We get the question all the time, from readers to our own friends and family: “How can you possibly keep up with all the new places to eat in L.A.?” And it’s not easy! With a vibrant food scene and the opening of a new must-eat place seemingly every other week, trying everything worth trying takes more research, time, and budget than most people care to dedicate to the cause.
That’s exactly why next week’s Top 10 Best New Restaurants event at ROW DTLA is so exciting. We’ve curated a collection of our favorite recent arrivals and put them all together in one place, so all you have to do is stroll, sample, and enjoy. If that isn’t enough to convince you to snag a ticket as it is, we have a preview of what to expect from a few of the participants.
And, remember, in addition to these dishes, there will be even more food (Felix, Kali, Botanica, Wolf…), wine, beer, spirits, and other fun surprises.
Kismet
Why they made the list: “It’s the duo’s thoughtful, calibrated compositions that shine brightest. Whipped labneh is subtly perfumed with rosewater, lending a floral whiff to curls of salted Persian cucumber dusted with za’atar; tahini slipped under flaky spanakopita-like hand pies contributes a nutty bass note.”
What they’ll be serving at the event: Sweet potato with puffed wild rice, crispy lentils, and coconut vinaigrette
Dialogue
Why they made the list: “Shortly after moving from Chicago, Alinea’s former chef de cuisine set up shop in a compact storage space above an ice cream store on the 3rd Street Promenade. […] Tempering the haute with the homesteaded, the opulent with the bracingly simple, Beran and his crew rejigger expectations of what a tasting menu can be.”
What they’ll be serving at the event: Choy sum filled with strawberry nam prik pao
Here’s Looking At You
Why they made the list: “Located on a corner in the middle of Koreatown, it’s intimate, original, and polished, with creative cocktails and a menu that speaks to the tastes of Los Angeles. Chef-partner Jonathan Whitener’s global influences—rau ram, Nashville hot spice, bagna cauda, and sour plum powder—come across as more spontaneous than helter-skelter.” (Best of 2016)
What they’ll be serving at the event: Yellowtail with wakame, soubise, kiwi, serrano chile, and white soy
Cosa Buona
Why they made the list: “The chef of Alimento, who used to limit himself to ingredients sourced from south of Rome during his tenure at West L.A.’s Sotto, has embraced a world of mozzarella sticks, sauce-oozing chicken Parmesan, and hot wings tossed with housemade Buffalo sauce at his Echo Park pizzeria, and the result is unabashed fun.”
What they’ll be serving at the event: Meatballs with burrata, marinara sauce, and toasted focaccia
Baran’s 2239
Why they made the list: ” The sauce is bright and acidic with lemon; the gnocchi are expertly pillowlike. The same refinement extends to Tyler Gugliotta’s smoked and fried chicken—inexplicably juicy, lightly perfumed, and slathered with a complex and enticing soy-chile gastrique.” (Best of 2016)
What they’ll be serving at the event: Seared steak “sashimi” with tangerine, ponzu, and pickled ginger
Rosaliné
Why they made the list: “A few years ago Ricardo Zarate lost his four restaurants in one short span, but the versatile Lima native is back, injecting an L.A. edge into Peru’s layered culinary traditions. […] To spy Zarate near the entrance grilling yuzu koshushrimp on the flat-top plancha over oak embers is to witness an artist in the intimacy of creation.”
What they’ll be serving at the event: Baja bigeye tuna ceviche with tamari, leche de tigre, and truffle (event exclusive dish)
71Above
Why they made the list: “NoHo-raised chef Vartan Abgaryan gives the eye plenty to gaze at on the plate. […] Tart mustard seeds contrast with the char of an octopus tendril in the same way crackling chicharronnes play off a refined arrangement of king crab petals. The experience is luxury that reflects on-point execution, not airs.” (Best of 2016)
What they’ll be serving at the event: Cauliflower with miso, garlic, brown butter, almond, and calabrian chile
Rossoblu
Why they made the list: “The operatic feel of the space is fitting for a local chef exploring his culinary roots: Growing up in Tarzana, Samson developed his fondness for the capital of Emilia-Romagna during summer visits to his grandparents, and the key to this region’s cooking is hearty simplicity.”
What they’ll be serving at the event: Valbruna’s eggplant with tomato sugo, Parmigiano Reggiano, and basil
RELATED: The 10 Best New Restaurants of 2017
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