The 55 best dishes and drinks in Los Angeles in 2019

By all logic, it shouldn’t work. There’s a banana pancake, which evokes both a comy, lazy breakfast at home and the best banana bread you’ve ever had, but in Joshua Skenes’s world—specifically his first Los Angeles restaurant—it serves as more of a blini. That’s because it’s a bready bed for reserve caviar, and lots of it, bumping that pancake into oil-baron status and slathering it with house cultured banana butter, making for a sweet, familiar bite that pops with salinity and the sea. (Leave it to one of the country’s top seafood chefs to make caviar work with banana.) There’s been some dispute as to how you eat this one: fold it like a taco, or use a knife and fork? Whatever the mode of transportation, you’ll probably find that Skenes’s take on caviar service is one of the most original of 2019. $88 per ounce of caviar. —SB

This was a year of shrimp toast, but none shone so bright as Mei Lin’s in every sense. Floating in a near-neon pool of green, perfectly-spiced Cantonese curry, Nightshade’s take on the comforting Chinese dish stood apart from the rest, visually, and that small mountain of fried curry leaves didn’t hurt, either. But Lin’s shrimp toast—plump with plenty of prawn meat in the paste—matches high quality with its haute sensibility, giving us a creamy-crunchy must-order dish that practically begs to be licked from the stylish ceramic bowl and obliterated on every visit (almost a shame, considering how flawless and composed those diagonal rectangles always look before we get to them). $25. —SB

I’d say chefs Jihee Kim and Joshua Pressman are making magic in the kitchen, but it’s really their hours of work and care and expertise that’ve been putting some of 2019’s most exciting food in L.A. on the table. At Dandi, their modern Korean tasting-menu pop-up, days and sometimes weeks of prep lead to creative, ambitious small plates punctuated by kimchi, mellowed by silken tofu, electrified by hot peanut mustard. Everything on the menu appeals, but I’ve found it hard to stray from the beef-tongue jjim, meaty and marinated until tender, then spooned over a tostada shell with kimchi, and finally, draped by melty cheese and delicate chive blossoms. Find it on their tasting menu, and find them in a monthly residency at Hotel Normandie (January ticket cost TBA). —SB

The pizza is a must at Ronan, but don’t let all that blistered-crust dough and gooey, melty cheese stop you from ordering a little bit of, oh, everything else. If the Chinese long beans are on the menu, it’s imperative you order them, but whether or not you share is up to you. The world went hard for zucchini noodles, but apparently we all missed the boat with long beans, who serve as spaghetti in Ronan’s genius adaptation of the rich, pork-laden pasta dish. Here, the veggies come twirled in guanciale gravy and peppered with cured egg yolk just to further stunt on all the other noodle-less noodle dishes, past and present. $17. —SB

Like some sort of stoner food of the gods, Rice Box’s egg rolls ooze volcanic-hot monterey jack cheese that’s studded with mounds of the restaurant’s tender, long-roasted, sweet-savory char siu. It’s all rolled up in a wonton wrapper and fried to a perfect golden brown, a salty and creamy and crunchy and gooey snack so brilliant we can’t believe it hasn’t popped up in kitchens much sooner. Thankfully Leo and Lydia Lee are making them in their fast-casual Cantonese shop, and three to an order, which is probably for the best (any more in a box and we’d demolish those, too). $8.50. —SB

Sometimes I wonder what I could accomplish if I had the patience of Vartan Abgaryan, who not only spends a good chunk of his days carefully flipping what must be dozens upon dozens of rye crepes, but then spends even more time carefully spreading the most silken chicken-liver filling between each layer. What results is a labor of love devoured in seconds, and understandably so; the mille crepe at Yours Truly is as pretty as the restaurant’s  Abbot Kinney clientele, and one of the most delectable chicken-liver vehicles I’ve seen in years. Each sliver arrives with a trio of accoutrements—apricot mostarda, tomato jam and artichoke persillade—all fantastic enough to almost inspire me to start making jams and persillades at home. (Again, if I only had the patience of Vartan Abgaryan.) $15. —SB

