The L.A. Times top restaurant is a collective

Our writers just finished their annual deep dive in search of the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles. For No. 1 on the list they made an inspired choice: Mercado La Paloma.

Inspired for several reasons: Because the mercado houses not one but six eateries. Each offers something unique and uniquely L.A. None will bust your budget. All offer a chance to commune, cafeteria style, in the heart of L.A.

“In a year when disasters tore at our city, honoring the power of community feels more urgent than ever,” wrote Times restaurant critic Bill Addison and food columnist Jenn Harris in naming the mercado No. 1.

Mercado La Paloma sits south of the 10 Freeway, on the far side of the 110 Freeway from USC. The six dining spots draw a mix of USC profs and students, construction laborers, postal workers and clerks from the neighboring DMV. In other words, a tapestry of L.A.

The restaurants sit under one roof in a building that used to house a garment factory. The businesses ring the periphery of the room, with seating in the middle. It’s crowded for lunch and dinner and there’s a low thrum, the sound of calories finding a happy home.

The headliner in the compact food arcade might be Holbox, chef Gilberto Cetina’s ode to Mexican seafood and the winner of a Michelin star and recognition by the World’s 50 Best franchise as one of the top 50 restaurants in North America, as well as the L.A. Times’ L.A. restaurant of the year award in 2023.

Our reviewers say Cetina’s “command of mariscos is unmatched in Southern California — his ceviches, aguachiles and tostadas revolutionary in their freshness and jigsaw-intricate flavors.” They call the smoked kanpachi taco “one of the most sophisticated things to eat in Los Angeles.”

One recent day, hipsters and retirees lined up for a seat at Holbox, named for an island off the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula, about a four-hour drive from where Cetina grew up.

Adding an extra dose of sweetness to Cetina’s success is the fact that it occurred alongside the restaurant his father created nearly 25 years ago as one of the original tenants in the same food arcade: Chichen Itza. And that original continues to thrive, with our experts recommending the “lush, orange-scented cochinita pibil” or the “crackling kibi and the brunchy huevos motuleños over ham and black bean puree.”

I got Chichen Itza’s fish tacos with rice and beans, a nice lunchtime feast that set me back just $16.80, tip included. What already felt like a win settled even more nicely when I checked out the New York Times top restaurant for this year and found that even a modest starter plate at Semma in NYC would cost more than my full L.A. Meal. Ahhhh.

It turns out the virtuous chain that created Chichen Itza and Holbox has another link. Fátima Juárez began working at Holbox in 2017 and opened Komal last year, yes, in the Mercado La Paloma, with her husband, Conrado Rivera. She’s a master of masa and heirloom corn varieties. Her tortillas taste like it. “Start with the extraordinary quesadilla de flor de calabaza,” our writers recommend, “a creased blue corn tortilla, bound by melted quesillo, arrayed with squash blossoms radiating like sunbeams.”

Said Times Food Editor Daniel Hernandez: “So now Fatima has her own restaurant inside the very same mercado. So it’s a beautiful continuum.”

That still leaves three zingy food stalls for future visits to the mercado: Taqueria Vista Hermosa, Thai Corner Food Express and Oaxacalifornia. If you can find parking in a cozy parking lot, you might be on a roll … and even be able to consume some of the best food in L.A. in the shady patio. “A food hall and sanctuary for us all,” Harris and Addison declare. “Mercado La Paloma embodies the Los Angeles we love.”

Today’s top stories

The scene of a mass shooting that killed four people, including three children, at a banquet hall Nov. 30 in Stockton.

(Paul Kuroda/For The Times)

Stockton mass shooting update

• Multiple masked gunmen fired at least 50 rounds during the Nov. 29 attack on a child’s birthday party that left three children and an adult dead in Stockton, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said Tuesday.
• However, Withrow says it could still be weeks or months before arrests are made.

