Food

Many iconic LA restaurants, coffee shops and bars have been lost to the fires. Here's how to help them

The fires have wiped out several neighborhood staples. Here's what they meant to the community, and how to help

The burnt remains of what was once a restaurant, with rubble and debris and broken chairs. In the middle stands a light skinned man wearing a black T shirt and jeans. His back is to the camera, and he's staring down at the floor

LAist predicts 12 food trends that will be big in 2025

We’ve looked into our crystal ball to forecast what will happen in the food world in the new year.

A dessert resembling a cake, made with whipped white meringue, featuring uneven edges and adorned with whole red raspberries, pomegranate seeds, and fresh green mint leaves.

LA's best pozoles come in red, green, and white. And sometimes with shrimp, ‘shrooms, and jackfruit, too

Each pozole on this list has its own distinct identity. All will warm your body and soul.

A close up top view of red pozole topped with cabbage, onions, and radishes, next to chips and those toppings in separate plates.

My 12 most memorable LA bites in 2024

LAist food editor Gab Chabran recalls some memorable bites he had throughout SoCal this past year.

A series of white ceramic plates are arranged on a medium-dark wooden tabletop. In the bottom left corner, overlapping slices of red and white cured ham cover one plate entirely. To the right, three small cheese slices display a range of colors: pale yellow, light mustard brown, and white, which is speckled with small black dots. Above this plate is a small dish containing a portion of yellow butter. At the very top, four slices of brown sourdough bread are positioned closely together on their sides.

Malaysian cuisine is ready for its close-up with Rasarumah in Historic Filipinotown

Chef Johnny Lee, formerly of the much-loved Pearl River Deli, has partnered with the group behind Barra Santos, Found Oyster, and opened a restaurant focused on Malaysian and Southeast Asian flavors.

A collection of plates in various sizes and shapes showcases a variety of Malaysian and Southeast Asian dishes, all arranged against a brown wooden surface. A single wine glass filled with a pale yellow liquid is in the back right corner.

Four specialty LA cheese stores help you elevate your New Year's spread

Why not make 2025 a cheesy delight?

A blackboard sign has various types of cheeses and charcuterie written in white: French, Spanish, Italian, and others

The smell of guavas is in Southern California kitchens. Here’s why lots of people hate it

Guavas are the main ingredient in the Mexican holiday drink ponche. The warmer weather is lengthening the season of the backyard crop.

The FDA restricts a psychoactive mushroom used in some edibles

The Food and Drug Administration has told food manufacturers the psychoactive mushroom Amanita muscaria isn't authorized for food, including edibles, because it doesn't meet safety standards.