Hi!
If you know me, you know I LOVE restaurants. Some of my earliest memories are sitting at the bar at Mustards Grill in Yountville, CA where my dad was a managing partner. My go to order was ribs and a Martinelli’s (said with a lisp). We lived in the house next door to the restaurant and every once in a while, I got to skip school to work in the kitchen. I was basically born to love restaurants, food was the religion in our house. As a kid, for fun, my dad and I would rate french fries, redesign bars, analyze glassware and more. Basically I’ve been a restaurant freak since day 1. It’s through dining that I experience the world. From 5am sushi at Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, to roadside pho in Vietnam, a flower soup at Noma in Copenhagen, and pão de queijo in Rio, these bites are seared into my memory as a taste of that culture for that moment in time. Food, like wine, is ephemeral and most likely, you’ll never have the same exact meal twice. I really feel present and engaged with my senses when at a restaurant.
Living in LA, we are blessed with an incredible and diverse food scene. My full LA restaurant guide is to come, in the meantime here are some places I’ve been to recently that I really enjoyed. So much about a good dining experience is the hospitality and all of these spots served great food and were a lot of fun! Because isn’t that the point?
Baroo: My new top restaurant in LA. This place is special. A modern Korean restaurant known for their fermentations, they serve a 5 course tasting menu, with no substitutions allowed. As a pescatarian, I said F*** it! If they serve me a meat course, I’ll just eat it or force it on my husband. I wasn’t going to let that stop me from experiencing Baroo. We arrive and are shown to our seats at the bar and are handed the menu of the night. Every single dish was surprising, delicious, thoughtful and beautiful. Alas, the main course was a choice between pork collar and beef short ribs. We got one of each and they were both spectacular, but I loved the short ribs. Another highlight was the wild mountain greens rice. Wow. I had a delightful glass of bubbles and left completely obsessed with Baroo. Put your Resy notifications on and get in there pronto.
Etra: Vibey and chic new spot in Melrose Hill. I’ve been twice and really truly loved my second experience. I think the first time maybe we were a little too early? (5:30 res pre-Nutcracker lol) This time around I understood the hype and had a great meal. Very friendly staff and a nice winelist too! Must order: Chicories Caesar. Escarole with pepperoncini. Scampi with ‘nduja. Rigatoni Gricia.
Isla is the new spot from one of my all time faves, Crudo e Nudo. This place has such a nice neighborhood feel and is also one of the few great places to get a drink on the west side. Isla recently debuted a new menu and it. is. bomb!! Must order: Crab pasta, charred cabbage, tuna crudo. To drink, order whatever special cocktail Kent is making that night or his excellent martini.
Loreto is in Frogtown, aka a million miles away from where I live. So I’ve only been once but really enjoyed our meal and can’t wait to go back with a group so we can eat everything. It has a kind of Mexico City vibe and the space is beautiful. Seems like a fun place for a birthday dinner. Must Order: Micheladas obv. Start with a couple of the ceviches or tostadas. The main event is the branzino zarandeados and it is huge. It comes with rice, beans, quesadillas, more tortillas, avocado, salsa and more. Basically my dream plate.
Si! Mon: I can’t stop talking about how great Si! Mon is. We were lucky to check out Chef Jose Carles’s restaurant Fonda Lo Que Hay in Panama City and fell in love with his incredible flavors. When we heard he was opening up a new spot in Venice, we freaked!!! This meal will knock your socks off. Must orders are the tuna tostada, uni clam shooter, kanpachi in banana leaf and the coconut rice is to die for. My favorite cocktail is the Aguachile Sipper. It’s also a very cute place to get a drink on the West Side.
Suá is a gorgeous Sichuan superette in Larchmont Village. They are stocked with tons of great grab and go options and are open for breakfast, lunch and until 6pm. It’s a nice place for a solo lunch or to grab a bite with a friend. My favorites were the Kung Pao salmon, the glass noodles and garlic green beans. They’re also stocked with a ton of great pantry items too. Sit outside and enjoy the LA winter sunshine.
Hope you enjoyed this little roundup! Tonight, we’re going to Morihiro and very excited to report back! Have a delicious weekend.
xx
Michele
Love this, Michele! This is the exact type of restaurant guide I look for and these all sound fab. And loved learning about your connection to Mustard’s. My mom and I have a tradition of getting the larger than life lemon lime meringue pie 🍋 🥧
Loved this list!!! ALSO weird small world...my dad is friends with Cindy Pawlcyn! They went to high school together and I grew up hearing about how incredible Mustards was. I've only been once but it was a special experience. <3