The Brief

As you walk into Maydan Market in West Adams, your eyes immediately catch the giant copper-covered hearth at the center of the space. Those flames are the heart of L.A.’s newest food hall, providing the heat and smoky flavor for several of the restaurants housed within.

“ Here, the idea is anybody that wants to cook on the fire, can,” said Rose Previte, founder of Maydan Market. “It's sort of the equivalent of our well.”

Rose Previte, founder of Maydan Market, LA's newest food hall, which is also home two one of her two restaurants, here and in Washington, D.C., both named Maydan.

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Maydan Market has big ambitions. It hopes to reinvent the way L.A. restaurants do business, even as it pays homage to Previte's travels across the world — inspired by the souqs of the Middle East, the night markets of Mexico and Seoul. It also houses the second location of Previte’s flagship Washington, D.C., restaurant, Maydan.

“America just got sidetracked and like usual, did something a little off track and made the market a food court in a mall,” she told LAist. “I'm trying to bring us back to the OG way of doing this.”

Why Maydan matters

Restaurants provide a window onto the culture of a place. And in L.A., they've long served as a connector for the different communities who call the city home.

But, in recent years, this landscape has become fragmented.

The COVID-19 pandemic followed by the Hollywood strikes have led to the shut down of food institutions across the region — over 150 in the City of Angels alone. These shutdowns come as the result of consumers shifting to food deliveries and the high cost of running a restaurant — produce, rent, labor ... it’s all adding up.

Enter Maydan Market, where all the restaurants share resources.

Breads bake up on the walls of a common, circular oven located at the heart of the marketplace.

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“ We share labor, we share a lot of the things that break businesses, utilities in California are crazy expensive,” Previte said. “This way, possibly we all might be able to do just a little bit better by helping each other.”

In a city like Los Angeles, where you'd have to brave traffic to get to your destination and then drive some more looking for parking, Maydan Market offers a microcosm of the many cultures that call Los Angeles home — all in one place.

And the central fire plays into that notion.

Read more: Food fight — Here's why I think Orange County has a better food scene than Los Angeles

Inspired by Previte’s upbringing

Previte grew up in a small town of about 3,000 in Ohio. Neighbors, she said, would stop by unannounced with vegetables from their garden that would be quickly cooked into dinner. This, Previte said, was reminiscent of her later travels to Syrian villages on the Turkish-Syria border on a “kebab research trip.”

“ I went to multiple villages where there was a shared oven,” she said. “As Americans we take for granted that everyone just has large appliances to bake.”

By sharing resources, Previte said, she hopes Maydan Market will offer a different business model for running a restaurant, “ where it's not so competitive” — but there's still plenty of room for success.

Deau Arpapornnopparat is chef and owner at the Thai barbecue restaurant Yhing Yhang BBQ, located within Maydan Market.

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Deau Arpapornnopparat is chef and owner at the Thai barbecue restaurant Yhing Yhang BBQ, inside Maydan Market. Running a restaurant is hard work, he said, and often newcomers do not find the support they need to navigate challenges. Maydan Market is an “amazing” chance for restaurant owners to share the space, including the kitchens, the fire and even table, chairs and cutlery, he said.

 ”Everyone in L.A. should come and take a look and then experience for yourself,” Arpapornnopparat said.

Why it's L.A.'s newest 'central square'

“I didn’t think twice,” chef Alfonso “Poncho” Martinez of Lugya’h by Poncho’s Tlayudas, also located inside Maydan Market. Martinez ran the Oaxacan street food pop up in South Los Angeles for nearly 10 years known as Poncho’s Tlayudas, which has now evolved into a permanent fixture within Maydan Market.

“Without fire, you can’t live,” Martinez told me while standing by the hearth watching as staff carefully prepare giant, thin tortillas folding them atop the smoldering heat.

Alfonso “Poncho” Martinez of Lugya’h by Poncho’s Tlayudas, where the tortillas are fresh — and enormous.

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And that fire is the heart of the “maydan” or the center town square. Previte picked up the term from her travels to Ukraine but the word “maydan” also appears in the Arabic, Farsi and Hindi languages.

In Kyiv, the center square was known as Independence or Freedom Square, but everyone called it “maydan.”

“And it was so powerful there because people came there to mourn a national catastrophe. They came to celebrate something and they also came to rebel,” Previte said. “And I want all those feelings to exist in my restaurants all of the time.”

