The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: July 14
Mapo tofu and minced pork on rice from Pine & Crane in Silver Lake
Pine & Crane.
Meals at Pine & Crane have been a constant in my life for longer than I can remember. I've spent numerous nights in the lively dining room, sipping on Taiwanese beer and splitting plates of fluffy buns. The no-reservations set up keeps the restaurant a flexible option for any kind of night, and minimal pre-planning is needed to swing by. Lately, Pine & Crane has become part of my go-to takeout rotation. The minced pork over rice and mapo tofu travel incredibly well (as does most of the menu), and the affordable prices and generous portions mean that there are usually leftovers in the refrigerator for the next day. 1521 Griffith Park Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Cinnamon roll from Badash Bakes in Pasadena
Cinnamon roll from Badash Bakes in Pasadena. Mona Holmes
In a city where cinnamon rolls from non-corporate operators are fairly easy to find, it's always fantastic to find one that suits my personal taste. For me, the requirements include a balance of frosting, layers of cinnamon, and sweetness that is not overpowering, plus a well-proofed dough that is good hot or cold. Badash Bakes prepares one of LA's best cinnamon rolls that hits each of these perfectly, and it is easy to understand why entering Ashley Cunningham's Pasadena bakery is so popular. The display case is packed with cookies, brownies, lemon loaves, and two types of rolls (matcha and traditional), and more. Of all the delicious baked goods, the cinnamon rolls are replenished by staff the most often. Though the buzz surrounding Badash Bakes has definitely slowed down, it remains busy. If hanging out long enough, one will witness another patron bite into one of her celebrated cinnamon rolls with a reaction that's best described as euphoric. Actually, that was my response. As someone who isn't always attracted to sweets or dessert, Cunningham's cinnamon rolls are actually that good. As are her s'mores cookies and ceremonial grade matcha drinks. 247 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91101. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Heirloom melon salad at Diner Antonette in Santa Monica
In the height of summer, nothing is better than in-season melons. Diner Antonette's charming space in Santa Monica occupies the former Ingo's Tasty Diner, and feels like a kind of Musso & Frank west, though instead of pure silence at the old Hollywood haunt, it's booming bebop jazz played on a hi-fi system. The food is also much more contemporary, and this melon salad is proof positive. Chef Jordan Lynn takes delicate, even slices of melon with salty prosciutto, mache, and almond oil, which would feel appropriate in Italy right about now, except that he sprinkles on chile flakes for a Tajin-esque punch. The balanced assemblage felt so thoughtful and fun for a weekday dinner — an appetizer that doesn't fill you up before the mains. By the way, the crispy fried chicken with rowdy greens, the crust tinted with turmeric and juicy to the bone, is a stunning shareable entree to enjoy after this melon salad. 1213 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90403. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Sweet and sour mushroom at Men & Beasts in Echo Park
Sweet and sour mushroom at Men & Beasts in Echo Park. Matthew Kang
It's wild how quickly a new space can turn over in Los Angeles. The former Cosa Buona has been morphed into Men & Beasts (a reference to a Confucius quote), a modern Chinese restaurant that eschews meat, replacing everything with plant-based proteins. For the most part, the meat won't feel like it's really missing, and that is best illustrated in the sweet & sour mushroom, typically pork or chicken, but here breaded, fried, and seasoned to an appealing ruddy color. Each bite popped with tangy sauce and a gentle interior of what seemed like oyster mushrooms. Bites of cashew, garlic, and bell pepper bring in textural contrast. It's still fairly early in the Minty Zhu and Alex Falco's foray into the LA market (they were previously in Miami), but with their sleek patio and indoor tea lounge, it's clear Echo Park denizens have already bought into their plant-based approach to Chinese cuisine. 2100 W. Sunset Boulevard, Echo Park, CA, 90026. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Eater LA
All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required)
Sign Up
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
35 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Some of S.F.'s most coveted handmade pasta comes from this one-woman operation
