Newsletter: Ribs, wine and radish tops
We are in between heat waves here in Los Angeles, which means we can take our time getting to farmers markets, consider eating something other than frozen dessert for dinner and maybe — gasp — even contemplate a little baking. Why not turn on the oven and watch footage of the recent September snowfall at Mammoth. That said, it’s maybe still more fun to let the experts do the barbecuing.
So we consider some local barbecue masters who are bringing their own backgrounds to the grill, using ingredients such as chorizo and frijoles and influences ranging from Mexico and El Salvador to East L.A., rather than North Carolina and Texas. To pair with brisket, how about Chilean wine, which you can read about, if you’re drinking micheladas with your brisket. In other news, there are new restaurants coming — specializing in ceviche and tostadas and live fire — and much going on at the farmers market.
BRISKET AND FRIJOLES
If you think of barbecue joints as channeling the spirit of Texas, North Carolina or Kansas City, you haven’t been to some of the backyard shops and pop-ups that have been happening in L.A. recently. Here, three pit masters are finding their inspiration south of the border. Food writer Ben Mesirow checks out three barbecue places that are Latino-owned and operated.
RUSTIC CHILEAN WINES
This week, wine writer Patrick Comiskey considers a new style of wines from Chile: rustic, village wines, made from old vines; wines intended for quick consumption. “None of these wines would be considered polished, or suave, but all of them have a ton of character. And all of them, literally, channel Chile’s past in a bottle — all of them taste like history.”
RABBIT FOOD
Not letting food go to waste has been a rallying cry in recent years, for celebrated chefs and home cooks. Using vegetable tops is one way to do this — putting the carrot tops and beet greens and radish leaves to work in your dishes, not only by putting them into soups and salads, but also using them to make pesto and sauces. Some of us gather these greens from farmers markets already, as a way to feed our kids’ rabbits for free. With or without family pets, it’s a fun way to go green.
FOUR MORE NEW RESTAURANTS
Los Angeles has been in the midst of a restaurant boom for a while now, and one that shows no signs of abating — lucky for us. Among the new places opening are a new cevicheria in Venice, from the folks who run La Tostaderia in Grand Central Market. Also coming, as deputy Food editor Jenn Harris reports: a new restaurant from Chad Colby, formerly of Chi Spacca; a fried chicken joint from chef Richard Blais; and a new downtown restaurant from chefs Quinn and Karen Hatfield, called the Mighty.
POMEGRANATE TIME
In her weekly farmers market report, Test Kitchen director Noelle Carter surveys the stalls and finds a wealth of pomegranates. These gorgeous fruit are in season now until early winter, and are well worth the effort they take to peel and use. Noelle has suggestions and recipes, as well as a look at what’s ahead (sweet potatoes).
Goldbot: You can now talk to Jonathan Gold any time you want — or at least the robot version of him that now lives on Facebook Messenger. You can ask Goldbot for a personal restaurant recommendation based on location, type of food or price. The bot will also deliver Jonathan’s latest reviews straight to your device.
The Daily Meal, the food and drink website under the editorial direction of Colman Andrews, is now one of our partners. Check out their stories, recipes, restaurant news and videos.
Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants, the authoritative annual guide to local dining, is online for subscribers and now features his 2016 Best Restaurants. If you didn’t get a copy of the booklet, you can order one online here.
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