Inside Maydan Market, LA's newest food hall

Maydan Market, she said, is her “resistance” as immigration enforcement ramps up under the Trump administration.

“We're really proud of what L.A. is and all the communities that have made a home here and if we can do one little part in preserving that and protecting it, then we're doing our job,” Previte said. “Between my two cities, D.C. and LA, it's two of the hardest cities right now for the immigrant communities that support us and make us survive every day that open the doors of this restaurant every day.”

Here’s a closer look at the restaurant concepts you will find inside the marketplace — and a few of the things I ate on my recent visit there:

Maydan

The mushroom kebab dish of LAist Reporter Yusra Farzan's dreams alongside the grilled halloumi topped with dukkah.

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Possibly the best dish I have had all year was at the Middle Eastern restaurant here, Maydan. The oyster mushrooms kebab was coated in a spicy zhoug sauce and then cooked over the central flames, perfectly charred and served on a bed of Kurdish tahini (the sesame flavor nutty and really coming through) and shatta sauce. Halloumi is typically a cheese I tend to pass over — blame the copious amounts I ate as a child growing up in the Middle East — but I couldn’t pass up the chance to wrap a few bites topped with Egyptian peanut dukkah on tone flatbread (similar to laffa). It was a sweet, soft, spicy flavor bomb. These dishes were served as part of the tawle experience ($95 per person). Tawle meaning table in Arabic is a communal dining experience where dips, appetizers and a main are brought to the table in a set menu so conversation can flow and community can be built.

Lugya'h by Poncho's Tlayudas

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  The tlayuda is smoky, earthy comes and brimming with Oaxacan cheese.

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Lugya’h by Poncho's Tlayudas specializes in Oaxacan cuisine. I had never had a tlayuda before and was pleasantly surprised by how large the tortillas were — almost the size of my face! As I picked up the tasajo version ($25) — thin flank steak served alongside a large tortilla with black beans and quesillo cheese — Martinez quickly stopped me. The dish has lard and seeing my headscarf, he rightfully guessed I don’t eat pork. Quickly, he whipped up a mushroom version sans the pork fat. Smoky, earthy and brimming with Oaxacan cheese, definitely a dish I will be going back for.

Yhing Yhang BBQ

Cooked until golden, with specks of dark brown, the chicken wings ($10) from Yhing Yhang BBQ, from chef Deau Arpapornnopparat of Holy Basil, appear unassuming. But after one bite I was transported to night markets in Asia. Seasoned with hints of lemongrass and cumin, the chicken wings come paired with a basil leaf hot sauce. The star, however, was the chef's take on a chili paste with an umami shrimp punch. Since this was a marketplace and a melding of cultures, I may have put that chili paste on every dish I had that evening (after I sampled them for the story of course!).

Maléna by Tamales Elena

Pozole ($27), a hearty Mexican stew, is the star of the show at this coastal Afro-Mexican restaurant. However, they all came with a pork base so my colleague Joshua Letona, who joined me on assignment, offered to do a taste test. After neatly piling the stew with jalapeno slices, crumbling cheese and squeezing lime, he dug in. “Pretty damn good,” he said. Enough said.

Club 104

This space will offer a rotating residency to different chefs from across Los Angeles. Currently, Chef Mel of Melnificent Wingz is serving wings and Southern food, such as buttermilk biscuits and macaroni and cheese.

Sook

Previte’s Middle Eastern market will offer grab and go lunch options such as a wrap or a salad. Patrons can also shop for products such as Lebanese olive oil, Palestinian za’atar, Kurdish tahini and even skin care products.

Compass Rose

Another of Previte’s offerings, Compass Rose is a coffee and cocktail bar serving Georgian Khachapuri or cheese bread, breakfast sandwiches and pastries.

A refrigerated warehouse operated by Lineage Logistics has burned in Boyle Heights for nearly a week. Public health officials are urging residents nearby and downwind to protect themselves from the smoky air.

But what exactly is in the air is still unclear.

Authorities say they’ve cleared the most hazardous materials — ammonia and lithium-ion batteries — from the fire zone. A spokesperson for the L.A. Fire Department said foam insulation, wood pallets of food, and solar panels on top of the 500,000 square-foot building continue to smolder.

