All year long, LAist food editor Gab Chabran travels across SoCal looking for tasty food to share with readers. Here are his favorites for 2024.
Where did he go? It was more like, where didn’t he go? From smash burgers in Newport Beach to a Thai-influenced izakaya dinner in Virgil Village and the backyard paella in Long Beach that took him back to his youth, he never went hungry.
Any only-in-L.A. moments? Yup. How about Michelin-starred sandwiches that can be ordered from DoorDash, a burger that comes with a packet of Taco Bell hot sauce, and a historic lunch-in-a-cone at Disneyland?
What a year for food and drink in SoCal! I encountered so much excellence that narrowing it all down into one list was tough.
I ranged widely across the region, from Newport Beach to Bell Gardens, and Virgil Village to Chinatown. I had upmarket dishes, old school treats, European classics, and Asian comfort food. It was all tasty and all part of the L.A. mosaic.
In the end, I was able to distill it all into one list of my favorite eats, broken down by month. It may inspire you to make your own.
January: Paella at The Paella Concept
A plate from The Paella Concept, served backyard style.
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
Mother-and-daughter team Natalie and Maria Curie of The Paella Concept
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
I have been privileged to eat paella since I was a child. My parents often prepared it for dinner parties, and when we moved to Madrid in 1999, we ordered it regularly from local restaurants. It meant I developed a special relationship with the dish that I still carry today.
In January, I got to sample The Paella Concept, a pop-up/catering operation from El Coraloense in Bell Gardens. The mouthwatering mix of the seafood, chicken and chorizo, cooked into sticky mounds of yellow, saffron-flavored rice, took me right back to those days in Madrid. It was a perfection concoction, and satisfied the cravings that often creep up on me.
February: Handwich at Disneyland
The chili cone queso features beef chili, cheddar cheese, and corn chips
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
I first heard of the handwich and its cult following after watching a YouTube documentary. The Cliff Notes version of the story is that in the late 80s, a concession stand food was introduced at Disney theme parks called the Handwich, a cone-shaped sandwich with a filling. It was seen as the future of theme park food. Enjoy a variety of fillings and still walk around the park!
It lasted until the mid-90s, when it was discontinued for being a commercial failure. In 2012, a revised version was introduced, renamed “Conewich” at California Adventure Park Cars Land's Cozy Cone Motel food stand.
So, on my family’s trip to Disney in February, I made it a point to stop by the Cozy Cone and pay my respects to the temple of the handwich…I mean conewich….whatever.
My family and I shared the chili cone queso, which includes beef chili, cheddar cheese, and corn chips served in a cone bun. Let me tell you: a cone-shaped bun turns out to be a perfect delivery system for getting food into your mouth. It isn’t messy at all and is pretty fun to eat.
As to why it initially failed to capture the hearts and minds of theme park goers, I suspect it was just a little too ahead of its time. I highly recommend it.
March: Smashburger at Mario’s Butcher Shop
The smashburger with added bacon at Mario's Butcher Shop in Newport Beach
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
For a while now, my friends living in Orange County have told me about an amazing, no-nonsense smash burger in Newport Beach. So, in March, I finally ventured out to try it.
The perfectly smashed patty maintained its shape, meaning it is not entirely flat, which was a nice touch. The burger’s juiciness paired well with melted American cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles, and diced onions on a soft bun.
I decided to add bacon to my burger, as I have a general rule of thumb: always add bacon whenever it's an option. I'm rarely disappointed by this decision; that day was no exception. The melted cheese enhanced the dialed-in flavors of the patty's seasoning, and the smokiness of the bacon worked exceptionally well. I would easily go out of my way to try this again any day of the week.
April: BBQ Pork Arancini from Shins Pizza
BBQ Pork Arancini from Shins Pizza
(
Gab Chabrân
/
LAist
)
In April, I had the pleasure of attending the second annual L.A. Pizza City Fest, which took place in the parking lot of L.A. Live in downtown L.A.. It was packed with virtually every pizza maker in the city under one tent for two days.
While I had a lot of great pie that day, my favorite thing I ate wasn’t pizza (apologies to all the stand-out pizza makers). Instead, it was the BBQ Pork Arancini from Chef Melissa Lopéz, who cooks at Shins Pizza, and Barra Santos, located next door to each other in Cypress Park.