Each week, critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan shares some of her favorite recent bites, the dishes and snacks and baked goods that didn't find their way into a full review. Want the list a few days earlier? Sign up for her free newsletter, Bite Curious. I don't get to eat dinner at home too often, and when I do, I'm usually reaching for something low-lift to supplement leftovers. Now in rotation is frozen pasta from Sfoglia Club, the one-woman micro-batch pasta company from Tanaya Joshi. A product designer by day, she folds intricate filled pastas by night and sells them via Hotplate. The drop model will be familiar to any sneakerhead, and her batches of balanzoni and tortelli sell out quickly. I got my hands on a couple boxes of sachetti — Joshi's version kind of look like hamentaschen but with four sides instead of three — stuffed with ricotta, corn and chives. The filling is very delicate; I've been saucing the sachetti ($20 per box) with butter, Calabrian chile and Parmesan so as not to overpower it. I didn't intend for this week's installment to be What I've Been Eating, Corn Edition, but facts are facts: Restaurants are exulting in corn season, and I am happily along for the ride. At Lunette in the Ferry Building, chef Nite Yun stir-fries fresh kernels with coconut milk, chicken schmaltz, dried shrimp and scallions. Yun modestly told me that the wok does all the work — the corn takes on just a touch of char — to which I say, 'Yeah, right.' It's a glorious summer side dish that I can't wait to eat again. Lunette. Ferry Building, 1, Suite 33/47, San Francisco. Over in Emeryville, Good to Eat also has a seasonal sweet corn special. For $14, you get two half-ears of corn, skewered and grilled. The singed cobs are then lacquered with shacha, a Taiwanese barbecue sauce, and coated in sesame seeds. If 'barbecue sauce' conjures up memories of sticky-sweet Kansas City ribs or tangy, vinegary Carolina pulled pork, shacha is something else entirely — savory and briny thanks to dried shellfish.
Eater
17 hours ago
- Eater
4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: August 1
Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town. For dinner and cocktails at a museum: Trellis Bar & Lounge at the Getty For dinner and cocktails at a museum: Trellis Bar & Lounge at the Getty. Rebecca Roland The restaurant at the Getty has long been one of the better museum dining options, but it didn't feel like it took full advantage of its settings. The dining room and patio, overlooking the rolling hillsides, are both stunning, but there was just so much untapped potential with the Getty's stone-laden plazas. It seems like the Getty may have been thinking a similar thing, because the latest addition to the museum is an outdoor restaurant and bar right at the top of the colorful entrance steps. Trellis Bar & Lounge serves an easygoing menu of dishes like Thai mango summer rolls, taquitos, and a mezze platter, alongside wine, beer, and cocktails. The no-reservations set up makes it easy to just wander in and settle in for quick drinks between exhibitions, or a full meal at the end of a day. 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90049. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a quick and affordable lunch: The Kimbap in Koreatown For a quick and affordable lunch: The Kimbap in Koreatown. Rebecca Roland As much as I envy those who can luxuriate over a mid-day chopped salad and glass of wine, lunch, for the most part, is a meal of utility for me. If my refrigerator is running low on leftovers, I'm often looking for something easy and affordable (and can be eaten at my desk). One of my go-to options is gimbap (also spelled as kimbap), preferably with tuna. I've picked up rolls from all across LA, but one of my recent favorites is from the Kimbap in Koreatown. For less than $15, the Kimbap gives you two hearty rolls that can barely be contained by the takeout container. Other filling options include Spam, beef, spicy pork, kimchi, and more. 400 S Western Avenue #102, Los Angeles, CA 90020. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a luxe Chinese meal in Beverly Hills without paparazzi: 88 Club For a luxe Chinese meal in Beverly Hills without paparazzi: 88 Club. Matthew Kang Mei Lin's sophomore effort in Los Angeles (we'll consider her casual restaurant Daybird more of a 1.5) comes in the form of 88 Club, a striking, moody affair with just a few dozen seats and an almost secret side lounge for cocktails. The entire look and feel are incredibly lovely, well-detailed, and luxurious, like a high-end restaurant hidden away in a Singapore or Bangkok hotel that only the well-heeled know about. Thankfully Lin's restaurant, a partnership with restaurateur Francis Miranda, is easy to access right from Little Santa Monica in Beverly Hills. The service is