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Eater
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: July 7
The editors at Eater LA dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we're always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here's the very best of everything the team has eaten this week. Chicken Caesar wrap from Mini Kabob in Glendale Chicken Caesar wrap from Mini Kabob Matthew Kang In mid-June, Mini Kabob chef and co-owner Armen Martirosyan unleashed a limited-edition chicken Caesar salad wrap with grilled Armenian chicken thighs, falafel croutons, Aleppo toum, and housemade dressing wrapped in a Mejorado flour tortilla. Martirosyan served the special at last weekend's Infatuation food festival but also slings it a few days a week at his tiny Glendale restaurant. The wrap is Martirosyan's venture into more inventive fusions of Armenian kebabs and classic American foods (his lavash-wrapped cheeseburger wrap is one of the most popular dishes at his Neighborly outpost in Westlake Village). Don't expect this wrap to scratch the itch of a light healthful lunch. Instead, the well-dressed greens come studded with smoky pieces of marinated chicken and the hard crunch of fried falafel. A bright red runny toum adds spice and more richness, like hot sauce on a burrito. Perhaps this wrap will become a permanent fixture of Mini Kabob in Westlake Village or Glendale, but Martirosyan is doing a good job of making this hard-to-get special its own legend. Check Instagram for its next drop. 313 1/2 Vine Street, Glendale, CA 91204— Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Tuna tostada from Queen's Raw Bar and Grill in Eagle Rock Tuna tostada at Queen's Raw Bar and Grill. Nicole Adlman I haven't been to Queen's Raw Bar and Grill in a long enough stretch of time that, the last time I went, it was still called Queen Street (stylized as Queen St.). I'll miss the shorter name, maybe, but won't have to mourn any of its favorite dishes, including raw bar staples such as the pintxo-like anchovy on a stick, classic shrimp cocktail, or oysters on the half shell; the smart bluefin tuna frites doused in chile-spiked garlic sauce; and the yellow-corn-pocked hushpuppies. I decided to visit the restaurant over Fourth of July weekend to try some of its limited-time 'lowcountry boil' trays, but the standout for me was one of the menu regulars: a tomato-studded tuna tostada. Bluefin tuna gets chopped and mixed with a peak-summer tomato salsa, grated ginger, and lime for a refreshing, lip-puckering bite that's impossible to put down. When it's this nice outside, pair it with something chilled and bubbly to drink and eat it in dappled sunlight on the front patio. 4701 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90042. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager Ancho potato breakfast burrito from Alfalfa in Larchmont Ancho potato breakfast burrito from Ancho. Rebecca Roland Maybe it's my California upbringing, but to me, a breakfast burrito is one of the best morning meals of all time. I have my usual suspects for the tortilla-wrapped morning staple, but I recently tried the salad and burrito cafe Alfalfa, which has locations in Santa Monica and Larchmont, on a recommendation from an Eater colleague. For the vegetarian ancho potato burrito, a pliant tortilla gets wrapped around a small mountain of fluffy eggs, sharp cheddar cheese, and ancho-tinged Yukon gold potatoes. I often get some type of meat in my breakfast burritos, but I didn't miss it at all in this one. The burrito was the right size to feel satiated, though not so big to immediately require a nap after. I will be back at Alfalfa soon to try more of the menu, including its coveted salad wraps. 5570 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest The S'mores cocoa taco at Agnes in Pasadena S'mores cocoa taco at Agnes Mona Holmes I admit to feeling sad in 2022 when Klondike announced that it would discontinue production of its classic frozen treat: the Choco Taco. Though I hadn't tasted one in decades, the taco disguised as an ice cream treat was one of my childhood favorites. It's always a treat when a restaurant repackages nostalgic flavors with a thoughtful lens, like the s'mores cocoa taco beautifully executed by the team at Agnes in Pasadena. They form a waffle shell made with graham crackers and fold it into the shape of a taco. The next step is layering in dark chocolate mousse, toasted marshmallow, and hazelnut for a magical dessert. I don't say this lightly, as someone who doesn't actively seek out desserts, but I would head into Agnes just for this. If you're there to eat more, ask the bartender to recommend something refreshing to drink, like the Tang Town with mezcal, Aperol, passion fruit, orange juice, and bitters, before sharing platters in one of Pasadena's most charming spaces. 40 W. Green Street, Pasadena, CA, 91105. — Mona Holmes, 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.
