Santa Barbara

27: The Hickoryburger at Apple Pan

Celebrating this year's Best of L.A. issue -- now out in print and online -- we're counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 27: The Hickoryburger at Apple Pan Los Angeles' burger boom, in many ways, owes much to this humble onion-scented lunchroom, a place that stands out ... More >>

29: Sashimi Special at Sushi Gen

Celebrating this year's Best of L.A. issue -- now out in print and online -- we're counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 29: Sashimi Special at Sushi Gen. In a perfect world, every visit to your favorite sushi bar would entail an omakase meal, an ever-changing elabora ... More >>

30: Crispy Pork with Morning Glory at Crispy Pork Gang & Grill

Celebrating this year's Best of L.A. issue -- now out in print and online -- we're counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 30: Crispy Pork at Crispy Pork Gang & Grill You don't mess with the Crispy Pork Gang (& Grill). This restaurant, located in the heart of East Holly ... More >>

36: Tacos Al Pastor at Tacos Leo

Celebrating this year's Best of L.A. issue -- now out in print and online -- we're counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 36: Tacos Al Pastor at Tacos Leo. Great lonchero wagons are certainly thick on the ground in this city, but when Tacos Leo first appeared on the str ... More >>

40: Sicilian Slice at Pizzanista

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4) -- and probably beyond, at this rate -- we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 40: Sicilian Slice at Pizzanista. The thick-crusted Sicilian pizza at Pizzanista, cut into a long rectangle and covered ... More >>

41: Bánh Mì at Buu Dien

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4) -- and probably beyond, at this rate -- we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 41: Bánh Mì at Buu Dien. For such a seemingly humble sandwich, the Vietnamese bánh mì stirs up a surprisingly high l ... More >>

43: Raw Kale Salad at Elf Café

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4) -- and probably beyond, at this rate -- we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 43: Raw Kale Salad at Elf Café. Fifty-some entries into this list and we feel like we need a virtual detox -- the onsla ... More >>

44: Hot Wings at Beer Belly

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4) -- and probably beyond, at this rate -- we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 44: Hot Wings at Beer Belly. Is there a more natural and satisfactory partner for football and beer than a plate of deep ... More >>

46: Edomae Tendon Bowl at Hannosuke

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 46: Edomae Tendon Bowl at Hannosuke. The saying goes that good tempura should last about as long as a snowball in August (or September, if you happen to be ca ... More >>

48: Thai Papaya Salad at Krua Siri

48: Papaya Salad at Krua Siri. It's 3 a.m. on a Saturday night -- Sunday morning, really -- do you know where your papaya salad is? Krua Siri, a small pill-box of a restaurant located in the Eastern stretch of Thai town, might be best known among certain Hollywood residents as the place that delive ... More >>

51: Almond Croissant at Proof Bakery

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 51: Almond croissant at Proof Bakery. It's hard not to drool all over the glass of the bakery case at Proof Bakery in Atwater Village, such is the bounty that ... More >>

50: The Southern Fry at Plan Check Kitchen Bar

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 51: The Southern Fry at Plan Check Kitchen Bar. While the centerpiece of Plan Check Kitchen Bar on Sawtelle is undoubtedly it's dripping, concentrated burg ... More >>

54: Taco Sampler at Guisados

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 54: Taco Sampler at Guisados. Decisions are hard. At Guisados, chef Ricardo Diaz makes things a bit easier. The Boyle Heights taquería -- best known for its b ... More >>

56: Smothered Chicken at R and R Soul Food

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 56: Smothered Chicken at R & R Soul Food. A good soul food plate should be formidable. It should make you worry whether you are going to be able make the driv ... More >>

59: Pickled Watermelon Salad at L&E Oyster Bar

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 59: Pickled Watermelon Salad at L&E Oyster Bar On days like these, when the temperature is pushing 100, we just want a cooling salad. A salad with bursts of co ... More >>

58: Spaghettini with Abalone, Pickled Cod Roe and Truffles at n/naka

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 58: Spaghettini with Abalone, Pickled Cod Roe and Truffles at n/naka. A meal at n/naka, by its very nature, is full of surprises. A parade of traditional kaise ... More >>

