South America

You've Probably Never Heard of the Fascinating Brazilian Director Nelson Pereira dos Santos. UCLA Is Trying to Change That

Gustavo Santaolalla's Band Bajofondo Rocks Both Sides of the River

Nestled up in the Echo Park hills just north of Sunset Boulevard lies La Casa Studios, where we wait on 14-time Grammy winning producer Gustavo Santaolalla, an Argentine. The walls in the studio lounge are decorated with album artwork for acts he produced like Maldita Vecindad, Juanes and Café Tacu ... More >>

Mo-Chica: 99 Essential Restaurants 2013

Demetri Samaha Of Supper Club Accused Of Safety Violations In Wake Of Brazil Tragedy

The L.A. City Attorney's office today unleashed a criminal case against the owners of Hollywood's Supper Club for alleged overcrowding, fire-code violations and "life safety hazards." This is the wake of a tragic fire at the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria, Brazil last weekend that took 236 lives. Th ... More >>

Local Natives - The Fonda - 1/28/13

Local Natives The Fonda 1/28/13 See also: Local Natives on Their Dark New Sounds It's Local Natives week! Their new, much anticipated new work Hummingbird was just released, and last night they kicked off a pair of L.A. shows at the Fonda. (They play tonight at the El Rey.) They are without questi ... More >>

I Decide What Music My Family Listens To During Dinner, Dammit

Each night, my family has dinner together. It's me, Wife, Boy A, Boy B, Boy C, and we sit at a thrift store dinner table on thrift store chairs and eat a king's dinner. (After having been a stay-at-home mother for nearly six years, Wife is a remarkable cook). Part of the reason this happens is bec ... More >>

28: Tamal de Mole Negro at Guelaguetza

28: Tamal de Mole Negro at Guelaguetza. The legacy of the Lopez family's popular Oaxacan restaurant looms large over not just over Koreatown, but over Los Angeles' Latino culture in general -- a place where wedding receptions, retirement banquets, and quinceañera parties seem to cycle through at r ... 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 >>

32: Pupusa Revuelta at Atlacatl

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. 32: Pupusa Revuelta at Atlacatl. All hail the pupusa, in its crisp-edged, cheese-oozing glory. Enjoying this Salvadoran staple has long been an esse ... 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 >>

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 >>

42: Steak Tartare Tacos at Mess Hall

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. 42: Steak Tartare Tacos at Mess Hall. The historic Brown Derby space in Los Feliz (and former Louise's Trattoria) recen ... 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 >>

52: House Wonton Soup at China Café

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. 52: House Wonton Soup at China Café. In a city so stocked with brilliant Chinese food, it might to seem a bit strange to point out a '20s-era lunch counter hi ... 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 >>

Amazonas Restaurant: Koreatown's Arepa Connection

How popular are arepas, the little fried corn cakes sold on street corners in Venezuela? Back in 2010, President Hugo Chavez introduced "socialist areperas" to ensure that the country's most famous export didn't fall into capitalist clutches. He even extended an invite to President Obama to come and ... More >>

Los Angeles Film Festival 2012: International Showcase

Ricardo Zarate's New Mo-Chica: Sangrecita, Paiche More Ceviche

Ricardo Zarate wants you to know something before checking out his new Mo-Chica. Slated to open Wednesday, May 30, it replaces an earlier version of the same name that closed yesterday. "Peru. It's in South America," says Zarate, mock-serious. "Its limits are Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and C ... More >>

CicLAvia: Bike, Eat, Repeat En Route Establishments and Food Truck Finishes

The fourth CicLAvia bike event opens the streets of downtown L.A. to non-motorists this Sunday, April 15. Originating in Bogota, Columbia, in 1974, the South American event now reserves a whopping 75 miles of street for cyclists and pedestrians. Here at home, we'll see a 10 mile web with 5 branches ... More >>

L.A.'s Capital Cities Are Big ... in Peru

In 2011, the Capital Cities' debut EP was released and got a ton of airplay ... in Peru. Catching wind of the band through the blogosphere, a station in Lima took notice of the band's upbeat, electro-pop single, "Safe and Sound," and immediately put it in heavy rotation. Shortly thereafter, Capital ... More >>

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Q & A With Survivor Coach Benjamin Wade: The Survivor Diet, Eating Termites $320 Chicken Parmesan

The very thought of choosing to be deprived of food for money is completely mind-boggling to us. Doing that for the amusement of the American television viewing public rockets that plan straight to the top of the absolutely never list. Yet, for Benjamin "Coach" Wade, that's exactly what he did - thr ... More >>

Picca: 99 Essential Restaurants 2011

5 Best Gelato Shops in Los Angeles

Guzzle & NoshAssorted flavors at Gelato Bar in Los Feliz.​Yesterday, we listed the 5 Best Ice Cream Shops in Los Angeles. Today, we move onto gelato. Taxonomy is crucial in these matters. 5. Gelato Bar (Los Feliz, Studio City): Owned by Gail Silverton (sister of Mozza pizza queen Nancy), Gela ... More >>

