Articles in the “food” category

There is no relief money, only Zuul.

Detroit. Chicago. New York. California. Sicily. Naples. Rome. Fusion. Frozen. We take a deep dive into a doughy subject.

2020 couldn't bid farewell without another couple kicks in our collective teeth.

Anyone who has ever worked a service job can tell you that the customer isn't always right. But during a pandemic, customer entitlement can endanger restaurant workers' lives.

An appeals court verdict that says the temporary ban on outdoor dining at restaurants in L.A. County can stay in place halts a judge's decision from early December.

There's more than money at stake in this new space where alcohol-infused aguas frescas meet luchador-level swagger.

What's so great about clean lines anyway? As L.A. becomes more homogenized and polished, an urban planner reflects on what we've lost.

Founded in 1948 by a Swiss immigrant, the intimate butcher shop has been owned by the same family for four generations.

From Temecula to Solvang, businesses are pushing back -- and the heart of the resistance seems to be in Orange County.

COVID-19 has threatened their explosive growth, but Southern California's food halls keep fighting to make it work.

In the perpetually crisis-challenged lives of Salvadoran families like mine, food has always been there for us.

That's because the regional stay-at-home order currently blanketing SoCal also bans outdoor dining and it overrides any countywide orders.

Manhattan Beach has reclassified outdoor dining as "public seating areas" to get around the county ban.

Crazy cookbooks. Face-melting hot sauces. Artisanal boba. Fresh kimchi. Tamale kits. Locally-roasted coffee.

The new portal will accept applications until December 8 at 5 p.m. or until 2,500 applications are received -- whichever comes first

Beverly Hills. Lancaster. West Covina. Whittier. They top a growing list of cities who are thinking of launching their own health departments.

They live and die by delivery. Without a location, are they building sustainable brands or just offering fancy catering?

If you're going to talk the talk, you better walk the walk.

Restaurants located in the city of L.A. can't apply for the $30,000 grants.

Public health researchers believe restaurants are among the most common places to get infected with COVID-19 but contact tracing has been so lackluster that few health departments have been able to link disease clusters to in-person dining.

Officials could change course but if they don't, it will be a major policy break between the city and the county.

Kathryn Barger says she'll oppose the newly revised public health order that bans in-person dining for the next three weeks.

One SoCal family is resorting to round robin-style porch drops of food. 

The new overnight stay-at-home order for all California counties in the Purple tier is similar to the one L.A. County announced two days ago.

A 10 p.m. curfew. Outdoor dining limited to 50% capacity. No large gatherings.

The Cerritos cafe fuses Filipino cuisine, fine dining and Fruity Pebbles. (Plus, heroic resourcefulness.)

Some restaurants around Southern California are offering deals to current members of the U.S. Armed Forces and veterans. Here are a few.

From taco kits and tom kha mashed potatoes to vegan tamales and chicken parms, think outside the bird this holiday.

Udon, fries, churros. Here's where to score some sweet -- and savory -- deals on Tuesday, November 3.

The pandemic has killed lunch. And nobody is mourning that death more than L.A. County's 2,700 food trucks

Directed by Alice Gu, "The Donut King" chronicles Ngoy's thrill-of-victory/agony-of-defeat rollercoaster ride through the American Dream.

Please make your Super PAC donation at the next window. Here's how fast food restaurants are supersizing political campaigns.

Breakfast burritos are pure comfort. They're cheap. They're filling. They offer the maximum bang for your caloric buck. They're a blank slate for creative line cooks. And they're delicious.

Plenty, a company backed by big tech bucks, wants to open a vertical farm in Compton. Can it change the way we grow and eat food?

Along with 60 goats, four dogs and two pigs, Gloria Putnam had to evacuate her ranch. She's back and still trying to build a water-appropriate foodshed for Los Angeles.

No treats for you. COVID-19 has officially, temporarily, ruined the best secular holiday of the year.

Your unsettling name will live on in our hearts.

City Bean paved the way for L.A.'s current coffee scene. In the pandemic, it's trying to highlight the importance of locally owned businesses.

Organized and overseen by residents, these fridges are filled with free food but they exist in a legal gray area where health codes can sometimes hinder community nourishment.

The answer lies in the complicated rules governing school nutrition.

"She has a very gentle smile but behind that, she has nerves of steel," her son Eddie says.

When L.A. County guidelines for reopening restaurants forbade certain activities -- including board games. If you run a board game cafes, what do you do next?

Steep commissions. Marketing fees. Concerns about safety. No wonder restaurants have issues with food delivery apps.

Namaste Spiceland caters to a diverse clientele but still feels like it's run by Indians, for Indians -- and that's no easy trick.

Jess Starwood used to forage wild fruits and herbs for some of L.A.'s top restaurants. When they fully reopen, she's not sure she'll sell to them again. 

In the middle of March, chefs and owners Jaime Martin del Campo and Ramiro Arvizu of La Casita Mexicana shut the critically acclaimed Bell restaurant all the way down due to the pandemic. The future looked uncertain. Now there's a ray of hope.

"When we take care of each other, when we give half of our very little to other people, it's because we're all connected in this collective struggle."

