist, seems to have cracked the code. The Indonesian coconut cream that serves as a vehicle to its flavors delivers the rounded fattiness you want from ice cream while offering more nuance to scoops like Balinese Vanilla Bean (whose base comes from Indonesian coconut water and coconut cream), Gaviota Strawberry, Gula Jawa Salted Caramel (dusted with unrefined Indonesian palm sugar), Nekohama Hojicha, and Graza Banana Lemon Curd (yes, that Graza). That it is served from a vibey green storefront somewhere between a mermaid's grotto and Grecian cave only heightens the experience (similar to the effect of dining in the cavelike Cento Raw Bar in West Adams). Don't miss the Chocolate Oreo, made with Valrhona chocolate; kluwek, an Indonesian mangrove seed for a malted flavor; and packed with gluten-free Oreo cookies — what might be one of the only gluten-free cookies-and-cream-style flavors you can find in Los Angeles. With locations now in Venice, Larchmont, and West Hollywood, your next Awan visit can't be too far away. 540 Rose Avenue, Venice, 90291 CA. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager
For vegan Mexican cooking: El Cocinero in Van Nuys
For vegan Mexican cooking: El Cocinero. Mona Holmes
At first glance, the lack of meat at El Cocinero may not even be noticeable. The menu reads like that of any other taqueria, with tacos al pastor, birria, nachos, and the like. But Alex Vargas has figured out how to run a taqueria that can compete with some of the best in town, without any animal products at all. Vargas finds hearty substitutes for carnitas, chicharron, asada, and more that not only mimic taste, but also offer a satisfying texture that is so rare in some vegan cooking. For something easy to share with a group, try the super nachos, topped with cashew-based 'cheese,' refried beans, cashew crema, and a meat of choice. 6265 Sepulveda Boulevard Unit 12, Van Nuys, CA 91411. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For excellent pan dulce from one of LA's oldest bakeries: Delicias Bakery & Some in Highland Park
For excellent pan dulce from one of LA's oldest bakeries: Delicias Bakery & Some in Highland Park. Mona Holmes
Long before Figueroa Street in Highland Park became its current buzzy neighborhood, blue-collar Latino families made this Northeast LA corner a cozy place to live. Though gentrification has significantly changed the landscape over the decades, beloved spots are still in business, including Delicias Bakery & Some. The bakery operates on Figueroa near 55th Avenue, where staff serve pan dulce alongside sandwiches, breakfasts, coffee drinks, and whatever locals are craving. Delicias has been preparing cinnamon and piloncillo-laced puerquitos, breakfast burritos, and traditional conchas since 1990, along with guayaba turnovers, and an iced pinole (roasted ground corn) latte. A handful of plant-based conchas are also available. The team even collaborates with other businesses, such as preparing challah for the neighboring sandwich shop, Jeff's Table, using tangzhong. Even though it might be tempting to grab a pastry or coffee at one of the newer (and excellent) businesses, it's always best to go to Delicias, where it's been a delicious community hub for decades. 5567 N. Figueroa Street, Highland Park, CA. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For a trippy and profoundly British brunch situation in the Arts District: Cafe 2001
Matthew Kang
Downtown's always been more receptive to the more off-the-wall dining experience, and Cafe 2001 delivers a different kind of daily brunch in the Arts District. Giles Clark has an incredible culinary pedigree (Den Tokyo, St. John London) and came stateside with his mentor Junya Yamasaki, who helms Yess next door. Clark's daytime extravaganza takes over a unique industrial space sporting a wraparound mezzanine, skylights, and brick walls that I've called Brutalist and Victorian at the same time (the grandma-style furniture recalls more of the latter). The food feels modern British, Jamie Oliver but with a niceness that recalls Fergus Henderson (St. John's longtime chef), so it comes as no surprise that the country terrine is spectacular, studded with pistachios and cracked black pepper, wrapped so tightly that it makes a slice of chopped pork lovely thing to behold. A cocktail-sized chilled borscht is a delightful summer soup, while the huckleberry jam and yogurt underneath smoked salmon on the crispy potato hash simply works despite the contrasts of sweet, creamy, and salty. The pork katsu sando loses the crispy exterior but gains a juiciness that the convenience store sandwich normally doesn't have. Merguez sausage and crispy twig-like fries come with dense aioli and harissa, a nod to a Marseilles street food wherein those ingredients come wrapped in a gut-busting sandwich. Thankfully, Clark skips the bread and just allows the finger-ready bites to sit on a plate. On Thursday, the place was buzzing with every table full, and one imagines the energy continues through the weekend. It took me a while to comprehend Cafe 2001, but it's clearly the kind of place that defies immediate understanding — something that I rather enjoy in an age when so many restaurants are predictable and blasé. 2001 E. Seventh Street North Entrance, Los Angeles, CA 90021. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