60: Huckleberry's Green Eggs & Ham

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 60: Huckleberry's Green Eggs & Ham. This breakfast dish, named for the Dr. Seuss book, has been on Huckleberry's menu since 2009, when Zoe Nathan and Josh Loeb ... More >>

62: Whole Channel Island Red Sea Urchin at Water Grill

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 62: Whole Channel Island Red Sea Urchin at Water Grill. There's a lot to indulge in at Water Grill. There's the rotating list of oysters on the half shell. The ... More >>

61: Going Dutch Panini at Bread Lounge

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 61: Going Dutch Panini at Bread Lounge. There are people who might tell you that all panini are created equal. That putting some bread, meat, and cheese inside ... More >>

64: The Whipper Burger at Hawkin's House of Burgers

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 64: The Whipper Burger at Hawkin's House of Burgers. Forget what Jimmy Buffet says, the best cheeseburgers aren't found in paradise; they're found on the mean ... More >>

65: Beef Koobideh at Kabab Mahaleh

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 66: Koobideh at Kabab Mahaleh. On Friday afternoons, the Pico corridor is a happening place -- especially at Kabab Mahaleh, where the Persian Jewish community ... More >>

66: Pastrami Reuben at Art's Delicatessen

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 66: Pastrami Reuben at Art's Delicatessan. The motto at Art's Deli in Studio City is "Every sandwich is a work of art." The deli, which has changed little sinc ... More >>

67: Son of a Gun's Uni and Burrata

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 67: Son of a Gun's Uni and Burrata. There are quite a few contenders for favorites on Son of a Gun's menu, dishes that made this restaurant a destination in th ... More >>

69: Yukhwe Bibimbap at Oo-Kook Korean BBQ

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 69: Yukhwe Bibimbap at Oo-Kook Korean BBQ It's been a week filled with those days when you glance around the kitchen, throw up your hands, and laments that's i ... More >>

70: Brisket Banh Mi at Gjelina Take Away

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 70: Brisket Banh Mi at Gjelina Take Away In its purest form, the banh mi is a humble lunch: a thin layer of meat, a smear of pate or mayo, a handful of flash-p ... More >>

75: Porcetto at Sotto

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 75: Porcetto at Sotto. Porchetta is one of those dishes that, once you've tried it, tends to feature prominently in recurrent dreams. The same genre of dream a ... More >>

77: Agedashi Tofu at Izakaya Bincho

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 77: Agedashi Tofu at Izakaya Bincho. At Izakaya Bincho, a cubbyhole of a restaurant hidden along the boardwalk Redondo Beach Pie, chef Tomo Ueno might have bee ... More >>

79: Tandoori Chicken at Al-Watan

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 79: Tandoori Chicken at Al-Watan Surely we can't be alone in our endless fascination with the tandoori oven, a cylindrical-shaped clay oven that facilitates a ... More >>

80: Shu Mai at Elite Restaurant

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 80: Shu Mai at Elite Restaurant. Elite Restaurant in Monterey Park has a reputation for being one of the most civilized dim sum palaces in town -- if you're ac ... More >>

87: Egg Salad Sandwich at Euro Pane Bakery

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 87: Egg Salad Sandwich at Euro Pane. Egg salad is just egg salad, right? Something snatched from cold deli cases wrapped in cellophane or whipped up for a last ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 6/11 - 6/15

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad." "Foie gras masquerading as Singaporean street food? Why not? Time is fleeting." 10 Best Foie Gras Dishes in Los Angeles. "It could be a scene from Portlandia." Mother Dough: Thursday, June 14, 8:14 p.m. "It looks like a ... More >>

How to Enjoy L.A. Arts and Culture Without a Car

When someone asks me if they have to rent a car when visiting L.A., I really, really, really, really want to say no. Of course you can experience L.A. without a car. I do it every day. But for me to explain all the quirks of navigating our transit-nascent city to a wide-eyed visitor, I'd pretty much ... More >>

5 Local Farmers Who are Doing it Right

Felicia FriesemaThe Hollywood market earlier this year.​After reading Beth Barrett's piece about farmers markets this week, it might be tempting to hang up the locavore hat and head out for an angsty and cathartic mouthful at the local McDonald's. We're envisioning an army of market goers as ... More >>

