Clockwise from top middle: loaded potato fritter from Hermon’s, taco trio from Villa’s Tacos, stawberry mochi from Nuo Mochi, khachapuri from Saqartvelo and a donut-glazed cinnamon roll from Butter, Love and Hardwork.
(Collage by Jaya Nicely; photos by Stephanie Breijo and Jen Harris / Los Angeles Times, Mariah Tauger, Rebecca Peloquin and Ron de Angelis / For The Times)
The best places to eat and drink in L.A. this month, according to our food writers
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February was a short but busy month, with holidays Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, Iftar and Lent all overlapping this year.
It also marked Black History Month, offering an opportunity to celebrate the culinary contributions of Black communities near and far, including resilient restaurants in Pasadena and Altadena, a 250-acre ranch in Acton that represents the largest Black-owned farm in L.A. County, and the legacy of the ‘Dean of Southern cuisine’ chef Joe Randall, who died at 79 after spending a half-century of amplifying African American culinary traditions. In Inglewood, Serving Spoon won the America’s Classic in California award from the James Beard Foundation, and will receive a medal at the ceremony this June.
With summer temperatures and clear skies this weekend, it’s hard to believe that just weeks ago, the city was hit with a week of heavy rainstorms. Several restaurants across the region were forced to temporarily close due to flooding, resulting in revenue loss and expensive repairs.
March brings the start of spring, which means we’re already seeing seasonal produce such as asparagus, peas and apricots appear on our favorite menus. Keep reading for more dining ideas this month, including the return of a globe-trotting cafe, a community-minded food hub in South L.A. and an Argentinian bistro with a connection to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance.
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Alto
Studio City Argentinian Uruguayan $$$
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Restaurant critic Bill Addison writes that “Alto is like nothing else in the city,” with a menu that pulls inspiration from co-founders and chefs Juana Castellanos and Esteban Klenzi’s Uruguayan and Argentine backgrounds, and places particular emphasis on the Rio de Plata region. That means a focus on cheesy breads, innovative dishes such as a torched avocado salad, wood-fired meats and modern cocktails that play on classic Argentine drinks dating back to the early 1900s.
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Arroz and Fun
Eagle Rock Breakfast $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The eclectic breakfast spot was forced to close its outpost in Lincoln Heights late last year, but now, Arroz and Fun’s playful dishes and drinks can be found during the day at Chifa, a Chinese-Peruvian restaurant run by the same family of owners in Eagle Rock. Helmed by Gardenia Rosales, the beverage program features a toasted rice and date latte and a chicha morada espresso tonic, with El Salvador-sourced beans from her Cipota Coffee label. The breakfast menu features the same pineapple bun egg sandwiches, plus dim sum and noodle and rice bowls.
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Butter, Love & Hardwork
West Hollywood Chocolate shop $$$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Valentine’s Day has passed, but that doesn’t mean that cravings for chocolate and sweets have wavered. In West Hollywood’s Kimpton La Peer hotel, you can try whimsical, themed desserts created by celebrity chocolatier Chris Ford at his extended pop-up, ranging from triple-layer chocolate bars to pastries and coffee drinks, including a chocolate vending machine. Ford hopes to launch a weekend-only dessert tasting menu soon.
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Crenshaw Food Hub
Hyde Park Vegan $
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(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)
A thriving food hub has taken over the former space occupied by Kathy’s Kitchen in South L.A., led by Imani Diggs and and partners Diggs and partners Adam X and former Compton Community Garden director TemuAsyr Martin Bey. Now, chefs Amin Muhammad and Wolf Collins offer vegan dishes such as eggplant pizza, bean pie and alkaline specialties such as a soursop “fish” sandwiches in the collective kitchen place, while the market features fresh produce and juices.
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Electric Bleu
Mar Vista French Californian $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
A buzzy new bistro has landed in residential Mar Vista from Craig Hopson, former executive chef at Shirley Brasserie who honed the concept as a pop-up at local wine bars for years prior. The menu blends California-French influence with Hopson’s Australian roots in dishes such as California white bass in a carrot-miso broth, chicken salt fries and a passionfruit tart with whipped creme fraiche. The restaurant also offers an approachable tasting menu with four courses for $65 and $45 to add on a supplemental wine pairing.
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Fuegos L.A.
Exposition Park Argentinian $$
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times )
Federico Laboureau, who co-owns the community-minded Argentine bistro Fuegos L.A. with his partner Maximilian Pizzi in South L.A., had a hand in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl show, which paid homage to Puerto Rico, where the chart-topping reggaeton artist hails from, as well as Latin American identity as a whole. The former set designer and producer created the inside of the casita that Bad Bunny fell through during the performance, meant to invoke the home of a typical abuelita with porcelain figurines and plastic flowers. Laboureau and Pizzi recently expanded the interior of the restaurant, creating more space for community farmers markets, tango classes and wine tastings, with empanadas, grilled meats, Argentine-style pizza and South American wines on the menu.