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Los Angeles Times
28 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Tejano music legend Flaco Jiménez dies at 86
Famed Tejano singer-songwriter and master accordionist Leonardo 'Flaco' Jiménez has died. He was 86. Jiménez's family shared the news of the musician's death on his official Facebook page Thursday night. A cause of death was not disclosed. 'It is with great sadness that we share tonight the loss of our father, Flaco Jiménez. He was surrounded by his loved ones and will be missed immensely,' his family wrote. 'Thank you to all of his fans and friends — those who cherished his music. And a big thank you for all of the memories. His legacy will live on through his music and all of his fans. The family requests privacy during this time of sadness and grievance.' Over his more than seven decades in the music industry, the San Antonio native garnered six Grammy Awards, received a National Medal of Arts from President Biden and established himself as a pioneering accordion virtuoso who helped nationalize the popularity of Tejano and conjunto music in the U.S. Jiménez is perhaps best known for his work with the Tejano music supergroup Texas Tornados, which included the talents of Freddy Fender, Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers. Texas Tornados won the Mexican/Mexican-American Performance Grammy in 1990 for their song 'Soy de San Luis.' The band's Spanglish style is on full display in their most popular track '(Hey Baby) Que Pasó?' In 2022, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, led by Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, included the 1989 hit in its list of nominees to Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, in an effort to increase Latino representation in the U.S. Castro, a San Antonio native, shared a statement on Facebook regarding Jiménez's death. 'I am saddened by the passing of San Antonio music legend Leonardo 'Flaco' Jiménez,' he wrote. 'He was a pioneer in conjunto music — receiving a Lifetime Achievement Grammy, National Medal of Arts, and a place in the National Recording Registry for his work. Texas is proud of his legacy. May he rest in peace.' Jiménez's 1992 album, 'Partners,' was inducted into the National Recording Registry in 2020. 'People used to regard my music as cantina music, just no respect,' Jiménez told the Library of Congress. 'The accordion was considered something like a party joke … I really give respect to everyone who helped me out on this record, and I'm flattered by this recognition.' His skills on the 'party joke' of an instrument were so well recognized that the famed German musical instrument manufacturer Hohner collaborated with Jiménez in 2009 to create a signature line of accordions. 'The music world has lost a true legend. Flaco Jimenez was a global ambassador for Tex-Mex Conjunto music, bringing its vibrant sound to audiences around the world,' Hohner wrote in a social media post following Jiménez's death. 'His passion and virtuosity on the three-row button accordion inspired generations of musicians across cultures and continents. Since 1976, Flaco was a proud partner of Hohner, a relationship built on mutual respect and a shared love for music. It was an incredible honor to work alongside such a talented, humble, and gracious artist.' Jiménez was born on March 11, 1939, in San Antonio to a family with a storied musical background. He first began performing at age 7 with his father, Santiago Jiménez, who himself was a pioneering figure in the conjunto movement. At 15, Flaco appeared in his first recording with the musical group Los Caporales. He went from local fame to modest international recognition on the folk scene when musicologist Chris Strachwitz recorded him for his Arhoolie label, and after being featured in a 1974 Les Blank film on Texas-Mexican border music. Then in 1976, Ry Cooder tapped him to be a member of his Chicken Skin Revue. Jimenez worked with Cooder on several projects, including the soundtrack to the 1982 film 'The Border,' which starred Jack Nicholson. He won the first of his three Grammy Awards for best Mexican-American performance in 1986 for his album 'Ay Te Dejo en San Antonio' and his last in the category in 1999 for his work with the supergroup Los Super Seven. He also won Grammys for his solo albums 'Flaco Jiménez' in 1994 and 'Said and Done' in 1999, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. The list of artists with whom Jiménez collaborated is as long as it is distinguished and includes Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana, Dwight Yoakam and Linda Ronstadt. Jiménez played the accordion on the Rolling Stones' 'Sweethearts Together,' a Tex-Mex-infused ballad off of their 1994 album, 'Voodoo Lounge.' Jiménez's success and recognition far surpassed anything he could have imagined for himself, he told The Times in 1994. 'I thought that it was always just going to be a local thing. I'd only hear my dad and other groups in San Antonio, or even here just in the barrio,' he said. 'I think that audience started changing when I began to 'bilingual' a lot of stuff and started playing rock 'n' roll and with a little country to it. Then the reaction of the people, not just the Chicanos but the Anglos, was stronger.' Speaking with The Times in 1996, Jiménez said he was delighted that crossover with country had helped to bring the distinctive sound of accordion-based Tejano music to a wider audience. 