The editors at Eater Los Angeles dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we’re always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here’s the very best of everything the team has eaten this week.
5-course tasting menu at the Tasting Kitchen in Venice
Early-aughts Venice
gem the Tasting Kitchen is so back and, judging by the humming fullness of its dining room, it’s as if it never left. Helmed by its original chef Casey Lane, Tasting Kitchen 2.0 brings back what locals loved about its first iteration (including the smart, intimate service and stellar wines) in a refreshed dining room by designer Matthew Winter. For $135 per person, the 5-course tasting menu affords you the ability to sit back and let the kitchen team curate the experience for you — although, if you’re an anxious diner who wants to try it all, you can request add-ons from the cheese and charcuterie section or starters such as molten ‘nduja croquettes and grilled squid rubbed with sour mango and Aleppo pepper. Hopefully, you will get the dish simply called “shepherding god’s work,” a hyperseasonal salad that right now includes peak summer tomatoes, peaches, and salted burrata. There will be a pasta course (gluten-free pastas seem soon to come, too) and a formidable main (we tried the roasted chicken fattened with honeycomb stuffing and doused in chanterelle jus). Being back in the Tasting Kitchen, up on the mezzanine with a muted Venice sunset pouring in through its highest windows, felt like reconnecting with an old friend in the place you two love best. 1633 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice, CA, 90291. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager
Duck egg cookie from Beverly Hills Cookies in Beverly Hills
I love salted egg yolk in a dessert, whether it be in a lava cake, an egg tart, or, in this case, a cookie. The duck egg cookie at Beverly Hills Cookies hints at what you’re getting with its crackly, golden yellow egg topping that strikes a balance between sweet and savory. Of course, there’s unapologetic richness thanks to its star ingredient. This is a chewier cookie flooded with puddles of silky white chocolate that offset the saltiness of the duck eggs in the dough. The creaminess almost reads like creme brulee or custard; fans of egg yolk-rich desserts will fall in love. Other cookies at Beverly Hills Cookies seem worth investigating, too, such as the macadamia white chocolate with coconut and the brown butter oatmeal cookies, and there’s also a selection of vegan and gluten-free options. The duck egg cookie, however, remains the biggest draw. 255 1/2 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Pavlova from Ojai Mountain Farm in Ojai
It’s been fascinating to watch the world embrace Ojai, the Central Coast–adjacent stop that has extra eyes on its stunning hills, long main street with destination restaurants, and mezcal bars filled with visitors and locals. In short: This community remains the charming spot to escape to, especially for its food. Ojai Mountain Farm, owned by Golden Road Brewing founder Tony Yanow, is one of those stops, where chef Jonathan Pozos makes stellar food supplied only 40 minutes away from Yanow’s farm. The incredibly fruity pavlova stunned on my first visit. Yes, it’s arresting to look at, but it feels even better to dig into the layers of marionberry, strawberry, stone fruit, lemon curds, and herbs. Don’t share; this dessert remains the stuff sweet summer dreams are made of. 242 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA 93023. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Veggie pizza from Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn in Sherman Oaks
When I found myself in the Valley around dinnertime recently, I diverted from my go-to pizza spot, Prime, to Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn, a pint-sized slice shop on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. The family-owned restaurant is legendary: The Zingaro family originally opened the slice shop in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, before it was passed down through the generations. Today, the same family operates the Los Angeles shop. Sicilian pizza and pesto-smeared pies are available by the slice alongside whole pies topped with peppers and olives, pepperoni, or Buffalo chicken. The pies hold a bright tomato sauce and plenty of cheese that stretches into long tendrils with each bite. In the same region where restaurants like Pizzeria Sei continue to push the boundaries of Los Angeles pizza, Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn has settled into keeping traditions alive. 14522 1/2 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
