Sidle up at the bar at Somerville in View Park-Windsor Hills, a sleek supper club from actor-producer Issa Rae and partners Yonnie Hagos and Ajay Relan.
(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
10 Black-owned restaurants to visit before ‘Cowboy Carter’ and ‘Grand National’ tours at SoFi Stadium
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Fans who have been blasting “Cowboy Carter” and “GNX” on repeat will finally get the chance to experience the No. 1 albums live as Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar with SZA prepare to take the stage for multiple dates at SoFi Stadium.
Lamar’s “Not Like Us” single has become a West Coast anthem since it was released last spring, and L.A.’s Black cowboy culture is on full display in preparation for Beyoncé’s performance of her Grammy-winning country album.
If you’re looking to curate the perfect concert experience, consider pregaming at one of L.A.’s Black-owned restaurants, many of which are conveniently located near the Inglewood arena. Toast with Black-owned prosecco at a neighborhood wine bar, pick up flaky Jamaican patties before walking to the venue or “Laissez les bon temps rouler” at a New Orleans-inflected favorite in Jefferson Park.
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Alta Adams
West Adams Breakfast/Brunch Soul Food $$
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
There’s no bad seat in Alta Adams, chef-owners Daniel Patterson and Keith Corbin’s California-soul restaurant in West Adams, with blond-wood banquettes and curated art hanging in the interior and a trellis woven with string lights and draping plants on the patio. The fried chicken, cornbread and black-eyed pea fritters are standard for me, but seasonally rotating plates — currently, suya-spiced roasted bone marrow and broccoli with mole negro — also are worthy of attention. The cocktail list has options that lean sweet and fruity or simple and bold: Try Hello Limoncello, a unique martini with limoncello-infused vodka, if you’re in the mood for the former, and Mr. Street, with brown-butter fat-washed rum, espresso and cardamom bitters, for the latter.
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Banadir Somali Restaurant
Inglewood Somali cuisine $
(Camryn Brewer / Los Angeles Times)
Head to the city’s only Somalian restaurant for hearty plates of generously sauced halal goat and lamb, served with basmati rice and an herby-spicy green sauce, and big enough to share. This is where Inglewood tourists should go for a homey culinary experience unlike any other you’ll find in L.A. You’ll likely see owner Mohamud Hussein chatting up regulars and doling out complimentary cups of Somalian tea.
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Blessed Tropical Jamaican Cuisine
Inglewood Jamaican $
Jamaican patties from Blessed Tropical Jamaican Cuisine.
It doesn’t get more convenient than Blessed Tropical Jamaican Cuisine if you’re heading to SoFi Stadium. The cozy, takeout-oriented restaurant is located less than a mile from the entrance, and you might need the walk to reenergize you after taking down generous plates of curry goat and jerk chicken. For something light and quick, grab a few Jamaican patties to go.
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Dulan's on Crenshaw
Hyde Park Southern $$
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
The destination restaurant on Crenshaw Boulevard completed a lengthy renovation last year that swapped the previous cafeteria-style format for counter service. There are plenty of tables for two and four inside, and a covered patio overlooking the boulevard that’s always crowded after Sunday church service. The menu remains straightforward with comfort-driven soul food plates: fried chicken or fish, oxtails, smothered pork chops or meatloaf — your hardest decision will be choosing which two sides to pair with your meal, with options such as baked mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams and black-eyed peas. Each order comes with two pieces of perfectly bouncy and moist cornbread.
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Earle's on Crenshaw
Leimert Park American $
(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
For a quick, casual bite on your way to SoFi Stadium, visit Earle’s on Crenshaw, where brothers Cary and Duane Earle sling New York-style hot dogs, salmon and pastrami sandwiches and Jamaican patties, with plenty of vegan options. Grab a seat at one of the patio tables at the shopping center and, depending on the time of day, grab a cold-pressed juice from Crenshaw Juice Co. or head to the District by GS for a pregame cocktail.
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Harold & Belle's
Jefferson Park Creole Cajun Soul Food $$
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
In Jefferson Park, Harold & Belle’s is always a guaranteed good time. The Creole and Cajun restaurant that’s helmed by third-generation owners Ryan and Jessica LeGaux takes a California-hued approach to Southern hospitality, with some of the city’s best filé gumbo, jambalaya, po’boys and beignets, plus New Orleans-famous cocktails including Sazeracs and Hurricanes. With a spacious interior and back patio, this is the sort of place where hours can easily slip away — keep an eye on the clock so you don’t miss the show.
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Little Belize
Inglewood Belizean $$
(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Tucked down a quiet street in downtown Inglewood, Little Belize is a popular outpost for fish- or bean-filled panades, banana-leaf-wrapped tamales and other specialties from the Central American country that borders the Caribbean sea. Instead of Taco Tuesday, Little Belize runs a Wednesday happy hour that includes tacos stuffed with proteins like shrimp and oxtails, plus two-for-one wine specials and $3 discounts on rum punch and margaritas.
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Somerville
View Park-Windsor Hills Soul Food New American $$$
(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
You may be wondering, “Isn’t Somerville notoriously one of the hardest reservations in L.A. right now?” That’s true, if you prefer to slip into one of its velvet-clad booths, but you can also enjoy chef Geter Atienza’s (formerly of New York’s Bouchon Bakery and Broken Spanish) menu at the Art Deco-inspired bar, which accepts walk-ins. Pro tip: These are still competitive seats, so try to arrive when the restaurant opens to avoid a wait. Once you’ve settled in, place orders for house favorites such as fried chicken sliders smeared with honey mustard and caviar-dotted crème fraîche, and a creamy lasagna with braised collard greens. The beverage menu features a wine list curated by Westside Winos, the group behind West L.A.’s Offhand Wine Bar, with a similar emphasis on West Coast and organic wines. The cocktails are named after jazz and soul hits: Try a Love Supreme, a chartreuse-hued drink with rice vodka, Midori, Cointreau and lemon.
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Two Hommés
Inglewood West African Southern $$
(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
This colorful Pan-African bistro on North La Brea is the perfect pregame setting before heading to nearby SoFi Stadium. You’re likely to spy other concert-goers in rhinestone-studded Stetson hats and thigh-high cowboy boots taking down plates of za’atar-spiced zucchini, panko-fried plantains topped with crab salad and smoked lamb tacos, with a complementary playlist filling the space. With whiskey, lime juice, soursop and ginger, the Sentinela Sour feels like the sort of strong, balanced cocktail that Beyoncé would favor, but look out for limited specials queued to the tour — a recent option was spiked with Sir Davis, Queen Bee’s whiskey label. Reservations are recommended if you’re coming with a large party for dinner; otherwise bar seating can accommodate a quick bite for two.
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1010 Wine
Inglewood Wine Bars $$
(Andrea D’Agosto / For The Times)
Inglewood’s first and only wine bar is owned by neighborhood locals and sisters LeAnn and Leslie Jones. The narrow space is unassuming, with a valet stand out front, but the interior is chic and intimate with gold accents and a glowing sign that spells out “Inglewine” toward the back area. It’s an ideal place to toast before heading to SoFi Stadium, with an impressive list of Black-owned wine labels to choose from. The food menu spans bites like Rockefeller oysters, beef suya skewers and black-eyed pea fritters, plus large-format plates including whole fried fish and piri piri chicken.
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