Latest news with #OyBar
Los Angeles Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Chefs, comedians and actors share their favorite Valley hangs
Everyone has a Valley standby, a place they go when they want to feel at home, with little fuss, a reliable menu and friendly faces. For me it's Tiki No, a neon-lighted bar that serves up flaming Scorpion bowls in North Hollywood. We reached out to some of our favorite Valley residents, from local chefs and cookbook authors to actors, a senator, record shop owner and podcast host. Some were born and raised in the area, while others are newer residents. Alex Padilla, California senator: 'The San Fernando Valley food scene includes quality, authentic cuisine from around the world, but my comfort food favorites are still Mexican restaurants in the northeast end of the Valley. The handmade tortillas at Lenchita's in Pacoima that my dad introduced me to years ago are as good as ever. El Tarasco in Sylmar is under new ownership, but they've maintained the same high-quality ingredients — many regulars think that some of the dishes and salsas are even better than before. But what I'm most excited about right now is being able to order El Mero Mero (Pacoima) on DoorDash. You can't go wrong with any of the tacos, burritos, sopes or specialty quesadillas. Just make sure to ask for extra salsa — both green and red — because your mind and your taste buds will be blown.' Tiffani Thiessen, actor and cookbook author: 'Bill's Burgers [is] our [favorite] burger in the Valley. Super casual setting for a quick bite with the best legendary old school burger. Oy Bar [is] one of our favorite date night spots [and the] food is always on point. Casa Vega [is a] nostalgic Mexican joint that has been a staple in the Valley for many years and [I] hope it continues.' Valerie Bertinelli, actor and host: 'I love Mistral, I've been going there since the '80s, and of course, Casa Vega, we had [Wolfgang] and Andraia's rehearsal dinner there and there's little plaques in the booths for me and [Wolfgang] and [Eddie Van Halen]. And of course I was so happy when Petit Trois came to the Valley, perfect little French bistro.' Eric Warheim: comedian, winery owner and cookbook author: 'A premium Valley experience is a margarita at Casa Vega then over to Bill's Burgers: two of the realest, most L.A. spots you can find. Then Asanebo for some toro and then Anajak for some Emrich-Schönleber!' Evan Lovett, 'L.A. In a Minute' podcast host: 'I love Casa Vega because it's an institution and for what it means to the Valley. When you go in there, it's fun, it's comfortable, they have good drinks. Christy Vega cares so deeply about the legacy of her dad and going back to her grandfather, who opened Cafe Caliente on Olvera Street. Listen, in the Valley, 70 years is forever. ... When my wife and I go out to date night, we go to 'Sushi Row' on Ventura Boulevard. Our little place is Studio Sushi, right near Radford Studios. But we start at Oy Bar. It's super dark, been around since the 1970s, when it was called Oyster House, and was updated. It's kind of a Japanese-Jewish menu, but [Jeff Strauss] does a killer job.' Jaime Ray Newman, actor and producer: 'My husband and I can't live without Red Window Coffee. It used to literally be a small coffee stand where you'd get your fix through a red window, but they got so popular over the years they opened their own storefront. Owned by Aussies, they make the best oat cortado in the Valley. And they have a DJ to set the mood. Lovely baristas, their vibe is very cool, laid-back, and their beans and presentation are excellent. Ticks all our coffee snob needs. Also a shout-out to Coffee Commissary in Burbank. Love their coffee too, but their vegan chocolate chip cookies are the best in L.A.!' Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai Cuisine chef-owner: 'Me and my folks love going to Brothers [Sushi, in Woodland Hills], but actually what we love more is to do the temaki takeout and bring it back home. It's a little bit more economical, and it's very generous and it's lovely.' Philip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee, co-owners of Sushi by Scratch and Pasta Bar: '[Machu Picchu in Van Nuys] is a hole-in-the-wall Peruvian spot. Peru is our favorite country to travel to and we've spent quite a bit of time in Lima, and it's exactly like the stuff in Peru except with better product. The anticuchos are done really well. And their ceviche is the best we've had in Los Angeles. You'll tend to see a grandma in the kitchen and her grandkids playing with coloring books. Sergio Amalfitano, owner of the Midnight Hour Records: 'I happen to be vegan. At Leonor's Mexican Vegetarian in North Hollywood off Lankershim, I like the 'chicken' and cheese empanadas. Tender Grill Cafe for the falafel wrap, or the falafel plate dinner with hummus and fries. Good China in North Hollywood is a little hole-in-the-wall Chinese spot that has six or eight vegan options — honey walnut shrimp, Mongolian beef, chow