New York-nostalgic diners know to head to Langer’s for the classic deli experience.
(Shelby Moore / For The Times)
15 nostalgic New York-inspired restaurants for a slice of the Big Apple in L.A.
New York can’t seem to stay away from L.A. Its presence as part of the Los Angeles dining scene has perhaps never been greater. There have been plenty of milestones over the last decade: Shake Shack’s landmark entry into L.A., Smorgasburg’s expansion to the Row DTLA and chefs like David Chang, Daniel Humm and April Bloomfield setting up L.A. outposts. But over the last three years, the pandemic brought more migrating New Yorkers and NYC-based (and generally East Coast-influenced) restaurants to L.A. than ever before.
Just this summer, NYC favorites like Baar Baar, Szechuan Mountain House, Levain Bakery and Dante Beverly Hills have all opened L.A. outposts. They join the ranks of already transplanted spots such as Employees Only, Death & Co. and Roberta’s.
In addition to New York institutions expanding westward, a wave of restaurants that take inspiration from the City of Dreams have washed ashore, with openings like Linden in Hollywood from former New York chef Jon Harris. Linden’s entire menu is a love letter to the Jewish and Caribbean foods found along his native Linden Boulevard in Brooklyn. Donna’s, a new Echo Park red-sauce Italian spot, offers a heaping dose of ’60s East Coast nostalgia with eggplant-strewn wallpaper, checkered floors and giant meatballs. Nearby, Bodega Park draws inspiration from NYC’s corner-store sandwich shops to create a unique all-day cafe concept.
If Angelenos were ever in their feelings about anything East Coast, these days it’s nothing but a love fest: a happy cross-pollination of culinary cultures, exemplified through The Times’ annual Coast to Coast event, when esteemed chefs from both cities gather to show off exclusive bites and special collaborations. Between newly transplanted restaurants and East Coast-inspired upstarts, here are our favorite ways to visit NYC without booking a flight.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Atla
Venice Mexican $$
Atla quickly became a favorite neighborhood hangout when Enrique Olvera first opened the casual sibling restaurant to New York’s Cosme in the Noho neighborhood in 2017. Now, the chef and restaurateur is hoping to do the same with a new location opened in Venice, bringing his contemporary take on Mexican cuisine to Abbot Kinney. The indoor-outdoor space located next door to Felix feels roomier than the NYC original, with bar seating, a large dining room and a verdant alleyway patio. The crowd-pleasing menu of fonda (or food-stall-style) staples is nearly identical to the Noho original, featuring items like juicy suadero tacos, a lobster burrito and pork a la pastor gringa. And while Olvera’s Casamata Group owns restaurants in Mexico City and Cabo San Lucas, the Atla concept is unique to just NYC and L.A.
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(Neil John Burger / Baar Baar)
Baar Baar
Downtown L.A. Indian $$$
This NYC favorite recently expanded to the former Faith & Flower space in downtown L.A. Both the NYC and L.A. locations revolve around small plates and a robust craft cocktail menu with drinks named for Bollywood movies, but the L.A. location has a slightly more high-end vibe. Showcasing new Indian cuisine, chef Sujan Sarkar draws from his childhood in Kolkata and melds those influences with other global flavors to inspire the menu, which includes an array of kulchas, or small plates, like Japanese eggplant and sweet potato chat. Greatest hits like the butter chicken juxtapose with more creative entrees like the Cashimiri duck taco, inspired by birria-style tacos and topped with cilantro and pickled radish. On Sundays, the restaurant’s popular Bollywood Brunch is another carryover from the New York location, with a two-course, $35 prix fixe menu and enough Bollywood tunes coming through the speakers to make you want to get up and dance.