It’s a fried rice ball stuffed with slow-cooked barbecue pork and seasoned with furikake, a Japanese seasoning. While it's a small bite, the flavors meld beautifully together, making it something memorable. Next time you stop by for a slice at Shins, where it’s on the regular menu, add one to your order. You won’t be sorry.
May: Dinner at Saffy’s
Roasted celery root made with burnt apple harissa, sauerkraut, allium cream, rose petals, curry leaves and cilantro
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis's restaurants have followed me through adulthood. Initially, Bestia was an all-out party that served as a last hurrah to my twenties. Then came Bavel, which felt like the next stage, a little more grown up and mature. It was my wife and I's last meal together before we discovered we would have our daughter and decided to move to Long Beach.
Earlier this year, it came full circle when we visited Saffy’s in East Hollywood with our now 6-year-old daughter and another couple with their son, who’s around the same age.
Since Saffy’s is named after Menashe and Gergis's daughter, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring a few little kids. While they mostly consumed rice and bread, we adults dined on the roasted celery root dish made with a burnt apple harrisa, sauerkraut, topped with rose petals, curry leaves, and cilantro.
The dish was a merry wallop of fresh flavors. containing sweet, tart, and floral notes, highlighted by an earthy creaminess.
We also had the wood-fired shawarma plate, made with lamb and wagyu beef served with tomatoes and cooked onions seasoned with sumac and drizzled with tahini. The harmonious dish danced across your palette with each bite. It was all truly delicious, marking yet another phase in my life.
June: Sandwiches at The Pie Room
Confit duck leg ragu sandwich from The Pie Room in Beverly Hills
(
Courtesy The Pie Room
)
There’s something to be said about a great sandwich, and the offerings at The Pie Room in Beverly Hills are just that. They're typical deli sandwiches, but small and thin, with great care having been taken over their assembly and contents.
You can choose from confit duck ragu pancetta with fennel pollen, arugula, tarragon and parmesan gremolata, or braised beef and mushroom, or slow-cooked chicken.
My favorite was the confit duck, containing decadent and savory flavors with a hint of sweetness. The fresh herbs cut through some of the richness of sandwich, making it extremely well-balanced.
My favorite part about these sandwiches, however, is that you can order them online for delivery. We’d be hard-pressed to think of anywhere else in L.A. where you can get a sandwich from a Michelin-starred restaurant delivered to your door. What are you waiting for?
July: Seiro Soba at Otafuku
Seiro soba and udon noodles with a side of grated Japanese mountain potato and fried shrimp egg rolls
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
I received an invite from my friend Luca Servodio, who hosts the LA Food Podcast and the social media account, the LA Countdown, where he documents his food adventures with Herculean challenges, such as eating one hundred noodle dishes, as he did this year.
We met for lunch in Gardena for his number 56 entry on his noodle crawl, where we visited Otafuku, a family-owned Japanese noodle shop known for its fresh homestyle soba and udon. We had their signature Seiro soba, a traditional cold buckwheat noodle dish cooked to a perfect level of al-dente with just the right amount of chew, something I’m always searching for when it comes to noodles.
You also get a side if you order the combo, so we opted for grated Japanese mountain potatoes, known as tororo in Japan, a type of yam. It makes for a starch-on-starch affair as you dip your soba noodles into the grated potato seasoned with soy sauce and shredded seaweed.
The flavor was exceptionally subtle, with the slightest hints of earthiness and umami. However, this was one of the few times on my list where the flavor took a backseat. Instead it became all about the texture: a lush creaminess paired with the slight pliability of the noodles. It was fascinating, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it all this year.
August: Taco Hell Burger at Terrible Burger
The Taco Hell burger from Terrible Burger, a Long Beach pop-up.
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
Oh, the friends you make along the way. During LAist's Tournament of Cheeseburgers this year, I learned about the Long Beach pop-up operation Terrible Burger, run by husband-and-wife team Ryan and Nicole Ramirez.
