Latest news with #Oaxacan
Eater
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
Welcome to the Jungle Bar
is a journalist and longtime Las Vegas resident who has been covering entertainment and following trends within the city's restaurant and bar scene for the better part of two decades. The crew behind the popular dog-themed shipwreck bar Stray Pirate is trading pups for cats — big cats. On Thursday, June 12, they unveiled Prowl right next door, a new jungle-inspired cocktail lounge with shadowy rock walls and adventurous cocktails — all under the watchful gaze of a black panther that stalks silently across the screens behind the bar. Chris 'Tater' Gutierrez, general manager and cocktail creator at both Stray Pirate and Prowl, saw an opportunity when the T-shirt shop closed next door. But he didn't want to disrupt the cozy, chaotic vibe he fostered at Stray Pirate. 'So we wanted to do something else and create an entirely different bar, a bit the same, but more refined,' he says. Inspired by Elvis's Jungle Room at Graceland, Gutierrez leaned into the kitsch: a moss-covered lava rock wall with a carved Olmec face, a crystal-lined cave hallway, and two standout bathrooms — one with an overhead butterfly display and the other with twinkling fiber optic 'fireflies' dangling from the ceiling. The 1,200-square-foot room seats just under 50 and features a retro feel with booths of burnt orange and avocado green beneath glowing glass orbs. Prowl. Louiie Victa Prowl's cocktails follow the same inventive playbook Gutierrez developed next door at Stray Pirate — housemade syrups, fresh fruit, and unexpected flavors, all anchored by top-shelf spirits. Think ingredients like mashed sugar snap peas, honeydew, and housemade orgeat made from roasted pepitas, and a ginger beer infused with makrut lime leaf and hibiscus. It's a style Gutierrez has honed over the years behind the bar at the likes of Corduroy, Oak & Ivy, and Atomic Liquors. The drinks at Prowl are cheeky by design. Gutierrez describes the Jungle Spirits menu as 'playfully raunchy,' with irreverent names and cult movie references. There's Sex Panther, a blend of reposado tequila and Oaxacan rum served in a ceramic panther head and teased on the menu as containing 'bits of real panther.' For a Good Time Call includes an actual phone number that patrons can dial for entertainment. 'We're trying to make the menu lighthearted and fun to read,' Gutierrez says. But for him, it's still all about what's in the glass. Monstera Mash combines Capurro Quebranta Pisco with savory sugar snap peas, citrus, mint, elderflower, cardamom, and egg white. The Cougar is a light grapefruit-and-rose vodka drink, while the Morning Wood blends Vesta coffee with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, maple, Italian amaro, and sherry for something bold, balanced, and a little bit naughty. Prowl. Louiie Victa Prowl's opening is the latest sign of the cocktail bar revolution that's happening in the Arts District. It joins other new arrivals like Natalie Young's Echo Taste and Sound, James Tree's Petite Boheme, Corner Bar Management's Doberman, and Nocturno from Milpa's DJ Flores — all run by bartenders with deep roots in Vegas and serious culinary chops. Together, they're redefining the Las Vegas cocktail bar: serving elevated drinks in high-concept spaces built for bar-hopping nights in a walkable, fast-evolving neighborhood. 'This is the area where people's dreams are coming true,' Gutierrez says about the Arts District. 'You can go into a spot and see somebody's dream come together within four walls.' Louiie Victa Prowl. Louiie Victa Prowl. Louiie Victa
CBS News
13-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
San Francisco chef faces tariffs, fears of ICE raids while fighting to preserve Oaxacan culture
Isai Cuevas has come a long way from his days as a dishwasher. Now the proud chef and owner of Donaji, a Oaxacan restaurant in San Francisco's Mission District, Cuevas said quality has always been a priority. But between the struggles brought on by COVID-19 and now rising tariffs, he's growing increasingly concerned. "To-go stuff comes from overseas, most of them, and we got hit — that, the tariffs. We are a Mexican restaurant — avocados, limes — that's another thing that could affect us," Cuevas said. He's referring to a 30% tariff on Mexican imports set to go into effect on Aug. 1. Even as he braces for the economic hit, Cuevas said he's doing everything possible to keep prices reasonable for his guests. "We are just trying to balance it out. We are in a neighborhood, the Mission, which is Latino. We just don't want to be expensive for people. We are just trying to manage the prices as best as we can," he said. Cuevas believes the only way to make that happen is to bring more people into the restaurant. Despite Donaji being featured in the Michelin Guide, he's noticed fewer guests — a drop he attributes to fear following recent ICE raids across California. "I can see it because there are not much Latinos getting out, eating. We are just like, not comfortable. We are not comfortable going out. We are not comfortable right now with the scenario that is happening," Cuevas said. But no matter the mounting pressures, he refuses to compromise the quality of his dishes. From fresh Oaxacan cheese to flavorful moles, Cuevas said he's proud to share his heritage. "Great food, great environment, and I think that's one more thing that I want to keep alive, is our culture, our traditions. And the only way to do it is just doing it and sharing it with people — to keep it alive," he said. For Isai Cuevas, this isn't just about keeping a restaurant open, it's about keeping a culture and a community thriving.
