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 the best low-key Fourth of July picnic: Jolly Oyster in Ventura
The Jolly Oyster truck in Ventura, California, has been a favorite both of mine and my family for long holiday weekends for years: We’ve spent New Year’s Eves and Fourth of Julys hunched over a treasure-chest spread of the menu, slurping down grilled, buttered, and smothered oysters in the cloudless blue light doming over San Buenaventura State Beach. The array of seafood delights on our table would be plentiful enough for Neptune (think raw, chargrilled, and fried oysters, briny crudos, tostadas, and steamers); the beachside dining experience itself so pleasurable that I often come back over the summer to fete my birthday with the same meal. Bring your own drinks and supporting snacks (a lot of people come toting cartons of In-n-Out fries from just down the street), and don’t forget to walk the beach after with your kids or dogs: both are welcome on the pristine stretch of surf just beyond Pacific Coast Highway. 911 San Pedro Street, Ventura, CA 93001. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager
For savory margaritas and a spread of Mexican delights: Daisy Margarita Bar in Sherman Oaks
Everyone loves walking into Daisy Margarita Bar in Sherman Oaks. The room bears an eclectic mix of California vibes, Norteño cantina bar culture, and inventive drinks alongside chef Alan Sanz’s scallop aguachile; queso fundido; tacos; behemoth chile relleno; and dramatic sizzling molcajete filled with carne asada, sausage, shrimp, octopus, tuna, and nopales. A tight team presides over Daisy, including Max Reis, the cheery mad scientist barman who makes one of the most mystifyingly sensational margaritas of the moment: a savory variety with salsa verde. Daisy remains best enjoyed with a group of hungry friends for dinner or weekend brunch. Fill the table with Sanz’s food, order multiple rounds of Reis’s specialty margaritas, and raise a glass to the beginning of summer. 14633 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA, 91403. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Grab fresh poke for your Fourth of July gathering: Fish King in Glendale
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I love wandering through Glendale’s Fish King admiring the glass case of poke options, including Hawaiian-style tuna poke tangled with strands of seaweed; dynamite scallop poke coated in a spicy, mayo-based sauce; and hamachi poke flecked with green onions. Order poke by the pound for a party or get individualized poke bowls with sides of sweet seaweed salad and scoops of imitation crab salad. Although Fish King functions primarily as a seafood market, chips and sauces remain conveniently available for purchase to accompany your deli containers of poke. It also doesn’t hurt to get a couple freshly shucked oysters as a treat for stopping in. 722 N. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, CA 91206. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For a Greek feast on the beach: Taverna Tony in Malibu
Taverna Tony, a decades-old Greek institution in Malibu, has found the rare balance between being a fun, lively restaurant and serving genuinely impressive food. On weekends, belly dancers shimmy through the Aegean-inspired dining room, clipping past groups tearing into warm bread dipped in taramasalata or slabs of feta-laden spanakopita. A sense of whimsy permeates meals here, as if fellow diners are on the precipice of recreating a Mamma Mia number but without the mysterious three baby daddies (hopefully). Go for the taverna combination platter, a heaping plate of dolmathes, moussaka, and lamb kleftiko that feels substantial enough to feed two and still have leftovers. Sip on a glass of Paleokerisio, a Greek skin-contact wine, and take in the salty Malibu breeze. 23410 Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA 90265. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