Business is booming for Myra Vasquez, who updates a classic Mexican dessert with a world of flavors and unapologetic Latinx pride.

The bastion of "south Silver Lake" foodie hipsterdom allegedly sold moldy jam, operated a secret (and illegal) kitchen, and failed to credit the its opening chef, as well as other employees of color, for their contributions.

Also known as live animal markets, they fill a need for thousands of residents. City officials want to ban them -- but first, they need to figure out what "wet markets" are. 

One owner worries, "Everyone's going to freak out and not feel safe to go out" but also believes, "What the state is doing is the right decision."

This is the new normal, not just for Tommy Mofid but for the proprietors of most L.A. County bars -- if their establishments haven't closed for good.

Which is to say: very fast, messy, and possibly risky to your health.

There's an excellent Google doc that lists a bunch of them. We can't take credit for it but we want to spread the word.

They just have to follow the county's health and safety guidelines... even though the health department hasn't yet released detailed guidelines.

At the King's Roost, Roe Sie is spreading the gospel of heritage grains -- and because of coronavirus, more people are listening.

You'll almost certainly be able to eat in the streets later this summer but what if you want a beer with nosh? It just got a little easier.

Old school restaurants pivoting to stay afloat, new ones struggling to establish themselves, diners showing their support. A glimpse into the 626's vast and diverse restaurant culture.

Pasadena, Palm Springs and Sierra Madre are all considering similar initiatives.

Here's our question: Does this new iteration of Taix even deserve the name?

Concerns about delivery app fees have been growing for the last few years but the COVID-19 quarantine has given them new urgency.

"In a way, this feels almost like a spiritual lockdown within a physical lockdown."

Coronavirus might be the death knell for other buffet restaurants.

Only thing is you've got to crack them open and scoop out the gonads on your own.

In a particularly bitter irony, two restaurants just named as finalists announced last week they're closing.

"It's not just me, it's thousands of people," said Maria, choking up. "I feel a sense of despair, I feel worried.

And they did it in the middle of a pandemic.

Since March 18, nearly 3,000 workers and volunteers have distributed hundreds of thousands of meals each day.

Musso & Frank is the most famous local restaurant to file a lawsuit against its insurance company for denying its coronavirus-related claim.

A few food vendors are willing to risk their health and freedom so they can make ends meet.

The Irvine-based restaurant chain has 25 locations, $24 million in cash on hand, and access to $20 million more.

"Soldiers of the soil" planted 20 million victory gardens and they supplied 40% of the produce in the U.S.

How did Shake Shack, which has earned $143 million in 2020, even qualify for the PPP?

"No one's ever seen anything like this," says the CEO of Second Harvest.

The food bank is one of the few places that has been a consistent source for Latinos from around Southeast L.A., including undocumented and mixed-status families left out of federal stimulus relief. 

It's one way to turn all those unused lemons into lemonade.

Community organizations are hosting drive-thru pantries and other food distribution events every day for people in need. Here's a list of upcoming events around L.A. County. 

Strawberry season is about to peak in California. So is coronavirus.

Here's everything we do and don't know, so far, about COVID-19 and food -- and here's what you can do to minimize your risk.

Take a trip to L.A.'s scrumptious past for a zucchini casserole, Hungarian comfort food and a chili so delicious Elizabeth Taylor requested it in the hospital.

Say hello to short(er) lines and extra provisions -- but not necessarily a lot of rice.

Here's what Southern California is doing to feed the medical personnel on the frontlines, fighting the coronavirus.

An effort is underway to save cornerstone businesses in Little Tokyo that relied on foot traffic by creating takeout menus and getting them on social media.

These mom-and-pop shops have played a key role keeping their shelves stocked and people fed.

One bean supplier reassures us calm is coming and then 'walking into the supermarket will not look like you're in Venezuela or Cuba.'

Uncle Sam wants you... to eat out!

Empty dining rooms. Shuttered businesses. Laid off employees. For restaurants and bars, the stakes are dire.

How can they do this? The liquor you pour in your martini and the sanitizer you rub on your hands have the same key ingredient.

All L.A. restaurants are hurting now because of coronavirus. But some Chinese restaurants felt it weeks earlier.

We are updating this list as we hear more - and we want to hear from you.

What's happening to L.A.'s service industry right now is terrible but necessary. What's going to happen to the street vendors will likely be worse. 

There are 60 spots around the district where kids can pick up breakfast and lunch while schools are closed.

Does it actually reduce the coronavirus risk? And where can you find Southern California stores doing this?

We asked experts to help us understand the supply chain and let you know what to expect to see on the shelves of your local stores.

We are updating this list as we hear more - and we want to hear from you.

Portuguese laborers and traders brought pao doce to the world -- and the world has brought it to Los Angeles.

The Bavarian hamlet off the Harbor Freeway is shutting down after 51 years of sausages, schnitzel and sweets.

After 37 years, the chain's demise was nasty, brutish and swift. Its most devoted fans roux the day and attempt to curry on.

Including a vegan one.

On February 14th, revel in or renounce your romantic choices. Either way, we salute you.