The pair started their burger pop-up during the Hollywood strikes in 2023, which left them both out of work (Nicole works as a caterer on film sets, Ryan is a teamster). Their burgers feature fun, pop culture-inspired takes, like recreating the Big Kahuna burger from Pulp Fiction, not to mention their ongoing series “Will It Burger?” where Ryan takes various odd-ball ingredients such as Slim Jims and Popeye’s Fried Chicken to both horrifying and hilarious results.
All party tricks aside, Terrible Burger makes a great burger. I tried their Taco Hell burger with a packet of Taco Bell hot sauce. It’s made with double patties seasoned with taco seasoning, shredded cheese, lettuce, sliced tomato, and Mexican crema. The spicy, creamy burger delivered just the right amount of Taco Bell aura while still maintaining a well-made burger's character. The quality of the burgers at Terrible Burger superseded my expectations, making them worth the drive the next time they pop up in Long Beach.
September: Dinner at Olive & Rose
Aged rib cap with frites & au poivre from Olive & Rose in Long Beach
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
I wrote about Heritage, located in Long Beach, earlier this year. The small restaurant won big at the Michelin Awards for California in 2023, earning both a star for its excellent food and a green star for its sustainable business practices and zero-waste cooking style.
Still, the pre-fixe of $150 without the wine pairing can feel a bit steep. So in September, Chef Phil Pretty and his sister and business partner Lauren opened Olive & Rose inside City Center Motel in downtown Long Beach. It has an a la carte menu perfect for when you don’t want to drop big bucks on a meal.
I enjoyed the Iberico pork presa plate, a beautiful mosaic of thin slices of cured Spanish ham, and the aged ribeye cap with fries served in an au poivre sauce . That, with their burnt marshmallow ice cream served with honeycomb, would make for a damn near perfect meal next time I'm there.
October: Lil Tony sandwich at LaSorted’s
The Lil Tony only available at the LaSorted's in Chinatown is city of L.A. in sandwich form.
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
Somehow, owner Tommy Brockert timed the opening of his second location of Dodger-themed pizzeria LaSorted’s in Chinatown perfectly as the boys in blue were crushing their way through the post-season.
I was lucky enough to snag a table the night we beat the New York Mets 10-5. That night, there was magic in the air across Los Angeles, as well as inside the restaurant, where every table was packed and every inch of the wall covered in the team’s memorabilia.
While the pizza at LaSorted’s always hits, one new item stole my heart that night: the Lil Tony sandwich. Currently only available in Chinatown, the sandwich features a sesame seed bun piled high with fried mortadella, drizzled with hot mustard from Philippe’s, located just down the street.
The name itself is a double entendre worthy of a Kendrick Lamar lyric. The name Lil Tony references Anthony Bourdain's favorite sandwich, as noted in his 2016 cookbook, Appetites. But it’s also an homage to Little Joe’s, the Italian American restaurant built in 1897 in Chinatown that was a hangout for Hollywood stars and Dodgers fans before a baseball game. This is L.A. food history at its finest.
November: Korean Army Stew at Yuk Dae Jang
LAist Food editor Gab Chabrán enjoys his bounty at Yuk Dae Jang in Koreatown
(
Brian De Los Santos
/
LAist
)
When that slight chill hit the air in L.A. last month, it could only mean one thing: soup season. That’s why I decided to visit Yuk Dae Jang's Koreatown location for some Korean Army Stew, in my view one of the best in the game.
First, there was the large helping of soup, and yes, it could feed an army, a spicy broth packed with Spam, tofu, instant noodles, rice cake, and their signature sausage, served with various banchan dishes. Then there was the bossam, a thinly sliced pork shoulder dish, which you're encouraged to pile high with tofu topped with sesame seeds, purple rice, a variety of kimchis and other assorted accoutrements. It all made for a wonderful mouthful of greatness.
December: Dinner at Budonoki
Naem, made with thai pork sausage, crispy rice, and herby slaw
(
Gab Chabrán
/
LAist
)
I can’t say exactly what my expectations were when I visited this Virgil Village neighborhood restaurant. I try to enter a new place without knowing too much about it, for the same reason I don’t like watching film previews — sometimes it can give too much away.
Pretty much all I knew was that it was an izakaya restaurant, a Japanese word meaning “stay-drink-place.” Izakayas usually serve bar snacks that can be enjoyed with beer and cocktails.
