Clockwise from top left: A meatball and mazeh from Azizam; a sushi delivery box from Hi. Dozo; a selection of ice cream from Awan; the Grand Short Rib pizza from Seven Tiger Pizza Club; and an egg salad sandwich from L.A. Grocery & Cafe.
(Brandon Ly / Los Angeles Times; photographs by Ethan Benavidez / For The Times; Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The best places to eat and drink in L.A. this month, according to our food writers
Summer has landed in Los Angeles, with locals and tourists crowding whichever shores have been deemed the least polluted by officials, public plazas and parks packing weekends full of free outdoor concerts and restaurant patios buzzing with conversation amid twinkling string lights and climbing vines.
But as the city sparkles with sunshine, the local restaurant industry continues to weather uncertain waves. In Hollywood, a long-standing Arby’s location with an iconic 10-gallon hat marquee sign closed permanently, with the owner citing post-pandemic loss of business, rising food costs and a recent minimum wage increase for fast-food workers as the reasons behind the closure. With the local landmark now shuttered, find the closest Arby’s in Inglewood, Long Beach and the San Fernando Valley. For a location with a similar-shaped neon sign, head to Huntington Beach.
The same problems that plagued the Hollywood Arby’s have led to rising prices on fast-food menus, and some chains are responding to customer complaints with new value-minded deals, such as $5 combo meals at McDonald’s and Taco Bell, and a $3 breakfast offer at Wendy’s, plus discounts for customers who order via the companies’ mobile apps.
The service-fee ban that was set to go into effect on July 1 might be reversed at the last minute, leaving restaurateurs confused after many had already taken measures to comply with the legislation. If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill, restaurants will be allowed to add service fees and surcharges to customers’ final bills as long as those costs are listed clearly in advance.
With ongoing uncertainty in the industry, try to exercise patience as restaurant owners decide how to proceed amid pending legislation. Some of this month’s recommended dining includes the expansion of a plant-based ice cream parlor to Larchmont, a Valley-based sushi delivery service from a lauded chef and a handful of pizza options that celebrate L.A.-signature flavors.
Showing Places
(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Awan
Larchmont Ice cream $
Just in time for the summer heat wave, one of the city’s best ice cream purveyors has expanded to a second location in Larchmont. From Tohm Ifergan and chef Zen Ong, the new Awan outpost sits next to a recently opened location of Dayglow, the pair’s coffee shop. Made with Balinese vanilla and coconut cream, the ice cream brand puts an emphasis on Indonesian ingredients while remaining entirely plant-based. This larger location has allowed Ifergan and Ong to expand to 15 flavors, and the West Hollywood walk-up window is expected to serve as an experimental kitchen with new flavors and items. A Chinatown flagship is planned for the fall.
Read about the expansion of Awan.
Read about the expansion of Awan.
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(Ethan Benavidez / For The Times)
Azizam
Silver Lake Persian $
After launching as a pop-up in 2021, Cody Ma and Misha Sesar have opened a cozy bricks-and-mortar in Silver Lake. Of all the vibrant dishes on the menu, restaurant critic Bill Addison found himself transfixed by the giant, softball-sized meatball, or kofteh Tabrizi, that’s molded with ground beef, caramelized onions, grains and legumes and topped with dried barberries. The no-reservations restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, with a mazeh platter, a couple of sandwiches, a barley-rich ash-e-jo soup and turmeric-marinated chicken representing equally tempting menu items.
Read Addison’s review of Azizam.
Read Addison’s review of Azizam.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Bagel Boss
Burbank Bagels $
A beloved bagel shop that’s been holding down the East Coast for half a century just expanded to a Burbank location. Bagel Boss imports its dough from Long Island and hand rolls it daily on-site; then bagels are kettle-boiled and baked in an array of flavors. A bounty of shmear options is available, including classic flavors such as lox, scallion and cinnamon raisin, plus fun options such as olive, tofu and strawberry. Breakfast sandwiches and items include a breakfast burrito, and deli favorites also are on standby, including tuna, egg and whitefish salad, black-and-white cookies, coffee drinks and more.
Read about Bagel Boss’ new Burbank location.
Read about Bagel Boss’ new Burbank location.
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(Bill Addison / Los Angeles Times)
Bread Head
Santa Monica Sandwich Shop
Heading to the beach? Stop by the new location of Bread Head from Trois Mec alums Jordan Snyder and Alex Williams for a sandwich to take with you. The Mozzarella is a vegetarian creation — and one of critic Bill Addison’s favorite sandwiches in L.A. right now — piled with fresh mozzarella, avocado, alfalfa sprouts and pickled red onion on medium-thin focaccia bread. The menu also features a muffaletta, BLT, roast beef and turkey sandwiches, in addition to a few rotating hot specials, including a Tampa-style Cuban sandwich on Wednesdays.
