LA foodies immediately took notice when Din Tai Fung opened its doors in Arcadia, Suddenly soup dumplings were the rage of LA and lines quickly formed around Din Tai Fung. Since that time others such as Dan Modern Chinese have entered the competitive LA market. Dan Modern Chinese is located in Japantown, a busy ¾…
Archives for 2020
Spartina Launches Weekend Brunch on their Beautiful Patio
Stephen Kalt began his career in New York City and opened an interesting concept restaurant he named Spartina. He then worked in Las Vegas and later in Atlantic City and eventually settled in LA. After searching for an ideal space, he found one on Melrose Ave. At the suggestion of a friend, he named it…
N Café Features Bento Boxes and More!
According to USA Today, the average lifespan of a restaurant is five years and by some estimates, up to 90 percent of new ones fail within the first year. Chef Yuichi Natori bucked the trend by working for the last 25 years at Chaya Venice. He recently went out on his own and opened N…
Tacos El Galoso for Delicious Tacos de Birria
The busy intersection of Gaffey, Vermont, Anaheim, and Palos Verdes Drive North is used by many to get to and from San Pedro. Located there is a small strip mall anchored by a 7-Eleven, a cleaners, and a Mexican restaurant named Tacos El Galoso. They have been in operation since September 2019. Because of the…
Taste of Tehran Thrives in Busy Tehrangeles
Anthony Bourdain, the late host of CNN’s Part’s Unknown, still resurfaces in my memory or appears in my on-line research. One of his visits to LA was recorded in a Part’s Unknown episode and featured Taste of Tehran, a small Persian restaurant on Westwood in Tehrangeles. Chef / Owner Saghar Fanisalek grew up in Iran….
El Cochinito, Cuban Cuisine Prepared to Perfection
During this COVID-19 period, I believe it is important to support family-owned restaurants. These owners aren’t backed by a lot of corporate funds and many live their existence month to month. Because of this, I focus my attention on many small businesses, and this week I feature El Cochinito “The Little Pig” in Silver Lake. …
A&J’s Seafood Shack Delivers Terrific Asian Fusion
While most restaurants are barely trying to weather the pandemic, some restaurant owners are brave enough to open. One such restaurant is A&J’s Seafood Shack, an Asian Fusion Seafood restaurant located in Long Beach. They soft-opened on April 10, 2020. A&J’s Seafood Shack is Cambodian owned and located in Cambodia Town in Long Beach. Cambodia…
Music Restart at Spaghettini Grill Cut Short
My wife and I both enjoy live music and we especially like going to small intimate venues. Restaurants and jazz clubs aren’t as large as theaters and don’t require binoculars to see the musicians. For Valentine’s Day my wife gave me tickets to a jazz performance with Eric Marienthal and David Benoit at Spaghettini Grill. …
Donut Man opens in Grand Central Market
Donut Man is a popular donut shop located in Glendora and known throughout LA. They recently announced opening a new location within the Grand Central Market in downtown LA. Impatient fans kept inquiring about the opening and were eventually rewarded when they opened in Grand Central Market on June 26. Since Donut Man’s grand opening…
July 4 BBQ Take-Out in Los Angeles
Updated July 2, 2020 Due to the State of California prohibiting large social gatherings, most firework displays won’t take place this year. In addition, fireworks of any kind are illegal in Los Angeles County. Finally, with so many people cooking at home these days, why not take advantage of one of these July 4 BBQ…