That’s precisely what Budonoki does, through a lens that leans more Thai. It's a nod to chef Dan Rabilwongse's upbringing, who grew up in nearby Echo Park in a Thai immigrant household.
Snacks included the DIY spicy tuna rolls over crispy rice with freshly toasted nori to wrap it up in, richly textured agedashi tofu and naem, a Thai pork sausage, served with crispy rice balls, and herby slaw.
The food was excellent, thoughtfully creative, fun, and interactive — I love using my hands in a dining experience. But beyond that, it’s a great hang, with good service and a well-curated playlist. Everything was on point. I hope to be back soon.
Libby Rainey
has been reporting on L.A.'s preparations for World Cup games this year.
Published March 2, 2026 5:00 AM
The Gold Cup Group A match between Mexico and Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium on June 14, 2025.
(
Catherine Ivill
/
Getty Images
)
Topline:
The federal government hasn't yet awarded hundreds of millions of dollars that it promised for security for the World Cup, less than four months before the tournament kicks off in cities across the U.S. including Los Angeles.
What are host cities saying? Officials in some host cities warned at a Congressional hearing last week that if those funds aren't released soon it could lead them to massively scale back or cancel their events for fans this summer – but what the delay means for L.A. is less clear.
What about LA? A spokesperson for the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee – the group responsible for putting on the fan programs here – declined to comment on concerns over federal funds, despite requests via email, text and phone last week.
Read on…for comments from local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood.
The federal government hasn't yet awarded hundreds of millions of dollars that it promised for security for the World Cup, less than four months before the tournament kicks off in cities across the U.S. including Los Angeles.
Officials in some host cities warned at a Congressional hearing last week that if those funds aren't released soon it could lead them to massively scale back or cancel their events for fans this summer – but what the delay means for L.A. is less clear.
Los Angeles is hosting eight matches at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, a five-day "fan festival" at L.A. Memorial Coliseum and official "fan zones" across the county during the 39-day tournament.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee – the group responsible for putting on the fan programs here – declined to comment on concerns over federal funds, despite requests via email, text and phone last week.
LAist asked the Los Angeles host committee how much federal funding it was expecting to receive for security, but did not receive a response. Homeland Security Committee chair Rep. Andrew Garbarino said that Miami, which is hosting seven matches and a 23-day fan festival, is expecting around $70 million in federal funding.
"Without receiving this money, it could be catastrophic for our planning and coordination," Raymond Martinez, the Chief Operating Officer of Miami's host committee, told a Congressional Homeland Security committee last week.
Why is $625 million for World Cup security delayed?
President Donald Trump allocated $625 million dollars to World Cup security in his “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” last year. FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is responsible for allocating that money to the 11 host city committees in the U.S., and those funds were supposed to be awarded by the end of January, according to details provided by FEMA's for grant applicants. But they're now more than a month late.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem blamed the ongoing government shutdown of her department.
“FEMA was in the final stages of reviewing applications to ensure proper oversight when Democrats shut down the government putting significant portions of the FEMA staff on administrative leave," she said in a statement. "The longer DHS goes without funding, the less prepared our nation will be for threats at the FIFA World Cup."
Democrat Nellie Pou of New Jersey shot back at Secretary Noem on X, pointing out that FEMA's website says it planned to award the funds by the end of January.
"World Cup security funding was enacted into law last summer and these matches have been scheduled for years," Pou wrote. "It’s time for DHS to do its job."
Beyond the federal dollars for security surrounding the tournament, the state of California has also approved $10 million for security costs for the World Cup in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
How the World Cup works in L.A.
Los Angeles is the host city of the World Cup matches and celebrations coming to the region this summer, but the city of L.A. is not paying for or planning the mega-event. That planning is up to the non-profit Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, which is leading the local host committee and coordinating with FIFA and other local entities.
Federal security funds will be awarded to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, and then the host committee will disburse those funds to local agencies that provide security for the World Cup and fan celebrations.
Most of the federal funding for the 11 host cities will go toward overtime costs, according to FEMA, and that money will be paid out as reimbursements.
The city of L.A. is currently negotiating an agreement with that committee on what city services, such as police, it might provide, according to multiple city officials.