Read about Santa Monica’s newest sandwich shop.
Read about Santa Monica’s newest sandwich shop.
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(Ariel Esteban )
Chaaste Family Market
Pasadena Filipino $
Columnist Jenn Harris looks to the shelves of Trader Joe’s to find food trends that have seeped into the mainstream diet, and recently she’s noticed an abundance of ube, the purple yam that’s commonly found across Southeast Asia and especially in Filipino food. At the Filipino grocer Chaaste Family Market, you’ll find the ingredient in a number of packaged and freshly made items. Harris’ favorite was the turon, or banana lumpia, that’s filled with ube custard, though churro, jackfruit and Nutella options also are available.
Read about America’s current ube craze.
Read about America’s current ube craze.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Fiorelli Pizza
Venice Pizza $$
L.A. has a fresh batch of pizzerias to sample, including a mobile pop-up from chef Michael Fiorelli, formerly of Olivetta and Love & Salt, at verdant Cook’s Garden. The chef pulls chewy pies that blend New York and Neapolitan styles from a teal pizza oven, with daily-changing toppings such as local asparagus with potato and roasted garlic or house sausage and fava leaves. The pop-up is expected to remain throughout the rest of the summer.
Read about L.A.’s new-wave pizza scene.
Read about L.A.’s new-wave pizza scene.
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(Silvia Rázgová / For The Times)
Guisados
Long Beach Mexican $
The East L.A.-founded taqueria from Armando De La Torre Sr. and family has expanded to its ninth location in Long Beach. A local favorite for fresh, handmade tortillas heaped with a variety of stewed meats as well as tamales and breakfast items, find the new location in a rusty-red building with limited seating and a dedicated parking lot.
Read about the new location of Guisado’s.
Read about the new location of Guisado’s.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Hi. Dozo
Japanese $$
Ahead of the opening of his full omakase restaurant, Sushi Nakazawa, in Beverly Grove this year, chef Daisuke Nakazawa has launched Hi. Dozo — translating to “Hi, here you go†— a delivery-only sushi service that offers select signature items from the chef’s eponymous restaurants in New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as value-minded sets with nigiri, maki and sashimi and a la carte options. An apprentice of “Dreams of Jiro†sushi chef Jiro Ono, Nakazawa told The Times he was motivated to launch the casual outfit so that more customers would get the opportunity to try the same product prepared with the same level of skill at a lower price point. Hi. Dozo currently serves North Hollywood, Toluca Lake, Burbank, Sherman Oaks and the Hollywood Hills; the delivery region is expected to grow to additional L.A. neighborhoods and possibly a bricks-and-mortar, depending on its popularity.
Read about chef Nakazawa’s delivery sushi service.
Read about chef Nakazawa’s delivery sushi service.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
L.A. Grocery & Cafe
Grocer $$
The building that formerly housed the Produce for Less grocery store in Melrose Hill has been flipped into L.A. Grocery & Cafe, an artisanal market where produce is sourced entirely from local farms and a reasonably priced option is available for every product on the shelves. The neighborhood market from Honey Hi vets Theresa Ruzumna and Caitlin Sullivan also features a cafe with a full coffee program that’s intended to reduce waste by offering an ever-changing menu that pulls from surplus products in the store.
Read about the new grocery store in Melrose Hill.
Read about the new grocery store in Melrose Hill.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Leopardo
Hancock Park Californian Italian $$
Joshua Skenes, the founding chef behind Angler and Saison, has opened an experimental pizza joint in Hancock Park, and it’s quickly making a name for itself among the city’s prime pizzerias. The recently opened Leopardo stands out for sauce that’s handmade and canned on-site, house-made mozzarella and wild-yeasted dough made from a handful of stone-ground flours sourced from across the West Coast. The result is house pies such as the spicy-sweet Hail Satan with hot tomato sauce, chile flakes, garlic, wildflower honey and a side of giardiniera.
Read about L.A.’s wild new pizzeria.
Read about L.A.’s wild new pizzeria.
