WHY To discover the flavors of China’s Yunnan province. WHAT A brightly lit Chinese café like a thousand others in the area, with the brusque service that’s the norm. But the culinary style is more uncommon: the robust, chile-laden food of the mountainous Yunnan province, which fills China’s southwest corner. Try the crossing-the-bridge noodles, cumin […]
Go Go’ers, the Big Day approaches. And the aftermath…. Here’s how to stay sane and social through it all. Yes, there will be cocktails…. A (Hallucinogenic) Holiday Fantasy Need some head-bending holidaze mice before you make holiday nice? Head to Cinefamily tonight for an ultra-rare screening of Nutcracker Fantasy: a demented, stop-motion, “Animagic” version of the The Nutcracker […]
WHY A terrific selection of gifts for food lovers; good samples, too. WHAT This storybook shop in storybook Sierra Madre specializes in edibles, with some tableware and cookbooks thrown in for good measure. They love building custom gift baskets or helping you decide between the Chardonnay brittle, blueberry-acacia gummy pandas, and locally made dry rub […]
WHY Flawless French pastries with Japanese flair. WHAT Keiko Nojima’s creations are as cross-cultural as they are classic: delicate and refined pastries that seamlessly balance tradition and intercontinental innovation. Take the mactha roll, for example, alternating layers of green tea chiffon cake and chestnut cream topped with sweet azuki beans. Or the fabulous cream puffs […]
WHY Lebanese mezzas (small plates) galore, including creamy hummus, spicy muhammara, fattoush salad and frogs legs with lemon and garlic. Plus, it’s just steps from the Alex Theatre. WHAT Delicious food, speedy service and an attractive décor make Carousel one of Brand Boulevard’s most reliable and rewarding dining options. Don’t miss the fatteh oberjhin (toasted […]
WHY Locali is the opposite of Famima—instead of convenience foods imported from Japan, the emphasis is on locally sourced edibles from some of our favorite producers. Don’t miss the Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches—they may come all the way from Portland, but they rock. WHAT Locali packs a lot of interesting products into a tiny […]
WHY A place to hang in bitchin’ Boyle Heights. WHAT This funky, rather cramped coffeehouse is emblematic of the gentrification of Boyle Heights (in case you didn’t know, it’s the new Echo Park, which in turn was the new Silver Lake only yesterday), thanks in part to the newish Metro station out front. It has […]
WHY A crisp margarita on the sidewalk patio is a beautiful thing. WHAT The former La Grande Orange is now M Street Kitchen, part of the huge LEYE restaurant chain, which makes us disinclined to like the place. That said, it’s worth knowing about for its sidewalk tables, breakfast sandwiches, brussels sprouts salad (an LGO […]
WHY Sweet Cuban classics and worthy sandwiches and entrées. WHAT Like Porto’s, Tropicana blurs the line between bakery and restaurant. It has lots of great pastries—rum-soaked raspberry tarts, éclairs sweetened with dulce de leche, empanada-like pastelitos stuffed with the likes of cheese and guava—all of which go down even easier with a sip of Cuban […]
WHY Fresh-baked strudel with Old World charm. WHAT This family-owned spot brings a taste of Hungary to the historic waterfront. Styled like a country café, Mishi’s specializes in both sweet and savory strudels and crèpes. There are plenty of fruit-centric fillings, including apricot-almond and apple-walnut, as well as savory options, including spinach, mushroom and cabbage. […]
