Food

We admit to being part of the hype machine about last night's Street Feast at Glendale's Americana shopping complex, which featured almost a dozen of the city's dozens (and growing number) of food trucks all in one place. more ›

There are some great lunches to be had in this town, and we want to celebrate the midday meal. So, let's do lunch, shall we? more ›

Lots of events bring several food trucks into one place, which allows diners to pick and choose bits from each menu to make up their meal. But this Saturday a handful of trucks are getting together at the Verdugo Bar for a Mobile Mashup, where the trucks themselves will pull from each others' menus, much like music mashups that mix songs up for a whole new taste. more ›

There are some great lunches to be had in this town, and we want to celebrate the midday meal. So, let's do lunch, shall we? more ›

Seems like people these days will eat anything...if it comes on a food truck. A crepe filled with "dirt" is no exception, as LAist Featured Photos pool contributor Joits found out when a buddy ordered up this sweet treat from the Crepes Bonaparte Truck. The truck, an off-shoot of a brick-and-mortar creperie, rolls mostly around the OC. This particular item riffs on a childhood dish where Oreo cookie crumbs look like soil and gummy worms, well, look like worms. Does it taste better--or as good as--it looks? The "dirt" crepe was enjoyed, and the overall experience "was pretty good and the prices were decent too." more ›

As soon as the Valentine's Candy went into the 50% off bin, the aisles of your local grocery and drug stores were stocked with colorful bags and boxes of egg and bunny shaped chocolates and candy, as has become the commercialized standard for the upcoming Easter holiday. more ›

It took us a while to get to the Komodo truck, from the first time we got wind of them joining the ranks of the mobile meal possibilities last December to a recent quick stop for a lunchtime bite. more ›

Rick's Drive-In in Pasadena has found a special place in our hearts thanks to the Amazing Spuderito. But in addition to that tortilla-swaddled wonder, Rick's serves up some pretty good burgers. more ›

We’ve obsessed over fish tacos before. We’re doing it again because the recession is still on and, fact, fish tacos are delicious. Let’s head to Sunset Junction (even when there's not an overcrowded music festival taking place) -- more ›

In one corner is Chicago-based Dominic Capone III, the great nephew of famous mafioso Al Capone. In the other corner is Robert Castine, the Los Angeles-based owner of a company that runs Al Capone Spaghetti Sauce And Meatballs. Who is selling the recipe that is closest to the one Al Capone loved? That's up for debate, finds consumer finance blog WalletPop. more ›

If it's trendy, it's likely to end up on television, and it looks like gourmet food trucks are no exception. Fresh in our inbox are details about a new show being prepped for the Food Network from the same folks behind the three-hanky heart-warmer "Extreme Makeover Home Edition." The show is has a "competition adventure" premise that takes popular food trucks "on a thrilling road trip across the country to compete for a BIG CASH PRIZE." But are food trucks that popular? And will as many people watch the trucks on TV that line up for the trucks? Tell us: Which LA food truck would you want to see compete for the TV glory? more ›

We can thank the Swedes for this food celebration. Timed to be precisely 9 months to the day before Christmas, Våffeldagen (aka International Waffle Day) is the day that celebrates the arrival of spring, and the impending arrival of the Baby Jesus, since March 25th is "the day the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary that she was pregnant." more ›

Yesterday 13 SoCal locations of the carbo-centric Panera Bread debuted their calorie count menuboards, according to the OC Register. Including calories alongside menu items is something that we'll be seeing in California starting January 1, 2011 by law, however this fast-casual chain has become an early adopter. more ›

As the warm afternoon light gave way to the cooler notes of evening just steps away from the Pacific Ocean last Thursday night, Los Angeles' top chefs of today and tomorrow gathered in celebration of the city's finest food. The StarChefs annual Rising Stars event gave the recognized masters from local restaurants the chance to raise their glasses in honor of their proteges--and the next wave of talent cresting on our own shore. more ›

Why is lunch on Ventura Boulevard always cause for so much shouting? "It's up on the right. No, further down...wait...wait...you passed it!" Laurel Tavern, which only started serving lunch last month, is helpfully painted black to stand out from the neighboring businesses. It is your standard gastropub, perhaps one of our best imports from England since the Beatles ...well, maybe Radiohead. The ceiling is high, and large windows that open out to the less-than-bucolic street still give the room an open feel that makes you feel less guilty about sitting in a bar drinking beer at noon. more ›