'It's more respected and more listened to than ever before. I'm satisfied. At the level Tejano or conjunto music is now, we can communicate with the mainstream,' he said. Reflecting on how far the reach of conjunto had come, Jiménez recalled one of his earliest and most impactful memories introducing the genre across the globe. 'Conjunto or Tex-Mex music was not known at all. We went on tour to Switzerland, and when I got to the concert hall there was just one microphone and one chair. They thought I was going to give a concert with pura acordeon — just the accordion,' he said. 'I said, 'Hey, where's the rest of the amps and whatever?' And they managed to get a drum set so we did our thing. Then the audience noticed, 'Hey, this is fun!' And it got really wild. Because when I play, I'm really just having a party with the audience.' Times staff writer Fidel Martinez contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Anaheim finally has a bookstore that ‘feels like home'
The crowd inside the Untold Story in Anaheim was ready for open mic night to begin last week, but there was no way it would start on time. Whenever owner Lizzette Barrios Gracián tried to approach the podium, someone pulled her away for a hug. A congrats. A recommendation. A thanks. The bookstore opened last year in an industrial part of the city so isolated that 911 dispatchers couldn't find it when Barrios Gracián called about a medical emergency. Though it quickly earned a loyal following for focusing on BIPOC books and allowing activists to meet there without having to buy anything, the location wasn't working, and Barrios Gracián was ready to close what had been a longtime dream. Then she found a better, if smaller, place in a strip mall near downtown, within walking distance of her home. The Untold Story reopened a few weeks ago, and this was the first open mic night at the new spot. 'Oh my god, what a difference location makes,' Barrios Gracián told me as people kept filing in on July 25. 'They're coming to hang out, they're coming to buy, they're coming to organize, they're coming from across the country.' Among the customers she talked to that day: Toby from Florida. Nick from Kentucky who lives in Utah. A group of teenage girls in town for a water polo tournament. Anton Diubenko of Ukraine, who was in Orange County to see a friend and told me he visits bookstores around the world. 'This one's really nice,' Diubenko said. 'If I was a local, I'd come here every week.' Barrios Gracián finally reached the podium. She was 20 minutes late. No one cared. 'Thank you muchachos!' the 52-year-old said in a loud, warm tone that hinted at her day job as a history teacher at Gilbert High in Anaheim. 'Bienvenidos to our new location of the Untold Story, Chapter 2! Your job tonight is to support, clap and give lots of love.' Over the next two hours, the audience snapped their fingers, applauded, hooted in approval or nodded as speakers poured out their proverbial hearts in English, Spanish and Nahuatl. Local political blogger Vern Nelson tickled out on his electric keyboard the Mexican children's tune 'El Ratón Vaquero' as adults and teens alike sang and clapped along. Every time someone went up to perform, Barrios Gracián sat in their seat, because all the others were occupied. 'The greatest success of this bookstore,' she said in closing, flashing a smile as bright as her gunmetal gray hair, 'is uniting all of you.' Although the night was officially over, no one left. They wanted to exult in the moment. Vivian Lee, who organizes board game get-togethers at the bookstore through her role as community engagement coordinator for the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance, said that 'welcoming spaces' can be hard to find in her native city. 'People like Liz are just so incredible,' said Lee, 30. 'She's game for anything that helps community.' Paola Gutierrez teaches monthly bilingual poetry classes at the Untold Story. 'When I first asked if she could sell my book, she said not just 'Yes' but 'We will promote you and help you,'' the 47-year-old said. 'How can I not say I'm free for whatever you need?' She pointed at a massive couch and laughed. 'Liz needs me to move this freakin' thing again? Let's do it!' I visited Barrios Gracián the following day when things were chiller. The Untold Story's design is bohemian Latinx. All the fixtures and artwork are donated, including bookshelves, massive mirrors and a bust of the Egyptian goddess Isis as well as a replica of the Titanic above the used fiction section. Insulation peeks out from sagging ceiling tiles. A stand next to the gift section offers free toiletries and canned and dried food. 'We're going through hard times,' Barrios Gracián said as Argentine rock gods Soda Stereo played lightly from speakers. 'I can't give a lot, but I can give.' How did she think open mic night went? 'It was very successful for our first time here,' she responded. 'You never know if people will follow you when you move.' A customer walked in. 'Hi, welcome!' Barrios Gracián exclaimed, the first of many times she would do that during our chat. 