Los Angeles serves up plenty of fresh seafood and some of the West Coast’s best Italian restaurants, but when it comes to a meeting of the two, it’s hard to beat Michael Cimarusti. The Michelin-starred Providence chef is better known for his immaculate seafood tasting menu, but this Italian-American knows a thing or two about a no-holds-barred frito misto, too, and at his gem of a seafood counter inside Eataly, you can find some of the best fried fish in town. With a perfectly light and crisp coating—but not too much—Cimarusti’s take coats unbelievably fresh shrimp, scallops and calamari, not to mention a side of charred lemon for a pop of acidity. $17. —SB

My local deli doesn’t serve sandwiches or bagels—instead it cooks up grab-and-go Japanese street food and warm bowls of noodles and rice. If comfort food is your objective, the dinner-only oyako soba is the go-to: juicy, diced chicken thigh, egg and soy-sauce–simmered onions sit atop a bed of soba noodles and chopped seaweed, with a side of miso soup to up the that-hits-the-spot factor. $12.95. –MJ

Freedman’s was always a choice restaurant from the jump, but this year chef Ryan Costanza joined the team and began fleshing out the already enticing Jewish-American menu. In addition to the greats (don’t worry, those fish cigars aren’t going anywhere), you can find some phenomenal specials (hello, chicken-heart yakitori with golden raisins) and a dish I’m still mulling over months later, Costanza’s skillful pierogi. Toeing the line between pierogi and agnolotti, the thin, house-made dough came flush with braised oxtail, all folded up into tidy parcels and seared on each side. Served with blackberries, oxtail jus and lemon, it was bright, meaty and just a taste of what Costanza has up his sleeves. $23. —SB

There’s a lot to keep you lingering at the reimaged Formosa Cafe: the cozy old red car dining room, a dramatically-lit bar top rescued from Chinatown and some seriously dangerous mai tais. But above all, it was the fish dumplings that kept me put at my table. Filled with just white fish, ginger and garlic, the venue must’ve slipped some of its Old Hollywood magic into these salty, one-bite bits of bliss because I quickly lost count of how many I’d downed or even ordered (alright, I’ll chalk that up to the mai tais). $13. –MJ

There are perfect bites, and then there’s the pork nigiri at Spoon & Pork. It’s hard to imagine a more succulent and tender slab of marinated pork belly than what Raymond Yaptinchay and Jay Tugas roast and serve over rice, a nigiri set that serves traditional Filipino comfort-food flavor in a new way. Each piece is two bites, max, which is a shame because you’re going to want it to last, all crunchy from the crispy garlic and nori, and bright from the chives and that single dot of chili sauce. Good thing these come two to an order. (We’re telling you now, you won’t want to share this plate.) $7. —SB

A string of disappointing dinners in Palm Springs pushed me toward sticking mostly to supermarket snacks poolside instead—until I first visited Sandfish. Whiskey and raw fish may seem like an odd close to a scorching day, but it’s all I crave now on trips to the desert, particularly the restaurant’s namesake dish: a spicy tuna roll topped with a tangle of fried potato threads that’ll have you mopping up every bit of spicy aioli and teriyaki sauce. Make sure to wash it down with a Japanese old-fashioned. $19.75 –MJ

I was already jealous of Long Beach’s killer new tiki bar, but when I finally bit into its Thai-tea–brined fried chicken sandwich, I was practically sobbing. This is a sandwich I want near me at all times. There’s a slight creaminess from the brine, and an unmistakable black-tea flavor that doesn’t overpower the bird—though it does color it a fun ceylon-tinted orange around the edges. Brightened by a green papaya slaw, it’s a fun, funky, tropical and wholly original sandwich I haven’t stopped thinking about for months. $12. —SB

What makes a perfect lobster roll? Is it the meat-to-brioche ratio? Nailing the ideal claw-to-tail mixture? Maybe the seasoning? Is it the warm butter or mayo? Your mileage may vary, but wherever you land, Broad Street Oyster Co. is surely the winner, turning out the best lobster roll in town, whether you like ‘em warm, buttery and toasty, or chilled and New England-style. But the pop-up—now with a permanent outpost in Malibu—will do you one better, and give your roll plenty of add-on options such as uni, caviar and shaved truffle—or, if you really want to go big, all three. $22. —SB

