Jordan Okun

You already know L.A. is the best food city in the country. It’s not even much of a competition: The chefs keep coming, the produce is here and our cultural diversity is second to none. But for those who love to eat, we’ve hit a problem: There’s actually too much good food. We’re overwhelmed by all the newness to explore and old favorites to revisit. And it gets worse: Elusive bites have now become a trend. Across this palm-lined, salsa-stained concrete sprawl we call home, restaurants are offering special menu items with limited time frames, making it that much harder to keep your L.A. belly up to speed—which is why we’re here to help. These are the best elusive bites (and a drink) to snag right now. Pizza Night at Vincenti San Vicente’s slice game is on the rise, and in ways Brentwood’s CPK-faithful never thought possible in their wildest Chicken Tostada Pizza dreams. But it’s happening, and LeBron, Apatow and pretty much anyone else living west of Sepulveda has Vincenti and their one-night-a-week pizzas to thank for planting the flag. Owner Maureen Vincenti and executive chef Nicola Mastronardi toss dough in Westside air to ring in every new week and serve sizzling discs like the house-made sausage, potato, onions and mozzarella (the Salsiccia); and artichokes, burrata, zucchini flowers and prosciutto (the Bianca). Once you witness the downpour of giant black truffle flakes storming the Porcini pie, you’ll be dying for a case of the Mondays. Mon, 5:30–9:30pm

“Have you ever been to Howlin Ray’s?” asks chef Kevin Meehan. “It’s the shit.” When he first visited Chinatown’s Howlin’ Ray's, the Kali chef experienced something beyond the euphoric red crunch of poultry, beyond the numb lips, beyond the avalanche of forehead moisture and that endorphin-charged need to consume a bird that hurts so good. It was all about the seasoning: a cayenne, paprika, brown sugar and ghost pepper dusting of breasts, wings, and thighs beyond anything Meehan had previously known. “It’s not just fried chicken,” he says, “it’s a dining experience.” He couldn’t shake that Far East Plaza blend of spices, so he did what comes naturally: Meehan stepped inside his Larchmont Village stunner of contemporary California cuisine, and he cooked something new. His pop-up-turned-brick-and-mortar—with such limited kitchen square footage that Meehan famously grows herbs and vegetables in the lawns of the restaurant’s residential neighbors—would be ground zero for a Howlin’ Ray's-inspired dish. One that wouldn’t attempt to compete with spiciness levels, but would share in the goal of mass protein powdering. And he knew exactly what he wanted to elevate: a rib-eye.  A post shared by Kali Restaurant (@kalirestaurant) on Aug 10, 2018 at 9:31am PDT “What I use is Flannery Beef prime Holstein meat,” Meehan says. “This is the kush shit. I don’t serve it because it’s cool, I serve it because it’s delicious.” And because a dry-aged cow canvas is already su

Beverly Hills, that’s where we want to be… when our wallets can swing it. In the land of Rodeo Drive-parked Bugattis and Il Pastaio’s paparazzi-snapped pasta twirls, most diners depend on deep pockets or expense accounts for the wagyu and foie sticker-price reveals. But, if you find yourself out of luck in both those “too blessed to be stressed” positions but want to eat like a boss, we’ve found the restaurant deals that allow you to floss. Here are the best meal deals in and around Beverly Hills right now.   Cecconi’s Sunday Supper Sunday dinner. It’s an Italian-American family tradition of simmering all-day gravy—the red kind—that culminates in braised-meat-sauce glory enjoyed amongst loved ones, finishing the week on a high note of togetherness, garlic and tight waistbands. A few marinara-fuelled Sunday feasts exist in L.A., but nothing says “family” like an end-of-the-week supper at West Hollywood hang Cecconi’s (just a few blocks off the Beverly Hills border). They offer a three-course dinner that features a choice of chicken and kale salad or classic panzanella; rigatoni bolognese or fusilli with broccolini; and either a buffalo mozzarella or spicy salami and mushroom pizza. Priced at $50 for a group of four, guests can add scoops of gelato for an extra $4, and the magician moving from table to table and entertaining the kids is the perfect complimentary family-entertainment cherry tomato on top.   8764 Melrose Ave, 4–7pm Sundays A post shared by Wolfgang's St