The City Administrative Officer is negotiating that deal. An official in the CAO’s office told LAist that the host committee expects that federal funds will cover all those costs.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to questions from LAist on how LAPD is coordinating with other law enforcement agencies ahead of the World Cup.
LA and Inglewood officials say they're not concerned
Local officials told LAist last week that they were not concerned that the delay in federal funds would derail World Cup plans in Los Angeles.
Inglewood Mayor James Butts said that the city was expecting to receive payments from FIFA directly for services, as well as some of the federal security money awarded by FEMA.
" We're not concerned at all," he said in an interview. "The federal government has always come through on FEMA related allocations."
Paul Krekorian, who leads the City of Los Angeles's Office of Major Events, said he did not think that delayed federal funds would cause organizers to cancel the planned Fan Festival.
"We have events at the Coliseum all the time, and this is a few days of ticketed events at the Coliseum," he told LAist. "I expect that if we have to provide extra services that we will be reimbursed for those, but it's not a big enough aberration from things that we do all the time that would cause me to be concerned that if we don't have federal support, we have to cancel."
Team U.S.A.'s opening match will take place in Los Angeles on June 12. The fan festival will kick off the same day as the tournament, June 11.
Hone your sushi-making skills with classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
(
Courtesy Bucket Listers
)
In this edition:
Gorillaz go immersive, Laguna Beach art walk, sushi-making classes in Santa Monica and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
Put down your phone and pick up clay and wire to make your own unique sculptural creation at Craft Contemporary’s Maker Night. Join artists Andres Payan Estrada and Greg Nasca to learn hand-building clay techniques that incorporate nichrome wire, a “hi-fire” wire that can be fired into clay.
Gorillaz, the innovative animated band launched by Damon Albarn (Blur) and artist Jamie Hewlett in 1998, get the historical-slash-immersive treatment in a new downtown walk-through experience.
Building off its success at last year’s IAMA New Works Festival, Foursome is now a fully staged production that follows four friends on a wine-fueled weekend getaway. Monday, March 2 is a “pay what you can” night, with a post-show talkback hosted by the LA LGBTQ+ Arts & Culture Coalition.
Check out a selection ofshort films from local, up-and-coming women directorswith American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz Theatre.
My eyes hurt from all the art I saw this past week! Highlights for me from Frieze week include discovering new-to-me artists at the fair, like South Korean artist Haengue Yang and her mesmerizing jingle bell installation, local photographer Christina Fernandez (whose images about immigration are a stark reminder that what’s happening now is not new for many in our community) and Frieze Impact winner Napoles Marty’s drawings that reflect his Cuban heritage. I was also blown away by the use of old buildings across the city — from the abandoned 99 Cent Store project, to the old post office on Fifth Street in Santa Monica for the Post Fair, to a gathering outside Taix (RIP) in Silverlake, to an opening at the old Spago space.
Looking ahead, Licorice Pizza’s music picks for the week include a Monday show from Sun Ra Arkestra at the Lodge Room; on Tuesday, Southern rock/punk duo Black Pistol Fire are at the Teragram, and English singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro is at the Troubadour. Plus, the long-running It’s A School Night! Residency, now at its new location at the Airliner, is free with RSVP. Wednesday, Swedish sensation Zara Larsson plays the first of her two nights at the Wiltern, or if you feel like getting some much-needed laughs and doing some good, there's the Saban Theatre’s “Stand Up for Equality” event, featuring Margaret Cho, Tig Notaro and more. On Thursday, Dutch DJ Afrojack takes over the decks at Hollywood’s Sound Nightclub, and Orange County hosts some old-school punk — the Descendents with Frank Turner will be at House of Blues Anaheim on Thursday and Friday.
Thursday, March 5, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Craft Contemporary 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile COST: $12; MORE INFO
(
Courtesy Craft Contemporary
)
Put down your phone and pick up clay and wire to make your own unique sculptural creation at Craft Contemporary’s Maker Night. Join artists Andres Payan Estrada and Greg Nasca to learn hand-building clay techniques that incorporate nichrome wire, a “hi-fire” wire that can be fired into clay. A perfect Thursday night grown-up play date!
