Okay, so a taqueria in a parking lot on the unglamorous corner of Villa and Lake isn’t actually elegant, but if you used to go to El Taquito Mexicano’s original home (as I did frequently), you’ll be impressed with the gentrification. The old place on Fair Oaks — across the street from La Estrella’s outdoor [...]
The nice people in this cheerful, open café serve a variety of Japanese dishes (tempura, sushi, gyoza), but the noodles are the thing to get– homemade udon and soba served in a variety of styles and temperatures. (Vegetarians, take note of the hard-to-find vegetarian broth for the noodles.) There’s nothing like cold soba on a [...]
We go to this handsome bar and grill now and then a year and each time are pleasantly surprised at how good it is. It’s not as fancy as siblings Parkway Grill or Arroyo Chophouse, but it’s a better value, and here’s why: with each dinner entree you get a side order, instead of having [...]
In a quiet dining room with mirrored walls and lots of greenery, regulars put away steamed Shanghai-style dumplings filled with crab and pork; light pastry-style dumplings filled with sautéed leeks; Shanghai spareribs; and jade shrimp with a spinach purée. It’s all terrific, but it’s the dumplings we crave most. 301 W. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, [...]
We posted about this swell promotion months ago, but it’s time for a reminder, because it’s still going on, and it’s a great deal for food and wine lovers. Sponsored by Visit Pasadena (basically the Pasadena Visitors Bureau), BYOWW is exactly what it says: You can bring your own wine to dinner, and corkage fees [...]
Good char-grilled burgers, perfect beer-battered onion rings, tasty breakfast burritos, a savory turkey-sausage sandwich with grilled onions, homemade guacamole and thick shakes keep this place packed every lunch hour with office workers and every evening with families. It has a nicer atmosphere than the other burger joints in town, and you can get a beer [...]
This vividly colorful little building looks like it belongs in a beach town in Mexico. The $1 tacos are juicy and more seasoned than most, with a subtle salsa kick. Particularly addictive is the al pastor, either in taco or burrito form; also terrific are the Baja-style fish tacos (fried, with cabbage and white sauce), [...]
Chef Claud Beltran and wine expert Mike Farwell have been kicking around the local food scene for years; Beltran cooked at Dickinson West and Halie, for instance, and Farwell helped created the Red Carpet Wine Bar and Vertical Wine Bistro. Now the two have joined forces, and the early evidence is that they’ll be staying [...]
After a run last spring that was so wildly successful it stretched from a week into a month, Dine L.A. Restaurant Week returned starting October 4th, this time for two weeks instead of one. Here’s how it works: The participating restaurants offer special three-course, fixed-price menus for lunch and dinner. They choose one of three [...]
The buzz is building for a great newish neighborhood market in Highland Park, at the corner of York and Figueroa, just west of South Pas and south of Eagle Rock. With its clean graphics and open feel, Figueroa Produce stands out from its declassé neighbors (including an AutoZone and 99 Cent Store). The owners are [...]