In a year of smashburger newcomers, one managed to rise above the crispy-edged rest. Beer Belly’s Jimmy Han teamed up with chef Aaron Lopez, influencer Michael Pak, and—of all things—an athletic group (the ultra popular Koreatown Run Club) to bring us an assembly-line operation that sets up shop in front of the LINE Hotel by night, and Smorgasburg by (Sun)day. The team cranks out unbelievable tender beef patties seared to a lacy rim, then stacks them and smothers them in cheese and throws them on a potato bun. The special sauce and seasoned fries are what really make the Love Hour burgers sing, but even without, they’ve quickly become a go-to at all hours. $6. —SB

All Day Baby is proof that every diner should come equipped with a meat smoker, and if you’re looking for even more incentive, we’d like to point your attention to the Beef and Cheese. Thin, perfectly smoked slices of seasoned beef stack in medium-rare waves on a brioche roll and get absolutely doused in a creamy, gooey, rich tie-dye of cheese sauce and horseradish mayo for a comforting, eyes-roll-back-in-your-head bite. $15. —SB

When the Frogtown sandwich spot expanded to its second location, it brought along a Chinatown-only entry that’s among the best of its NPR personality-named menu items. This loaded turkey sandwich is messy, for sure, but you’ll be scavenging for every last bit of the sweet-and-spicy cabbage-citrus-solano slaw—not to mention the miso-sesame–smeared fluffy focaccia it’s all piled on top of. $14. —MJ

It’s easy to get lost in Ototo’s thorough, down-the-rabbit-hole sake list of rare and fun and whimsical imports; thankfully, this new bar also has some fantastic bites to pad your stomach when you do. The katsu sando might be the favorite, and it’s also the messiest: How the crisp coating around those plump chicken thighs manages to maintain its crunch under all of that tonkatsu sauce and cabbage slaw is beyond us, but we can’t spend too much time thinking about it. We’re too busy sopping up the excess juices with the milk bread. $12. —SB

To know Joy is to love it, and to also understand that there is no bad order here. Vivian Ku’s fast-casual Taiwanese follow-up to Pine & Crane nails the small plates, the mochi, the cold salads and the noodle bowls, but we’ve found it impossible to skip the thousand-layer pancake all wrapped up and bundling melty cheddar, fried egg, chili sauce and plenty of fresh Thai basil. It’s flaky and hearty and just the right level of greasy, all lightened and spiced by the chili and fresh herbage. It’s a meal on its own, but trust us: If you’re dining with a group, just get one or two for the whole table—everyone’s going to want a bite. $8. —SB

L.A.’s most irreverent deli hit the scene this year with E Stretto, the tightest, most Simpsons-lovingest sandwich shop in town. You can catch the show on TV at almost all hours, while a “666: HELL, admit one” sticker and a cheeky sandwich board remind you it’s all fun here (like you could ever forget). The handful of Italian-inspired sandwiches are all pretty clutch, but the signature is the Ill Papa, a heaping stack of mortadella, capicolla, Spanish chorizo, manchego, tomato, lettuce, a perfect house-made giardiniera, a splash of red wine vinaigrette and some house dijonaise. Like the name suggests, it’s ill as hell. $14. —SB

With pancakes this rich and decadent, it almost feels like you’re eating dessert for breakfast—almost. The savory edge of that nutty, earthy praline maple sauce eases every stack back toward savory territory, while the thick, fluffy and almost cake-like disks taste perfectly, only lightly sugared. We crave them when we’re hungover, we crave them in the late afternoon, we crave them on weekdays. Fortunately, Sibling Rival serves ’em ’round the clock and as singles, doubles or triples. There’s a reason these pancakes made our list of the best in NYC, and why we couldn’t contain ourselves when we learned they were coming here. $9. —SB

L.A. is home to plenty of killer bagels, but when it comes to bagel sandwiches, it’s hard to beat Belle’s. The cause of lines down York starting as early as 7am, this bagel baker sets up shop in the walk-up window of music venue the Hi Hat, slinging some of the best and most perfectly chewy rounds in town. The sandwich options come stacked high and dripping with unique and totally house-made spreads, including—and this is important—the sweet-salty tomato jam. If you’re opting for a Belle’s breakfast sandwich, always add the tomato jam to your egg and cheese. If you’re anything like us, you’re also going to want to add the pastrami, which makes for an ideal way to wake up. $12.50. —SB