Gorillaz: House of Kong
Through Thursday, March 19 Rolling Greens 1005 Mateo Street, Arts District COST: FROM $39.50; MORE INFO
(
Ben Bentley
)
Gorillaz, the innovative animated band launched by Damon Albarn (Blur) and artist Jamie Hewlett in 1998, get the historical-slash-immersive treatment in this new downtown walk-through experience. Fans and newcomers alike will get a deeper look at the creative process behind Hewlett’s now-iconic characters, and can follow a mystery through the band’s “backstage” journey. Following the immersive experience, there’s a screening room and exhibit space where you can check out the band’s latest short music film (The Mountain), installations and more.
Tomorrow Begins Today: The Creative Legacy of Bonnie Cashin
Thursday, March 5, 6 p.m. UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library, Main Conference Room 11360 280 Charles E. Young Drive N., Westwood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Bonnie Cashin
/
Courtesy Charles E. Young Research Library
)
If you’ve ever found yourself relieved to find pockets in that dress you’re trying on (pretty sure that’s everyone who’s ever worn a dress), you have Bonnie Cashin at least in part to thank. The innovative 20th-century designer made clothes for women that prioritized function, and her designs were embraced by the likes of Coach, Hermès, Calvin Klein and more. Mellissa Huber, Associate Curator in The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and a fashion historian specializing in 20th-century dress, will speak about Cashin’s legacy as a designer and philanthropist.
Foursome
Through Monday, March 23 IAMA 3269 Casitas Ave., Atwater Village COST: $45 (“pay what you can” on March 2 and 9); MORE INFO
(
Jill Petracek
/
IAMA
)
A queer millennial rom-com has taken over at IAMA, the intimate space in Atwater Village. Building off its success at last year’s IAMA New Works Festival, Foursome is now a fully staged production that follows four friends on a wine-fueled weekend getaway. Monday, March 2 is a “pay what you can” night, with a post-show talkback hosted by the L.A. LGBTQ+ Arts & Culture Coalition.
What a Wonderful World: An Audiovisual Poem
Through March 20 Variety Arts Theater 940 S. Figueroa Street, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Marina Abramovic
/
Courtesy Julia Stoschek Foundation
)
Don’t miss this multistory art and poetry installation! It’s free, there’s popcorn, there’s art, there’s spontaneous performances, and it’s all in a very cool old L.A. theater that doesn't open its full space to exploration very often. It marks the first major presentation of works from the Julia Stoschek Foundation in the U.S., and it uses a combination of silent film and cinematic history to bring the space to life.
Laguna Beach First Thursdays Art Walk
Thursday, March 5, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Various Galleries Laguna Beach COST: FREE; MORE INFO
(
Courtesy Visit Laguna Beach
)
If you’re not over-arted from all the gallery openings in L.A. last week, head south for a chill gallery walk in Laguna Beach. The long-standing tradition of Thursday art walk continues, with more than 30 art galleries opening their doors for special exhibitions and artist meet-and-greets. There’s also a free trolley service that runs along Coast Highway for easy access, plus the Laguna Art Museum offers free admission.
Women Wednesday: Night of Shorts
Wednesday, March 4, 9:30 p.m. Los Feliz Theatre 1822 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz COST: $15; MORE INFO
(
Courtesy American Cinematheque
)
Check out a selection of short films from local up-and-coming women directors with American Cinematheque at the Los Feliz Theatre. The shorts are followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
Soko sushi-making class
Tuesday to Thursday weekly Fairmont Santa Monica 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica COST: $100.75; MORE INFO
(
Courtesy Bucket Listers
)
Learn from the best as Chef Masa Shimakawa takes you behind his eight-person sushi bar at the Fairmont in Santa Monica for a masterclass. Learn to make a selection of classic rolls under Chef Masa’s supervision, and when you're finished, of course, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Keep up with LAist.
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Fiona Ng
is LAist's deputy managing editor and leads a team of reporters who explore food, culture, history, events and more.
Published March 1, 2026 7:39 AM
A man raises the historical Iranian Lion and Sun flag during a rally in the Westwood neighborhood on Saturday.