polite and helpful without being too much. In fact, 'not too much' could be the theme here. All the dishes are balanced and refined to a near razor's edge, meant to delight without pizzazz. Lin herself said the menu was 'no thrills' and 'what you see is what you get,' and I'm perfectly fine with that in an age when we've moved beyond rainbow bagels and Instagram bullshit. Starters are modest and refreshing, like a dressed chrysanthemum salad or mung bean jelly noodles. Singaporean fried noodles don't carry the heady spices of something in a hawker center, but doused with Lin's chile oil they're hard to stop eating. The shrimp toast, gorgeous and hefty in the hand, is a must-order. I pined for more of the tangy sweet and sauce sour beneath the fried sea bream, fresh herbs balancing the fish. Across the board, portions and flavors are modest but reveal layers of pleasant complexity, like the blackened edges of char siu iberico pork. I'll even swoon over the desserts, like the mango sago topped with sweet dollops that resemeble Dippin' Dots ice cream. The pro-tip here is to go with four people to reduce the costs and maximize dishes to order; we paid about $100 before drinks, tax, and tip, but the price could easily balloon to $200 a person with lots of cocktails. I'm excited to return to 88 Club and try the rest of the dishes, like the kung pao scallop, but for now, I'll happily marinate in my first visit knowing that Mei Lin, arguably one of the most talented chefs in Los Angeles right now, is back with a full service restaurant. 9737 S. Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a choice selection of wines and grooves played on LA's best sound system: Zizou in Lincoln Heights For a choice selection of wines and grooves played on LA's best sound system: Zizou in Lincoln Heights. Peter Quinn Since Zizou owners Maati Zoutina and Boris Macquin opened their Lincoln Heights wine bar and restaurant in 2024, it's become an LA hotspot. Head there on a random weekday to hear Chaka Khan, Afrobeat, French hip hop, or Bob Marley. It's fairly common for notable DJs to show up and show out on the restaurant's killer sound system, customized by Macquin, who was formerly a sound engineer. Though plenty hang out on lush patio, others might just create their own personal dance floor while enjoying Zizou's sights, sounds, and French or North African family recipes like the chicken tagine or Moroccan salad. Any member of the staff can make a wine recommendation, but if unsure, just ask for a glass of Champagne. Zoutina or Macquin will smile, depart, and return with something effervescent, celebratory, and delicious. Always check Zizou's Instagram to see what kind of programming is on the calendar. 2425 Daly Street, Lincoln Heights, CA, 90031. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Related The 38 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
2 days ago
- Eater
The Biggest Los Angeles Restaurant Openings in July 2025
Los Angeles is no stranger to restaurant openings, whether splashy openings in iconic buildings helmed by big-name chefs, a humble neighborhood spot, or a pop-up leaping into a permanent space. Consider this monthly rundown a go-to guide for the newest and boldest debuts across the Southland. Mala popcorn chicken from Blue Magpie. Charlene Yang Blue Magpie — Arcadia Blue Magpie, Arcadia's modern restaurant named after the Taiwan's national bird, opened June 11. It's a collaborative effort between chef Leo Lo and local entrepreneur Kevin Tang, who watched the fine dining Taiwanese restaurants in the area diminish over the years. Blue Magpie's weekend brunch menu draws from Taiwanese street food, but leans upscale while reworking traditional Taiwanese dishes with a contemporary twist. The Napa casserole, torched tableside, layers sakura shrimp, dried scallops, and kurobuta pork under bubbling cheese. Blocks away from the Santa Anita Park racetrack, the modern 3,500-square-foot restaurant features chandeliers with nods to the Formosan blue magpie bird throughout the design, with two private dining rooms. Force of Nature founder, Leena Culhane. Ashley Randall Photography Only The Wild Ones and Forces of Nature — Venice Two restaurant veterans opened Venice's newest hotspots inside a charming converted bungalow in late June. Heather Tierney (Butcher's Daughter) opened the doors for her new restaurant and vinyl listening bar, Only the Wild Ones, on the ground floor next door to Abbott Kinney's shuttered spot, Atla. She brought over the chef and culinary team from Butcher's Daughter, Richard Rea, to produce a smart lineup of plant-based dishes to accompany the wine, cocktails, and vinyl played on a hi-fi system. On the second floor is Crudo e Nudo partner Leena Culhane's upstairs speakeasy, Force