Dirk Hermann is passionate about his mushrooms. He claims to have the 'best fungi in town' and from the looks of his LA FungHi booth at the Plummer Park Farmers' Market, he just may be able to back up that bold statement. He sells varieties that are farmed and harvested in California. For many years Hermann worked as a chef. The back of his La FungHi business card even offers a recipe for preparing sauteed mushrooms. more ›

Before you gas up the car and hit the I-5 to head to Knott's Berry Farm, we have to tell you up front that the Bacon Chocolate Funnel Cake was a one-time thing. But for super fans of the OC theme park who attended Sunday's West Coast Bash, the bacon chocolate funnel cake was a real treat to have, behold, and eat, explains the OC Register. Knott's asked via Twitter what kind of funnel cake the super fans wanted, and bacon with chocolate was the winner. One fan posed with his special treat, and posted the pic on Knott's Facebook fan page. How was it? "It was awesome!" more ›

So often, lunch is the unsung hero of the dining out world. Dinner is when we go out to relax, to celebrate, to convene; breakfast is a necessary evil or a weekend indulgence. And sure, we eat lunch--we brown bag, we meet friends, we "grab something," or we take a lunch meeting. But there are some great lunches to be had in this town, and we want to celebrate the midday meal. So, let's do lunch, shall we? more ›

Warm temps, your sweet tooth, and a love of free stuff might propel you to a Ben & Jerry's location today to take advantage of their annual Free Cone Day. From Noon to 8 p.m. customers at one of the half-dozen Los Angeles-area scoop shops (including Burbank, Arcadia, Tustin, and the Howard Hughes Center) can scoop up the freebie. You might want to check out one of their three new flavors, too: Maple Blondie, Peanut Brittle, and Milk & Cookies. Why give out free cones? Why not, right? Go get 'em, guys. more ›

The annual James Beard Foundation Awards nominees have been announced, and Los Angeles has its typical modest representation among a large swath of categories that includes everything from food writing to restaurant design to TV food personalities to cooking. more ›

We're big fans of the Lazy Ox Canteen--especially its unsung hero, the burger--and these photos from a recent visit by LAist Featured Photos pool contributor djjewelz are a feast for the eyes. It's okay if you drool a little while looking at your screen. Head down to Little Tokyo to check out this popular restaurant to see if the taste lives up to the food porn we've got here. Yes, we know: Tease, tease, tease... more ›

Only three weeks old tonight, the Yamashiro Garden Market is a great opportunity to pick up produce and other locally-sourced edibles, nosh a little (hello, Bulgarini Gelato cart!), and take in a pretty staggering city view. We hit up this new market, which is run by the non-profit L.A. City Farm, last Thursday (before Daylight Savings Time, as the velvety black skies in our photos attest) and had the chance to talk to some of the vendors, and grub on the fusion tacos from Yamashiro's own market stand. more ›

The Counter is getting ready to open up another outpost of their burger eatery, where diners can mix and match toppings (312,120 combos are possible, they say) and slurp on super-indulgent shakes. more ›

He's baaaaa-aaack! Itinerant Chef Ludovic Lefebvre will be popping up with LudoBites once again, but this time in Downtown Los Angeles for a nearly 2-month gig at Gram & Papa's. Word got out late last night as the reservation website was launched, and the Twitterverse went, well, a-Twitter about the news. more ›

Last week Tender Greens opened their fourth SoCal location, on Sunset Boulevard near Vine right in the heart of Hollywood. This also happens to be just a hop, skip, and jump from where the bustling Hollywood Farmers' Market takes place each Sunday, and to maximize on the proximity, Executive Chef Fermin Arias has announced he will shop the market each Sunday morning and create same-day specials for diners to enjoy. more ›

The poor "Tea Leaf" gets no respect! Forced to try to drum up awareness of his plight outside a Santa Monica Boulevard Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf location, this hard-working, but under-appreciated, other half of the national beverage chain's drink offerings, resorts to some good old fashioned brawling when his Ice Blended rival steals his sign. more ›