(
Genaro Molina
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
Topline:
Angelenos took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles and Westwood on Saturday in response to the U.S.-Israeli military strikes in Iran.
Details: Local demonstrations protesting U.S. intervention took place outside City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, as well as in Ventura and Orange counties. In Westwood, Iranian Americans gathered to celebrate the strikes. More demonstrations are planned for today and tomorrow.
Read on to see photos from Saturday's demonstrations.
Angelenos took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles and Westwood on Saturday in response to the U.S.-Israeli military strikes in Iran.
A coalition of organizations, including the National Iranian American Council, the ANSWER coalition and 50501, held protests nationwide to oppose U.S. intervention.
Local demonstrations took place outside City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, as well as in Ventura and Orange counties.
In Westwood, Iranian Americans gathered to celebrate the strikes. More demonstrations are planned for today and tomorrow.
In LA
An outsized portion of the Iranian diaspora make their homes in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
As of 2019, nearly 140,000 immigrants from Iran — representing more than one in three of all Iranian immigrants in the U.S. — lived in the L.A. area.
More than 500,000 people of Iranian descent are estimated to live here, which is why a part of the westside of Los Angeles is known as Tehrangeles.
More than half of all Iranian immigrants to the U.S. live in California overall.
Here are photos from Saturday.
Westwood
Hundreds rally seeking regime change in Iran in Westwood on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Los Angeles. The rally was organized after word spread that the U.S. and Israel had bombed Iran overnight, Pacific time, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, among others.
(
Genaro Molina
/
/Los Angeles Times via Getty Image
)
Hundreds rally waving the historical Iranian Lion and Sun and American flags in Westwood on Saturday.
(
Genaro Molina
/
Los Angeles Times
)
Hundreds rally in Westwood seeking regime change in Iran.
(
Genaro Molina
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Image
)
A man walks under the colors if Iran while joining hundreds in a rally seeking regime change in Iran in Westwood on Saturday.
(
Genaro Molina
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Image
)
Downtown Los Angeles
A protester holds a poster reading "drop the files not the bombs" during a demonstration against the war in Iran in front of City Hall in Los Angeles on Feb. 28, 2026.
(
Etienne Laurent
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
A crowd gathered at Los Angeles City Hall to protest against United States and Israel bombing Iran on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
(
Myung J. Chun
/
Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
)
A protester holds a portrait of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a flag of Iran during a demonstration against the war in Iran in front of City Hall.
(
Etienne Laurent
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Protesters hold placards reading "no new US war in the Middle East" during a demonstration against the war in Iran in front of City Hall.
(
Etienne Laurent
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
A man holds a sign at Los Angeles City Hall to protest against United States and Israel bombing Iran.
Josie Huang
is a reporter and Weekend Edition host who spotlights the people and places at the heart of our region.
Published March 1, 2026 6:08 AM
L.A. street artist S.C. Mero stands next to her latest installation in the Arts District, a utility box theater.
(
Courtesy of S.C. Mero
)
Topline:
Utility boxes are a popular canvas for public art, but a Los Angeles street artist has taken the idea further — transforming one into a miniature theater.
Why now: Since S.C. Mero installed the box theater just a few weeks ago, dozens of performers have already reached out and begun using the space, ranging from poets to musicians and clowns.
The backstory: Mero often transforms overlooked street fixtures into pieces about urban life. A previous installation at the same corner — an oversized mailbox symbolizing the elusiveness of homeownership — stood for about five years.
Walk through cities around the world and it's easy to spot the trend: utility boxes painted and transformed into public art to spiff up neighborhoods.
In downtown Los Angeles, street artist S.C. Mero has taken the idea of the utility box as art in a different direction with one she’s installed in the Arts District.
“Would you like me to open it up and you can see?” she asked on a recent morning.
At first glance, it looks like an ordinary electrical cabinet — gray, about the size of a refrigerator, with slotted vents. But instead of the usual fire-resistant metal, this one is made of wood with a faux concrete base.
The box theater incognito.
(
Courtesy of S.C. Mero
)
Mero spins two combination locks and pulls open the door.
A hidden theater
Inside, instead of a tangle of cables and cords, red crushed velvet covers the walls from top to bottom.