There are days when it feels like nothing has been more written about within L.A.’s culinary confines than breakfast burritos. We’re obsessed with flour-tortilla-wrapped eggs and all the fillings, and a Google search of that obsession will lead to local list headlines like “13 You Have to Eat Before You Die,” and we agree, because god forbid you pass to the other side before tasting a Bludso’s smoked potato in a Cofax burrito. That would not be a good thing. L.A.’s most recent one-bite-and-you’re-addicted contender is an instant classic filled with duck-fat-confited suckling pig; a cheesy chile de arbol assault on the mouth from the Mexican heavens served up by the still-relatively-new kids on the block at the NoMad. And it’s $24. Hear us out. When Daniel Humm, Will Guidara and executive chef Chris Flint step onto the scene carrying James Beard Awards, Michelin stars and a previous spot atop the World’s 50 Best Restaurants (Eleven Madison Park currently ranks at number four), you pay attention. When a team like the NoMad’s blesses the corner of 7th and Olive with that irresistible pork, dry-aged-cheddar, pickled onions, sautéed spinach, scrambled eggs and olive-oil-smashed avocado all rolled snug in fresh-pressed flour, you can’t stop eating until all that’s left is a side salad of frisee and the memory of the most elegant—and yet still genuinely L.A.—breakfast burrito. You’ll keep ordering it, despite the fact you won’t currently find its outrageous DNA gushed about in the f

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine? I’ve been waiting for Petit Trois’s north-of-Mulholland move for more than a year, in a part of town that’s only known for an abundance of raw fish on rice, the desperate need for air conditioning and Boogie Nights. Southern California’s San Fernando Valley is now home to a second location of Petit Trois, the French bistro delivered to the world in 2014 along Melrose by the three-headed gastronomic genius of Ludo Lefebvre, Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook, also of Trois Mec and Trois Familia fame. The Valley needed new blood and I needed reservation capabilities, tabletop seating with firm back support and an exclusive-to-the-SFV breakfast menu. Seeing as they’re open from 8am to 10pm, there’s no better way to experience an all-day restaurant than eating breakfast, lunch and dinner in a 12-hour span at Petit Trois Valley. Photograph: Courtesy Petit Trois Valley BREAKFAST Five people are already seated at 8am when the doors open. Now I’m a prompt croissant addict, but apparently there are prompter croissant addicts excited for the biggest restaurant opening in the history of Sherman Oaks. Six customers morph into eight as two parties of one appear at the marble countertop bar, sipping lattes while Jon Shook leads the culinary charge, ordering his soldiers in white shirts and black bow ties onto the battlefield while I’m going to war with the menu because I want it all. T

Katsu. It’s not Milanese and it ain’t schnitzel or that Gelson’s chicken tender you grease those shopping-cart-pushing-hands with—it’s katsu. It’s a panko crisp-crust dream with a name derived from the Japanese word katsuetsu, “cutlet.” And as the great Mugatu once said, it’s so hot right now. It’s arguably one of the most-chewed food trends of 2018, having seemingly overtaken Trader Joe’s aisle sensation Everything Seasoning and edible charcoal and cacio e pepe every which way as the new culinary obsession of the moment. And when it comes to katsu, sandwiches reign supreme. In Los Angeles, options are everywhere—including Tsubaki’s onion-ring-paired happy hour plate and Orsa & Winston’s nori-sprinkled lunchtime treat—but one chef is taking this katsu thing to another level. Only one Asian-sandwich lord has a line out front before doors swing open for business. Chef Daniel Son is the man behind Katsu Sando, the semi-regular Sunday pop-up that launched in October inside West Hollywood’s surging-into-sushi-greatness Kura, which he succeeded from his parents years ago. The immediate success of Katsu Sando is easy to understand: A talented young chef gets his friends and family together—his sister’s taken every order since it all started—and serves Muenster-stuffed deep-fried chicken; flattened pork; and mushroom sandwiches on house-made, photo-friendly, insignia-singed bread. Most will run you around $10 but there’s also a pupil-popping $70 option that features A5 wagyu chateaub

