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dineL.A. is back with its Summer Road Trip edition, July 14-28. To give you the best opportunity to win our "Dine. Snap. Win." contest, acclaimed Los Angeles photographer Bonnie Tsang shares a few secrets on how to take gorgeous food photos to share on Instagram.
The East Coast clam shack, oyster house, and fish house trend keeps growing which means the lobster roll is here to stay. Today you can find lobster rolls in Los Angeles in every venue from food trucks to fine dining. And while the purist debate rages on how much mayo should be in a cold lobster roll, or how buttery a Connecticut-style hot lobster roll should be, and whether to seek out split buns from the East Coast or find a local roll, Angelenos are tearing through a ton of lobsters each day without a care. Here are great spots around L.A. to get a lobster roll.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to declare Los Angeles as the best place to enjoy ramen in the United States. Long gone are notions of the dehydrated, college room staple; here to stay are tender noodles and trade secret broths full of life and richness. No matter where you are in our huge city, there is always a very good ramen bowl within reach - a remarkable feat considering how many hours of simmering love each soup takes to make. Read on to find out where to find comfort in this noodle-broth dynamo of a city.
Here’s our list of the best Ramen in L.A.
Pho has been around for a century and is indisputably the national dish of Vietnam. A good pho takes hours to make; beef bones and parts are simmered under low heat to obtain a rich, complex flavor. Pho is typically divided into two camps. Southern pho is the more common one, with an abundant use of spices and flavorings (fish sauce, hoisin, etc.) and versatile cuts of meat like tripe and brisket. Northern pho is much more simplistic - the noodles are flatter and wider, and the focus is on its pure beef broth. The main ingredients are rice noodles and thinly sliced raw beef. In the north, accoutrements are not necessary. Here are some of the best places to get your pho fix in Los Angeles.
When it comes to bites and drinks at discounted prices in Los Angeles, you might have to skip the clock. But you certainly don't have to compromise on quality, thanks to the wide range of top-notch restaurants with happy hour bargains. Here are the best places in L.A. to score some delicious fare at great values.
The community of Highland Park in Northeast Los Angeles (aka NELA) is home to an ideal mix of both old-school Latin American resident traditions and the contemporary dining trends that cater to the area’s growing new wave of younger residents. This means that within a one-mile radius you can find boldly seasoned Yucatan-style Cochinita Pibil tacos and a perfectly frothy cappuccino made with hemp milk. Many of the new business owners opening up in Highland Park have strong ties to the community, so the sense of pride is particularly strong. Add to all of this, the attractive five-minute driving distances to Pasadena, Downtown, Silver Lake and Glendale; the tree-lined rolling hills; and the Metro Rail Gold Line stop located in the middle of town, and you can see why Highland Park is a serious contender for the best neighborhood in Los Angeles. Here are the top ten places to eat, drink and experience Highland Park's local flavor.
Considering the climate in L.A., the idea of seeing snow and ice in our lifetime is laughable. Thankfully, some culinary entrepreneurs have drawn on international traditions (and trends) to deliver a spate of shaved ice and show desserts to our metropolis. Learn about 14 of the best shaveries in time for summer.
Some of L.A.’s most popular restaurants and cafes are also marketplaces where you can pick up a wedge of perfect blue cheese, some dried beans or an artisan chocolate bar. Some places carry items primarily from their own kitchen. Others spotlight their favorite purveyors. Either way, shopping these spots is a fun way to stock your fridge and pantry, not to mention score some great gifts.
Beef noodle soup, known as niu rou mian, is the epitome of Chinese comfort food. Found all throughout China and Taiwan, it’s a beloved dish that takes hours to make. Beef shanks must be slow-cooked for hours before they achieve their creamy texture. Noodles must be chewy, and most importantly, the broth must be rich and sustainable. Traditionally, the noodles are paired with a heaping of pickled mustard greens, which offers a crisp, sour contrast. Spicy is customizable and in some joints, used extremely liberally. It makes for a sustainable lunch or dinner and thankfully, there are plenty of places in Los Angeles to get your fix. Here are our picks.
No matter what anybody claims, grilled meat is not barbecue. Other restaurants call items BBQ when the meat has clearly been roasted. Barbecue requires slow-cooking meat with wood smoke until the protein becomes infused with flavor. L.A. is gaining smoky momentum. Austin legend La Barbecue will open a second location in Los Angeles, and Adam Perry Lang recently opened a 143-seat barbecue palace, APL Restaurant at Hollywood and Vine. Learn about 11 of the best smoke-buffeted stops across Los Angeles County.