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Granada
Echo Park Coffee $
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Find L.A.’s coolest new coffee shop in a modern Angelino Heights home, with seating that spreads across the L-shaped couch, Eames-style lounges and communal tables on the garden patio. Owned by husband-and-wife team Isaac Watters and Sydney Wayser, the coffee shop is part of L.A. County’s Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) program that allows individuals to operate a small-scale restaurant in their homes, with limitations on the number of meals they can serve per day and week, and capped at $100,000 gross sales annually. Addison praised the menu with classic espresso drinks and matcha lattes served in ceramic cups, with biscuits, ricotta blood orange cake and other pastries provided by expert baker Sasha Pilligan.
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Hermon's
Montecito Heights American $$
(Ron De Angelis/For The Times)
The latest opening from Last Word Hospitality drills into what the group does best: nurture community in a timeless space with creative plates and worthwhile wine and cocktails. Located in the tiny neighborhood of Hermon in northeast L.A., Hermon’s became an instant hit with cozy booths and playful dishes including a two-sheet vongole filled with whipped ricotta and topped with creamy clam sauce, buffalo wing-inspired branzino collars served with house-made ranch and a skillet cookie topped with Maldon salt. In a review, restaurant critic Jenn Harris advises that it’s sometimes easier to book a table for four rather than two.
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King Taco
Cypress Park Mexican $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The L.A. taquería responsible for popularizing soft tacos and taco trucks is set to become a city-designated historic-cultural site. The first location of King Taco was opened by founders Raúl and Lupe Martinez in Cypress Park in 1975, after creating America’s first taco truck in 1974; the chain has since expanded to nearly two dozen locations. The city’s Cultural Heritage Commission voted unanimously in favor of the designation, and next steps include a vote from the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee and the City Council, which city representatives say will likely take place in April.
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La Sandunga
Downtown L.A. Places to eat $$
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Roast to Go, the longest running stall in downtown L.A.’s Grand Central Market founded in 1952, closed in December, but owner Sunnee Chung was able to help Olio Wood Fired Pizza owner Michael Robles take over the space as La Sandunga, dedicated to celebrating his Oaxacan homeland with tlayudas, chicken smothered in a mix of red and black mole and lamb barbacoa based on his grandmother’s recipe, with many ingredients sourced directly from Oaxaca.
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Nuo Mochi
Monterey Park Chinese $
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )
A tiny shop in Monterey Park is drawing nonstop lines for giant mochi stuffed with ingredients like green grapes and matcha cream cheese; purple rice, salted egg yolk and meat floss; and crushed sesame and peanuts. Owner Yongfang Liu told restaurant critic Jenn Harris that she never expected the shop to be so popular and that she was driven to start making mochi because of how much she enjoyed eating it. Nuo Mochi offers 18 signature mochi and 13 special flavors, plus rotating seasonal options.
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Palette Dim Sum
Orange Chinese $$
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
While searching for Southern California’s best dim sum spots, restaurant critic Bill Addison found promise in Palette Dim Sum, which soft opened with a limited menu in December and held its grand opening on Feb. 28. Look for expanded menu options alongside the har gau, pork and shrimp shumai and dan tan that Addison recommends.
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Saqartvelo
Van Nuys Georgian $$
(Rebecca Peloquin/For The Times)
In Van Nuys, a tiny cafe ran by a small group Georgian women is delivering a masterful menu of breads, stews and dumplings, including one of L.A.’s best handmade khachapuri, according to restaurant critic Bill Addison. Whether you’re new to Georgian cuisine or its a familiar favorite, you’ll be equally charmed by Saqartvelo. Fill out your spread with dips such as beet phkali, soupy khinkali filled with ground pork and beef and chicken slathered in house-made adjika, a textured red chile paste, and wash it all down with tarragon lemonade or a bottle of Georgian-branded sweet juice.
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Sea Harbour Seafood
Rosemead Chinese $$
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Restaurant critics Bill Addison and Jenn Harris scoured the region for the best dim sum and found that Sea Harbour in Rosemead remains one of the top options, with elevated versions of classic items, such as har gau, baked BBQ pork buns, pan-grilled pork and shrimp pandan buns and sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaf.
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Taqueria Frontera Silver Lake
Silver Lake Mexican $
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
One of L.A.’s most popular taquerias moved to a new, larger storefront in Silver Lake, with plenty of seating, parking and plans for wine and beer service. Taqueria Frontera is known for its Tijuana-style tacos, including al pastor that’s shaved from a trompo and topped with an herb crema salsa. Burritos, quesadillas, tortas and mulitas round out the options, with additional protein options spanning chorizo, carne asada, birria and lengua.
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Villa's Tacos
Highland Park Mexican $
(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
L.A.’s food scene got a major shoutout during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, with Villa’s Tacos owner Victor Villa handing the artist a taco from his cart at the beginning of the show. The already-popular taquería had crowds of customers that night and the following day when Villa returned from San Francisco. Stop by the original Highland Park location or the outpost in Grand Central Market to order one of our critic’s favorite tacos in L.A. — six meat or vegan fillings are available, but he favors the smoky chicken thigh meat.
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