The month of March in L.A. is known for many things. Angelenos can always expect… Actually, I have no idea what March in L.A. is known for and I’ve lived here close to four decades, but this March the country’s current culinary capital will be known for chef collaborations. Food collabs—from Jon & Vinny’s constantly-rotating list of visiting chefs at Animal to Taco Bell’s and Doritos’ loco love child—are always a guaranteed draw if the elements are just right, and these upcoming specials are no exception. Here are a few of L.A.’s March collabs you don’t want to miss. Kali’s “Kollaboration” Dinner Tomorrow—Tuesday, March 6—prix-fixe and elevated-dining fans will be going back to Kali for a one-night-only, five-course feast from the farmers-market-hyper-focused Larchmont Village master, Kevin Meehan. Joining him are his friends Neal Fraser of Redbird, Nyesha Arrington of Native and Tim Hollingsworth of Otium. As with any visit to the black-garlic-dusted Melrose Avenue shining light of a kitchen, California-sourced, artistically-piled plates are guaranteed to please.Tickets are $95 per guest, or $125 with wine pairing. For reservations call 323-871-4160. Sweetgreen x Nancy Silverton As the story goes, a 1970s pre-Spago-desserts-and-La Brea Bakery-baguettes Nancy Silverton wandered into La Scala, ordered the famed Jean Leon Salad and fell head over flour-caked chef heels in love, and more importantly, felt inspired. Thirty years later, with the 2006 opening of Pizzeria Mozza, Na

Who the hell is Billy Harris? You will ask yourself this while scrolling Instagram when his slicked-up head of black hair, oversized onyx glasses and a suit and tie that match it all find their way into your timeline. You will ask yourself this when you see the man with a microphone or glass of chilled riesling or a bucatini-wrapped fork in hand, lounging and laughing with every celebrated chef in America at another one of his feasts in L.A. or New York. The question remains unanswered as you hear of Billy Harris’s exclusive dinner series, which often features the godly likes of Evan Funke, Adam Perry Lang, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller, ranging from $175 to $475 a seating. The last few weeks alone featured Nancy Silverton, Zach Pollack and Geoffrey Zakarian. They always benefit charity, and tickets always go fast. Maybe you saw Billy as an auctioneer, helping raise over half a million dollars at L.A.’s A-list food charity event of the year, Alex’s Lemonade. You may have watched him hosting the culinary competition and pig paradise known as Cochon555, or it might have been L.A.’s annual fall-into-a-meat-coma-celebration Beefsteak. And if you missed those, there’s a chance you were in the audience at the most recent Michelin or James Beard Awards and wondered who the hell is Billy Harris? The hottest ticket in NYC used to be Hamilton....now it’s HARRIS!! Here is a ticket update: Mario Batali - SOLD OUT Jonathan Waxman- SOLD OUT Scott Conant- SOLD OUT Justin Smilli

If you’ve visited the Southern-food mecca that is Cracker Barrel, you’ve probably experienced the eggs’ and grits’ gravitational pull. You’ve probably played checkers on the front porch, swaying in a rocking chair and waiting for your table while family members shop for glass jars of bubble gum and soda pop in the old country store. You’ve most certainly dined on full-fat-dairy-blessed rectangles of hash brown casserole, hunks of meatloaf and one of the 200 million handmade biscuits they serve a year. It’s maybe one of your earliest dining memories. But months ago, when this Angeleno read that Cracker Barrel would open the very first California outpost—restaurant number 649, sitting 80 miles outside L.A. in Victorville—only one question came to mind: What the hell is Cracker Barrel? When you’re born, raised and still living in L.A., you, like me, might’ve heard of the iconic restaurant chain, but not enough to seek country-ham knowledge, so you, like me, are more than likely Alicia Silverstone levels of Clueless on the matter. And I’m just an L.A. boy in his watching-carbs-more-than-NASCAR L.A. bubble, but times change, and it’s time to find out if this restaurant's legend is valid or just nostalgic nonsense run amuck. It’s time to dine at my first Cracker Barrel. Photograph: Courtesy Cracker Barrel Before enlightenment, a drive’s in order. I scale a freeway maze to the newest location, which sits just off the 15 and historic Route 66, surrounded by desert dust I only recog