Materials including plastics, electronics and even rotting meat are likely burning, which means the pollution particles emitted “tend to be highly enriched with toxic organics, toxic metals, that are above and beyond what just normal, day-to-day air pollution would look like,” said UCLA air pollution researcher Yifang Zhu.

She said air quality indexes may capture the concentration of particulate matter in the air, but not necessarily the specific toxins in them.

“You'll have almost like a double jeopardy in a sense that the levels [of particulate matter] are higher, and the toxicity is also higher,” she said.

Measuring heavy metals or volatile organic compounds requires special monitoring equipment, Zhu said.

“It’s very difficult to measure,” she said.

But she suspects at least some types of health-harming heavy metals are likely to be in the smoke.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado on Monday called for more specifics about what is in the smoke.

People “shouldn't have to guess about what they're breathing or rely on rumors, scattered information and updates, and incomplete information,” she said at a news conference. Jurado, whose council district includes Boyle Heights, added that data from regulators, such as the South Coast Air Quality Management District, should be released in clear, understandable language in English and Spanish.

The South Coast AQMD told LAist before Jurado spoke that the agency has monitors that measure particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide, but not other types of pollutants. The agency said it has set up additional monitors at Eastman Avenue Elementary and Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School. The agency added that the Environmental Protection Agency is also monitoring air quality at the fence line of the facility. LAist has reached out to the EPA for details.

Zhu added that even when the fire is eventually put out, the cleanup can kick up even more pollution — a lesson learned through her research after the L.A. fires.

“ I think people really need to take precautions,” Zhu said, emphasizing that those closest to the fire and downwind should avoid being outside as much as possible, keep windows closed, run a HEPA or MERV 13 air filter, and wear an N95 or similar mask otherwise.

UC Irvine toxicology professor Michael Kleinman said if thawed meat is also burning, that could lead to further toxic gases being released.

Experts urged precautions, especially if you smell smoke.

“ For people who are very close to the fire, like the firefighters themselves, they have exposure to both particulate matter and potential toxic gases, and that's why you'll see them wearing respirators,” said UC Irvine chemistry professor Suzanne Blum. “But once you're some feet away from the building, then the primary concern is the particulate smoke that is coming from this fire.”

As the Boyle Heights warehouse fire burns into its sixth day, SoCal residents are increasingly concerned about the air quality and potential health risks that come with breathing in the smoke. So, what alerts have been issued so far and how can residents be prepared?

Both Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency on Saturday, a designation that helps California coordinate with local agencies to make sure there are enough resources for the firefight and residents who have been affected after a fire started at a cold storage industrial facility. Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis said at a press conference Monday that  the county is "delivering supplies, air filters, and air purifiers" to local households.

Los Angeles County public health officials and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) also issued a particle pollution advisory that remained in effect until today. Affected areas included: Central Los Angeles County, the San Gabriel Valley, East San Fernando Valley and Northwest San Bernardino Valley.

Although recent air quality readings appear as “moderate” to “good” on South Coast AQMD’s website, the fire is still burning and might be for a few more days.

So what can SoCal residents do to protect themselves?

If the air quality index reads “good” or “poses little to no risk” in some areas, hazardous ash can still be present. If you see ash on your car, or windowsills, you might want to stay inside if possible. In “moderate” or yellow zones, unusually sensitive people are also recommended to avoid longer periods outside.

In the next few days, some might notice windblown ash floating in the air or coating outdoor surfaces. These particles are otherwise known as “fine particulate matter,” which consists of soot, burned plastic and perhaps even traces of the spoiling frozen food from inside the warehouse.

Why that matters

Too much exposure from these materials may cause temporary irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. If you suffer from health issues that are exacerbated by poor air quality, like respiratory illnesses, you may be affected by these conditions even more.

Four expert tips to protect yourself and your family:

• If you smell smoke or see ash, try to remain indoors with the windows closed. If you can’t, consider stepping outside with an N-95 mask, and refrain from engaging in any rigorous physical activity. 
• In your homes, also avoid using whole house fans (air conditioning is okay), as they can bring in the polluted air from outdoors. 
• If you have an air purifier, this is the time to use it. 
• Avoid using fireplaces, candles and vacuums, as they can introduce toxins into the clean, indoor environment.

