Skip to Content
Food

What To Eat This Weekend: Mexican Chocolate Kava, New Khachapuri, and Quentin Tarantino’s Coffee Shop

Plus a non-alcoholic bottle shop, fries covered with fried jalapenos, and a pork belly-and-kim chi pizza from two major Downtown chefs.

Khachapuri

Whittier/SELA

A ring of five tacos al pastor on a plate
Tacos al pastor, via Tacos Sereno Moreno

Tacos Sereno Moreno is setting up in Whittier, as well as Norwalk, La Mirada, and Santa Fe Springs from Tues-Sun, to serve tacos al pastor, papas rellenas, tacos de asada, and more. Tuesdays finds the outfit selling $1 pastor tacos.

11114 Santa Gertrudes Ave. Whittier, CA 90604. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 120 - "Santa Gertrudes/Leffingwell."

Burbank

Three cheese-filled khachapuri in a row
Khachapuri at Grtnak, via Grtnak

Grtnak, a new Armenian place in Burbank making fresh lahmajun, cheese-topped "lahmacheesies," and pork stuffed rolls and lavash wraps, is now serving its take on Georgian khachapuri, with melted cheese filling a soft, crusty, tapered roll. The restaurant also offers a breakfast version. Grtnak means rolling pin, we're like 75% sure.

2128 North Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank, CA 91504. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 92 - "Glenoaks/Irving" or Bus Lines 165 and 294 - "San Fernando/Grismer."

Citywide

A sticker being held up in front of a striped awning that reads : Thank You For Shopping Woman Owned
photo via Re:Her

It's time to get your tickets for L.A.'s 4th Annual Regarding Her festival, a month-long series of events celebrating and supporting support women-owned and led food and beverage businesses. The packed roster of great events includes a series called "Femme Fiesta: A Taco Tribute to Latina Legends with Moos' Craft, Guelaguetza, and others, in addition to March 10th's Indian Street Food Party at Benny Boy Brewing,a cookie-sundae jam with Sad Girl Creamery Ice Cream and Lei’d Cookies on March 23, and a Women Who Rock concert with Devil's Kettle, Play Hooky, Hotville Chicken, and others on March 2nd.

Re:Her kicks off at the L.A. Wine & Food Festival next weekend on March 1. See the full lineup of events here.

Los Feliz

A coffee cup with Pam Grier's 1970-era face on the band
via Pam's Coffy

Quentin Tarantino has opened a coffee shop named Pam's Coffy, dedicated to the goddess Pam Grier at his own Vista Theater. Full of all the things you need to enjoy a movie whilst baked out of your brains, the cafe sells custom flavored blends of Jones Coffee Roasters' mud, beans, and coffee drinks, cakes, handpies, and muffins, bowls of Lucky Charms and Cap'n Crunch cereal, and puts Pam's gorgeous Coffy-era mug all over its mugs, along with vintage movie posters on the walls and more than a few Tarantino-related Easter eggs like a John Travolta doll and old VCRs.

All it lacks is Tarantino standing in the doorway insisting, "I don't need you to tell me how fucking good my coffee is, okay? I'm the one who buys it."

4473 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90027. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 2 - "Sunset/Virgil" or Metro B Line and Bus Lines 182, 204, 206, 217, 754 - "Vermont/Sunset Station."

Downtown

Chefs Katianna Hong and Daniel Holzman making pizza together
Yangban LA's Katianna Hong with Daniel Holzman of Danny Boy's Famous Original, photo via Danny Boy's Famous Original

Starting Saturday, Daniel Holzman's Danny Boy's Famous Original is collaborating with Yangban LA on a pork belly-and-kim chi pizza that will be offered through the week by the slice of whole pie. The pizza is said to be inspired by kimchi jjigae and comes with Yangban's butter braised kimchi, braised pork belly, gochugaru, sesame oil, sesame-and-seaweed seasoning, and hot sauce.

330 S. Hope St. Suite 205, Los Angeles, CA 90071. Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro A and E Lines - "Grand Av Arts/Bunker Hill Station" or Bus Lines 37, 53, 55, 60, 62, 70, 76, 78, 487, J Line (910/950) - "Grand/3rd."

Delivery/Pickup

French fries covered in chicken, lettuce, jalapenos, and white sauce
Build Your Own Fries with fresh and fried jalapenos, photo via Messy Fries

If you've ever looked at a plate of loaded fries and thought, "I could do better," you'll want to put Messy Fries on your radar. The pickup and delivery-based business lets you build your own monstrosity of french fries loaded with choices like fresh and/or crispy jalapenos, onion rings, bacon, beef, triple cheddar cheese, mozzarella sticks, shrooms, and sauces. It also sells smashburgers.

Santa Monica

A server in a green polo shirt serves kava samples in Santa Monica
photo via Kavahana

Kavahana is now open in Santa Monica, specializing in drinks made with kava nectar, the many millennia-old crop from the South Pacific Islands known for its mellowing and mood-enhancing effects. The vegan, non-alcoholic bar uses dehydrated kava juice in flavorful combinations that include ube coconut, Mexican chocolate, and saffron rose drinks.  

306 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 33 - "Main/Pico."

West Hollywood

Shelves full of non-alcoholic spirits and wine at The New Bar
photo via The New Bar

The New Bar, a bottle shop focused on non-alcoholic spirits, beer, and wine, will open a second location this Saturday in West Hollywood. Founder and CEO Briana Gonzalez will mark the grand opening with a ribbon-cutting and by giving away gift bags to the first 20 customers.

8363 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90048. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 16 and 218 - "3rd/Orlando."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Open Thread: What Is L.A.-Style Food?

What is L.A. food to you? Which cuisines, restaurants, or chefs have defined our city's uniquely good eats? Tell us your thoughts.

Money Has Run Out for Fruits and Vegetables for Low-Income Californians. Elected Leaders Are Silent.

The fresh food rebate pilot program delivered on its promises, but politicians won’t promise to put it in the budget.

May 20, 2024

Protester Whose Testicle Exploded After LAPD Officer Shot Him with ‘Less Lethal’ Firearm Receives $1.5 Million Settlement

Benjamin Montemayor had been protesting on Hollywood Boulevard for several hours on June 2, 2020, when at least 50 police officers descended upon his group and began firing munitions at the crowd, according to his civil rights lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court.

May 17, 2024

Westlake’s Oldest Gay Bar Set to be Demolished

Opened in the early 1960s, the Silver Platter has long been known as a safe space for immigrant gay and transgender communities in Westlake. The building dates back to the 1920s.

May 17, 2024

What To Eat This Weekend Around L.A.: Salvadoran Fried Chicken Sandwiches, 48-Hour Pho, and Tacos Placeros

Plus, a new Enrique Olvera-approved monthly "mercadito" in D.T.L.A., a new arepa spot with patacon burgers that use fried plaintains for buns, and more in this week's roundup.

May 17, 2024
See all posts