What To Eat This Weekend In L.A.: A New Thai Taco, Zapotec Mole Ice Cream, and Pollito Al Pastor with Pineapple Butter
Or you can have hummus with a bust of Jesus on your table from one of the Southwest's seminal chefs on La Brea. Your call.
Downtown
Boyle Heights' Holiday Bar now has a sister called Flamingo Bar, which opened this past weekend in the former Little Bear space in the Downtown Arts District, promising "Great Music! Cute cocktails and a late-night kitchen." Also, there is at least one glorious statue of a white tiger lounging under a disco ball. Come tomorrow night for disco, boogie funk, and eighties tunes.
1855 E. Industrial St. Los Angeles, CA 90021. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 60 or 62 - “7th/Decatur” or Bus Line 18 - "6th/Mateo."
Takosmexa is now open in Downtown, selling grilled shrimp and fried fish tacos, tortas, gringas, surf n' turf nachos and fries, asada and birria tacos on corn, cheese, and flour tortillas, and flautas with asada and chicken. There are also servings of "super taquitos" covered in meat, guacamole, and crema.
109 E. 9th St. Los Angeles, California 90015. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 10, 28, 30, 33, 48, and 66 - "Main/9th" or Bus Lines 40, 45, 55, and 92 - “Spring/9th.”
Hancock Park
Seminal southwestern chef John Rivera Sedlar has returned to L.A. with Zozo at Maison Midi, which opens tonight at American Rag Cie on La Brea. Calling the concept "Cuisine of the Sun," Sedlar is taking on a medley of culinary influences, including recipes inspired by Egypt, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, France, and South America, presented in the chef's signature art-forward manner and paying homage to mentors Jean Bertranou of L.A.'s departed L’Ermitage and Mexican chef Patricia Quintana. Dishes include duck leg confit tamarindo, tortillas with fish roe and the chef's famous tortillas florals, escargot "forestiere" with jamon iberico and trumpet mushrooms, Cairo-style Carabineros shrimp, turkey albondigas en red pepita salsa, Abiquiu lamb with chayote chutney and heirloom polenta, and a dish named "Air." For dessert: Zapotec-inspired mole ice cream with chiles suaves and hierbas dulces.
148 S. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 212 - “La Brea/1st”, Bus Line 16 - "3rd/La Brea", or Bus Line 14 - "Beverly/La Brea."
Culver City
Farmers market breakfast burrito favorite Provecho CaliMex is now open at Sawtelle and Venice Boulevard in Culver City, serving Oaxacan chorizo-and-egg burritos, along with bacon-and-egg breakfast sandwiches, tortas, burgers, and plenty more.
3987 Sawtelle Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066. Closest transit lines and stop: Culver CityBus Line 1 - “Washington/Sawtelle”, Culver CityBus Line 6 - "Sepulveda/Washington Place", or Metro Bus Line 33 - "Venice/Sawtelle."
Hollywood
Chef and Guerrilla Tacos founder Wes Avila is bestowing a "Taqueria Tuesday" upon his Hollywood restaurant Ka'teen, starting Feb. 6 from 6 to 9 PM. Two tacos cost $19 and include char siu pork with raw tomatillo salsa and furikake, a wild boar hardshell taco with rajas and aged cheddar named "Mom's Taco," a leek and potato taco with goat cheese and queso Oaxaca, and a slow-braised pork belly taco with charred pomegranate salsa and habanero onions.
6516 Selma Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90028. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 2 - “Sunset/Wilcox”, Bus Line 217 - "Hollywood/Wilcox", Bus Line 210 - "Vine/Selma" or Metro B Line - "Hollywood/Vine Station."
Century City
Thai Mex Cocina is now open at Westfield Century City from the owners of the food truck of the same name. The menu includes crispy pork and chicken satay tacos, garlic shrimp burritos, as well as traditional tacos, quesadillas, pad thai, pad see ew, and vegetable spring rolls.
10250 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90067. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 4 and 28 - “Santa Monica/Century Park West.”
Brentwood
El Merkat opens in Brentwood today from, and next to, Spanish Teleferic Barcelona. A Costa Brava-inspired store, you can find fine Iberian products, including cheeses, cured meats such as jamon Iberico bellota de "pata negra," wine, olives, candy and snacks, and tiny fish in slightly less tiny cans, as well as restaurant's sangria and paella kits.
11930 San Vicente Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90049. Closest transit lines and stop: Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Lines 14 and 18 - “Montana/San Vicente.”
Echo Park
Sonoran taco truck El Ruso has a new five-meat taco for some kind of NASCAR event it's participating in. Called "El Muñecote," it's a taco with chorizo, asada, adobada, chicharrón, and chile colorado topped with salsa roja and guacamole.
Downtown
Damian has expanded its hours to finally open now on Mondays while also debuting new dishes, including tuna carpaccio with chiles tornados, shrimp aguachile with persimmon and mandarin kosher, and pollito al pastor with pineapple butter and shisho salsa cruda.
2132 E. 7th Pl. Los Angeles, CA 90021. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 60 - “Santa Fe/Violet” or Bus Line 62 - "7th/Santa Fe."
R.I.P.
Finally, we'd like to pour one out for longstanding Westside panaderia Antequera Bakery, which has sadly closed its doors after feeding generations of Santa Monica locals and holding on through growing waves of Yuppie transplants to the neighborhood through several decades.
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