I <3 LA

Supporting the restaurants who support our communities and first responders

Hello everyone,

That was definitely not the way we hoped 2025 would start in LA. My heart is broken for everyone dealing with the Palisades and Altadena fires and the uncertainty that follows. The stress and terror that we all felt last week will not be forgotten quickly. Sadly, many of us living in California have experienced wildfires in our communities firsthand. I know how painful it was to watch the fires destroy so much in my hometown of Napa Valley over the past few years. It’s hard to know what to say during this time, but the wonderful

Noora Raj Brown

, who sadly lost her home, somehow finds the words.

The only bright spot in the aftermath of such tragedy is watching people come together to help those in need. So many of the restaurants we know and love are working hard to feed first responders and evacuees.

Khushbu Shah

wrote a beautiful newsletter on how to support the small independent restaurants that are the core of our communities and do so much for others in times of need. So, it’s important to help keep these businesses in business! Most restaurants run on a super thin margin in the best of times, so please get out and support them.

Here are some restaurants you can support that have been helping feed first responders and those displaced by the fires:

Le Great Outdoor
Anajak Thai
Etra
Little Fish
Tomat
Tsubaki
Kismet
Crudo e Nudo at Huckleberry - 1/8-19 raising funds for LA Wildfire Relief and Recovery
Found Oyster - Oyster Party on Mon 1/20 benefitting The Immigrant Fire Relief Fund
Organic Oren - donate a meal
Sorella Collective - donate a meal

Below are a few foundations to donate to:

World Central Kitchen
They are distributing hot meals to first responders and the public.
Altadena Girls
Aiming to restore normalcy to teenage girls displaced by the Altadena fires.
Regarding Her
Helping women owned restaurants and beverage businesses recover from the fires.
Calfund
Providing immediate and long-term relief to communities and survivors of the fires.
Baby2Baby
Supplies essentials to vulnerable children and families including diapers, blankets, food, formula and more.
GoFundMe’s with less than 20% of their goal via

5PM LUCKY

I know a lot of us see people returning to “life as usual” in LA. Back to work, back to school, emails resuming, all while life and the city has been forever changed for so many. It’s hard to feel normal or even pretend to feel normal - yet getting back to some semblance of routine seems to be helpful for many of us. My heart goes out to all of those who aren’t lucky enough to have a home to get back to. I’ll start sharing regular Amuse Bouche content next week, but know I will continue to help support our community and friends get back on their feet. After seeing my hometown of Saint Helena get ravaged by fires a few years ago, one thing that’s stuck with me is the resilience of those who are going through the unthinkable. It’s a long road to rebuild, but it does happen and there are good times ahead. Let’s all be good neighbors in the meantime.

Love,

Michèle