One of the year’s best newcomers crops up one day a week, and with one dish only, and no matter what it is, we can almost guarantee you’re going to like it. That’s because chef-founder Zoe Komarin’s Wednesday morning Highland Park pita party is half about the fantastic food, and half about the communal backyard hang of it all. Fluffy, pliant pita gets stuffed with whatever vegetables and garden-fresh spreads and seeds Komarin might be feeling that week, usually piling scrambled eggs (or vegan “eggs”) in among the likes of sweet potatoes, persimmon sauce, tahini, rosemary jam, beets, marinated feta, dill, pickled onions, watermelon radish, flower petals—you name it. Find Komarin keeping fans of all ages fed, talking and making new pita friends behind Collage Coffee starting at 8:30am on Wednesdays. (Note: Zoe Food Party doesn’t return from the holidays until January 15). $10. —SB

Credit where credit’s due: Foxy’s isn’t the newest or shiniest restaurant in town, but it is still without a doubt one of the best breakfast spots in all of Los Angeles—and the weekend lines out the door mean business. The classic A-frame diner packs crowds for a lengthy list of brunch and breakfast staples (Benedicts, pancakes, baked eggs) but our move is always the Mexican food, and specifically the barbacoa plate: The tri-tip simmers with three varieties of chili pepper for hours, imparting rich, deep flavor to the gravy that seeps its way into the meat. Served with silky beans and rice, plus tortillas and salsa, it’s a complete breakfast that’s big enough to share (or a meal for one that keeps especially well until the next day). $14. —SB

Chef Matt Molina garnered his reputation with expert Italian cuisine, but on weekends at his Highland Park spot, it’s more about classic American comforts done right. His griddled buttermilk hotcakes are an ode to simplicity, upgraded: These stacks come gluten-free, and thanks to the tapioca flour, they’re light and perfectly chewy inside—but seared to a point of near caramelization on the top and bottom, providing just a tiny bit of crunch to complement the fluffy interior. $9. —SB

In L.A. frozen treats, there exist two eras: that before Antico’s freshly spun ice cream, and after. Chad Colby’s rustic Italian den is a cozy and welcoming hub for pastas, artful antipasti and hearth-fired steaks, but the gem of the menu might just be the dessert, specifically the ice cream whirled and whipped by a machine that came straight from Italy and turns out some of the silkiest, most mouth-pleasing ice cream we’ve ever tasted. Available in three or four flavors at a time—chocolate, honeycomb, strawberry and a seasonal offering—each cup comes spun so fast that the center dips below the edges, creating a cup within a cup that gets filled by the likes of cookies, toasted marshmallow fluff, olive oil, fruit and mint. $9. —SB

It’s safe to say that I’ve thought about this dessert more than any other this year, and given its pedigree, I guess I shouldn’t have been all that surprised. Before Lincoln Carson opened his stellar Arts District brasserie, he served as the pastry chef for Michael Mina’s influential and cross-country restaurant group. And so, as it happens, his pastries at Bon Temps are superb, whether they’re croissants in the morning bakery case, gallettes at lunch or indulgent dishes for the end of a dinner. His soufflé is worth pining over all by its lonesome, a textbook-perfect, light-as-air cylinder of egg and flour and chocolate, encrusted with showy flakes of sugar around the rim. Of course, it doesn’t end there; he spoons ice cream atop the center, which falls to the soufflé’s core, and it’s this house-made green chartreuse ice cream—whose flavor mingles with the chocolate—that adds an herbal, light-liquored note to the more classic dessert. Will I ever stop thinking about it? Probably not. $18. —SB

Max Boonthanakit built the pastry menu at Nightshade, and though he’s since left, it’s impossible not to thank him one hundred times over for the dessert program he founded. Each dish reads like art—patterned marble that’s actually white chocolate; a sphere dusted in green passion fruit chocolate—but involves an element of play and plenty of discovery, which goes hand in hand with chef Mei Lin’s colorful and globe-trotting modern Chinese savories. My personal favorite (though I advise you to order them all) is the guava, which lies hidden under that faux marble and tastes something like the best cheesecake you’ve ever had. $16. —SB

I don’t say this lightly: These might be the best churros I’ve ever tasted. With a fluffy, near-gooey interior guarded by a hot-from-the-fryer crust that rains sugar, Eat Metzli’s churros deliver a kind of textural quality found in something more akin to canelé than the traditional churro. Alejandro and Vanessa Silva, the husband-and-wife team behind this market-fresh taco pop-up, don’t always offer their churros but if you happen to catch Eat Metztli—usually at Melody both at night and during weekend brunch—and the sweets are available, you’d be a fool to skip ‘em. (I almost was, and I won’t ever be again.) $7. —SB

