After months of operating as a takeout-only spot, American Beauty is finally open in Venice. If you’re looking for a sit-down experience, their wood-fired oven is now churning out everything from a 30-day dry-aged porterhouse steak and pork short rib to ocean trout and colossal prawns, and they’ve got a full bar, too.

With every passing day, our running bit about wanting to live at the Platform becomes less and less of a joke - especially with Bianca Bakery’s addition to the “epicenter of fashion, culinary talent, and creative entrepreneurs” in Culver City. Between the wood panelling and the lush patio, this new daytime cafe feels like the backdrop of a Julia Roberts vehicle, with a French/Italian menu that includes croissants, pizzas, and mussels.

Sushi Miyagi is a new omakase-focused spot in Brentwood. At night, their dinner menu reads like a breakdown of the nations in Avatar: The Last Airbender (Wind, Wood, and Sky), with omakase sets that range from $120-$180. Their lunch offerings are a bit more relaxed, and include an $80 omakase special, and a la carte items such as chirashi, saba (mackerel), and salmon bowls. Plus, if you were concerned, their website wants you to know: “Don’t worry! We have a very nice selection of sake and wine!” Phew.

If you’re like us and have a (dangerously) short attention span, Abernethy’s might just be the place for you - both the chef and the menu change every three months at this new spot inside The Music Center in DTLA. First up is the chef behind Ms. Chi, the Chinese-leaning joint in Culver City. In addition her signature wontons, the first Abernethy’s menu includes hot and sour sablefish, cacio e pepe with Northern Chinese-style noodles, and a condensed milk rice pudding with butter-roasted pineapple. Other restaurants on the docket include Freedman’s, The Magic Castle, and Luv2Eat Thai Bistro.

Ippudo’s new Weho location is the international chain’s second in the city. While they’re still serving their signature pork buns and ramen in tonkotsu broth, there are some notable differences from the Santa Monica outpost, such as an outdoor patio area and an expanded menu including dishes like takoyaki (battered octopus balls), chashu rice bowls, and fried tebasaki chicken wings.

Plant-based patties have taken over Los Angeles, and the latest addition is Vow Burger, a neon-lit spot that promises to make the fast food experience as guilt-free as possible, with an entirely vegan menu (which includes burgers, fries, and shakes), and a commitment to fight hunger by making a donation to the LA Food Bank for every meal purchased.

Much like Lindsey Adams Buckingham, What The Cluck is an LA transplant hailing from the Bay Area. But unlike the former Fleetwood Mac guitarist, this doodle-covered Thai restaurant in West Hollywood specializes in khao man gai - a popular chicken and rice dishe served with broth, sauce, and a side of cucumber.

Located in Chinatown, Steep is a sleek new tea shop serving traditional Chinese and Taiwanese brews, from floral oolongs to earthy pu-erhs, microbially fermented teas produced in the Yunnan province. And if tea isn’t necessarily your cup of… anything, Steep also has a variety of snacks like pastries, sesame chicken cold noodles, and Taiwanese braised pork over rice.

Terzo MDR takes over the old Settebello space in Marina del Rey, and while its slate gray walls, modern black booths, and industrial lighting fixtures make it look like the chicest college dining hall of all time (a mantel currently held by De Neve at UCLA), the food is a bit higher quality than something you’d use the Gold 19 on. A mix of Spanish, Italian, Mediterranean, and lots of seafood, Terzo’s dishes include squid ink gnocchi, salt cod agnolotti, salmon crudo with candied grapefruit, and a clam and mussel pizza.

In addition to their regular Smorgasburg slot, Mid East Tacos has now expanded to a pop-up in Highland Park. From the people behind Glendale’s Mini Kebob, Mid East marries Middle Eastern and Mexican flavors, meaning tacos and burritos that come with your choice of falafel, steak, or chicken, cooked on a manghal, or charcoal grill.

The newest outpost of the very popular vegan burger spot, Monty’s in Echo Park doesn’t stray very far from the formula, and while it’s still order at the counter, this location is a lot bigger, with actual booths and multiple tables. Plus, they’ve added a new blueberry milkshake to the menu, which is presumably to pander to fans of the Dodgers (and blueberries).