Eater
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
One of LA's Best Thai Restaurants Is Expanding With Two New Locations
is an editor of the Southern California/Southwest region, who covers the evolving landscape of LA's food scene. It's gearing up to be an exciting summer for Holy Basil. Wedchayan 'Deau' Arpapornnopparat's Bangkok-style Thai restaurant is relocating from its original location in Downtown LA to the former Guerrilla Tacos space in the Arts District. The Downtown location on the first floor of Santee Court Apartment will remain open until the move, which is slated for this fall. The Arts District location will feature an expanded menu, along with a beverage program from partner Joy Yuon. But before Holy Basil makes the move to the Arts District, Arpapornnopparat will open a new location of the restaurant in Santa Monica at the end of July. While Holy Basil expands, Arpapornnopparat and Yuon are already cooking up their next idea. The duo is set to open Yhing Yhang BBQ inside the forthcoming Maydan Market in West Adams. The restaurant, which translates to 'more grill' in Thai, will serve gai yhang (grilled chicken thighs) and neuh yhang (grilled beef short ribs), alongside roasted duck curry, among other dishes. Yhing Yhang will be joined by a new Oaxacan stand from Poncho's Tlayudas chef Alfonso 'Poncho' Martinez, Rose Previte's Michelin-starred restaurant Maydan, and more. Mr. Beef is coming to LA On the heels of the release of the latest season of The Bear, Mr. Beef is returning to Los Angeles for a pop-up at Uncle Paulie's Deli on July 19 and 20. The restaurant and its beef sandwiches served as the inspiration for The Bear's fictional restaurant, the Original Beef of Chicagoland. Alongside the sandwiches, Courtney Storer (the culinary producer and a co-executive producer on The Bear) will serve Italian ice from her pop-up, Coco's to Go. A pickle cart sponsored by HexClad and exclusive merchandise will also be on-site. Claud comes to Los Angeles Acclaimed New York restaurant Claud is headed to Los Angeles for a one-night-only collaboration with Dunsmoor on August 7. The set-price menu will be served family-style, with courses that encompass raw, larder, main, and dessert. Tickets are priced at $135 per person, and reservations can be made on OpenTable. Beer and wine at Skaf's on York Highland Park's Lebanese restaurant, Skaf's on York, just added beer and wine to its menu. Head over to the casual eatery for a glass of natural wine or Lebanese beer paired with shawarma plates and hummus. Holbox heads west Chef Gilberto Cetina of Michelin-Starred Holbox is headed to Venice on July 22 for a one-night-only collaborative dinner with Chef José Olmedo Carles Rojas of Si! Mon. The pair will present a six-course tasting menu, priced at $180 per person, and a cantina-style a la carte menu. Reservations are currently sold out on Resy, but limited walk-ins are available. 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
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
4 Restaurants to Try Fourth of July Weekend in Los Angeles
Skip to main content Current eater city: Los Angeles 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. Whatever your Fourth of July plans are, a really great hot dog and cold beer should be part of them. And while grilling at home and hosting is great, sometimes you want to leave the cooking up to someone else. At Walt's in Eagle Rock, hot dogs are always ready in the warmer, and ice-cold Hamm's only cost a few dollars. Plenty of LA restaurants are doing a knife-and-fork-required preparation of the hot dog, with wagyu and all manner of luxury ingredients, but Walt's keeps it simple with just a ketchup and mustard-topped dog. Grab a beer (or a glass of wine), a hot dog, and head out to the back patio to find a film photo booth and plenty of seating. The warm pretzels are also worth an order. When you're done at Walt's, head a block down to Capri Club for Negronis or martinis. 4680 Eagle Rock Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90041. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Larchmont may be one of Los Angeles's great people-watching destinations, with crowds dipping in and out of niche fragrance shops and lining up for hulking Levain chocolate chip cookies. One of the best patios to watch all the hustle and bustle without being caught up in it is at Great White, an Australian all-day cafe with wicker lamps and sidewalk seating. Drop by for a breakfast burrito stuffed with scrambled eggs and Oaxacan cheese, or stick around for lunch, featuring chicken kebabs and smoked salmon pizza. The drinks program is also solid, offering coffee, cocktails, matcha, green juice, and various teas. This is definitely a see-and-be-seen type of spot, so don't be surprised if you end up in the background of a TikTok. 