Earthquake swarms keep rattling the Bay Area — here’s what we know

• Over the last month, dozens of small earthquakes have hit the San Francisco Bay Area, with the most recent occurring Monday.
• The clusters of earthquakes have all been close to the Calaveras fault and have incited worries that more seismic events will arise.

The fight for Warner Bros.

• Last week Netflix agreed to buy Warner Bros. in a shocking $82.7-billion deal, but there are still several hurdles that could stop the merger, according to experts.
• Paramount’s hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery challenges Netflix’s deal for the streaming and media powerhouse.
• Hollywood’s already bleak job market braces for impact: massive layoffs are likely regardless of whether Netflix or Paramount acquires Warner Bros.
• On Monday, an HBO Max subscriber sued Netflix, citing concerns that the merger would decrease competition among streaming services and raise subscription prices.

Cloud bank lingers over Central Valley

• Clouds have covered much of Central California for more than two weeks, bringing stretches of intense fog and low temperatures.
• The abnormal weather has continued to create visibility concerns on roads and could bring a record-cool December, according to meteorologist Carlos Molina.

What else is going on

• L.A. City Council passes an ordinance to streamline affordable housing.
• California and L.A. place top of the most generous communities in 2025, a GoFundMe analysis has found.
• These wild mushrooms have sickened Californians. Here’s how to forage safely.
• Iconic Helms Bakery to close this weekend after just 13 months back in operation.
• A woman claiming to be an heiress allegedly scammed nearly $30 million from California banks, according to authorities.
• Ricki Lake thought everything was lost in the Palisades fire — until a stranger found her holiday miracle.

Commentary and opinions

• Is $140,000 really a poverty income? Clearly not, but the viral debate underscores the “affordability” issue, columnist Michael Hiltzik argues.
• Columnist Steve Lopez asks, If affordability is a hoax, why are people turning to food pantries?
• A plea to Netflix’s Ted Sarandos: Don’t screw up Warner Bros. and HBO, writes culture critic Mary McNamara.
• Guest contributor Dave Jones asks, what happens when a real estate giant tries to suppress climate-risk data?

This morning’s must reads

Entertainment & Arts

A desert theater’s comeback: Palm Springs historic treasure reopens after $34-million renovation

Palm Springs’ historic Plaza Theatre, which first opened in late 1936 with the world premiere of a Greta Garbo film, returns to the spotlight with help from Cynthia Erivo.

Dec. 9, 2025

Other must reads

• L.A.’s Scouting troops lost their camp in the Palisades. Now they’re working to heal the land.
• I called it a piece of junk. It turned out to be a Frank Gehry L.A. masterpiece.
• The punk artist Vaginal Davis looks back on her L.A. roots — and her inevitable break from the city.

For your downtime

Spectators experience professor Drew McClellan’s lecture on “Crafting Horror: Shadows, Contrasts and Cinematic Storytelling” at Zebulon in Los Angeles on Oct. 10.

(Emil Ravelo / For The Times)

Going out

• Events: Become the smartest person at your next dinner party after attending a Lectures on Tap.
• Self-care: Unwind from a hectic year with this tuning fork facial — and see if it’s worth the $430.

Staying in

• Documentaries: See if you agree with this list of the 16 best documentaries of 2025.
• Movies: Don’t know what to watch while on the plane or at the airport? Here’s 34 movies to get you inspired.
• Recipe: Have a cozy night in and make Kurrypinch’s Coconut Chickpea Curry.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

Question of the day: What do you wear when you fly?

Polly Drown said, “It depends on how long the flight is, but I have a few rules for all flights:

— Always wear a mask.

— Layers are a must any time of year.

— No ‘hard pants’ (think leggings, sweatpants, anything with elastic waist and soft comfy fabric).

— Comfortable walking shoes because I’ll be taking the long way in the airport to get some steps in!”

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your photo of the day

The Sightseer Lounge on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago.

(Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from staff writer Christopher Reynolds of passengers on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, on which a 2,265-mile and 32-stop trip from Los Angeles to Chicago generally takes about 43 hours.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

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