With a giant backyard patio absolutely dripping in string lights and a luxurious, library-like interior, Fia reminds us more of the Santa Monica we’ve seen in movies, and less of the Santa Monica where we got attacked by a flock of birds (and then a flock of Bird scooters) in the span of ten minutes. The menu leans towards Italian and seafood, featuring everything from big eye tuna carpaccio to lobster Bolognese, plus dishes that are neither, like braised rabbit and Flannery beef steak.

We checked out Fia and put it on our Hit List.

Our favorite pizza spot in all of Los Angeles has just opened up their second location. The new Echo Park outpost isn’t that much different from the original Highland Park spot - you still indicate with your hands how big you want your Roman-style pizza cut, then pay by the ounce. But the best part? Triple Beam is teaming up with The Echo/Echoplex to sell pizzas during shows. See you at the next Funky Sole night.

Here’s another one for Echo Park - literally feet (1,584, to be exact) from the new Triple Beam location is Revelator: Bar Avalon. With its leather booths, exposed brick walls, and high barn-wood ceilings, it’s almost like it was designed straight from the “How to make an Eastsider fall in love” playbook. In the same vein, Bar Avalon is currently serving small plates like summer squash and burrata on seeded toast, Caesar salad, and a market frittata, with full dinner and wine menus coming soon.

It’s official. Echo Park is really having a moment. Bar Flores is a new cocktail bar on Sunset Blvd. Right above the recently opened Adamae and Lowboy, Bar Flores overlooks the neighborhood via an upstairs patio and serves homemade tamales and drinks like a mezcal cocktail with fresh carrots and oranges, and vodka sours with Jamaican flowers.

Fisherman’s Island is a new seafood spot in Leimert Park where the slogan is “You buy, we steam.” Half market, half restaurant, your head to the counter and order off of the chalkboard menu, choosing between various raw offerings like shrimp, crab, lobster, and shellfish by the pound. You can probably guess what happens next: They steam it with a mix of veggies and cajun seasonings, and presumably, you spend the next hour licking your fingers.

We checked out Fisherman’s Island and put it on our Hit List.

Tartine Sycamore is the latest outpost in the San Francisco bakery’s carb kingdom. Compared to its huge, multi-restaurant complex, The Manufactory at Row DTLA, Tartine’s Sycamore location is a lot more casual. A daytime cafe, they are serving everything from coddled egg bowls and chicken katsu sandos to (of course) toasts, with toppings like smoked trout, tomato and beets, and figs.

We checked out Tartine Sycamore and put it on our Hit List.

So your plans to spend a Mamma Mia-inspired summer on the Greek island of Skopelos fell through. Luckily for you, LA is still very sunny and Ela Greek Eats just opened in Venice. Located across the street from Casablanca, Ela is serving salads, gyros, and Greek classics like lamb soutzoukakia meatballs and melintzanosalata (eggplant and parsley dip).

Opening next door to Chori-Man in San Pedro, Colossus Bread sells freshly baked loaves, seasonal fruit tarts, and several pastries, including kouign-amann, once described by The New York Times as “the fattiest pastry in all of Europe” (aka exactly our kind of pastry).

It’s official - it’s a smashburger world, and we’re all just living in it. The latest to enter the fray is Tripp Burgers, a pop-up whose grilled-till-crispy, almost pancake-flat patties are made with a mix of chuck, sirloin, and bacon (!). They’re on the move weekly, and you can find their current location via their Instagram.

In our minds, Porchetta Republic is a sun-kissed Italian borgo where little piglets get nice and crispy beneath the Mediterranean sun. And maybe one day the new DTLA spot will turn its eyes to the travel destination business, but for now, Porchetta Republic is focusing on “Italian street food,” like the Arlecchino sandwich, which comes with provolone and wine-braised red onions, and the Maranello, with shaved parmesan and arugula.

Looking to join the pantheon of Da Drought 3, Earl, and The S. Carter Collection is Mixtape, a new restaurant/bar in Beverly Grove. And yes, they do love music - Robin Thicke created custom playlists for their brunch service, the walls are lined with artwork from Jaden Smith, Tokimonsta, and Vic Mensa, and the man behind the business is the first restaurateur to be signed by Roc Nation. The menu includes entrees like pastrami agnolotti, smoked salmon with latkes, and bar snacks like duck fat popcorn and beef cheek poutine.