of Nature. The bar, which doubles as a space for workshops and special events, serves a menu of wine, cocktails, and zero proof options. Most of the dishes from Local Kitchens in Studio City. Wonho Frank Lee Local Kitchens — Studio City Local Kitchens, a Studio City food hall bringing some of the Internet's favorite chefs under one roof, opened on July 2. It's the first of its kind in Southern California and offers quite a lineup with burgers by Alvin Cailan (of Chinatown's Amboy), Vietnamese dishes by Tuệ Nguyen, Mexican fare by cookbook author Rick Martinez, fried chicken by Proposition Chicken, and eastern Mediterranean dishes by Einat Admony. With more than a dozen locations in Northern California and a brief stint in Orange County a few years back, the mini food hall offers the convenience of multiple menus in one venue. Gladstones — Malibu Malibu beachfront restaurant Gladstones partially reopened July 4 for the first time since the January Palisades Fire. Only the outdoor deck reopened on July 4, while the interior remains closed for renovations due to fire damage, and is slated to reopened in early 2026. Gladstone's outdoor deck has an updated look courtesy of architect Stephen Francis Jones and features a new mural from artist Jonas Never. The menu at Gladstones remains the same with favorites like fish tacos, ceviche, lobster rolls, and cocktails. Katsuya Uechi in Century City. Katsuya Katsuya — Century City Okinawa-born chef Katsuya Uechi opened the first Katsuya in Studio City in 1997, joining the long history of California Japanese restaurants that serve the San Fernando Valley. His latest Katsuya is a lounge restaurant that opened on July 25 in Century City's former Rock Sugar with a wide menu of sushi, sashimi, hot appetizers like rock shrimp tempura, and larger mains like miso black cod. Uechi expanded to Brentwood with SBE in 2006, eventually growing to six other locations around the world, including Toronto, Miami, and the Bahamas. Katsuya also opened in Hollywood and L.A. Live (it also operated an outlet in Glendale, but it has since closed). Uechi runs a more independent collection of Japanese restaurants that include the Izakaya by Katsu-ya and Kiwami, but the Century City restaurant will fall under the SBE partnership that leans more into the sleek, high-design Nobu-esque category. Muelle 8. Matthew Kang Muelle 8 — East LA Muelle 8 has reopened in East Los Angeles with a smaller, tighter menu served from a food trailer. The current owner of the Muelle 8 brand in the U.S., Jay Orozco, brought back chef Luis Cortez, the chef who oversaw the opening in Downey in 2023. The menu draws from the most popular hits from the barra fría (raw bar) and barra caliente (hot bar) that were served at the restaurant, including camarones zarandeados and a surf-and-turf taco of grilled cabrería and shrimp with Anaheim chile and melted cheese. The Downey restaurant originally debuted in February 2023, garnering lots of initial praise, including a nod from the Los Angeles Times, for its regional Mexican seafood from Culiacán. Outside Tesla Diner in Hollywood. Matthew Kang Tesla Diner — Hollywood Cafe Tondo in Chinatown. Sean Davidson Cafe Tondo — Chinatown On July 25, the Mexico City-influenced Cafe Tondo opened in the former Oriel under the A Line train tracks in Chinatown. The cafe and bar serves everything from early morning coffee and conchas to afternoon spritzes and salsa after dark. Tondo, which refers to a circular relief or painting in Spanish, comes from a collaboration between first-time restaurateur and Mouthwash Studio co-founder Abraham Campillo; Mouthwash Studio partners Mackenzie Freemire, Alex Tan, and Ben Mingo; Mike Kang of Locale Partners; and chef Valeria Velásquez. The daytime menu, starting August 1, comprises conchas, chilaquiles, coffee, and more, while evening brings Milanesa, steak frites, and wine. Assorted dishes at Men & Beasts restaurants in Echo Park. Tim Sullens Photography Bar 109 — Melrose Hill Brian Baik's elegant cocktail outlet Bar 109 debuted on July 29. The bar resides in the front portion of his forthcoming tasting menu restaurant, Corridor 109, which has been in development for years. The first iteration of Corridor 109 was a pop-up at Kobawoo, which served a collection of Japanese and Korean seafood courses inspired by his New York City experience. Bartender Kayla Garcia oversees the drinks, while Jon Tran is function the general manager. Garcia was most recently at Kumiko, which just won the 2025 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar and is currently number 10 in the North America 50 Best Bars. At Bar 109, Garcia serves updated versions of classic cocktails alongside creative bar bites. Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