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(Giada Paoloni / Dante)
Dante Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills Italian American $$$
Now a registered New York City landmark, Dante helped popularize Italian aperitivo cocktail culture among New Yorkers when it reopened in 2015 inside a historic, century-old space in Greenwich Village. First opened as a cafe in 1915 and eventually growing to develop a clientele of locals, artists and celebrities alike, operators Linden Pride and Natalie Hudson focused the concept around spritzes and Italian aperitifs when they took over. Dante expanded outside of the Big Apple for the first time this summer, opening on the rooftop of the Maybourne Hotel in Beverly Hills. The vibe is very different in L.A., with its poolside, indoor-outdoor setup, but the large cocktail menu features familiar favorites like the Garibaldi with Campari and foamy orange juice, an array of spritzes, and Martini Hour every day from 3 to 5 p.m. On the food menu you’ll find an array of wood-fired pizzas plus Mediterranean-leaning dishes like saffron-tinged arancini and a canellini bean salad with feta.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Linden
Hollywood Caribbean Soul Food Jewish $$
According to chef Jon Harris, he cooks because he can’t rap. But the stories he tells with each dish at Linden are worth a thousand words. Inspired by Linden Boulevard, the street he regularly traversed growing up in Long Island, the menu directly reflects the Jewish, African American and Caribbean communities and cuisines that thrive alongside each other in East Flatbush, as well as tributes to his past — for example, a Rhode Island-style lobster roll nods to the chef’s time working in Providence. “My grandfather is from Barbuda, he used words like ‘zhush.’ You can’t explain that to people,” Harris says of the melding of cultures he and his family experienced commuting back and forth from Brooklyn to Long Island. The New York inspiration is most obvious in dishes like the bacon, egg and cheese pasta, a call-out to the staple item of NYC bodegas, and the matzo ball soup, which is a cross between the traditional Jewish dish and a Jamaican classic, oxtail soup. A classic fried chicken dish is served with a cornbread-laced macaroni pie, which is a tribute to a similar recipe by Harris’ father (who owned a restaurant the chef grew up working in). “The best way to describe my food is ‘Matisyahu and Sade are at a barbecue at Eastern Parkway on Labor Day,’” Harris quips.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Levain Bakery
Windsor Square Bakery $
If the opening-day lines and general chaos were any indication, Angelenos are more than ready to embrace New York’s most famous chocolate chip cookie shop, which recently opened in Larchmont Village. The bakery was first opened in 1995 by two friends on New York’s Upper West Side and has been a cult favorite since — known for its giant, fluffy, chewy, chocolate walnut cookies. When the era of social media took hold, Levain’s popularity increased, eventually expanding with more locations throughout New York and the Hamptons, Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Maryland, and now L.A.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Donna's
Echo Park Italian American $$
“My partner and I have wanted to open this restaurant in some form for like 20 years,” says Park Hospitality partner Matthew Glaser. Donna’s is the latest restaurant from the group, located adjacent to sibling restaurants Lowboy and Bar Flores on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park. This nonna-inspired dining room in the former Adamae space focuses on all things red-sauce, with a particular emphasis on main courses. “I love how old-school Italian restaurants on the East Coast always have those giant entree menus,” says Glaser. Dishes like shrimp scampi, chicken Marsala and lasagna rollatini are some of the highlights you’ll find on the menu at Donna’s. Park Hospitality tapped chef Sathia Sun (who has worked at Italian favorites like Felix and Union) to helm the kitchen. A playful drink menu filled with Italian amaros, spritzes and even a take on an Amaretto sour come from beverage director Karla Flores-Mercado.
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(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Bodega Park
Silver Lake Sandwich Shop Breakfast/Lunch $
The all-day cafe from chef-owners Eric and Miriam Park is directly inspired by New York bodegas, from the tiger in the logo (their version of a bodega cat) to the sandwiches on the menu. Most notably you’ll find excellent takes on the deli classic BEC (bacon, egg and cheese) and another bodega staple, the chopped cheese sandwich with ground Angus beef, American cheese, grilled onions and jalapeños on a pressed sesame hero roll for what’s basically a cheeseburger panini. Park also weaves in influences from his Korean-American heritage throughout the menu, as in the spicy pork bulgogi roll, the super-crispy Korean-style fried chicken and drinks like the Misugaru black sesame (made with the Korean multigrain beverage powder). The compact Sliver Lake spot has been tearing up Instagram since opening in 2022.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Szechuan Mountain House
Rowland Heights Szechuan $$
This NYC cult favorite, which has been lauded by the New York Times among others, recently opened an outpost in the San Gabriel Valley’s Pearl Plaza. Until 2005, Sichuan peppercorns were technically illegal in the U.S., so New York restaurants could only go so far when trying to interpret the cuisine. After that, Sichuan restaurants exploded within the five boroughs, including Mountain House, which started in Flushing in 2016 and then expanded to NYC’s East Village in 2018. The viral liang yi pork belly, (translation: “hanging clothes”) may be part of the reason: Its striking presentation hangs thin slices of cooked pork belly and cucumber ribbons from a wooden dowel, resembling clothing being hung to dry. At the new L.A. location, you’ll find that dish plus classics like mapo tofu, mao zue wang and twice-cooked pork as well as harder-to-find Sichuan dishes. The 5,000-square-foot space is adorned with paper lanterns, waterfalls, koi ponds and ceramics.