We checked out Mixtape, read our first thoughts here.

Emilia is a new Northern Italian restaurant in Beverly Grove. During the day, Emilia functions as a cafe, serving Italian breakfast pastries, eggs, and Toast Francese (aka French Toast). At night, it transitions to its namesake’s regional Italian dishes, like tortellini filled with prosciutto di Parma, grilled pappardelle, and milk-fed veal.

Not only is The Court Cafe arguing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, they’re also arguing that it’s the only meal of the day. Located in Westchester, the full-service breakfast restaurant is serving foods like The Ocho burrito (which comes with lobster, chicken, sausage, and shrimp), taco omelets, and lobster and waffles.

We checked out The Court Cafe, read our first thoughts here.

West Adams continues to expand, and its newest addition is Bee Taqueria. The menu includes a variety of tacos ranging from tinga betabel (beets and onions) to media luna (shrimp and scallops), as well as sanguches, ceviches, and tostadas. They’re also rolling out a reservation-only “taco omakase” experience - the very first of its kind in LA.

The Most Valuable Playa is a new Taiwanese spot on the Playa del Rey/Westchester border that’s focusing on small plates and, apparently, dad-level puns. From the team behind the Japanese-influenced Humble Potato in Culver City, MVP has everything from garlic noodles to gua bao (a pork-belly bun) to salt-and-pepper fried chicken.

Joey is the newest addition to the ever-growing, hydra-like mall complex that is The Bloc in DTLA. Located on the corner of 7th and Flower, Joey is the second LA location of a Canadian chain, and serves cuisines from multiple parts of the world, including miso ramen, Bollywood butter chicken, and spaghetti pomodoro.

The first U.S. location of Menya Hanabi, a popular Japanese ramen chain, is now open in Arcadia. Their specialty is mazesoba - brothless noodles topped with green onions, chives, spicy minced meat, seaweed, garlic, and a raw egg yolk, if you’re into that sort of thing.

The latest in our parking lot pop-up series (see: Elio’s Wood Fired Pizza) is Bomb Burgers. Located across from Family Halal Meat Market in Northridge, Bomb Burgers specializes in third-pound Juicy Lucys (basically cheese-stuffed burgers), which you can get with chips and a drink for $10. Open Friday-Sunday from 6pm-12am, or until they sell out.

New to Bellflower is The Tackle Box, a Southern seafood spot that’s frying and grilling everything under the sea... and a few things that live on land, too. You can get cod, shrimp, lobster, or catfish po’ boys, as well as comfort food like chicken and waffles, a Buffalo chicken sandwich, and shrimp and grits.

Sitting side-by-side at the end of Washington Blvd., The Pier House and Cartolina are kind of like Venice’s Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson - a package deal (did you know they’ve been in 13 movies together?). A sit-down restaurant and casual cafe, respectively, The Pier House’s menu is seafood-focused, with items like lobster rolls, crispy snapper, and cavatelli with crab and snap peas, while Cartolina has everything you want from a counter-service spot in Venice - sandwiches, pizzas, and a latte made with “adaptogenic mushrooms” (obvs).

Thousand Oaks is getting a craft beer boost. Tarantula Hill Brewing Co.’s new taproom serves their signature “Razzbury Park” (a blonde ale with raspberry), as well as guest beers from spots like Mikkeller and Modern Times, and thin-crust pizza and ice cream, too.

South of MacArthur Park in Westlake, Proper Pizza and Pasta has everything you’d expect from an actual NYC pizza joint - garlic knots, fried mozzarella, wings, pasta, and of course, 17 different types of pies.

Finding parking in Koreatown usually plays out like a three-act tragedy, so it’s fitting that the new neighborhood spot is called Tacos Drama. Located on the sidewalk outside of Here’s Looking At You, Tacos Drama is serving Mexican food like birria de chivo (braised goat), beef cheek barbacoa, and queso Oaxaqueño every Friday and Saturday.

Adamae is a new restaurant on Sunset Blvd., located next to the recently opened Lowboy. While its neighbor is dark and moody, Adamae is the Ashley to Lowboy’s Mary-Kate: It’s a brighter and lighter sit-down restaurant, serving small dishes like whipped goat cheese and grilled octopus with chorizo, plus bigger plates like harissa roast chicken and cast-iron branzino.