A gilded clock and gold-framed pictures of two other electrical boxes (“possibly its mother, and its great-grandfather”) adorn the tiny interior, inspired by one of downtown’s oldest and grandest movie palaces, the Los Angeles Theatre.
“The first time I went into that theater, the feeling that I had, I wanted people to have a similar feeling when they opened this up,” she said.
Like the theater, the box is meant to bring audiences together. Mero invites performers to step inside, and since its installation a few weeks ago, some 30 poets, magicians, puppeteers and clowns have reached out about using the space.
Many are female artists.
“Maybe it's because of the scale of it, they feel like they can actually have a chance to get inside,” Mero said.
A tradition of unexpected art
The box theater sits on the 800 block of Traction Avenue, across the street from the historic American Hotel, an early hub for artists in the neighborhood.
Jesse Easter, the hotel’s night manager, has a front-row seat to the box theater performances.
“The Arts District is still alive,” he proclaims.
Easter first arrived in the neighborhood in the 1980s, a blues and rock musician who also professionally installed art.
He said the Arts District has long been known for unconventional public art. Famously, in 1982, artist Dustin Shuler pinned a Cessna airplane to the side of the American Hotel with a 20-foot-long nail.
“I was one of the people that was in the hotel that saw the room that the nail came down into, went through the brick wall, into the floor and stopped,” Easter recalls.
Easter says Mero’s installations boldly continue that tradition of guerrilla street art in the neighborhood.
After graduating from USC in 2011, she started to make sculptural works with overlooked street fixtures, exploring issues such as addiction and homelessness.
Before the box theater, there was a giant mailbox.
(
Courtesy of S.C. Mero
)
Before the theater box, Mero installed an oversized mailbox at the same corner, towering over passersby, symbolizing a housing market that remains out of reach for many Angelenos.
Elsewhere in the Arts District on Rose Street, she has installed a 13-foot-tall parking meter sculpture, commentary on the overwhelming nature of parking in the city.
Realizing a dream
The box theater is perhaps the piece that has invited the most participation.
Jesse Easter, a musician and night manager at the American Hotel, prepares to perform at the box theater.
(
Courtesy of S.C. Mero
)
Last week, Mero asked Easter and other local artists to perform there. He played a blues song he wrote more than 40 years ago when he first moved to the Arts District.
“It was sunset, and I was thinking, this kind of is the bookend,” he said.
Other participants performed spoken word poetry and played saxophone.
One performer, Mike Cuevas, discovered the theater by accident.
An Uber driver, Cuevas was waiting for his next delivery order by the box theater as it was being prepped ahead of the night’s performance.
Mero recalls him getting out of his car to look at what she was doing.
“He's like, what's going on here? This looks so cool,” Mero said. “He said as he's driving throughout the city, in between his rides, he writes poetry.”
Cuevas, who goes by the pen name Octane 543(12), left to make a delivery in East L.A., but he said “something in his heart” told him to return that evening.
After watching others perform, he stepped up to the box and read his poetry in public for the first time, a piece about Latino pride.
Mike Cuevas, aka Mike Octane 543-12, publicly reads his poetry for the first time.
(
Courtesy of S.C. Mero
)
“Another generation will pass through,” he recited. “And they'll understand why we honor with proud delight, the continuous fight for the history of our brothers and sisters.”
Cuevas didn’t know Mero by name or anything about her work, but thanked her for giving him a venue.
“I just felt something beautiful with her art,” Cuevas said. “It's time for me to start expressing myself. She inspired me to do exactly what she's doing, but through poetry.”
He now plans to read again at an open mic in downtown L.A. next week.
An overture to look inside
Mero says the project has spoken to her personally, too. Growing up in Minnesota, she loved art as a child but later focused on playing lacrosse and hockey. At USC, she studied public relations.
“Once I started getting so into art, everyone was kind of shocked,” Mero said. “That's why I really want to encourage people to go inside themselves and see what's there, because you never know.”
Mero is hoping for a long run for the box theater. Its predecessor, the supersize mailbox, stayed up for five years, only toppled, she heard, after skateboarders accidentally ran into it.
In the meantime, the small theater sits unassumingly on the sidewalk waiting for its next performer, its exterior starting to collect graffiti like any other utility box.