Historic Filipinotown is brimming with creativity and culture, making it our top neighborhood of the year for good reason. Among our favorite restaurants, bars and shops cropping up and keeping its heritage strong is new cocktail destination Thunderbolt, a casual, cool and comfortable neighborhood spot that blends Southern flavor with a whole world of influence. In the P-Town Boxing Club, the bar tips its hat to HiFi’s roots with a complex, tropical take on an old-fashioned that’s built on coconut-washed rye, pandan and bitters, for a refreshing tipple that feels nostalgic and new at the same time. $12. —SB

Yael Vengroff is doing some of her wildest work over at Genghis Cohen—and that’s saying something, considering the bar lead’s usual colorful and sparkly (but always thoughtful) concoctions over at Spare Room. This year she finished her overhaul of the Fairfax institution’s beverage program, giving us the “Foo Foo Drinks” of our dreams, and a rundown of cocktails weird and wonderful enough to complement the Jewish-American Chinese restaurant with a long and storied history. While there’s plenty to love on the new drinks menu, we can’t get over the Hebrew School, a new-age mai tai made with blended scotch, aged rum, spiced pineapple cordial, salted-macadamia, lime and a float of Manischewitz—garnished with a Star of David flag, naturally. $14. —SB

When a bar opens in ever-changing Echo Park, it’s bound to draw a good amount of skepticism. But we dare you to ascend the stairs into this handsome elevated drinkery and not immediately be taken by it. Karla Flores-Mercado’s airy, tasteful space (with a lovely back patio) slings a lot of great tipples, but we’re partial to this tall, flower-topped tart stunner, a delightful mix of rum, absinthe, pomegranate and pineapple. $16. —Tim Lowery

There’s a Star Wars-inspired cantina at Disneyland where you can get buzzed and then jump in line to pilot the Millennium Falcon next door. That alone would be enough to sell sci-fi fans on the spot, so it’s a galactic miracle that the pre-batched cocktails are actually good. You’ll find fun entries like the Jet Juice, a sweet, straight-to-business bourbon shooter perfect for a first round, or the Fuzzy Tauntaun, a peachy vodka and schnapps concoction with foam floating on top that’ll leave your lips tingling. But the Dagobah Slug Slinger is easily the bar’s most balanced libation, a citrusy tequila and blue curaçao mix that stays grounded with a bit of ginger and an aromatic sprig of rosemary. $16. –MJ

Lawry’s recently launched a whole slew of modernized offerings‚ including a few vegan options, but let’s face it: When you’re here, you’re probably going old-school. And no drink on the menu, or just about anywhere else in L.A., screams “vintage steakhouse opulence” like the Meat & Potato martini, a bracingly cold glass of vodka and vermouth that comes garnished not just with green olives, but green olives stuffed with horseradish and little flecks of the restaurant’s iconic prime rib. $17. —SB

With a stellar bar scene like ours, it’s easy to forget the great strides the city’s making in zero-alcohol concoctions, too. At Verve’s shiny new Arts District cafe and roastery—which serves as the L.A. flagship—and only at this location, the team is crafting boozeless “cocktails” and using their coffee to do it. They make a particularly mean negroni, bitter with house-made vermouth that utilizes coffee beans’ cascara, or shells, along with a house juniper tonic and some orange bitters. The flavor is on-point, and the hangover is nowhere to be found. $8. —SB

As with most of the deli-leaning items at Freedman’s, this modern-Jewish restaurant manages to both subvert and exceed expectations: Here, the bar team throws classic deli flavor into a glass with a drink that’s as fun as it is savory. Utilizing yellow mustard and Cel-Ray soda, the Deli Calling turns sandwiches and the all-around deli experience into a cocktail with orange liqueur, gin and plenty of dill. $12. —SB

Wait, so why exactly does a standard ol’ PBR make it onto our list of the best things we drank this year? Because it’s served at this new gem in Cypress Park. A triple threat for music-minded drinkers, Permanent Records Roadhouse is an excellently curated vinyl shop, no-frills bar and a venue that has hosted cheap, sweat-inducing live shows by the likes of garage-rock outfit Hooveriii and frenetic trio Flat Worms. $3. —TL