The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: July 14
Mapo tofu and minced pork on rice from Pine & Crane in Silver Lake
Pine & Crane.
Meals at Pine & Crane have been a constant in my life for longer than I can remember. I've spent numerous nights in the lively dining room, sipping on Taiwanese beer and splitting plates of fluffy buns. The no-reservations set up keeps the restaurant a flexible option for any kind of night, and minimal pre-planning is needed to swing by. Lately, Pine & Crane has become part of my go-to takeout rotation. The minced pork over rice and mapo tofu travel incredibly well (as does most of the menu), and the affordable prices and generous portions mean that there are usually leftovers in the refrigerator for the next day. 1521 Griffith Park Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90026. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Cinnamon roll from Badash Bakes in Pasadena
Cinnamon roll from Badash Bakes in Pasadena. Mona Holmes
In a city where cinnamon rolls from non-corporate operators are fairly easy to find, it's always fantastic to find one that suits my personal taste. For me, the requirements include a balance of frosting, layers of cinnamon, and sweetness that is not overpowering, plus a well-proofed dough that is good hot or cold. Badash Bakes prepares one of LA's best cinnamon rolls that hits each of these perfectly, and it is easy to understand why entering Ashley Cunningham's Pasadena bakery is so popular. The display case is packed with cookies, brownies, lemon loaves, and two types of rolls (matcha and traditional), and more. Of all the delicious baked goods, the cinnamon rolls are replenished by staff the most often. Though the buzz surrounding Badash Bakes has definitely slowed down, it remains busy. If hanging out long enough, one will witness another patron bite into one of her celebrated cinnamon rolls with a reaction that's best described as euphoric. Actually, that was my response. As someone who isn't always attracted to sweets or dessert, Cunningham's cinnamon rolls are actually that good. As are her s'mores cookies and ceremonial grade matcha drinks. 247 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91101. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Heirloom melon salad at Diner Antonette in Santa Monica
In the height of summer, nothing is better than in-season melons. Diner Antonette's charming space in Santa Monica occupies the former Ingo's Tasty Diner, and feels like a kind of Musso & Frank west, though instead of pure silence at the old Hollywood haunt, it's booming bebop jazz played on a hi-fi system. The food is also much more contemporary, and this melon salad is proof positive. Chef Jordan Lynn takes delicate, even slices of melon with salty prosciutto, mache, and almond oil, which would feel appropriate in Italy right about now, except that he sprinkles on chile flakes for a Tajin-esque punch. The balanced assemblage felt so thoughtful and fun for a weekday dinner — an appetizer that doesn't fill you up before the mains. By the way, the crispy fried chicken with rowdy greens, the crust tinted with turmeric and juicy to the bone, is a stunning shareable entree to enjoy after this melon salad. 1213 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90403. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Sweet and sour mushroom at Men & Beasts in Echo Park
Sweet and sour mushroom at Men & Beasts in Echo Park. Matthew Kang
It's wild how quickly a new space can turn over in Los Angeles. The former Cosa Buona has been morphed into Men & Beasts (a reference to a Confucius quote), a modern Chinese restaurant that eschews meat, replacing everything with plant-based proteins. For the most part, the meat won't feel like it's really missing, and that is best illustrated in the sweet & sour mushroom, typically pork or chicken, but here breaded, fried, and seasoned to an appealing ruddy color. Each bite popped with tangy sauce and a gentle interior of what seemed like oyster mushrooms. Bites of cashew, garlic, and bell pepper bring in textural contrast. It's still fairly early in the Minty Zhu and Alex Falco's foray into the LA market (they were previously in Miami), but with their sleek patio and indoor tea lounge, it's clear Echo Park denizens have already bought into their plant-based approach to Chinese cuisine. 2100 W. Sunset Boulevard, Echo Park, CA, 90026. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
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Axios
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A new Houston audience goes all-in on mahjong
Mahjong is making a major comeback — and the tile game is now trending with a younger, diverse audience. Why it matters: The centuries-old Chinese strategy game often associated with older generations in the Asian diaspora has a new wave of players in Houston who are making it their own. Stunning stat: Between 2023 and 2024, mahjong events on Eventbrite surged 179% nationwide and a staggering 867% in Houston, per the online platform's data. Among the nine major cities analyzed by Eventbrite, Houston ranked third for most events last year, behind New York and San Francisco. State of play: While longtime players continue their regular games, a new crowd is reshaping the hobby — drawn in by post-pandemic social appeal, and, of course, all the new pretty tiles in the market. Houston - and Dallas -based tile companies now sell sets that run upward of $300. Houstonian Amanda Commons discovered mahjong on a bachelorette trip about three years ago and, along with her friend Nicole Cottone, joined a group of HISD moms in West University who had a Google Sheet of roughly 100 players. In November 2023, Commons and Cottone launched That's aMAHJzing, a company offering $60–75 lessons to help people start their own neighborhood groups. They also host $50 open plays, tournaments and kids camps. "I think it's people craving connection … and I think people like to get involved with beautiful trends," Commons tells Axios. Making an old game "bougie" and slapping "a big price point" also makes more people want to play, Commons adds. The big picture: As demand grows, many instructors now regularly teach the American version of mahjong in collaboration with tile companies. While many new players are white women, the resurgence is drawing people of all ages and backgrounds — including those reconnecting with the game through their cultural roots. Flashback: Originally Chinese, mahjong was embraced by Jewish women in 1930s New York, shaping the American version still played today — including at the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston. Versions like Cantonese, Taiwanese and American each have distinct rules — all played by four people, often with gambling elements. Zoom in: The Chinese Community Center in Houston is seeing a rise in mahjong participants, too. After a successful AAPI Heritage Month game event in May, the center began hosting monthly beginner meetups using the Taiwanese version and is now adding bimonthly club sessions for more experienced players, CCC development manager Jo Truong tells Axios. The most recent meetup hit capacity with 40 players across 10 tables — only four of whom were CCC members. Entry is $35, and the event gained traction through a "very active" Facebook mahjong group sharing the invite. What they're saying: Lynn Chou, who started playing at age 6, now teaches alongside friends at the CCC and says attendees have ranged from young children to a 100-year-old.