We checked out Adamae, read our first thoughts here.

Relentless Brewing, a craft brewery located in Temecula, just opened a restaurant, taproom and sports bar in Eagle Rock. While they don’t brew on-site, the new location will be serving their signature beers, like “The Cherry Goes Pop” (red sour gose) and “An Udder One” (milk stout), as well as burgers with crispy pork belly, smokey poutine, and watermelon panzanella salad.

The chef behind Bäco Mercat, Bar Amá, and Orsa & Winston has just opened Amácita. Taking over the old BäcoShop space in Culver City, Amácita is a sit-down restaurant serving updated Tex-Mex, with a menu that includes blistered okra, yellowtail ceviche, and carne guisada (stewed beef). Plus, like Bar Amá, they have a Super Nacho (Happy) Hour from 5-7pm.

We checked out Amácita and put it on our Hit List.

Gold Rail Bar is a new dive-ish spot in Glendale. We say dive-ish, because there’s a pool table and a jukebox, but the space was recently renovated and has a sleek, modern look to it. They do refer to themselves as a “watering hole,” and have 20 different craft beers on tap, plus a pretty impressive happy hour - $5 for all beer, wine, and liquor - so regardless of what you want to call it, Gold Rail is worth a visit.

No Reservation LA is a new late-night Belizean pop-up in Little Ethiopia. Operating out of Annie’s Soul Delicious from Friday-Sunday, No Reservation LA’s mother-daughter team is serving up Caribbean classics like oxtail, salbutes (puffed, deep-fried tortillas with tomato, red onion, and pulled chicken), and a crab soup with shrimp, crab legs, coconut milk, and okra.

With its sixth store, Go Get Em Tiger is now officially as ubiquitous as those brightly colored photo-ops that masquerade as “museums.” This latest location is in the rapidly expanding Row DTLA complex, and like their other stores, they’re serving breakfast foods like ricotta granola pancakes and burritos with eggs and chorizo, plus a lunch menu with sandwich options like prosciutto with stone fruit and crescenza.

Great news for anyone working at a three-letter television network or staying at the Oakwood - Studio City just got a brand new wine bar. Located on Ventura Blvd., Vintage Wine + Eats has an expansive wine, cheese, and charcuterie menu, as well as a cafe that serves sandwiches, soups, and salads.

New to the Westside drinking scene is Lanea, a cocktail bar in Santa Monica. Their menu features a variety of tequila- and mezcal-focused drinks, and food by the team behind Barba Kush - a barbacoa spot in Boyle Heights with a cult following. They are serving tacos with cecina, chicken, asada, squash flowers and mushrooms, and of course, their signature barbacoa.

Right next door to the galbi jjim king, Sun Nong Dan, is Seaweed Sushi Bar. The newly opened Koreatown spot is serving sushi, sashimi and hand rolls, such as seared Hokkaido scallops, Wagyu beef nigiri, and toro.

Yasu, an extremely popular sushi spot from Toronto, has come to Beverly Hills. It’s omakase-only, and features a mix of local, California seafood like Santa Barbara king salmon and uni, as well as Japanese firefly squid and shirako (cod milt). Your chances of seeing Drake there? Probably 100/100.

There is nothing that makes our little hearts sing more than the phrase “Secret parking lot pizza.” Operating out of the back of a truck in a Silver Lake parking lot, Elio’s Wood Fire Pizza sells Neapolitan-style pies starting at $10, and they’re open every day from 6-11pm.

We checked out Elio’s Wood Fire Pizza and put it on our Hit List.

In a city with more excellent breakfast burritos than Midwestern transplants, The Rooster food truck has always made one of our favorites. Now, they’ve opened a restaurant in Pico-Robertson, where they’re serving everything we loved from their truck - especially their signature Rico Suave burrito with avocado and tater tots - as well as expanded brunch and lunch menus.

We checked out The Rooster, read our first thoughts here.

There is truly no craving that can’t be fulfilled in Sawtelle Japantown - and Mala Town is proof. Located next to Mizu 212, it’s a new hot-pot spot that specializes in regional Chinese cuisine, like seafood broths from Guangdong and beef-ball hot pots from Chaozhou.