Cedd Moses may have just opened a Tequila- and Mezcal-themed bar on 6th--and his extremely popular Whiskey-themed Seven Grand on 7th has been rocking along for a couple years now--but that's not stopping him from continuing down that rabbit hole. His exclusive Doheny on Olympic is now all about Rum and has soft-opened as the Caña Rum Bar at the Doheny, according to Eric Richardson at blogdowntown. And no longer are the days of the $2,200 annual membership fee (in addition to the one-time $2,750 initiation fee) as its been dropped to only $20. No word on an official opening date yet, so your odds of getting in these days "may vary," notes Richardson. Also: Hollywood got its own Rum bar back in January. more ›

Jamba Juice has decided it's time to give hot drinks a go, and today they're hoping people will hop on not only the bandwagon, but a stationary bike powering a blender to make their own free organic chai latte. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, they're setting up on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica to give away a free hot tea drink blended by your pedaling, and will be offering the new hot drinks in their stores (priced for a limited time at $2). Jamba's CEO says what they're serving up is a "breakthrough, " and that "building on the spin of the blender and taking it from cold smoothies to hot beverages is something that hasn’t been done before." On the new hot bevs menu: Three tea lattes (Original Spiced, Green, and Chocolate), Hot Chocolate, and a selection of whole leaf teas. more ›

Talk about a sugar high (or coma). Yesterday, a fundraiser for children’s art’s programs at the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge broke the Guinness World Record for world’s largest Rice Krispies Treat. more ›

In a town filled with people who “work from home,” “work the dinner shift,” enjoy expensive expensed breakfast “meetings,” or simply “don’t work,” you’d think that, like coffee shops, breakfast spots would be one of the most popular eateries to open. Sure there are great places around town in random locations with zero atmosphere aside from the amassed a.m. crowd lingering outside for a table. But come on, LA is the place to see and be seen--right? more ›

We're all about celebrating March 14th as Pi Day, and showing some love for our favorite irrational number. But, you say "pi" and we hear "pie." Not to be confused with National Pie Day, however, today does also happen to be a red letter number day for pi-with-an-e. We love pie; we talk about it a lot, and even have a few recipes up for grabs. It's not the right season for berry or peach pies, but it's always a good time for Coconut Cream, Banana Cream, Key Lime, or Apple pie. While you can get a slice of pie at Marie Callender's today (with purchase) we suggest the venerable Pie n' Burger in Pasadena for where to get your pie today. Then there's Apple Pan, House of Pies, and countless others. Who's got the best pie in Los Angeles? You tell us! more ›

Last week another food truck hit the streets of Los Angeles, and LAist Featured Photos pool contributor nomsnotbombs had a taste. Touting burgers with a conscience, The Patty Wagon is poised to give other burger trucks--maybe burgers in general?--a run for their money, particularly with their focus on locally-sourced ingredients and patties made with grass-fed beef. Noms Not Bombs the blogger explains the concept:

If you're not the Food Inc.-watching, The Omnivore's Dilemma-reading type, feeding cows grass (rather than corn, grain or other animals) is better for them, you and the environment. In short, if every truck needs a "gimmick," Patty Wagon's is sustainability and great taste.

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, so in addition to the green beer and cheeky pinching, if you want to try your luck with Irish cooking between now and the 17th, recipes aren't anywhere near as hard to come by as that elusive four-leaf clover. more ›

Pie n' Burger has a lot going for it. For over 40 years the little diner has graced the corner of California and Lake. The current owner is Michael Osborn, who ate at Pie n' Burger on summer trips to visit his grandmother, is the current owner. He began working there in 1972 and never left. The formica counters and elderly waitresses make entering Pie n' Burger like a trip back in time circa Nick at Nite. Pie 'n Burger has been around so long that its diet plate of a burger patty, peach slices and cottage cheese has actually come into vogue again. more ›

Charges from the U.S. Attorney's office against restaurant allegedly serving whale meat are not enough for the international non profit Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. more ›

