Café de Mexico fired up the grill in Sherman Oaks at the beginning of the year, replacing a dessert-forward café concept here, on a busy stretch of Riverside Drive. Hypnotic23 dropped in and reports on Chowhound that Café de Mexico is a taco slinger to be reckoned with. Prices are higher than average (tacos start at $2.75 each), but the tacos are tasty enough to rival the best in the Valley. READ MORE
Peasant Wine Bistro has been open less than a month, but Chowhounds CynGriff and spoggly have already declared it a fine addition to Tarzana. Despite its strip-mall location, Peasant impressed CynGriff with the cool décor, killer service, and great food: “It’s not your usual Valley spot." Maybe that's to be expected, since the guys behind Peasant are Greg Woodbury and Marcel Vinson, both from Bleecker Street Restaurant (Woodbury as GM, Vinson as chef). READ MORE
Turkish delight (also known as locum) is a gelée candy dusted with powdered sugar. It’s usually flavored with rose water or fruit essence—premium versions feature pistachios, walnuts, or other nuts embedded in the gel. Locum is an ancient confection common all over the Middle East and Europe, but good versions are hard to find in the United States. Lucky for Angelenos, wonderful handmade locum is as close as the San Fernando Valley, via Nory Candy and Pastry in Winnetka. READ MORE
Quebec gave birth to poutine, though it's now standard fare at fast-food joints and diners across Canada. What was originally a homely mass of french fries glopped up with cheese curds and gravy has found a home on many an LA menu, albeit fancied up, and in a dizzying array of proteins and toppings. Here are six places local 'hounds get excited about ordering poutine.
• At The Parish downtown, nlk likes the fried oyster poutine (pictured), but there’s also a version with pigs' feet and arugula.
• Korean galbi poutine has drawn many a 'hound to Seoul Sausage Company. In place of the cheese curds: sour cream and pickled kimchi onions. READ MORE
Chad Colby’s meat skills were previously on display only at Scuola di Pizza, an intimate, open-kitchen concept by the Mozza empire's Joe Bastianich, Nancy Silverton, and Mario Batali. Colby's handiwork is now the star at chi SPACCA, the newest meat-centric addition to the Mozza complex at Highland and Melrose. Dinner is served Monday through Friday via an a la carte menu, but on Saturdays a single-seating nose-to-tail feast is the only option. READ MORE
When word spread that Compton’s beloved Bludso’s BBQ was opening a second location near Hollywood, anticipation was high. Last week, Kevin Bludso (joining forces with Golden State owners Jason Bernstein and James Starr) finally fired up the grills at Bludso’s Bar-&-Que, and 'hound nosh was one of the first to show up. READ MORE
Waffles are typically street food in Hong Kong. At the source, wienermobile says on Chowhound, HK waffles are often topped with a smear of butter, peanut butter, and sugar, then folded in half and eaten on the go. There is also the eggette, a waffle variation studded with little egg-shaped bulbs. When ClarissaW asked for tips on the best Hong Kong waffle shops in LA, four places floated to the top. READ MORE
Harold & Belle's opened 40 years ago as a family-run spot on Jefferson Boulevard with pool tables. It's become a bit more formal since then, but still, FoodObsessive says on Chowhound, “this is a remnant of [an] old Louisiana town from the 1950's." READ MORE
Los Angeles is home to the largest Thai population outside of the motherland, so it’s not surprising that the city—especially in Thai Town—has a lion’s share of the authentic and the tasty. From boat noodles to khao soi to Chinese-influenced drunkard’s noodles, it’s all here. Here’s an alphabetical list of Thai kitchens talked up on Chowhound in recent months.
1. CRISPY PORK GANG & GRILL
5253 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles
323-465-9796
Naturally, crispy pork is the thing to get here, and you can have it in just about any Thai dish you can think of. But try it in prik king, pad ka prow, fried rice, fried papaya salad, or with preserved egg. READ MORE
After The Lime Truck won Season 2 of The Great Food Truck Race in 2011, Jason Quinn left to open The Playground, a contemporary bar and restaurant in downtown Santa Ana. Quinn is an unabashed chef. The Playground has an unbending no substitutions, no modifications rule, and he's been known to berate Yelpers for feedback he deems low blows. But Chowhound Porthos thinks Quinn’s menu “can hang with anything LA has to offer.” You may have to play by the rules, but obedience is rewarded by delicious food. READ MORE