'Don't shy away, you don't have to buy!' Born in Guadalajara, Barrios Gracián came to Anaheim with her parents in the 1980s without papers, eventually legalizing through the 1986 amnesty. A bookworm from a young age, she found her 'safe space' as a teen and young adult in long-gone bookstores such as Book Baron in Anaheim ('I loved how disorganized it was') and the bilingual Librería Martínez in Santa Ana. When the latter closed in 2016, Barrios Gracián vowed to open a version of it when her daughters were older. In 2021, she launched the Untold Story as a website and a pop-up, aiming to eventually open a storefront in her hometown. 'Anaheim is nothing but breweries,' she said. 'That's the teacher in me. There's nothing cultural for our youth — they have to go to Santa Ana to find it, while [Anaheim] lets gentrification go crazy.' Rent proved prohibitive at most spaces. At others, prospective landlords would offer a lease only if the Untold Story dropped its books on critical race theory, which she refused to do. 'Those are the untold stories,' Barrios Gracián said. 'Anaheim needs to hear them. Everyone needs to hear them.' She greeted Benjamin Smith Jr. of Riverside, who had read the previous night and was returning now with his poetry books. 'I can sell them, but we should have an event just for you, because people like to meet the author of the book they might buy,' Barrios Gracián told Smith. He beamed. 'Liz gives people chances,' Smith, 68, told me. 'I'm no one famous, but look at me here now.' Barrios Gracián is keeping her job at Gilbert High, where she also heads the continuation school's teen parent support program. At the Untold Story, she wants to host more author signings and launch an oral history project for students to record the stories of Anaheim's Latino elders. 'We're in a crucial moment where our stories must be told from the past,' she said. 'Ellos sobrevivieron, también nosotros [They survived, we can as well]. It brings hope.' One thing I suggested she work on is the business side. The books are ridiculously affordable — used copies of a J. Robert Oppenheimer biography and a book about the rise of Nazism in L.A. before World War II set me back $11. Barrios Gracián's training consisted of a free entrepreneur course through the city of Anaheim, a video by the American Booksellers Assn., talking to other bookstore owners and Googling 'how to open a bookstore.' She laughed. 'I tell my students we learn by falling and then getting back up,' she said. 'If I can make money, it would be great, but that's not the point here. Might sound crazy for business people, right?' The numbers are thankfully going 'in the right direction,' said the Untold Story's manager, Magda Borbon. Barrios Gracián was one of her favorite teachers at Katella High School, 'so now it's time to pay it back' by working at the store, she said. Like me and too many other Anaheimers, Borbon moved to Santa Ana 'because I didn't see myself culturally in Anaheim. Now I do.' Barrios Gracián excused herself to greet more customers. I walked over to a table where a group of women were painting book covers as part of their book club. It was everyone's first time at the Untold Story. 'This is very much an extension of Liz,' said Angela Stecher, who has worked with Barrios Gracián before. 'She's been talking about doing something like this for years, and it's wonderful to see her do it.' 'This is like something that you'd see in San Francisco,' added Maria Zacarias, who grew up in Anaheim and now lives in Santa Ana. 'You go to a bookstore, you feel like you can't touch anything because everything is so neat,' said Liliana Mora. She waved around the room as more people streamed in. 'Here, it feels like home.'
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The latest venture from French Laundry chef Thomas Keller? Burgers
Chef Thomas Keller's Wine Country empire is expanding — at least temporarily. On Saturday, Keller will open a nostalgia-themed popup restaurant in Napa Valley called Burgers & Half Bottles, serving classic Americana dishes like Wagyu burgers, Maine lobster rolls, fried chicken sandwiches and crinkle-cut fries. Located in Keller's former Mexican spot La Calenda (6518 Washington St., Yountville), which closed last November, the popup will run through October, according to a press release. Burgers & Half Bottles isn't a new concept. Keller, who is most known for his three-Michelin-starred restaurant the French Laundry, launched the popup in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic; the six-week endeavor operated inside Ad Hoc during the three nights the restaurant was closed. At the time, Keller wrote in an Instagram post that it was intended to 'bring more of our staff back to work during this pandemic and offer the community a fun midweek value.' Open Wednesday through Sunday, Burgers & Half Bottles also offers dessert, including milkshakes and an ice cream sandwich made with Bouchon Bakery's TKO cookie, Keller's interpretation of an Oreo. For drinks, a vintage 1965 Volkswagen 'Brew Bus' will pour beers, like Russian River Brewing's Pliny the Elder, according to the press release. The restaurant will also offer a selection of half and full bottles of wine from local producers, and Lost Coast Brewery Root Beer as a non-alcoholic option.
