Motherhood is tough, but being a mom and running a restaurant? Makani Carzino—owner and chef of Pono Burger, Pono Kitchen + Bar, the newly opened Makani in Los Angeles, and Ultimate Burger in Hawaii—knows this life well. Carzino is the proud mama to Phoenix, her equestrian-loving, chicken-owning, chef-aspiring, soon-to-be 11-year-old daughter. We caught up with Carzino on the […]
Spent Grains & Bacon S’mores, Salt-Cured Backyard Citrus Creamsicle, Banana Bread Pudding – if you are at all familiar with Portland-based ice cream shop Salt & Straw, known for their outrageously creative (and delicious), small-batch, organically-sourced ice cream, then it probably comes as no surprise that these flavors have graced their menu in the past. […]
When Andrew Ahn moved to L.A. to pursue his dream of becoming a filmmaker, he never expected to land so close to his roots — in a kitchen, slinging Philly cheesesteaks. Thirty years earlier, his Korean immigrant father had gotten his start in America making cheesesteaks in Philadelphia. He later opened his own cheesesteak shop […]
Go to nearly any Little League event, Saturday night football game, or State Fair in Texas and you’ll find – aside from a certain buzz in the air only present around large crowds of excited people – that all these places have one thing in common. You’ll see it proudly displayed on the concessions board, or […]
For most of us, ordering takeout is a pretty well-honed routine. We pick up the phone, rattle off the same three dishes we’ve been getting for as long as we can remember, and settle in for a comforting night of great and familiar food. From time to time, however, we want to step outside of […]
Plenty of head scratching accompanied the announcement that dominated food news last week. Google sold Zagat—the iconic, original crowdsourced restaurant review guide—to The Infatuation—the digital upstart and Instagram darling that’s threatened to make Zagat obsolete. A little surprised? We were, too. Zagat has been synonymous with restaurant discovery since married lawyers Nina and Tim Zagat […]
Knowing what goes into running a restaurant, L.A. chef Briana Valdez has “so much respect for anyone who can open the doors.” It’s unglamorous work, but today’s restaurants also have the opportunity to create more personal, authentic experiences through the food they serve and the stories they tell. It’s this excitement that drives Valdez (owner […]
Allow us to set the scene: You and a few of your closest friends, clad in your coziest clothes, are all tucked together inside your apartment, each snuggled in a soft sofa or armchair, surrounded by pillows, and maybe layered in one or two blankets. Outside it is snowing, the snowflakes lazily swirling, or it’s […]
We’ve been told that working with dough demands consistency — a precise ratio of yeast, water, flour and salt that rises and bakes at just the right temperature. It’s a science, they say. But toss that assumption out the window when you visit Lodge Bread, a wild yeast bakery in Culver City, where recipes are […]
Veselka looks, smells and tastes like Grandma’s house. The scent of fresh bread, roasting meat and onions waft from the kitchen. You can see the bustle of 2nd Avenue through the floor-to-ceiling windows from the cozy banquettes in the dining room. It’s bustling inside too, but the energy is different. Homier, more comforting. “My grandma […]