244 N. Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90004. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest The Los Angeles sandwich superstars behind Bread Head just opened a second location of their focaccia sandwich shop in Manhattan Beach steps away from the water on Manhattan Avenue. Here, you can get summer's ultimate sandwich — a peak-season tomato BLT, obviously — on salty, crackly bread that texturally crosses somewhere between focaccia and ciabatta. The Bread Head BLT, swiped with garlic mayo and piled with iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, and Nueske's bacon, makes for near-ideal picnic fare once you add companions like the store's 'picnic nachos,' which is really a small tub of homemade pimento cheese with Have'a tortilla chips, and an icy Arnold Palmer. Mix and match with the half-sandwich option or go all in on the one you love most. Vegetarian options include a mozzarella sandwich, stacked high with alfalfa sprouts; the shop doesn't have a gluten-free focaccia supplier yet but one day, we're sure, it will (maybe someone nearby in Venice can help). 1129 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach, CA, 90266. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager If you love the pizzeria Bettina in Montecito, you're sure to love its little sister Tina's Pizza in Linden Square, a new retail market and food hall just three blocks away from the beach in Carpinteria, California. Find pies like the cacio e pepe (mozzarella, ricotta, pecorino sardo, cracked black pepper) and meat lover's (sausage, pepperoni, pickled onion), plus simple green salads, antipasti (think wagyu arancini and buttery garlic knots), a couple of sandwiches, and desserts like kid-friendly olive oil cupcakes crowned with orange buttercream. Make it a feast at Tina's Pizza or crawl your way through the market, which is also home to Santa Barbara favorites Corazon Cocina and Dart Coffee Company. Once sated and — if needed — caffeinated, hit the sand. 732 Linden Avenue, Carpinteria, CA 93013. — Nicole Adlman, Eater cities manager See More:
Time Out
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
One of Mexico City's top chefs is now cooking in Sydney – but not for long
Santa Catarina – Sydney's high-end Mexican restaurant and mezcal bar and sibling to Bondi's Carbón – is currently hosting renowned Mexican chef Diana López del Río for a short-term residency. The owner and head chef of MUX in Mexico City – once recognised by Eater as one of the city's essential dining spots – Diana brings with her two decades of experience and an incredible gift of storytelling through food. Don't come expecting a burrito. Diana specialises in regional Mexican cuisine – food like nothing else you'll find in Sydney right now. Mark this down: On Wednesday, July 2, Santa Catarina will be offering a one-off special tasting menu experience by Diana for lunch and dinner, where she will guide you through each course, giving you insight into her culture and heritage – complete with matching drinks, live music and Diana's signature mole that takes two days to prepare and features more than 30 ingredients. 'This is not Tex-Mex. This is not Baja. This is Oaxacan food, the way it's made at home, by hands that remember,' says Diana. 'Every dish is a story not just of flavour, but of survival, identity and resistance.' Can't make Wednesday? No worries. Diana's menu will be available to the public at Santa Catarina from July 7. Enjoy things like chalupitas de pato (lightly fried corn tortillas with duck); verduras y queso en escabeche (zippy pickled vegetables and cheese); pink snapper con mole alcaparrado (snapper served with a tangy caper mole); pollo al mezcal (mezcal-marinated chicken); sope Ayala (a thick corn tortilla loaded with salsa and beans); and calabaza en dulce (a traditional dessert featuring candied pumpkin). We got a sneak peek and can say Diana's food is vibrant, rich and spectacular. Of course, a nip or two of mezcal is not mandatory, but it's encouraged. Find out more and book your seat at the table here.