After two years of renovations, the legendary Formosa Cafe has reopened in West Hollywood. This isn’t like the Madame Tussauds on Sunset, it’s a real, proper Hollywood landmark - the original cafe was frequented by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Grace Kelly. We’re not too sure what the clientele is like these days, but the new menu includes dishes like General Tso’s cauliflower and honey walnut shrimp.

We checked out Formosa Cafe and put it on our Bar Hit List.

The chef behind Rustic Canyon just opened Birdie G’s in Santa Monica. It has a regional American menu that features Texas toast, California beef, and matzo ball soup. Plus, there’s something on the menu called a Lady Edison Country Ham, where the description is simply “Go hog wild.” Nice.

We checked out Birdie G’s and put it on our Hit List.

Echo Park’s newest cocktail bar is Lowboy, a laid-back spot on Sunset that looks like a great place to hang out with friends or when you (inevitably) need a quick escape from the geese at Echo Park. They’re serving classic cocktails, light bar snacks, and are open nightly from 5pm-2am.

We checked out Lowboy and put it on our Bar Hit List.

If you’re not careful, when you Google this new Santa Monica spot, you might get some weird results involving an ungodly pairing of soda and noodles. Luckily, their menu seems to be a different story, and specializes in regional, homemade pastas like gramigna bolognese from Emilia-Romagna and casunziei (red beet ravioli) from Dolomites. Heads up: They do not have a liquor license yet, but their website says that it’s coming soon.

We checked out Colapasta and put it on our Hit List.

After a few pop-ups in Koreatown and Hollywood, Tacos 1986 is now officially open daily in Downtown LA. The Tijuana-style taco spot serves carne asada, hongos (mushrooms), and tacos de adobada - all of which anyone with an Instagram account is probably already aware of.

The first thing we thought when we heard about Portuguese Bend, the first distillery in Long Beach, was “Wait, what do you mean, the first one?” Located in downtown Long Beach, the first of its kind (apparently) is now open with a tasting room, full bar, and restaurant.

We definitely went through all five stages of grief when one of our favorite Downtown LA lunch spots, RiceBar, closed recently. However, it seems like our heartbreak might be on the mend - taking over that exact space is Baon, a new Filipino counter spot. On the menu are a few small dishes like sinigang lumpia and ube suman (sticky rice with purple yam), but like its predecessor, Baon seems to be focusing more on bowls, ranging from pork belly adobo and ginataang hipon (poached shrimp).

A second location of Jaffa is open in Palms, which means that you no longer have to get on an airplane - or drive to West 3rd Street - for great Middle Eastern food. Much of the menu is the same, like kubaneh bread (Yemeni pull-apart rolls) and North African chickpea stew.

Not be confused with a vegan cafe of the same name, Antico is a new Italian restaurant in Larchmont serving staples like burrata and a “pasta tasting,” where you can try three of their five pastas (which, frankly, should always be an option).

We checked out Antico, read our first thoughts here.

Originally from San Francisco, Angler is a new restaurant in the Beverly Center. Although mostly seafood-focused - they have a raw bar, cooked fish, and giant tanks filled with future dinner orders - the menu also includes dishes like dry-aged rib eye and summer squash cured in kelp.

We checked out Angler, read our first thoughts here.

Nic’s is a plant-based sit-down restaurant from the people behind Monty’s Good Burger. They have a huge, open patio and serve foods like vegan chicharron (made from puffed tofu skins) and corn agnolotti.

We checked out Nic’s On Beverly, read our first thoughts here.

After slinging pies in Brentwood for years, Pizzana just opened up a second location in West Hollywood. They’re still serving those Neapolitan pies, but are now open later, from 11am-12am on Friday and Saturdays.

We checked out Pizzana read our first thoughts here.

Bon Temps is the latest upscale restaurant with an overly designed website to hit the Arts District. Located next to Firehouse and Bestia, it has a full raw bar, and serves modern French dishes like abalone and bone marrow risotto and uni caviar tartelette.

We checked out Bon Temps and put it on our Hit List.