A Quick Q&A with Bartender Julian Cox

Caroline on CrackJulian Cox at Playa​We recently caught up with Julian Cox, the award-winning bartender at Playa, the Latin-inspired restaurant on Beverly, and Picca, the Peruvian-inspired restaurant on Pico -- two of the hottest new restaurants of 2011. What's your favorite part about being ... More >>

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

Flickr/dubh​ What's the country reading today food-wise? Here's a roundup of some of the food-related stories from other newspapers, many of which print their food sections mid-week. And remember, even if you don't actually buy papers these days (or not; this paper is free), it's where most of ... More >>

Holy Apocalypto: Ancient War Resulted in ... Civilization? UCLA Researchers Say Hooah to That

ApocalyptoMel Gibson's a genius.​War, huh, yeah. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Come again? UCLA researchers might beg to differ, Senor Edwin Starr. Research suggests that ancient battles of the Apocalypto variety might have spawned the earliest vestiges of civilization, namely buil ... More >>

Ricardo Zarate: King of Ceviche

Chicano Batman: Los Superheroes

Weird Science: Sugar Cane Cools Climate

Jack Delano / Library of CongressSugar cane worker in the rich field, vicinity of Guanica, Puerto Rico (circa 1939).​We already know it's good for making rum. Now, it turns out that sugar cane may help slow the pace of climate change. Score another victory for science. Scientists from the Car ... More >>

Ask Mr. Gold: What's The Big Deal With Quinoa?

Anne Fishbeinthe invisible restaurant critic​ Dear Mr. Gold: What's the big deal with quinoa? I couldn't even pronounce it right when I first saw it on the menu at Hugo's in Studio City. Then I saw it at Trader Joe's and then I saw it everywhere. It has probably been around forever, but has on ... More >>

L.A.'s $350 Million Deficit Explained: City Employees Spent Years Collecting $215 Fine from Franklin Hanock. But He'd Already Paid.

An employee mans Los Angeles City Hall's state-of-the-art collections system.​Valley Village resident Franklin Hanock, featured in an L.A. Daily News column by Kerry Cavanaugh, says "Where [LA] is heading scares the hell out of me." He got a $125 fine for a malfunctioning burglar alarm that ... More >>

Peruvian Farmers to Send 1,500 Potatoes to Arctic Seed Vault

Global Crop Diversity TrustFarmers working at the Cusco Potato Park in Peru.​ Aiming to preserve the biodiversity of the world's potato crop, Peruvian farmers yesterday launched a historic collaboration in which they will send 1,500 varieties of potatoes to a remote seed vault. From the potat ... More >>

Jesse James Rolls With a Dude Wearing a Nazi Hat: Did Anyone Inform Him That Kat Von D is Latina?

LatinaKat Von D reigns supreme.​Jesse James has a Nazi problem -- that we know already. But is it in the past? Us magazine this week has a photo of the boyfriend-to-the-stars biker cruising in a convertible ... with a guy wearing a Nazi hat. Really, Jesse? Besides the fact that you should fi ... More >>

Wine Vending Machines: Coming To A Supermarket Near You

Inhabit.comComing Soon: Pump-Your-Own Wine Vending Machines​ In the past few months we've heard of all sorts of wine innovations, from single-serve wine glass to canned wine to Hello Kitty branded booze, and now there's another one to add to the list. Courtesy of the French, who led the world ... More >>

September Chile Roasts at the Santa Monica Farmers Market

Bill JohnsonMarket managers Ted Galvan and Laura Avery roasting peppers​It's the season of chile roasts, even if you don't live in New Mexico, and if you didn't make it to any of the Hatch chile roasts at Bristol Farms, you can head on over to the Santa Monica farmers market, where they're hav ... More >>

After 15 Years in Peruvian Prison, US. Citizen Wishes To Become Pastry Chef

Izquierdo/AP/APLori Berenson in 2001​Lori Berenson, a U.S. citizen, was sent to prison in Peru 15 years ago for aiding a leftist revolutionary group during a contentious time in the country's history. After serving three quarters of her 20 year sentence, she has been released on probation. Now ... More >>

L.A. County Fire Rescuers Heading To Chile

L.A. County Fire rescuers in Haiti.​Members of the Los Angeles County Urban Search and Rescue task forces have to be some of the busiest first responders in the world. Last month they were in Haiti pulling people from the rubble of a devastating earthquake there. On Monday a task force prepare ... More >>

BRAZIL 20-10

Hearts On Fire

A Peruvian exile pines for anticuchos

Mano a Manu Chao

Sitting down with the Out of Time Man

Swimming to Peru

Ask Mr. Gold

Into the Melding Pot

Rich flavors from the old country

Shafted!

A Where’s Where of dead meat on a stick

Taste Globally, Picnic Locally