Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: “Where should I eat?“ Here are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here’s our list of the hottest
places to get cocktails in town.
For weekend coffee and breakfast sandwiches: Malaya in Arcadia
Silver Lake’s Malaya expanded to Arcadia a few weeks back and the new coffee stand now serves its famed Filipino-inspired coffee and matcha drinks alongside breakfast sandwiches. The food menu changes often, but my recent visit featured a Spam sandwich with crispy fried Spam, a hash brown brick, a fried egg, and a blend of sriracha ketchup and chile crunch aioli all between a subtly sweet brioche bun. The seasonal melon matcha is fruity and refreshing; the bitter earthiness of the matcha becomes an ideal foil to the blended cantaloupe juice. From Malaya’s classic menu, try a pandan latte or matcha that tastes superbly floral. Be forewarned: the food does take some time to come out, so pull up a stool in the patio area and watch the World Cup while you’re waiting. 420 S. 1st Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For a Southern-inflected meal at an L.A. classic: Hatchet Hall in Culver City
The last time I sat down at Hatchet Hall, it was deep in the pandemic. The team had just installed a massive tent on the parking lot that became a beautiful destination to take in the evening hours. The dining area still feels moody and spacious, an ideal background for Southern-inspired cooking. I have a dear friend who requested meatloaf and I knew Hatchet Hall could deliver. But he left equally satisfied with the cast-iron cornbread; deviled eggs; slow-cooked lamb shank; and seasonal salad full of pickled cherries, Broadbent’s country ham, benne seeds, and nectarines. The block has become increasingly busy with neighboring Broken Spanish Comedor two doors away. I’m beyond impressed with how owners Louie and Netty Ryan keep the neighborhood, and greater Los Angeles, fed. 12517 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, 90066. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For soul cooking in the Valley: Les Sisters’ in Winnetka
There are certain restaurants that feel foundational to Los Angeles’s culinary canon — places that go beyond just somewhere to eat to become magnets for neighbors looking for a taste of something familiar, or just a warm dining room to sit down in front of a meal imbued with love and care. Les Sisters’, a longtime Southern restaurant in Winnetka, embodies that with dishes that have fed generations of Angelenos. First opened in 1986, the casual Valley restaurant serves Southern, Cajun, and Creole standards such as shrimp-dotted jambalaya, long-simmered gumbo, catfish and hush puppies, and black eyed peas and rice. Or go for golden brown fried chicken aplenty, available as part of a lunch set with a choice of sides or a family five-pack ideal for feeding a group. Leave meals on a sweet note with peach cobbler or sweet potato pie and wash it all down with an ice-cold cup of sweet tea. 20450 Nordhoff Street, Winnetka, CA 91311. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For drinks and snacks before a concert: Vinyl Room at the Hollywood Palladium
For $25 on top of your concert ticket, you can walk through a VIP entrance at the Hollywood Palladium and sit down at the Vinyl Room, a groovy Japanese listening bar-style lounge and restaurant hidden in the venue that serves a full dinner and cocktails. A few weeks ago, just before watching Belle & Sebastian at the legendary performance venue, we went through the gamut of Vinyl Room’s Asian-inflected bites, like baked truffle crab rolls wrapped in soy paper, blistered shishito peppers, and fried gyoza. Keen cocktail fans will notice former bartender Jason Eisner, previously of Gracias Madre and Highland Park’s now-closed Block Party, compiling sharply executed cocktails like the Golden Years, mixing Appleton rum, golden turmeric, and gold glitter. I must say, Vinyl Room’s cool-kid vibes and easy access to the venue seems like a smart add-on; those who really love the space can get a membership to go in any night it’s operating, regardless of if they want to watch a show. 6215 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90028. — Matthew Kang, correspondent, Eater
