How To LA: Evolution Of Rosh Hashanah Food (And Other Headlines)

My favorite day of the week, Friday — or Food Friday — here at LAist.

Wait, what is Food Friday? Every Friday, we'll give you ideas on what to eat, where to go and what to cook — plus the people and stories behind the dishes.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year,  begins at sundown today, which means friends and family will gather for Shabbat. Writer Josh Heller shares how his family’s Rosh Hashanah traditions are all connected to food and how L.A.’s modern chefs are putting a spin on old traditions.

We look at Rosh Hashanah traditions old and new

It turns out that all around L.A., every Friday, you can find a Shabbat dinner to attend — and you don’t have to be Jewish. We compiled a list of places you can go to for Friday night dinners to learn about the traditions, gather, light candles, eat or simply kick back.

If you, like me, happen to be super introverted and shy and would rather find something on your own, odds are you're close to one of these Jewish-style delis that are equal parts nostalgia and comfort food.

Stay safe and cool, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

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More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• Now that federal health officials have given the green light, updated COVID shots are coming to L.A. County pharmacies and doctors offices.
• The West L.A. Veterans Affairs campus is building units for homeless veterans, but because of income limits set by another agency, some severely disabled unhoused veterans are locked out.
• Here Comes Trouble, a 35-year-old bison known for stirring up trouble, died over the weekend at William S. Hart Park in Santa Clarita, where she lived since birth.
• A Los Angeles City Council committee on Wednesday approved a request for a $30 million loan, which would be used to spruce up more than 200 existing bus shelters across the city.
• California recently awarded $91 million in grants to local organizations that help prevent hate crimes or support survivors, part of an unprecedented effort to combat hate in a state that saw a 20% increase in such crimes in 2022.
• A panel of outside advisors that urged NASA to use its scientific expertise to better gather data related to what's now often called "unidentified anomalous phenomena," or UAP.

Wait... one more thing

It’s Friday and everybody's looking forward to the weekend

A traditional Aztec performer dances during the city of Santa Ana's annual Fiestas Patrias parade in 2019. Fiestas Patrias marks Mexican Independence Day.

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Mario Tama/Getty Images

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Getty Images North America

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Take a sip of water for all the times you have read the word “Friday” in today’s newsletter. Bonus sip if you know the headline reference. But really, I am excited for Friday and the weekend. Here are some event picks you can attend in L.A. and all over SoCal. I know I’ll probably want to attend a few, especially ones to get me ready for Halloween, my favorite time of the year.

• El Grito, Los Angeles City Hall, downtown L.A.: El Grito de Dolores (The Cry of Dolores) commemorates the moment Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the bell of his church on Sept. 16, 1810, and cried for a call to arms, triggering the Mexican War of Independence.
• Angel of Light, Los Angeles Theatre, downtown L.A.: Step into the theater for an immersive and terrifying story of a hexed girl, just in time for the spooky season.
• The Sunset & Vinyl Market, The Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood: The Roxy continues its 50th anniversary celebrations this month by teaming with the Rainbow Bar & Grill for a vinyl record fair in the parking lot between the two locations.

See the full list here! And an additional plug, we have a newsletter version called “Best Things To Do” of our weekly events that you can subscribe to if you want it directly sent to your inbox.

Correction: In yesterday’s newsletter, we misspelled the last name of historian Frank Guridy in our section about the L.A. Coliseum. LAist regrets the error.