Caitlin White

Saltie Girl opened a decade ago in Boston with just 28 covers and a late-night “cocktails and tins” menu. Now, with spacious, chic locations in both Boston and Los Angeles, Kathy Siddell’s ode to her East Coast childhood is connecting with seafood lovers on both coasts. As one of the most stylish restaurants on the Sunset Strip, the west coast outpost of Saltie Girl is beautifully suited to the neighborhood, nailing aesthetic appeal and delicious, inventive fare in equal measure.  Ingenious concoctions like fried lobster and waffles from chef Kyle McClelland make the brunch menu just as interesting as dinner, and both services offer guests the chance to experience decadent presentations of caviar, smoked fish, and their signature tinned fish. The latter, long a delicacy in European coastal regions such as Portugal and Spain, is having a moment in Los Angeles and has quickly been adopted into the dining culture. Since it’s always been at the heart of Saltie Girl’s offerings, the staggering number of options available in the specialty menu will surprise and delight newcomers to the snacking trend. Starting there, or with a large format serving of selections from their constantly changing raw bar offerings, are two options on this massive, choose-your-own-adventure menu.  Many of the staple dishes stay the same throughout day and night service, meaning the crispy fish sandwich (one of the best in the city), lobster rolls, and lobster frites are available pretty much anytime. But

Though Or Amsalam first began Lodge Bread Co. as a pop-up bakery in a backyard, his naturally leavened breads have earned not one but two James Beard Award nominations. Recognition from one of the highest honors in the American food world is fantastic for any chef, but it’s even more meaningful for a shop like Lodge Bread Co., which serves incredibly simple fare built on the foundation of their excellent bread. Expanding quickly from their Culver City location— frequently beset with lines out the door—to spots in Woodland Hills and Beverly Hills, the restaurant’s formula is simple: Make seven or eight kinds of bread that are so excellent people want to come buy salads, brunch plates, and toasts, and take a loaf to go to attempt their own recreations at home.  At the Beverly Hills location, the newest iteration before a Pasadena cafe opens later this year, the Big Breakfast is a welcome diner-sized plate in a neighborhood known for small servings. A large slab of bread, two eggs, greens, protein of your choice (bacon or sausage) and roasted fingerling potatoes may be simple; there’s a dish like this on most brunch menus in the city. But the Nueske bacon, “the best bacon you can buy,” Amsalam says, carefully-sourced eggs, and their coveted bread make it a knockout. A whole litany of made-to-order sweet baked goods lines the shelves every morning, but when they’re gone, they’re gone—including a cinnamon roll that’s literally the same size as the 10-inch plate it comes on. With n