Daina Beth Solomon

Where does Billy Vasquez, the 99 Cent Chef, find inspiration for his blog? At L.A.'s ubiquitous 99 Cents Only Stores, of course. His blog reports on the current food items (some vary from day to day) as well as other under-a-dollar bargains at local markets. Using these cheap ingredients, "The......

The English language is rich and extensive, but sometimes we wish there were more words -- especially about the joys and quirks of food and dining experiences. For that, we have "sniglets." Sniglets were first created in the early '80s by humorist Rich Hall on the TV show Not Necessarily......

Last week, we listed 11 new restaurants open for New Year's Eve. All will present special menus -- at "special" prices ranging from $46 to $475. Prefer to not break the bank for New Year's? We've selected ten restaurants where you can dine for less than $30 per person (not......

On New Year's Eve, restaurants celebrate with live bands, festive décor, theme dinners, exceptional ingredients, multi-course meals, tasting menus and endless glasses of bubbly. How to choose the best spot? We've selected 11 restaurants that opened in 2011 to represent a sampling of those that will be offering special menus......

Josef Centeno has had his plate full since his new restaurant, Bäco Mercat, opened its doors in early November. Good thing it's only half a mile from the Lazy Ox Canteen where he continues as chef. We recently found Centeno perched high on a ladder outside Bäco Mercat wielding a......

When we spoke to Local's Jason Michaud in October, he was reluctantly shuttering the windows at Chimú, Grand Central Market's Peruvian eatery. (Michaud was a co-owner along with chef Mario Alberto.) Now, Michaud's new plans are falling into place: Local Express (an offshoot of the Silver Lake Local) has established......

Locals in downtown's Historic Core this week were quick to sniff out the area's newest lunchtime option, Bäco Mercat. The eatery -- still in its "soft-opening" -- greeted its first customers Tuesday. "We decided at midnight on Monday that we would open doors for two hours the next day," chef-owner......

Downtowners who had flocked to Peruvian eatery Chimú to sit on the sun-splattered patio and dine on pollo a la brasa were saddened to learn of Chimú's closing last weekend. Beginning Monday, the space next to the Grand Central Market will once again serve lunch, says Chimú co-owner Jason Michaud......

A chalkboard drawing of a wild-eyed creature pedaling away on a bicycle greeted Chimú visitors on Sunday, along with the word "FAREWELL." Chimú has closed its doors, or rather, its take-out windows, which served up steaming plates of chancho, lomo saltado, pollo a la brasa and seco de cordero. On......

Update: 10/19, 4:29 p.m. Centeno has alerted us that Baco Mercat won't open Oct. 24, as initially planned. Instead, he says to expect an opening by the end of the month. The bäco is back, and this time, in a starring role. Josef Centeno's Bäco Mercat is slated to open Monday, Oct. 24......