Latest news with #NicoleAdlman
Eater
29-07-2025
- General
- Eater
An Honest Taste Test of Banza's New Brown Rice Pasta
is the senior commerce editor at Eater. She has more than 15 years of experience in culture journalism and food media, grew up in an Italian restaurant, and is always down to order for the table. I'm in a complicated situationship with gluten. I eat it, unremorsefully and often, but about 46 percent of the time, it makes me feel like a dejected bag of garbage on a New York City sidewalk. I've spent years trying to identify exactly which dishes, forms, and quantities tip me over into diminishing returns, but answers remain elusive. I can raid the sourdough bread basket at Musso & Frank and feel perfectly fine, but if I eat a sandwich on focaccia I'm in danger of falling asleep standing up for the next six hours. Bagels are completely out of the question (they make me feel abjectly terrible, even when they're free in the office), but cookies are not (the last bite I took before writing this sentence was of Last Crumb's phenomenal Donkey Kong cookie). I love pasta wholeheartedly, but it's always been a gamble; a heaping pile of spaghetti will go down just fine one day and level me another. I feel fortunate that when I eat wheat I'm in no identifiable medical danger other than feeling rather crummy, but I've become increasingly 'gluten-free curious.' Just as I still enjoy a lot of vegan food despite rejoining meat-eating society over 13 years ago, I am always intrigued by gluten-free substitutions and facsimiles — but only if they taste good. And from what I can see, just as with vegan food, gluten-free food is getting better and better; look no further than my Eater colleague Nicole Adlman's rundown of the best gluten-free pastas to see just how far we've come. So when I found out, as a food writer, that Banza was dropping a new line of brown-rice-based pastas this week, I was curious as to whether they could continue to elevate the realm of wheat-free cooking. A press image of Banza's new brown rice penne; but how would it taste IRL? Banza Why are people so obsessed with Banza? As far as gluten-free pasta goes, the popular brand Banza has singlehandedly raised our standard of what a bowl of wheat-free rotini can taste like: like the comforting, classic, non-gluten-free pasta you likely grew up eating and loving. That's all non-gluten-eaters ask for; nothing crazy, man, just pasta that's just as good as the stuff made with wheat. Banza gets top marks from discerning gluten-averse diners thanks to its al dente texture, nutritious composition, and ease of cooking (in our gluten-free pasta gauntlet, Nicole especially loves the brand's bucatini). Known for its high-protein, high-fiber, chickpea-based dried pastas, Banza is also currently the largest gluten-free 'better for you' pasta brand in the industry (and, remarkably, the fifth-largest pasta brand in America overall). Why would a brown rice pasta drop a big deal? Doesn't sound very… sexy, let's be honest. But a lot of people prefer the texture of brown rice pasta to chickpea pasta because (generally speaking) it's less chewy, less gummy, and more akin to wheat-based pasta. Plus, it has a more mild, neutral flavor than chickpeas, making it a closer dupe for traditional noodles. Banza's brown rice pasta is made in Italy (elegante!); is non-GMO, vegan, and kosher; and has something called 'CleanScan certification from The Detox Project' which basically means it's been tested for 400 nasty chemicals and pesticides and came out with a perfect report card. In other words, this is a clean and 'healthy' noodle, which might alleviate certain concerns that come with eating conventional wheat pasta — and so it might appeal to a wider audience for a broad range of reasons. OK, so how does the brown rice pasta taste? Could it outperform Banza's chickpea pasta in taste and texture? Let's find out. I decided to start with the penne; I have been experiencing a major hankering for penne alla vodka recently (because when am I ever not?) and it seemed like an opportunity to see whether the brown rice pasta is truly an improvement upon Banza's signature chickpea product — and how it compares to good old wheat pasta. A short rant about putting cottage cheese in pasta sauce At first I attempted to make the penne alla vodka on Banza's site; it sounded pretty solid, but my one concern was the use of blended cottage cheese in the sauce. On not one but two previous occasions, I have attempted to make 'high-protein' penne alla