Located on the corner of 6th and Witmer in Westlake, Seoul on Sixth is a new family-run Korean/Mexican taco stand. It’s set up right outside of the family store, Mark’s Liquor, and serves tacos filled with combinations like bulgogi asada and the “Barbakorea,” a brisket-filled version of galbi-jjim.

Tokyo Guild is the latest example of LA’s obsession with casual Japanese restaurants with serious drinking menus. Now open in Culver City, all of the dishes are small, shareable, and under $15, ranging from takoyaki to tonkotsu ramen, plus four different types of Japanese sandos on milk bread.

We checked out Tokyo Guild, read our first thoughts here.

The people behind the multihyphenate Piencone - it’s a pizzeria, creamery, and a pub - just opened Penny Oven, a new daytime cafe in Eagle Rock. It serves a variety of sweet and savory toasts, plus larger dishes like shakshuka and cauliflower hash.

After a month of very secretive renovations and an ownership change, Church & State - one of the first mega-restaurants in the Arts District - is back. We still don’t know what exactly will be different this time around, and at the moment, it’s only open for dinner, Monday-Saturday.

We checked out Church & State, read our first thoughts here.

Mamilla is a new, upscale Mediterranean spot in Pico-Robertson. The menu is all-Kosher, and includes dishes like shish barak (meat dumplings in a yogurt stew), fish shawarma, and a 30-day aged ribeye.

This casual, bao-focused spot in the Arts District serves 8-10 different types of Chinese buns, ranging from traditional char siu lamb shoulder to peanut butter cream and strawberries. It also doesn’t hurt that they have a pretty decent beer/wine/sake/cocktail menu.

If you’re like us, and your brain instantly floods with serotonin when you read “Family-run Italian restaurant with homemade pasta,” then Cinque Terre West Osteria might be for you. Cooking in the style of the northwestern coastal region of Liguria (the birthplace of pesto), this new restaurant in the Palisades serves a nice variety of straightforward Italian dishes like pappardelle alla bolognese, buridda (traditional fish stew), and mushroom and truffle ravioli.

One of our go-to spots for just about everything in Sherman Oaks has opened a second location in West Adams. With its big outdoor patio and smaller menu, this location is even more casual than the original Mizlala - and perfect for lunch. Their main thing is the falafel, which you can have in a pita, on a salad, or as part of a plate.

We checked out Mizlala and put it on our Hit List.

Accepting that good food can come from unexpected places is basically a LA rite of passage. That’s why we didn’t blink an eye at Beut’s food-court location in the California Market in Ktown. Beut serves traditional Korean dishes such as bulgogi, bibimbop, yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), and lots of banchan from 11am-9pm every day.

At this new build-it-yourself pasta spot in Redondo Beach, you can become the master of your own destiny - or at least design your own plate of pasta - for less than $15. In addition to six different sauces (and seven different types of pasta), the menu also features Roman-style pizza, salads, or a take-home pasta option for when you want to make it from the comfort of your own kitchen - and at your own risk.

After blowing up in China, the first LA location of Da Long Yi Hot Pot has arrived in the San Gabriel Valley. The Chengdu-style menu includes their specialty spicy pot (a boiling broth with herbs and peppers fried in beef tallow), as well as other dishes like Angus beef, duck blood, and beef intestine. Make sure to bring some friends - pots here range around $30-40 per person.

This new sandwich shop in the Arts District hits all of the notes of a good lunch spot: Many kinds of meats, a convenient location, and creatively-named sandwiches. For $11, some options include the Cabrillo (double-cream brie cheese and fig jam) or the Geary (truffle mousse pate and prosciutto), and if you’re feeling exceptionally generous, they also have cheese-laden party platters ranging from $85-$125.

Taking over the space that used to be Jerry’s Deli in Marina del Rey, Stark’s is a slightly upscale seafood restaurant. Expect to spend around $50 per person, with dishes like pan-seared scallops, California snapper, and a double-cut pork chop.

We checked out Stark’s, read our first thoughts here.

The people behind Tsubaki, one of our favorite Echo Park spots, just opened up a sake bar next door. Besides the sake, this place also serves Japanese comfort foods like fried chicken karaage, katsu sandwiches, and okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes).

We checked out Ototo and put it on our Hit List.

