Everything I ate in LA this week
Eating and drinking my way through the city + a couple TV and music recs for you, too.
What can I say? I eat out a lot… so it’s a restaurant round-up, y’all! I’ll also share the takeout and dine-in delights (and leave out the less exciting home-cooked meals) I enjoyed over the past 7-10 days. Hoping to write weekly or bi-weekly restaurant round-ups no matter where I am in the world.
But first, some housekeeping. Are you on Discord? As of today, I am! If you’re a subscriber to this newsletter you can add me with this link. In the chat, you’ll have the opportunity to ask your restaurant, hotel and general travel questions as well as share suggestions and favorites. Looking forward to chatting with you there! :)
Also, also — a little background on my relationship to Los Angeles: I moved here in 2013 and while I consider myself more of a nomad these days, I still find myself in LA every other month or so. Some of my best friends are here and so are some of the best restaurants in the country, hands down (and some of my favorite food writers, too, like my friend Esther who recently wrote about arcade bars in LA for LA Times).
When you read my round-up remember it’s not so much a deep-dive into the history of the food or the chefs or the construction of the building where the restaurants are housed or the interior design or anything in particular. It’s just what I ate and what I liked. I have an ongoing list in most cities that are “home” to me so I’m excited to share these with you more frequently.
Katsuya in Studio City
This is an old classic and perfect for a night in, whether you order delivery or pick it up. I paired my sushi with champagne and ‘Gordita Chronicles’ on HBO Max. It’s a cute and fun show about a family that emigrated from Dominican Republic to the U.S. in the 1980s.
Shared crispy rice with spicy tuna, salmon nigiri with ponzu, yellowtail sashimi, shishito peppers and a couple baked crab hand rolls with my friend Lauren and could’ve definitely ordered one or two more things.
Cara Cara at the Downtown L.A. Proper
Dining alone is fine, but dining with friends is really where it’s at for me. I checked out the Downtown LA Proper Hotel a day before it opened last October, but I hadn’t eaten here yet so this was a real treat. Met up with my friend and her BF and we shared a bunch of stuff including the roasted cauliflower tacos with cashews and cotija queso (my fave dish of the night), the mussels, an order of olives and mango pudding for dessert. Loved watching the sunset with fab DTLA skyline views at Cara Cara, which is also where the hotel’s rooftop pool is located, while sipping on an Agave Old Fashioned. The playlist was on point, too.
Songs I Shazam’d: Wild and Loose by The Time and California Soul by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell.
Fishwives in Pasadena
While I love eating/drinking with friends, sometimes it’s nice to sit at the bar and stare at your phone — or read a book — alone. This is a raw bar, so oysters are great I’m sure. This time, I grabbed a glass of Chardonnay and the Temaki hand roll flight with amberjack, salmon and Maryland blue crab rolls.
Damian in the Arts District
Another great playlist (including Que Lio by Hector Lavoe and Vereda Tropical by Toña la Negra) — I know because I was Damian for four hours last weekend. The Mexican restaurant recently launched its brunch menu so it was a treat getting to try it early on with my lovely friend Esther who invited me and who I mentioned above.
I started with an iced horchata latte, then had two cocktails and was blown away by both (the Mamacita Que Bonita and the Yuzu Raspado). For food, we shared quesadillas fritas, the crab tostada, the pulpo coctel with charred habanero, a really superb crispy, sweet and moist fried chicken and two desserts (the hibiscus merengue and the yogurt/papaya/granola soft serve).
The Malibu Cafe + Saloon Coffee Co.
Been trekking to Calamigos Ranch for years mostly for the ambiance (drinks, group get togethers, live music), but loved the Latigo Canyon Latte with orange syrup, Himalayan salt and cardamom at Saloon Coffee and the kale Caesar salad I shared with a girlfriend at Malibu Cafe. Did you know Caesar salads originated in Mexico? Make reservations if you want to dine here, but you can also just arrive early and hang around the grassy area and order mimosas and listen to the band.
Salazar in Frogtown
Made a stop at La Colombe for my morning latte (this location is my favorite because it’s right on the LA River and easy to access on foot or via bike).
Celebrated having Monday off with a cool breeze, carne asada and al pastor tacos (you can ask for corn tortillas here although they default to flour), a mezcalita de piña and a watermelon agua fresca.
Cafe 27 on Topanga
Have to say the service was just OK here, but it was busy and I know a lot of places are still understaffed. The server gave me a cucumber mint lemonade, which I thought was really nice since it took really long to get my (pre-made?) poke bowl. I did notice a girl next to me got the same thing and hers came with sauces — mine didn’t so I was a little sad about that. The views here are so wholesome, though. Grab a little outdoor hightop spot facing the forest and just breathe it all in. You can’t get annoyed or snappy about service when lounging outdoors just feels so darn good.
Proof Bakery in Atwater Village
I lived in Atwater for four (five?) years and this was a weekly haunt for me. They never had Wifi even pre-pandemic so it’s always been a cute spot to drop in for a catchup with a friend or a solo pastry run. Grabbed a quick latte and a ham and gruyere croissant (my first bread in a week - ugh) before starting my workday today.
That’s all for now, but as usual let me know if you’ve been to any of these spots in the comments or if you’ll be adding them to your list. I’d also love if you share this post with an epicurean bud. Friends who dine together stay together.
During our eleven months in LA there was a great deal we didn't like about it. But the food scene? That was amazing and I do miss that. Especially here in Sarajevo where the cevapi is great but it's a bit harder to find other food that is consistently good...