vodka or some other bastardization of the Italian classic that included blended cottage cheese, and both times, the sauces broke and curdled. I approached this recipe optimistically but skeptically, wondering if the cursed outcome could be avoided. Guess what happened this time? When I added the blended cottage cheese, the sauce curdled and turned grainy and a bit sour. Surprise! I had to throw it out and start over. (I will eat Good Culture cottage cheese out of the container any day of my life but I am never, ever putting blended cottage cheese in a creamy pasta sauce again. Heavy cream, I shall not forsake thee.) Unfortunately, the only vodka I had on hand was the last of my Belvedere — RIP. Anyway, after that fiasco, I did what God intended: found a penne alla vodka recipe with a 45-paragraph intro on a highly SEO-optimized recipe blog and used that, and it turned out perfect. As I was saying, the penne alla vodka… Taste this photo. Now, as for the brown rice pasta itself: The penne cooked to perfection in about 13 minutes, accurate to the directions on the box. While I like Banza's signature chickpea pasta, there's no doubt in my mind that I prefer the more toothsome, bouncy texture and neutral flavor of the brown rice pasta. I like a slightly post-al-dente soft noodle when it comes to penne, and with chickpea pasta, there is an inescapable level of chewiness that some people appreciate but which doesn't align with my preference. An impressive showing. H0w about the other brown rice pasta shapes? I also made some of the macaroni (sorry, elbows), and again, it was completely comparable to classic macaroni; perfect for mac and cheese, mac salad, or, in my case, a base for a spicy mapo tofu sauce that I bought at the Japanese supermarket. The rotini was my third and final experiment (for this round; I will be buying these again, no doubt), and I prepared it with a simple sungold tomato sauce (the farmers market is poppin' right now) and some mozzarella. I shared the final product with two friends and they repeatedly commented on how they couldn't even tell it was gluten-free. They also expressed pleasant surprise at how nice the texture came out (again, that it wasn't too chewy, as people often expect with GF pastas), and how well it integrated into and transported the tasty tomato sauce. The rotini in a summery sungold tomato sauce — looks, cooks, and tastes exactly like traditional rotini. Gluten-free pasta and the issue of leftovers Another issue with chickpea-based pasta (and gluten-free pasta in general) is that it often reheats poorly, turning into a sort of stiff, gummy texture that makes it hard to enjoy leftovers. Good news: Brown rice pasta doesn't have this issue, so I was able to microwave and enjoy next-day servings of both the rotini and the penne alla vodka without issue. Both gleefully sprung back to life as though they hadn't been sitting in my fridge for 18 hours. The verdict: The brown rice pasta is — I promise — virtually identical in flavor and texture to a solid wheat-based dry pasta. Again, that's all we ask for as gluten-sensi people: something just as good as the gluten-packed version. So, brown rice pasta vs. chickpea pasta: Which is better? That being said, the brown rice pasta lacks the chickpea pasta's boost of protein and fiber. (Banza's chickpea pasta has roughly twice the protein and fiber of regular pasta per serving.) I'm one of those people who tries to eat A Lot of Protein because I'm a bit of a gym rat, and in that context, high-protein pasta feels like a godsend. A two-ounce serving of the brown rice pasta offers a bit of protein (six grams per serving) and four grams of fiber, but the chickpea pasta offers nearly twice as much (12 grams per serving), plus nearly twice as much fiber and iron, and notable amounts of vitamin B6, folate, biotin, and other valuable nutrients. I personally appreciate that Banza's chickpea pastas aren't just wheat-free, but that they also offer enhanced nutritional value, so that's a consideration if you're choosing between a chickpea or brown rice base. It all depends on your priorities: If you're coming from more of a protein-hunting, nutrition-focused mentality, Banza's chickpea pasta will surely continue to do the trick. But if you just want a damn good bowl of penne alla vodka or mac and cheese, the brown rice pasta line is here to prove that gluten-free isn't just in its 'just as good' era; it's entering its 'maybe better' moment. Banza's new line of brown rice pasta is available today and onward.