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(James Pham / Pizzeria Sei)
Pizzeria Sei
Pico-Robertson Pizza $$
The Pico-Robertson pizzeria from chef-owner William Joo that pulls influence from Tokyo’s neo-Neapolitan pizza scene has adopted another Japanese format with the addition of an eight-slice omakase service (plus an amuse bouche and dessert). Hosted on select Tuesday evenings, the omakase is a passion project for the chef and an opportunity to experiment with ingredients and dough, with some pies paying homage to dishes from celebrated Tokyo and L.A. restaurants. One slice was slicked with Panang curry, topped with whole prawns and sprinkled with tom yum spice; it was inspired by Joo’s fellow inductee on the most recent 101 Best Restaurants guide, local Thai standout Holy Basil.
Read about L.A.’s new pizza omakase.
Read about L.A.’s new pizza omakase.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Seven Tigers Pie Club
Westside Pizza $$
The hospitality group behind Korean-inspired cafe Calic Bagel is switching it up for dinner service with Seven Tigers Pie Club, an L.A.-inspired pizza concept that operates in the same space. Crispy-edged deep-dish pizzas feature a 48-hour fermented dough and toppings such as 24-hour slow-cooked short rib, galbi barbecue sauce, pickled jalapeño and scallions, as diners will find on the signature Grand Short Rib that comes garnished with a rib. Other pies get topped with meatballs, al pastor and pineapple or pepperoni with gochujang marinara. Pizza sandwiches on focaccia, salads, meatballs and cheesy garlic bread complete the menu.
Read about L.A.’s latest pizza restaurant.
Read about L.A.’s latest pizza restaurant.
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Slutty Vegan at NoMoo New American Burgers
Fairfax Vegan $
Pinky Cole-Hayes’ rapidly expanding, Atlanta-based chain Slutty Vegan is taking over the space at NoMoo American Burgers through July 24, offering its famed plant-based burger menu. Customers can order burgers on vegan Hawaiian buns with Beyond Meat patties and toppings that range from classic vegan cheese and bacon to versions that tower with sweet jerk plantains. A vegan chicken sandwich and Philly cheesesteak-style roll round out the sandwich options, and seasoned fries are available on the side. Vegan cookies from local bakery Cookies A’More also will be available during the residency.
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(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Something About Her
West Hollywood Sandwich Shop $$
A recent addition to the growing list of restaurants led by Bravo-famous reality stars is Something About Her, a sandwich shop from Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney of “Vanderpump Rules.†The decor is inspired by Nancy Meyers films such as “It’s Complicated†and “Something’s Gotta Give,†with sandwiches named after leading ladies in film and music, such as the Viola on grilled sourdough with smoked turkey and roasted red pepper, and the Reese with house chicken salad on seven-grain bread. A selection of chips and sweets, plus beer from Second Chance and wine from Cameron Diaz’s Avaline label, also are available. Since opening, the shop has been swarmed with customers hoping to spy one of the celebrity-adjacent owners; be prepared for an hours-long wait.
hRead about the new sandwich shop from “Vanderpump Rules†two cast members.
hRead about the new sandwich shop from “Vanderpump Rules†two cast members.
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(Amanda Proudfit)
Triple Beam Pizza
Santa Monica Pizza $$
The pizza shop from chefs Nancy Silverton and Matt Molina and Silverlake Wine’s Randy Clement has expanded to its first Westside location in Santa Monica, with thin, Roman-style pizzas crafted by executive chef Juan Robles. Pies at Triple Beam get topped with an assortment of market-driven ingredients, such as roasted mushrooms and shallots or roasted spring corn on a pizza that recalls esquites with cotija cheese, Tajin and a wedge of line. Salads, garlic knots and focaccia bread decorated with an array of sweet and savory ingredients are available, and beer and wine service is planned for the future.
Read about the Santa Monica location of Triple Beam Pizza.
Read about the Santa Monica location of Triple Beam Pizza.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Wanderlust Creamery
Atwater Village Ice cream
In columnist Jenn Harris’ quest for the city’s best ube treats, she found herself at Adrienne Borlongon’s Wanderlust Creamery, which offers ice creams inspired by cultures around the world, with new flavors rotating monthly. Borlongon told Harris that the ube malted crunch required the most development time, perhaps because, as a lover of the purple potato that’s featured across Filipino cuisine, she wanted to achieve the perfect consistency and taste. The final product recalls Thrifty’s Chocolate Malted Crunch ice cream with malted milk and chunks of dehydrated malted milk powder, plus preserved ube jam and ube extract. Order a scoop of the ube malted crunch at one of seven Wanderlust locations, including Fairfax, Tarzana, Venice, Sawtelle, Tarzana and Costa Mesa, as well as at Sunday Smorgasburg at the Row in downtown, or get the recipe from Borlongon’s new cookbook.
Read about the best ube treats in Los Angeles.
Read about the best ube treats in Los Angeles.
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