mein. You would not assume it has vegan options, but it does. I just ordered Veggietize Me's vegan Western burger. They have vegan Big Mac-style and Tommy's-style burgers. Lotus Vegan, a Thai restaurant on Lankershim — awesome mom-and-pop shop. I don't drink, but I like Tony's Darts Away because they have trivia and half the menu is vegan.' Allen Yelent, Goldburger owner: 'The Valley is rich and dense and there's lots of people here, and it is one of the most beautiful parts of L.A. if you actually love and care and think about L.A. The Valley has everything. I mean, sometimes you don't even know the names of the places! There's a regular kabob spot that my dad and I always get takeout from [Malek's Grill & Kabob], on Winnetka and Vanowen. There's so many great neighborhood mom-and-pop strip mall spots doing really, really amazing food.' Danny Gordon, Heavy Handed co-owner: 'I keep talking about these sushi joints down the stretch of Ventura Boulevard. I think they're the best in L.A. and for me, as someone who's been to Japan, these Valley dive sushi spots have this sort of no-frills casualness to them that felt like one of those joints in Japan where you walk in and the guy has five or six seats and he just serves you what he wants. There's no gold leaf or caviar. It's just really good, solid fish and a couple of cooked hot items. The list goes on: Sushi Spot [in Tarzana], Niko Sushi [in Tarzana], Restaurant Tatsuki Woodland Hills, Sushi Iki [in Tarzana], Chiba in North Hollywood. There's just so many like that.' Max Miller, Heavy Handed co-owner: 'I know Danny [Gordon] and I both grew up on this, but Dan's Super Subs. They just absolutely crank out sandwich after sandwich after sandwich. And that was a staple after games: Your parents would take you and a couple kids as well, and be able to get these huge sub sandwiches.'
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Find a hidden weekend-only bar and tasting menu at one of the Valley's favorite restaurants
If you can't find Jeff Strauss in his Highland Park deli, Jeff's Table, or inside his Studio City bar-restaurant, Oy Bar, you should probably check the parking lot of the latter. The ex-television writer — now chef and restaurateur — is channeling more of his creative energy into a new, weekend-only bar and tasting menu called Vey, Oy Bar's new alfresco space built in the back parking lot. 'I wanted to do something that had as much delight and surprise without being the same experience,' Strauss said. 'We're sitting in a parking lot in Studio City, in the Valley in the summer. It was 92 degrees back here today! So I said, 'How do we celebrate that space, the night sky?'... The other idea, since we're on effectively asphalt, we're on the street, is to pay tribute to street food both here and all over the world.' He fashioned new walls from his storage unit behind Oy Bar, while artist Nick 'Sick' Fisher painted them as a kind of home interior in surreal, almost cartoon-like fashion. At one corner, Strauss and sous chef Esteban Palacios grill crisp-edged onigiri, yakitori-style chicken liver with egg and hot honey, and scallops dripping with gochujang butter over binchotan charcoal, while a pizza oven warms whole heads of mushroom in soy and butter in cast-iron skillets. Sometimes they offer small plates, other times, like this weekend, a reservation-only, six-course tasting menu for what Strauss likens to 'a casual, rolling omakase.' On Friday and Saturday nights, guests fill the tandem concept while waiting for indoor tables, or use Vey as their meal and cocktail destination for the evening. The experience, like Vey's culinary inspirations, is meant to be flexible and fluid. 'People have taken to that very nicely,' Strauss said. 'It feels fun to me. I hope it feels fun to them.' Vey is accessed through the back of Oy Bar, and is open Friday and Saturday beginning at 6:30 p.m., with variable hours. Strauss hopes to expand its days of operation in the future. 12446 Moorpark St., Studio City, They call it a California bistro, but really, chef Miles Thompson said, it's 'an Angeleno bistro.' The new 36-seat restaurant from Thompson and his sommelier business partner, Andy Schwartz, debuted earlier this year in Victor Heights with hyper-local sourcing and a wide-ranging menu that draws on Japanese, Korean, Italian, Mexican, French and more flavors. 'I think the food is really defined by the cultures of Los Angeles,' Thompson said. 