Eater
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: July 25
Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town. For a party atmosphere with equally vibrant food: Lucia A dimly lit room with a central bar with palm-shaped structures emerging at Lucia. Wonho Frank Lee Walking into Lucia, a vibrating new restaurant on Fairfax, begins with a funhouse mirror effect. But entering the space from the column-glass vestibule entrance moves the experience from a fractal one to one of integration — an experience that deals in high-concept design and unmitigated Black joy. Scalloped structures behind the bar mirror that cave-like banquettes that line the main dining room, where the mood lighting gets even moodier come 8 p.m., the time when Lucia's early-dinner energy turns into a more party-like late-dinner atmosphere with louder music and bigger groups vying for tables or bar seats. (The okra martini beckons.) Don't miss the vegan lychee ceviche, wine red from its sorrel infusion; the wagyu patties with mango scotch-bonnet sauce; the dripping jerk chicken; or the verdant snapper swimming in a coconut-culantro sauce. Bed it all in the equally coconuty rice and peas to sop up the sauces — and let the boisterous room be your entertainment for the night. 351 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90036. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager For Los Angeles's most beautiful sourdough: Hasi Bread in Mar Vista A cut loaf of colorful blue and yellow sourdough bread from Hasi Bread. Matthew Kang Farmers market regulars Hasi Bread finally has a space to call its own. The sourdough bakery has settled into its first permanent space in the Del Rey/Mar Vista area in the former home of Hotcakes Bakes. Here, Hasi's signature yellow-and-blue sourdough bread, tinged with turmeric and butterfly pea flower, lives on full display. The rest of the pastry case comprises croissants, challah, English muffins, and more from baker Matias Barang. The bread is excellent in sandwiches, or as next-day French toast, but its best form may be with just a pat of salted butter. 4119 S. Centinela Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90066.— Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a comforting meal in the heart of Old Pasadena: Agnes Cornbread eclais with chicken liver mousse, chives, and Luxardo Cherries. Matthew Kang Thomas and wife/partner/cheesemonger Vanessa Tilaka Kalb have really put together one of Pasadena's most appealing restaurants of the past few years. Opened in the early days of the pandemic and navigating a challenging location in a mostly chain restaurant area, Agnes has managed to become a mainstay in Old Pasadena. The versatile space, with a cozy main dining room that overlooks an open kitchen, as well as the airy back patio, offers different experiences depending on the occasion. Soaring ceilings, open skylights, brick walls, black and white family photos, and grandma-print upholstery convey a place to relax and enjoy a meal. Most people will want to start with the cornbread eclairs topped with piped chicken liver and topped with marinated cherries. It's such a postcard of the Kalbs' Midwest sensibility with mid-century elegance. Hazelnut hummus acts as a spreadable pillow underneath the beet-Asian pear salad, a vegetable interlude before more substantial mains like the baked potato gnocchi, a truly brilliant dish that rejiggers the steakhouse side. Thai-inflected grilled skirt steak gains the smokiness of the wood-burning grill, while crispy Thai-style fried chicken would warm any grandmother's heart. Even the child's chicken tenders, long pieces of chicken cutlet, are one of the best kid's menu dishes in Los Angeles. The only caveat is that the cavalcade of rich cheese and heaviness from so much of the food will start to accumulate, so don't over order and leave room for either a cheese plate for dessert or the inventive s'mores choco taco to finish. 40 W. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91105. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest To support two young hot dog entrepreneurs: Glizzy Street in Long Beach Hot dog, or 'glizzy' from Glizzy Street Mona Holmes If you're in Los Angeles and scroll through Instagram or TikTok regularly, then you know about Glizzy Street. In late June, the 16-year-old Chazz and Chaze Clemons opened their hot dog cart in their family's gas station parking lot. In less than one week, Glizzy Street went viral, and supporters drove in from neighboring regions, waiting up to an hour to try one of their bacon-wrapped hot dogs topped with onions, bell peppers, jalapeños, and barbecue sauce. The duo were recently flown to New York City to appear on NBC's Today with Jenna & Friends, upgraded their equipment with additional grills, gifted custom hats, and, well, you get the drift. The Clemons twins and Glizzy Street have hit the big time. The twins spend their morning prepping, then from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., they serve their dogs, blue raspberry Kool-Aid, and aguas frescas. It's not as if one can't find these ubiquitous bacon-wrapped staples anywhere else in Los Angeles, especially when exiting a concert venue. But the Clemons brothers encapsulated something that the embattled region needs right now: Being part of a massive community that supports two young locals operating a budding business on the border of Long Beach and Compton. American Oil Gas Station, 6850 Long Beach Boulevard. Long Beach, CA, 90805. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Related The 38 Best Restaurants in Los Angeles Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: July 11
Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town. For some of Los Angeles's best vegan ice cream: Awan For some of Los Angeles's best vegan ice cream: Awan. Nicole Adlman Vegan ice cream doesn't always get a good rap, but Awan, a coconut-based ice cream specialist, seems to have cracked the code. The Indonesian coconut cream that serves as a vehicle to its flavors delivers the rounded fattiness you want from ice cream while offering more nuance to scoops like Balinese Vanilla Bean (whose base comes from Indonesian coconut water and coconut cream), Gaviota Strawberry, Gula Jawa Salted Caramel (dusted with unrefined Indonesian palm sugar), Nekohama Hojicha, and Graza Banana Lemon Curd (yes, that Graza). That it is served from a vibey green storefront somewhere between a mermaid's grotto and Grecian cave only heightens the experience (similar to the effect of dining in the cavelike Cento Raw Bar in West Adams). Don't miss the Chocolate Oreo, made with Valrhona chocolate; kluwek, an Indonesian mangrove seed for a malted flavor; and packed with gluten-free Oreo cookies — what might be one of the only gluten-free cookies-and-cream-style flavors you can find in Los Angeles. With locations now in Venice, Larchmont, and West Hollywood, your next Awan visit can't be too far away. 540 Rose Avenue, Venice, 90291 CA. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager For vegan Mexican cooking: El Cocinero in Van Nuys For vegan Mexican cooking: El Cocinero. Mona Holmes At first glance, the lack of meat at El Cocinero may not even be noticeable. The menu reads like that of any other taqueria, with tacos al pastor, birria, nachos, and the like. But Alex Vargas has figured out how to run a taqueria that can compete with some of the best in town, without any animal products at all. Vargas finds hearty substitutes for carnitas, chicharron, asada, and more that not only mimic taste, but also offer a satisfying texture that is so rare in some vegan cooking. For something easy to share with a group, try the super nachos, topped with cashew-based 'cheese,' refried beans, cashew crema, and a meat of choice. 6265 Sepulveda Boulevard Unit 12, Van Nuys, CA 91411. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For excellent pan dulce from one of LA's oldest bakeries: Delicias Bakery & Some in Highland Park For excellent pan dulce from one of LA's oldest bakeries: Delicias Bakery & Some in Highland Park. Mona Holmes Long before Figueroa Street in Highland Park became its current buzzy neighborhood, blue-collar Latino families made this Northeast LA corner a cozy place to live. Though gentrification has significantly changed the landscape over the decades, beloved spots are still in business, including Delicias Bakery & Some. The bakery operates on Figueroa near 55th Avenue, where staff serve pan dulce alongside sandwiches, breakfasts, coffee drinks, and whatever locals are craving. Delicias has been preparing cinnamon and piloncillo-laced puerquitos, breakfast burritos, and traditional conchas since 1990, along with guayaba turnovers, and an iced pinole (roasted ground corn) latte. A handful of plant-based conchas are also available. The team even collaborates with other businesses, such as preparing challah for the neighboring sandwich shop, Jeff's Table, using tangzhong. Even though it might be tempting to grab a pastry or coffee at one of the newer (and excellent) businesses, it's always best to go to Delicias, where it's been a delicious community hub for decades. 5567 N. Figueroa Street, Highland Park, CA. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a trippy and profoundly British brunch situation in the Arts District: Cafe 2001 Matthew Kang Downtown's always been more receptive to the more off-the-wall dining experience, and Cafe 2001 delivers a different kind of daily brunch in the Arts District. Giles Clark has an incredible culinary pedigree (Den Tokyo, St. John London) and came stateside with his mentor Junya Yamasaki, who helms Yess next door. Clark's daytime extravaganza takes over a unique industrial space sporting a wraparound mezzanine, skylights, and brick walls that I've called Brutalist and Victorian at the same time (the grandma-style furniture recalls more of the latter). The food feels modern British, Jamie Oliver but with a niceness that recalls Fergus Henderson (St. John's longtime chef), so it comes as no surprise that the country terrine is spectacular, studded with pistachios and cracked black pepper, wrapped so tightly that it makes a slice of chopped pork lovely thing to behold. A cocktail-sized chilled borscht is a delightful summer soup, while the huckleberry jam and yogurt underneath smoked salmon on the crispy potato hash simply works despite the contrasts of sweet, creamy, and salty. The pork katsu sando loses the crispy exterior but gains a juiciness that the convenience store sandwich normally doesn't have. Merguez sausage and crispy twig-like fries come with dense aioli and harissa, a nod to a Marseilles street food wherein those ingredients come wrapped in a gut-busting sandwich. Thankfully, Clark skips the bread and just allows the finger-ready bites to sit on a plate. On Thursday, the place was buzzing with every table full, and one imagines the energy continues through the weekend. It took me a while to comprehend Cafe 2001, but it's clearly the kind of place that defies immediate understanding — something that I rather enjoy in an age when so many restaurants are predictable and blasé. 2001 E. Seventh Street North Entrance, Los Angeles, CA 90021. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Related The 38 Essential Restaurants in Los Angeles Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Eater