The investigation of Oscar-winning documentarians and federal officials has prompted the U.S. Attorney's Office to charge Typhoon Restaurant, Inc.--the parent company of The Hump restaurant--and Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, a 45-year-old chef who resides in Culver City, for the illegal sale of a marine mammal product, specifically, Sei whale, for an unauthorized purpose. “Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species,” said U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. in a statement. It is illegal to sell any kind of whale meat in the United States. Sei whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and they are listed as endangered in Endangered Species Act of 1973. The misdemeanor offense carries a maximum statutory penalty of one year in federal prison and a maximum fine of $100,000 for an individual and $200,000 for an organization. more ›

New York City recently lost one of its most popular food bloggers to Los Angeles. Zach Brooks of Midtown Lunch, which searches the city for "inexpensive (under $10), authentic, unique and interesting quick service lunch" that can also be "an adventure in urban lunching," is now exploring L.A. one meal at a time, with friends and cohorts continuing his vision in NYC and Philadelphia. more ›

With the release (and subsequent big box office take) of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland lots of local shops and restaurants are capitalizing on the movie's enchanting motif and creating Alice-themed specials. Among those is the London West Hollywood's Boxwood Cafe, who have added some color and whimsy to their afternoon tea service ($28). more ›

Organic-focused local restaurant chain Tender Greens has announced they will open their fourth location tomorrow at Sunset and Vine in Hollywood. The eatery is built upon a philosophy of serving comfort food in a congenial atmosphere and practicing ecological and community awareness by sourcing their food from local growers and vendors; most of their produce comes from a family farm in Oxnard. more ›

So it was the week before the Oscars and for the team that put together the documentary The Cove, which highlights mass dolphin killing in Japan (see a preview of it embedded below), it wasn't a week of getting prettied up and schmoozing--it was about what they won an Oscar for: undercover and investigative journalism. more ›

You're an environmentally friendly person. You go to farmers markets, you joined a CSA, you patronize chef-run restaurants that locally source their food, but sometimes you just want a slice of pizza, plain and simple. Question is, can a pizzeria be eco-friendly and locally sourced? In short, yes. Where? Santa Monica and Hollywood. more ›

Tequila for some of us is like the nectar of the Gods, but that's only one small part of a much, much bigger story. When Jose Cuervo in the 18th Century applied to the Spanish government to make the distilled spirit, it was for "Mezcal de Tequila." more ›

You drink it from a shot glass with some salt and a wedge of lime, or you mix it into a margarita or other cocktails, but do you know how tequila is made? Los Angeles-based mixologist and cocktail expert Natalie Bovis, aka The Liquid Muse, recently had the chance to see how it's made, from the agave field to the distillery of Jose Cuervo in the town of Tequila in Jalisco, Mexico. She warns us, though--you'll probably crave a margarita after watching this! more ›

With Toast, Milk, Breadbar Joan's, A.O.C., Ortolan, The Little Door (plus The Little Door Next Door) and more, West Third Street has always been a nice restaurant row. Now two eateries a poised to open, adding tacos and burgers to the mix, notes Tasha Nita Adams at Mondette, a lifestyle blog about the area. more ›

Come Wednesday (there's a soft launch Tuesday), the restaurant-dense Venice Fishing Pier area on Washington Boulevard will have a new wine bar, says Yo! Venice. In late January, the owners of Naked Sushi (they also own Mercedes Grill) shut it down so they could change it into Bin 73. No word on the menu yet, but regular hours are posted: 4 to 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11:30 p.m. on weekends. more ›

It's hard to imagine skateboarder Tony Hawk as a cupcake enthusiast, but if fans of his or fans of the baked treats--or both--are game, then everyone wins. Tony Hawk has paired up with Crumbs Bake Shop to create the SkateCake, a signature cupcake that is made of chocolate cake with baked-in sprinkles, and topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting, red and white sprinkles, and an edible skateboard designed by Hawk. more ›

It's just a shade before noon on a Sunday, you're in Los Feliz, and you're in the mood for brunch. A couple of weeks ago we addressed this dilemma by heading up to the outdoorsy-meets-clubby environs of Rockwell, VT for a cocktail-soaked brunch that was just what we needed. more ›

We live a charmed life in Southern California. With a huge number of farmers markets and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs popping up, mega grocery stores like Ralphs and Vons are feeling less and less like a necessity. At least in my own personal experience, since concentrating most all of my home food purchases on the CSAs and farmers markets, I'm spending less and enjoying food more. more ›

