It's that time of year again: the wondrous day when we drop our 99 Essential Restaurants in Los Angeles list. This year we have a new online format, a ton of new restaurants on the list, and a fantastic event slated for this weekend to celebrate. 

This year's 99 Essentials were put together by me and food editor Garrett Snyder, and edited by our fearless leader, editor in chief Mara Shalhoup. Countless other folks slaved away on this thing, from the copy desk to the art department. It's a huge undertaking every year, and something in which we all take great pride. 

Within the 99 listings you'll  find fantastic street-corner tacos, fried chicken with the most impossibly crispy skin, mind-blowing meatballs, fermentation-focused modernist Korean food, and so much more. So dive on in! 

We hope to see you this Saturday at the Essentials, our largest annual food festival, where more than 60 of this year's honorees will be serving fantastic dishes. This year a “wine village” curated by the Wine Exchange ought to make the evening especially fun. See you there!

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.