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
The Best Dishes Eater Editors Ate This Week: June 23
Skip to main content Current eater city: Los Angeles The editors at Eater LA 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. Beachside snacking usually conjures memories of hot dogs slathered with ketchup and a dusting of sand, or a tart lemonade and a corndog from Hot Dog on a Stick. However, on a recent trip to the beach, I stopped by one of Perry's Cafe's outposts, a mini-chain with locations spanning the Santa Monica coastline. After a few hours in the sun, I wanted something a little more filling than the usual basket of fries, and took a chance on the California Beach Bowl with mahi mahi. My choice was quickly affirmed when the bowl came out piled with Mexican rice, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and two strips of grilled fish. The bowl far exceeded my expectations: the fish was well-cooked and the seasoning was well-balanced throughout. Plus, Perry's Cafe also serves beer, margaritas, and more drinks that can be sipped in one of the restaurant's lounge chairs. 930 CA-1, Santa Monica, CA 90403. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Cento Raw Bar almost defies description. The restaurant's interior looks like the inside of a mermaid's cave come to life: the plaster-adorned walls have a wavy, scalloped molding that offers a 3-D effect; creamy oval sconces give the light of an anglerfish; a patch of fluorescent blue-and-green floor tiling evokes bioluminescence; teeny, spiny white chairs have a conch-like spiral on their backs. The food menu, though small, is no less fantastical—lush, buttery raw bar preparations come on pastel plates with Polly Pocket-sized cutlery. Not to be missed, of course, is the seafood tower, propped on a modular green glass serving stand with oysters on the half shell, uni, Peruvian scallops, crab legs, and fatty lobster claws. Less obvious as an order is the tuna crudo, which Cento makes stand out from others in the sea of endless tuna crudo in Los Angeles by piling the tender sliced fish with gazpacho grated tomatoes and perilla leaves. This isn't a neighborhood restaurant, more than it is an art installation. Come ready to be engaged through all senses. 4919 W. Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90016. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager As a lover of savory and salty foods, I typically refrain from sweets. I find most uncomfortably sugary, especially confectionary coffee drinks. However, Southern California continues to open fantastic bakeries that are dialing back refined sugars and letting the other ingredients shine. Case in point, San & Wolves Bakeshop in Long Beach. It's a neighborhood stop on Fourth Street slightly east of Redondo Avenue in a compact room with a few seats out front. Staff will help guide you through the display case, which is filled with Filipino-flavored and plant-based treats, including ube pan de coco, cornbread bibingkas, and ube malasadas —a raised yeast doughnut filled with ube jam, prepared as a weekend specialty item. I fell in love with the black sesame bun, which looks very much like a traditional cinnamon roll, but with owner Kym Estrada's black sesame paste. San & Wolves specializes in executing baked goods with excellent consistency. You'll never know that anything on the premises is made without butter or milk. After securing an order (get at least four goodies) from this charming space, along with a cup of coffee and this standout of a roll, you're off to a solid start or break on any given day. 3900 E. 4th Street, Long Beach, CA, 90814 — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Raphael Lunetta's tenure at Marelle has been mostly under the radar, a sleek but toned-down restaurant along Santa Monica's busy Ocean Avenue. With distant views of the beach, the Sandbourne hotel restaurant eases into weekends with a sprawling indoor-outdoor space. Long white curtains sway, and a DJ pulses out tunes as the sun sets, a fine place to tuck into Lunetta's unabashedly California cooking. The menu oozes with seasonal produce at its prime, like a stone fruit salad with arugula, endive, and ricotta salat or a leg of charred Spanish octopus laced in a savory chorizo veloute and dragon's beard greens. The lamb loin comes right out of the Jiraffe playbook, Lunetta's long-closed Santa Monica restaurant, which served a pan-roasted lamb loin with vegetable lasagna and yellowfin potato samosas in the mid-'90s. Now Lunetta serves the tender loin strips, cooked to a wonderfully juicy medium rare, with a refined ratatouille, plump spring peas, and slender roasted carrots. The dish itself felt marvelously out of season, like an early spring entree that somehow made it to the end of June because of our state's long growing season. The Pacific Coast doesn't quite conjure the south of France like this dish does, but I appreciate the juxtaposition. An ocean view adds the best kind of synergetic seasoning. 1740 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest See More:
Eater
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
4 Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles: May 16
Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: 'Where should I eat?' Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here's our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town. For a Crunchwrap Supreme that's not from Taco Bell: K Pasa When late-night cravings hit, Taco Bell is always there with a Crunchwrap Supreme ready to heal all. But now, a Koreatown taqueria is doing its own version of the signature dish that's bigger, beefier, and hits just like the original. Located next to clubstaurant Mama Lion, K Pasa serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taquitos, and ice-cold glass Mexican Coke, alongside specials like its Krunchy Wrap. The pliant floor tortilla comes filled with a choice of meat like carne asada, birria, Korean spicy pork belly, or Korean barbecue short ribs. Like the original Crunchwrap, cheese, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, onions, cilantro, and sour cream are added in, plus the signature crispy tostada. The Krunchy Wrap comes out almost double the size of Taco Bell's version, and, of course, toasted on the sides. The carne asada is flavorful and tender, served in hunks, the way it would be in tacos. And while K Pasa isn't open as late as Taco Bell, it is open until midnight for those late-ish night cravings. 3958 W. Sixth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For an easy Westside coffee-and-burrito brunch: Alfalfa Alfalfa in Santa Monica didn't initially seem like a place that would become a vital neighborhood hang: It was a transplant from Jersey; its millennial-pink facade felt pandering; and the menu of salads and wraps seemed less like what people wanted in 2021, when pandemic-era comfort food still reigned. Still, it swung in with two Angeleno-friendly breakfast burritos (one chorizo and one ancho-potato); a kaleidoscopic array of gluten-free doughnuts; and a harder-to-find, at the time, chicken Caesar wrap, which has since proliferated around the city. In the three years since it came to town, Alfalfa has expanded to a second location in Los Angeles's Larchmont neighborhood, and it now does a brisk business — people want those salads, salad wraps, and burritos. I get them frequently for easy breakfasts and not-so-sad desk lunches, and it was my breakfast choice this past Mother's Day when I wanted something easy and great to share with my husband and toddler. The potato breakfast burrito, available on a regular flour or pliable gluten-free tortilla, gets crisped on the flat-top and is served with red and green salsas; the Nutella doughnut holes hit the toddler palate just right. 2309 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager For vinyl tunes and fast Wi-Fi: Companion It's hard to find the ideal daytime working spot. Some cafes discourage weekday laptop warriors, while others just don't have very good coffee or any snacks at all. But Venice's Companion has figured out the formula for a cafe that welcomes remote workers without making the environment feel too office-y. The airy all-day cafe took over the former vegan pizzeria Double Zero, redoing the space with a white interior that feels cozy instead of cold, green tile, and shelves of vinyl records that staff switch out throughout the day. The Wi-Fi here is fast (and free), making it easy to grab a coffee and an excellent pastry and settle in at one of the tables. Unfortunately, Companion is no longer offering sandwiches during the daytime, but there are breakfast burritos on deck for something a little more filling. The only downside is that there are only a few plugs easily accessible throughout the cafe for charging, so make sure to come with a full battery or bring a mobile power bank. At night, Companion flips into a full-on restaurant and wine bar, serving pasta, pizza, salads, and more. 1700 Lincoln Boulevard, Venice, CA 90291. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a reasonably-priced Thai lunch or dinner for one in Hollywood: Luv2eat Express There are so many times in a week that I just need a quick meal without too much thought. My mind typically goes to something like Panda Express, an easy lunch or early dinner that satisfies the entire family for less than $10 a person. But recently, I had that feeling at Luv2eat Thai Express, the new outpost of Luv2eat Thai just a few doors down from its Hollywood strip mall restaurant. The bright, spacious dining room offers a bit more in the way of creature comforts compared to the similarly delicious Northern Thai Food Club. Luv2eat Express dishes have a nice balance between familiar (chicken penang and green curry, pad kra pow) and the more obscure (sour fish stew, tamarind eggs). I really like how the food is served on pressed metal plates, like a cafeteria or quick lunch in a Bangkok back alley. Expect everything to have a relatively high level of spiciness from the start, which means those more accustomed to the sweeter, milder Thai flavors will likely find Luv2eat Express too intense. But this is Los Angeles, and everyone here graduates to a master's level of Thai food knowledge in a short time. Consider Luv2eat Express your post-grad Thai experience. 6666 W. Sunset Boulevard, Unit L, Los Angeles, CA 90028. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Related The 38 Essential Restaurants in Los Angeles Sign up for our newsletter.