Eater
09-06-2025
- General
- Eater
The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: June 9
The editors at Eater LA dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we're always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here's the very best of everything the team has eaten this week. Vietnamese-style lomo saltado from Nam Kitchen in Gardena Over the past year, I've determined that Nam Kitchen has become the South Bay's best overall casual Vietnamese restaurant thanks to stellar pho and a handful of creative dishes like this Vietnamese-Peruvian fusion lomo saltado. The kitchen takes slightly sweet soy flavors of bo luc lac and tosses them with classic lomo saltado ingredients of red onion, tomato, and French fries, topping them with cilantro and serving with a side of creamy aji verde and a mound of white rice. The tenderloin pieces are as easy to eat as marshmallows, savory and covered with black pepper. Frankly, this could be one of the best lomo saltado preparations anywhere in the city, and it'll be something I crave. Nam Kitchen's other fusion dishes are worth exploring, but even the pho đặc biệt is top-notch, piled high with quality beef and a spice-laden broth. 1530 Artesia Boulevard, Gardena, CA 90248. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Steak tacos from MidEast Tacos in Silver Lake Silver Lake is lucky to be the home of MidEast Tacos, an Armenian-Mexican taco restaurant from Mini Kabob's Armen Martirosyan. Operating out of a brick-lined corner space along Sunset Boulevard, right across from the former 99 Cent store, the restaurant serves up toum-topped tacos, crispy potatoes with Aleppo pepper, and burritos stuffed with marinated chicken. But for me, the best way to experience MidEast Tacos is with the simple steak taco, with a corn tortilla instead of the flour tortilla it comes with. The steak is reminiscent of the flavors of Mini Kabob's own beef, with a slightly smoky and well-spiced profile. The meat is chopped to a size reminiscent of a street taco, just large enough to get the entire flavor without it being overwhelming. A size of crispy papas brings the entire meal home, which is best enjoyed at one of the tables on the sidewalk. 3536 W. Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Spicy salami pie from Little Goat Pizza House in Glendale As a Northeast LA resident who loves grubbing on pizza from the comfort of my home, my options are often limited. Especially when comparing neighborhoods that are flush with celebrated pizza spots, I frequent the same restaurants more often than I care to admit. That doesn't serve my job very well, so after branching out into Glendale, I took home two pies from the Little Goat Pizza House. The results were worthy of a return, particularly the spicy salami pie. Though the margherita was respectable, the combination of the Neapolitan-style crust covered in San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella, salami, garlic, tarragon, and a respectable amount of spicy honey made my day. I assumed my patented pizza-consuming position next to the low coffee table, opened the box, and dug in. I was impressed by the consistency of the beautifully leavened sourdough placed in a wood-fired oven. I will happily sit down on-site and consume it hot out of the oven next time. It tasted perfect the following morning for breakfast. 942 N. Brand Boulevard, Glendale, CA, 91202. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Whole grilled branzino from Zinqué in Century City Of all the homegrown restaurants in Los Angeles, I didn't peg stylish French hangout Zinqué to become a fast-growing chain. Armed with key locations in West Hollywood, Downtown, and more recently in Century City, the restaurant has grown to Scottsdale, Westlake Village, and even its spiritual homeland of Paris, France. Given its prime locations, I'm starting to see Zinqué as a viable alternative to places like Cheesecake Factory or Houston's, serving reliable if sometimes predictable food with generous portions. Zinqué's strength isn't in innovation, but rather in serving high-quality ingredients without much fuss. Their charcuterie board is ample and quite good, while their mushroom bucatini could've used a touch more salt. The bistro burger is delightful and satisfying for meat-and-potato types. The whole-grilled branzino gets a gorgeous golden brown interior and a hefty pile of shaved fennel and arugula. For $45, they serve a fish big enough for the table to share. And the branzino was juicy, fresh, and nicely seasoned, the dry-herb chimichurri bringing a vegetal punch when needed. You could see why Zinqué has mass appeal, an easy option for fussy palates and large groups. 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90067. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Sign up for our newsletter.