For more guidance on precautions following the fires, visit Los Angeles County’s public health website for more. South Coast AQMD’s website also has more healthy and safety tips.

Updated June 22, 2026 at 16:22 PM ET

Argentine soccer superstar Lionel Messi has broken the record for most World Cup scoring.

Messi made the record goal, his 17th, during the first half of Monday's game against Austria. It was a heated match. Austria attacked relentlessly, and Argentina relied on its defense and on goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez. And, near the end in stoppage time, Messi scored again, finishing off at 2-0.

The team captain started off the World Cup with a bang: in the opener against Algeria, Messi scored a hat trick: three goals. A rare feat in soccer. He has scored all five goals for Argentina this World Cup. With the win, Argentina advances to the knockout round.

Messi hails from the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, an area known for producing excellent players. He faced challenges at an early age: he had a hormonal growth deficiency, which was difficult to treat in his hometown, given the severe economic crisis facing Argentina in the late 1990s. By 2001, the Messi family had decided to accept an offer for him to join La Masia, FC Barcelona's youth academy, in Spain. Messi was 13 years old.

It was at Barca that he rose to fame and developed his unique style of walking the pitch, patiently waiting for the right opportunity to jump on the ball, dribble skillfully past his opponents, and score.

Argentina's Lionel Messi, now the all-time World Cup scoring leader, celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 group match against Austria.

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Although a legend of Barca and European soccer, he often expressed a desire to play for the Argentine national team in a World Cup. He got his chance in his 20's, but it wasn't smooth: he was widely seen as a foreigner who had not paid his dues in the Argentine soccer system. His measured, calculating style of play was often misunderstood in South America, where players tended to have a quicker, more aggressive technique.

There were several World Cup attempts that were disappointing, and after the 2016 World Cup, he announced he would not be playing again. "It's over," he said outside the locker room, visibly shaken. "I tried so hard, it is unbelievable, but it hasn't worked. Me and this team are through."

The tides turned under the leadership of Argentine Coach Lionel Scaloni, and Messi led the team to a Copa America victory in 2021. Argentina won the World Cup the following year.

This is Messi's sixth World Cup and he's considered one of the best players in soccer history.

Messi also surpassed Brazilian superstar Marta, who had scored 17 goals at the Women's World Cup.

Copyright 2026 NPR

More than two dozen state historic parks are free through the end of the year in honor of Juneteenth — and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the free “special edition Historian Passport,” which typically costs $50, as a rebuke to President Donald Trump’s attempts to “rewrite the past,” according to a news release by the governor’s office.

Since his inauguration, Trump has ordered staff working at all National Park Service locations to remove any content that casts Americans in a negative light from parks, monuments and memorials.

“California doesn’t hide from hard truths and uncomfortable history — in fact, we embrace it and learn from it,” Newsom wrote.

Until July 6, Californians can download the state historic park pass for free and use it as many times as they want through the end of 2026. The pass gives free entry to state historic parks for up to four people.

The Historian Passport grants entry to more than 30 state historic parks, including parks like Olompali and Malakoff Diggins which, rather than just providing outdoor recreation, also have an educational emphasis on the state’s history.

Jack London State Historic Park in Napa Valley, California.

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Many of these parks tell the story of the state’s cultural or indigenous history, from missions and museums to temples and the site that sparked the California Gold Rush.

Newsom made a similar move to make state parks free for Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year, in response to Trump’s decision to eliminate the holiday from the list of fee-free days at national parks across the country, replacing it with his birthday on Flag Day.

How to get your free Historian Passport for up to four people

You must make an account with the state’s reservation site ReserveCalifornia.com to obtain a Historian Pass. Then, visit the site’s Advance Passes page and select “Special Edition Historian Passport” from the dropdown menu, which will show as costing $0. No payment information is required.

After checking out, you’ll receive an email with an attached PDF version of your Historian Passport.

The state recommends you print off this PDF to present at any California state historic park for free entry, although you may just be able to show the image on your phone too.

Bear in mind that cellphone service may be poor at many state historic parks, so it’s worth screenshotting the PDF to save it as an image on your phone in case you’re unable to search your email.

Looking for free entry to other state parks that aren’t included in the Historian Passport? Consider checking out a parks pass from your local library, which provides these passes as part of the California State Library Parks Pass program.

KQED’s Carly Severn contributed to this report.