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(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Gigi's
Hollywood French $$$
Dining at Gigi’s, opened mid-pandemic on a now-buzzy stretch of Sycamore Avenue, strikes a similar mood and tone to that of a New York City restaurant. “I was born and raised in New York City and my partner Samantha, while being from L.A., has a ton of New York roots as well,” says co-owner Alex Wilmot. “We very much kept [New York] in our mind when designing Gigi’s to give it that neighborhood feel. When we asked Andie Dinkin to paint the murals on our walls, we drew inspiration from Bemelmans in the Carlyle Hotel as well as Monkey Bar and Waverly Inn.” Anyone who has been to any of those beloved NYC institutions will feel the similarities upon entry. The French-leaning, bistro-style menu hints at NYC with a large raw bar menu (including a few seafood towers), a steak tartare, chicken liver mousse and one of the finest cheeseburgers you’ll find in Hollywood. It gives the feeling of a see-and-be-seen place in New York, only in L.A.
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(Brandon Harman)
Roberta's
Culver City Pizza $$
You’d be hard-pressed to find a restaurant that epitomizes Brooklyn more than Roberta’s. Depicted on shows like “Girls,” the Brooklyn-based pizzeria made waves for its rustic-chic aesthetic, which mashed up one part Bushwick shipping container with two parts charming, string-lit outdoor oasis, the perfect backdrop for its artisan-made pizzas. Now with two locations in Los Angeles, including Culver City and the more recently opened location in Studio City’s Sportsmen’s Lodge, both spaces will transport you back to the Big Apple. In Culver City, the only full-service location in L.A., a concise menu of wood-fired pizzas, pastas, salads and starters like prosciutto and cheese boards pair up with cheekily named cocktails like Love in the Time of COVID (gin, beet juice, lemon, honey, thyme), and A$AP Julio (habanero tequila, pineapple, cherry liqueur, vanilla vinegar).
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(Eugene Lee)
Genghis Cohen
Fairfax Chinese American $$
Inspired by 1980s Chinese restaurants in New York City, for Marc Rose and Med Abrous, the co-founders of Call Mom, Genghis Cohen started with a longing for childhood favorites: “We couldn’t find the same kind of New York-style Chinese food that we were used to in L.A.,” says Rose. So when legendary Chinese food institution Genghis Cohen was for sale, they jumped at the opportunity to preserve the space and bring those childhood influences to L.A. Inside you’ll find roomy leather booths, a ceiling adorned with paper lanterns, giant egg rolls, and takes on throwback dishes like mu shu pork, lo mein, chow fun, and more. More recent additions include an outdoor patio, as well as a happy hour menu. Dining at Genghis Cohen is an unmistakably New York vibe, only in L.A.
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(Shelby Moore / For The Times)
Langer's Deli
Westside Jewish Cuisine $$
When you’re feeling nostalgic for a New York deli, Langer’s rises as a top option. This L.A. institution is steeped in history and tradition, proudly serving up some of the best pastrami and sandwiches in L.A. But the Langer family, like so many other Jewish Americans, has its roots on the East Coast. It’s the closest thing we have in L.A. to Katz’s Deli. The restaurant, which has been in operation since 1947, is lovingly preserved by owner Norm Langer. And the famous #19 sandwich is the top seller along with Jewish classics like matzo ball soup, potato latkes and more.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Pop's Bagels
Bagels $
Pop’s is arguably the closest thing you’ll find to a New York City-style bagel in L.A. Owner and former New Yorker Zach Liporace drew the name and concept from his grandfather when he opened this spot in Culver City; it has since expanded to three locations around L.A., with a fourth coming soon to Beverly Hills. This is the perfect place to grab a bagel and a schmear, or a sandwich filled with everything from bacon, egg and cheese, to pastrami, egg and cheese, to even a $40 Ossetra caviar-topped creation.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Tonchin
Larchmont Japanese $$
L.A.’s got plenty of ramen shops, but there’s a reason former East Coasters were chomping at the bit for Tonchin’s arrival. The Tokyo-based ramen shop first expanded to New York’s Midtown neighborhood in 2017, before opening a second Williamsburg location last year and landing in Hollywood earlier this year, bringing its famed tonkotsu ramen with it. Everything, including all the broths and noodles, are scratch-made daily and cooked to order. Begin the meal with small plates of kimchi mushrooms, shishito peppers or spicy wings, and pair your ramen with a selection of sake and natural wines. During the week, there’s a $24 lunch special that pairs one side and one ramen dish. But the best part of dining here is peeping into the “noodle room” via a glass window inside the restaurant — it allows guests to see the ramen noodles being made on-site.
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(Kelly Dobkin)
Vito's Pizza
Beverly Grove Pizza $$
Owner Vito DiDonato is behind this unassuming WeHo slice shop, which has been open since the ’90s and has one of the most authentically New York-style slices in L.A. Its thin, crispy crust is reminiscent of a street slice you’d grab at NYC spots like Ray’s or Vinnie’s, and the sauce-to-cheese ratio, plentiful spice shakers and fountain sodas most definitely will transport you to the Big Apple.
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