First of All, the West Hollywood daytime spot from restaurateur Mike Fahim (Beachwood Cafe, Sotta, Sidewalk Grill) has launched dinner and full bar service, its first expansion since opening for breakfast and lunch last August. 

Executive Chef Arturo Quesada brings a modern Mexican menu shaped by his Mexican and Bolivian heritage, including ahi tuna tostada, red snapper ceviche, charred mushroom mole and slow-braised Costillas de Res, plus rotating off-menu specials. 

Bar director Ryan Holden’s spirit-forward cocktail program features house-made syrups and no artificial sweeteners, with drinks like La Clásica, Negroni Oaxaqueño, and Café Negro priced at a reasonable $15. Dinner service runs Wednesday–Sunday, 5–10 p.m.

Tenderfest

Dinner spread courtesy of First of All

The new Music Center location of La Nena Cantina is celebrating Mexican Independence Day on Wednesday, Sept. 16, by serving Mexico’s most patriotic, labor-intensive culinary masterpiece, the Chile en Nogada, for $30.

The tradition of Chile en Nogada dates back to 1821, when Augustinian nuns created it to honor the general Agustín de Iturbide. The famous dish represents the Mexican flag with a green roasted poblano pepper stuffed with sweet picadillo shredded meat, a white blanket of velvety walnut cream sauce made with an authentic Nuez de Castilla and sprinkled with ruby red pomegranate seeds. The special runs through the month of September.

Tederfest

Chile en Nogada (Courtesy of La Nena Cantina)

TenderFest, the all-you-can-eat celebration of all things pounded, breaded, and fried, returns to The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on Saturday, Sept. 19.  

The fan-favorite ConTENDER Competition returns, where some of the city’s favorite restaurateurs go head-to-head with their own riff on the chicken tender, competing for a cash prize donated to the charity of their choice. Participants include Miya Miya, Jitlada, Petit Trois, and Lucia. Nancy Silverton, Cat Cora, Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, Tim Hollingsworth, and Jay Luchs will be judging the showdown. Tickets are live now here.

Tenderfest

Cross Town Takeovers: A Taste of the East Side (Courtesy Yang’s)

 

Cross Town Takeovers: A Taste of the East Side collaboration dinner series from Super Peach, Momofuku’s new restaurant at Westfield Century City, takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the East Side’s cult-favorite Yang’s Kitchen joining Super Peach. The collaboration features a multi-course menu including Dungeness crab and steelhead trout tartare with kosho cream and rye powder, steak frites with Yang’s black pepper sauce, mushroom noodles with Calabrian chili, Okinawa brown sugar plum purin, and more.

Additional collaborators include Bar Etoile and Majordomo. Reservations for all dinners will be available via OpenTable.

What’s Popping Up is a column in the L.A. Weekly that explores everything new in food and drink