'If you already eat at any of the regional or international restaurants in this city, you'll find inspiring foods that go into this menu.' It began as a pop-up, which debuted at the base of Koreatown's Hotel Normandie in June 2023. Thompson, a former Michael's and Konbi chef, teamed up with Schwartz, formerly of Lolo Wine Bar, to serve a tight menu of seasonal dishes by candlelight. Now in its permanent home, the duo are leaning into their creativity and finding their footing. Thompson ages wild-caught squid for five days before slicing it and tossing it in a cucumber and yuzu kosho salad. His ginger-marinated prawns come plancha-seared and served over a puttanesca-leaning sauce, then garnished with Hot Cheetos-inspired fried enoki mushrooms. He drapes burnt eggplant over house-made chicken sausage with fish sauce, Hungarian wax peppers and chile de arbol. Even Thompson's signature planks of lightly fermented, fluffy house bread update with local produce. The dough is packed with sweet caramelized onions; in one iteration it's topped with Liptauer cheese and more marinated onions, and in another, it's Franklin's Teleme cheese and marinated squash. The three compact rooms in a converted bungalow — part of the reimagined courtyard that also houses Perilla, Bakers Bench and Cassell's — offer the soft glow of candlelight with a view of the open kitchen. On the patio, take in the small grove of century-old banana trees. Baby Bistro's à la carte menu is designed to share between two people, and many customers order it all. 'If you're looking to really experience the beating heart of the restaurant,' Schwartz said, 'it's in the menu.' Daily specials might involve items more flexible to the whims of the farmers market, either in small plates or a larger meat dish. The intimate new setting also allows for Schwartz to rotate his wine offerings frequently. His list spotlights natural wines, often small producers making esoteric flavors or blends. He's enjoying creating pairings for Thompson's cuisine, which he characterizes as 'classically challenging to pair with': unique concentrations of flavors, attention paid largely to acidity. The challenge is part of the fun. 'That speaks to the connection between the wines that I like, and the ones that we serve at the restaurant, which can taste different every day,' Schwartz said. 'That's sort of the nature of real cooking and real wine.' Baby Bistro is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 p.m., with its last seating at 9:30 p.m. 1027 Alpine St., Los Angeles, With laminated egg tarts, whimsical pastries, lines out the door and plenty of cute puppies, a prolific China bakery chain has touched down in Beverly Hills. Hi Bake, founded in Hong Kong, has expanded to more than 60 shops in China over the last 12 years, and thanks to a new partnership with Chubby Group (Niku X, Chubby Cattle), it just landed in the U.S. Its first American location takes over the former home of Sur Le Vert and Bouchon, and offers a number of the signature items found overseas: Tokyo banana rolls, thousand-layer cakes, meat floss rolls and egg tarts. Loaded toasts, flattened croissants, Dubai-chocolate tarts and fluffy matcha rolls all line the pastry case, while a separate pickup counter for cream-top matchas, pistachio lattes and other caffeinated beverages can be found next door. Hi Bake is extremely pet-friendly, hosting adoption events for cats and dogs around the world; the bakery's own emblem is a drawing of Dà Mài, the founder's own rescue dog. In Beverly Hills, expect house-made pet treats in the near future. Hi Bake is open Monday and Wednesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 235 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, It's not every day that Evan Funke opens a new concept, let alone a dedicated cocktail bar, but the celebrated pasta-focused chef recently launched Bar Avoja, a new semi-hidden cocktail lounge inside his Hollywood restaurant, Mother Wolf. Much like the restaurant, Bar Avoja is a partnership with co-owner Giancarlo Pagani, and it's accessed only by walking through the lounge area of Mother Wolf. It fills the former Mars bar space (which was also owned by Pagani), and features separate food and cocktail menus in a setting inspired by a Roman villa: jewel-tone curtains and pillows meant for lounging, while a disco ball reflects off the walls and gold-gilded mirrors. On Thursdays, find vinyl DJ sets, but every night of service find spuntini informed by Roman street food, including an oxtail-meatball sandwich on pizza dough; fried carbonara bites; flatbreads piled with salad, salmon or sugo; and grilled octopus skewers. Bar Avoja — slang for 'hell yeah' — is open Thursday to Saturday from 6 to 11 p.m. 1545 Wilcox Ave., Los Angeles, This popular Bay Area bagel outfit made its L.A. debut earlier this year, and it's already expanding. Boichik Bagels, from former engineer Emily Winston, serves the New York-style bagels she enjoyed throughout her childhood in the Northeast. Now it serves them at the base of one of L.A.'s most iconic buildings, downtown's Bradbury Building. The new bagel shop offers the same range of bagels found in the Los Feliz location — including bagel sandwiches, more than a dozen bagel flavors, and schmear in options like hatch chile, chive or lox — with its own unique menu of daily specials. Look for whitefish-salad sandwiches, kippered salmon, frozen take-home bagels, coffee and more. Boichik Bagels is open downtown daily from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 304 S. Broadway, Los Angeles,
