Can Max & Helen's Ever Be a Laidback Diner? Do We Care when the Waffle Is so Good?
Max & Helen’s, a new‑era diner in Larchmont, opened six months ago under the stewardship of TV personality Phil Rosenthal and chef Nancy Silverton. The venue quickly attracted legendary wait times—up to eight hours—though weekday lunches now average about 45 minutes. Its menu fuses classic diner fare—waffles, patty melts, cobb salads—with upscale twists such as a three‑day fermented waffle batter and dry‑aged beef sandwiches. Prices sit between $8 and $27, positioning the spot as a premium casual experience while evoking nostalgic Googie‑era aesthetics.
Workers Protest at Carl's Jr. In North Hollywood for Protection From Violent Customers
On Tuesday, about 30 members of the California Fast Food Workers Union and two Carl’s Jr. employees walked out of a North Hollywood location to protest unsafe conditions, including violent customer attacks and lack of paid sick leave. Workers cited multiple...
Chipotle Who? Your Newest Build-Your-Own-Bowl Obsession Just Opened in Carson
Urban Comfort Foods Kitchen opened in Carson, offering a build‑your‑own bowl concept that spotlights African diaspora flavors. Patrons choose from six bases—most popular is jollof rice—and up to 20 toppings, including suya‑spiced beef, jerk chicken, and bourbon sweet potatoes. Founder...
Why a Trailblazing Cheese Store Is Closing in Downtown L.A.
DTLA Cheese Superette, a specialty cheese shop and café founded in 2013, is closing its doors after more than 12 years in downtown Los Angeles. Owners Lydia Clarke and Reed Herrick cite soaring food‑costs, utility bills, and a broader downtown slowdown...
With Masala Steak Frites and Chai Cocktails, an L.A.-favorite Indian Restaurant Evolves in Venice
The Mahendro family opened Badmaash Venice, its first new location in eight years, featuring masala‑spiced steak frites, chai‑infused cocktails and a sustainability‑focused menu. Sushi Samba debuted a rooftop venue in West Hollywood that blends Peruvian, Japanese and Brazilian flavors with high‑end...
L.A.'s New Must-Try Tasting Menu Is Less than $100 at This Tiny French Restaurant
Electric Bleu, a tiny French restaurant in Mar Vista, Los Angeles, has introduced a five‑course tasting menu priced at $79, making fine‑dining more accessible. The menu showcases classic French dishes such as pâté en croûte and steak au poivre, enhanced...
A Surprising and Versatile Pineapple Tart
Michelle Huneven recounts discovering a tart à l’ananas at the Louvre café, noting its delicate buttery crust and caramelized pineapple slices that deliver a bright, tangy burst. She describes the dessert as unforgettable and provides a detailed, adaptable recipe that...
A New York Bagel Fest Rolls Into L.A. to Show the Best of West Coast Innovation
BagelFest founder Sam Silverman expanded his New York‑originated bagel celebration to Los Angeles, drawing over 1,000 attendees to a sold‑out event at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple. The inaugural BagelFest West showcased innovative, culturally‑infused bagel creations from West Coast bakers, with only 16% of...
These Are All the Cookbook Authors You Can See at the L.A. Times Festival of Books
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will host a dedicated Food x Now Serving booth on April 18‑19 at USC, featuring a packed schedule of cookbook signings and live cooking demos. Authors such as Joanne Lee Molinaro, Pyet DeSpain, and Arnold Myint will meet readers, while...
Blank Street Lands on the West Coast
Blank Street, the New York‑born coffee chain famed for TikTok‑driven matcha drinks, is launching its West Coast debut with four Los Angeles County locations, two opening in June. The venture‑capital‑backed brand, now valued at roughly $500 million, has refined a scalable hospitality model that...
The Restaurant Inside L.A.'s Best New Food Hall Is a Triumph. It Could Be a Revelation
Rose Previte’s Maydan Market opens in West Adams as a 10,000‑square‑foot food hall featuring seven casual vendors and a full‑service restaurant, Maydan L.A. The restaurant centers around a $95‑per‑person family‑style tawleh menu that showcases Eastern Mediterranean and North African dishes,...
These Are the 10 Best Dishes at Maydan Market, L.A.'s Definitive New Food 'Collective'
Rose Previte’s Maydan Market opened in October as a 10,000‑sq‑ft collective dining hub in West Adams, pairing her sit‑down restaurant with six distinct vendor counters and a rotating pop‑up space. The market uses QR‑code ordering to let guests mix and...
These Are the Books We'll Be Cooking From This Spring
A wave of spring cookbooks has hit the market, spotlighting innovative pastries and desert-inspired desserts. Roxana Jullapat’s "Morning Baker" showcases plush chocolate muffins flavored with rye and yogurt, while La Copine’s new title brings its signature lemon polenta cake to home...
How La Copine's Founders Left L.A. to Build a Culinary 'Oasis' In the Desert
La Copine, the desert‑side restaurant founded by former Los Angeles chefs Nikki Hill and Claire Wadsworth, is releasing a new cookbook, *La Copine: New California Cooking from an Oasis in the Desert*, on April 28. The book translates the restaurant’s seasonal, desert‑inspired dishes—ranging from...
La Copine's Lemon Polenta Cake
La Copine’s lemon polenta cake blends almond meal and fine‑ground corn flour for a moist, tender crumb, finished with a bright lemon glaze. The recipe calls for a buttery batter, five eggs, and a finishing layer of crème fraîche, fresh raspberries,...