[Updated:] Deal Reached in Grocery Store Labor Feud

L.A. County Federation of Labor​ Update:9/26, 10 a.m. On Sunday night, workers voted and approved a new contract, ending an eight-month dispute with Ralphs, Vons, Pavilions and Albertsons. According to insiders, workers will pay $7 a week for health insurance, or $15 per week for a family. The ... More >>

Trader Joe's Will be Swarmed as Ralphs, Vons, Albertsons Workers Take a Last Step Toward a Strike

vallartasupermarket.com​Updated: It's ova. A settlement has been reached, city Councilman Eric Garcetti tweeted. First posted at 7 a.m. Friday Looks like you're going to be shopping at Trader Joe's, the dollar store, and maybe Vallarta. That's because the workers at Ralphs, Vons and Albertso ... More >>

The Brothers Launch a Cookbook Their Filet Mignon Crispy Tacos Recipe

B. HansenMatt and Jeff Nichols, with their new book​Brothers Matt and Jeff Nichols weren't in the kitchen, and their popular restaurant, Brothers at Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos, was closed on a recent Sunday afternoon. Then why was it full of people eating great food and drinking local wines ... More >>

Playing With Food: FungiFest at Machine Project

There are many things capable of filling an Echo Park art gallery on a Saturday night, namely the promise of free booze, which makes any art opening a draw for the young and perennially broke. But usually there is at least some promise of pop culture-infused paintings or gender bending performance a ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 10/24 - 10/30

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "It was horrible. Even a shot of sake and a glass of beer didn' remove the taste."

South Coast MLPA Proposals May Impact Area Chefs

Your favorite Santa Barbara spot prawn dish, like Michael Cimarusti's signature salt-roasted ones at his Melrose Avenue restaurant Providence, may be a thing of the past if the most extreme versions of the South Coast Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) proposals pass. Local uni may be harder to get ... More >>

Most Lobster Trap Escape Ports Deemed Illegal: One Santa Barbara Lobsterman Goes Gonzo Journalist

When Santa Barbara lobster fisherman Sam Shrout received a letter from the California Department of Fish and Game last month saying that they were going to start enforcing a 33-year-old law regulating the escape ports for short lobsters on his traps, he was noticeably angry. So angry he took to YouT ... More >>

Jesse James Hollywood Trial: Closing Arguments

Jesse James Hollywood's six-week murder trial is winding down in the blink of an eye, when compared to the five years during which he was on the lam before being apprehended in Brazil. Hollywood was a 20-year-old West Hills marijuana dealer in 2000, when Nick Markowitz, the adolescent half brother o ... More >>

Morning Sixpack: A News Roundup

School Board to Cut $1.6B The LAUSD has voted to make deep cuts in a three-year budget, almost guaranteeing further layoffs and the elimination of summer school. L.A. TimesHollywood Denies Murder Former pot dealer and fugitive Jesse James Hollywood told a Santa Barbara jury he did not order the murd ... More >>

Jesse James Hollywood Trial Coverage

L.A. Observed has flagged for reader consideration Natasha Vargas-Cooper's courtroom coverage of Santa Barbara's Jesse James Hollywood Booking PhotoJesse James Hollywood trial. Writing in the Awl, Cooper explains that she had been junior high school friends with Nicholas Markowitz, with whom she'd g ... More >>

Rock Picks: Pacha Massive, Calexico, Juliana Hatfield

Also, We the People Festival, Temple Bar farewell, Mad Juana and more

Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl: August 24 and August 25

Yep, just announced: Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl on August 24 and 25, which is a little weird because it's a Sunday and a Monday. Presales begin April 9. The entire second leg of the American tour: August 6 - Parc Jean Drapeau - Montreal, QC August 8 - All Points West Music & Arts Festival/Li ... More >>

Condor Has Landed

The forest service gives the go-ahead to find more oil in Los Padres

The Nick Nolte Pride in Photography Collection

Brain Worlds

Hawking, Derrida and living with the other

A Complex Edifice

Councilman Fouls Magic

Ridley-Thomas fumes as Johnson passes on Coliseum