When Charles Olalia left the Philippines at twenty-one to become a chef, he never imagined he’d open a Filipino-style rice bar in the heart of Downtown LA. After working at famed locations like the Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay and Patina in Los Angeles, Olalia was ready to come home—or rather bring home to […]
Holidays at Home with Brianna Abrams of Winston Pies
If you’ve visited Winston Pies in Brentwood, Los Angeles, you already have some sense of what it’s like to wake up on Christmas morning and run into the kitchen of Brianna Abrams’ home. The wide marble counter island is the centerpiece of her home; a calm, comfortable surface that begs you to pour yourself […]
How to Get Your Name on the Menu at Two Boots
You have your favorite cafe or deli or restaurant. It’s where everyone knows your name and everyone knows your order. They know that you like your bacon crispy. They know that you like pesto instead of mayo. They know that you like extra tomato and no onion. After a while, you begin to think: ‘Hey, […]
Seemingly Scary Dishes that Will Shock Your Tastebuds this Halloween
Jack-o-lanterns. Creepily-decorated homes. Loads of mini-candy bars (or wrappers, if you’re like me). These are just some of the images that come to mind when I think of Halloween. Like many of you, this time of year always gets me into a more adventurous mood; almost hoping to see or experience something scary. If we […]
How to Support Local Restaurants You Love (And Why it Matters)
Ever mourned the closure of a beloved cafe or been surprised to find your childhood ice cream parlor replaced by a chain? Mom-and-pop business owners—but especially restaurateurs, who create a sense of community by providing spaces for people to come together and break bread—are the heart and soul of any neighborhood. But in a landscape […]
Pizza Romana Brings Italy’s Best Ingredients to Your Table
When Alexander Palermo’s mom came to visit recently, she brought a long-forgotten sixth-grade school project titled “How to Make a Pizza.” She wouldn’t have guessed it at the time, but that Wisconsin school project would prove to be the first step in her son’s lifelong journey to share Italian cooking with the world. Palermo founded […]
How 3 Los Angeles Chefs First Fell in Love with Seasonal Food
Grandma’s signature chicken noodle soup. Cotton candy at the state fair. Strawberry-picking in the summer. Foundational childhood experiences with food tie all of us to generations past and present and set the tone for how we think about eating and cooking for the rest of our lives. But what kind of childhood memories spark not […]
Sweetfin Poke’s Dakota Weiss on L.A.’s “Poke Wars”
Poké is the Hawaiian verb for “to cut crosswise into pieces.” It is also a raw fish dish traditionally served as an appetizer in Hawaiian cuisine. This dish originated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean… literally. While on the job, fishermen would add different seasonings to small cuts of whatever they would be pulling […]
Why South End’s Mario Vollera Believes in “Slow Pizza”
In a city where five-star restaurants are tucked away in nondescript strip malls, there’s nothing particularly novel about a high/low culinary mash-up. Still, when Rome native Mario Vollera opened South End, a casual eatery dedicated to pairing fine wine with rustic pizza, it’s hole-in-the-wall location at the very southern end of Venice’s Abbot Kinney quickly […]
Behind the Counter with Dan Goddard of Backyard Bowls
There are few things more enjoyable than eating a bowl of something deliciously sweet with a spoon. Yes, this includes ice cream, (we would never downplay the importance of ice cream) but it also includes the sweet, frozen creations that Backyard Bowls has been blending up (LOUDLY, I might add) since 2008. The acai bowl […]