One sure fire way to make a Happy Hour even happier is to make the beer free, right? Of course, offers like these are often too good to be true, but an event next week at Ford's Filling Station might just be too good to pass up. Chef Ben Ford and his Culver City restaurant are hosting the first Taste of the Nation LA (TOTNLA) Happy Hour Ticket Sale Event, during which time anyone who buys their ticket to June's big TOTNLA event gets bought a beer by Chef Ford himself. more ›

There is a sense of gentility about Comme Ca that envelops you from the moment you walk in the heavy steel doors. Although it only opened its door in 2007, it has the feel of an old standard. The atmosphere encourages civility without discouraging a good time. Everyone from the general manager to servers are cheerful and friendly, and we even had a lovely conversation with the people at the next table. more ›

LAist learned how to make this year's official Oscar cocktail, The Golden Glamour, at the Governors Ball Preview last month. Mix it up at your Oscar party and get wasted like the really big stars do. more ›

When it comes to wine and food, it's all about the power of the pairing, and it's always a bonus if someone in the know is doing the matching up. Next Monday night DomaineLA will bring together Italy's Manicor winery and the tastes of Susan Feniger's Street for an affordable cocktail-hour pairing event at the Hollywood restaurant. more ›

Dinner and a movie is a classic combo, as is bar eats and sports watching. For many heading out to pursue such endeavors, convenience and affordability are top priorities. It doesn't get much more convenient if you're in Sherman Oaks and you're headed to or from the ArcLight there, or if S'Oaks is where you'd like to watch "the big game." more ›

Just how saturated is America by the top 8 fast food burger chains? This map, created by Weather Sealed, illustrates the density of each chain across the nation. McDonald's--in the black--obviously dominates, but it looks like here in Southern California the market leader is Jack in the Box. Oddly enough, none of their burger offerings made our list of the top burgers in Los Angeles. more ›

Rome counts as the Mediterranean, right? Because the press meal held at Delphine last week held such an embarassment of riches I felt as if we should have been eating reclined on one elbow wearing crowns of laurel. more ›

"Touchy touchy," begins a rebuttal of a rebuttal by Rob Eshman of the Jewish Journal's Foodaism blog. Indeed, Eshman touched some nerves when he issued his somewhat negative take on Saveur mag's Los Angeles issue, when he pointed out 10 things Saveur had wrong. But it wasn't really Saveur's fault, it's LA that's doing itself a disservice when it comes to food, and now Eshman says he's ready to "do what any good child psychologist would have suggested [he] do first: use positive language." more ›

Rumors of Wolfgang Puck taking the 24th floor restaurant space at the newly opened J.W. Marriot/Ritz-Carlton tower in downtown's L.A. Live were confirmed today. “I am thrilled to be partnering with The Ritz-Carlton again and to be a part of the first luxury hotel to open downtown,” Puck said. “Given my longstanding relationship with the city of Los Angeles, it is an honor to continue my involvement with the renaissance of downtown, especially L.A. LIVE.” more ›

Details are out today about the food offerings that will be on deck--literally--at the renovated Santa Monica Place (you remember, that sad-sack mall at the foot of the 3rd Street Promenade). more ›

LA food blogger Gourmet Pigs is running a second installation of an online bidding-style fundraiser to bring in donations to support two groups helping with relief in Haiti. Bid and Eat is pretty straightforward concept: Several local eateries have donated offers and certificates for folks to bid on, and the proceeds will go to CHF International and Operation USA. The first Bid and Eat raised $765, so the goal for number two is $1000. Participating restaurants include Pasadena's historic The Raymond, as well as Pal Cabron, Elements Kitchen, Jian BBQ and more. Bidding ends tomorrow, March 2nd, at midnight, so head over now so you can bid, eat, and help the relief efforts in Haiti. more ›

Upscale dining at an elegant restaurant like Nobu West Hollywood may seem unrealistic for some of us, especially these days. But as we have learned, the frugal diner's secrets for eating beyond their reach is to arrive for lunch and/or to eat from the bar menu. Nobu's new "Chef's Tasting Tapas Menu," or Omakase, for those of us who like to sound cool, allows us a taste of pure heaven for only $40 a person. We are talking about pure heaven. Your palate will grow little wings and fly around the room in ecstacy. more ›