Great White is a great little beach cafe in Venice, and now there’s a new spot from the same owners right across the street. Gran Blanco, which for now is only open for dinner, is more upscale, with dishes like crispy chickpeas, yellowtail crudo, and lamb kofta, plus cocktails created by the guy behind the excellent ones at Accomplice.

We checked out Gran Blanco and put it on our Bar Hit List.

There’s now a second location of the ’90s-themed Silver Lake bar, The Friend, in Marina Del Rey. Like the original, it has pink floors, a disco ball, and an overall feeling that you’re inside an after-school special, but with alcohol.

We checked out The Little Friend and put it on our Bar Hit List.

We keep coming back to Homestate’s Los Feliz and Highland Park locations for breakfast tacos and loaded queso. Now they’re bringing their excellent Tex-Mex to the Westside with this third Playa Vista location, which will also be serving beer and cocktails.

This is the restaurant attached to the newly opened 1 Hotel in West Hollywood. 1 Kitchen serves a wide range of dishes, from lobster and squid ink linguine to grilled beef ribeye steaks - and much, much more than 1 salad in between (eight, to be exact).

A new Italian spot in Silver Lake, Asso takes over the former Blossom space on Sunset. The menu features classic red sauce dishes like lasagna and spaghetti pomodoro, plus some less-traditional pastas, like rigatoni with kale pesto.

Honeybee is a new vegan burger spot next to the Los Feliz 3 Theater. They’ve got vegan versions of cheeseburgers, shakes, and grilled cheese, along with sweet potato fries.

We checked out Honeybee Burger, read our first thoughts here.

The newest location of Zinque is in Downtown LA. The local mini-chain serves French food, along with an expansive wine and cocktail list. If you’re the kind of person that has lunch meetings, we suspect you’ll find yourself here soon.

This is the first US location of the Naples original - made famous in Eat Pray Love - and they’re serving Neapolitan-style pies, along with taglieri and salads. It’s right in the heart of Hollywood and Highland, but has a big patio set back from the neighborhood craziness. No word if Julia Roberts has a residency here.

We checked out L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, read our first thoughts here.

Yours Truly opened a few weeks ago in the Venice space that used to be Salt Air. The menu is mostly focused on seafood, with scallop tartare, Nashville-style hot shrimp, and skate wing with couscous.

We checked out Yours Truly and put it on our Hit List.

There’s a new Cantonese dim sum spot in Irvine (by way of Hong Kong). This is their first California location, and it’s a massive restaurant in the bustling Diamond Jamboree plaza. They’ll be serving dim sum classics like baked BBQ buns, sticky rice with lotus leaf, and minced beef rolls.

Kensho is a new place in Hollywood from the same people behind Triniti (one of our Best New Restaurants of 2018). Like Triniti, this cafe/sake and wine bar serves hard-to-classify food, such as roast heart of palm with trout roe and Scottish salmon with marrow fried rice. It’s located on the grounds of Yamashiro, so expect to be served some killer views of LA along with the food.

We checked out Kensho and put it on our Hit List.

This busy Brooklyn restaurant just opened in East Hollywood, right across the street from the big blue Scientology building. The menu features standard brunch fare like avocado toast, gravlax, and omelettes, and at dinner, they’re doing lamb shepherd’s pie, whole-grilled fish, and oysters three different ways.

We checked out Five Leaves, read our first thoughts here.

A new to-go spot from the Milo + Olive team, Milo SRO is serving New York-style pizza. Their pies are much bigger than the ones at Milo + Olive, and in true NYC style, you can get them by the slice. They also have their own miniature version of M+O’s glorious garlic knots.

Alice is a new all-day restaurant inside the soon-to-open 1 Hotel in Weho. The menu has standard soups, salads, and sandwiches - including one particularly interesting one with brisket from Slab, the West Third St. BBQ spot.

Another Westside pizza spot - only this one is in Venice. It’s also vegan, and comes from the guy who started Plant Food And Wine. Their pizzas feature all kinds of nut cheeses, vegan meats, and something called rice cheese.

We checked out Double Zeo, read our first thoughts here.

There’s another new restaurant in the Arts District, this one in a firehouse-turned-hotel on Santa Fe Ave. They’ve got a small menu that includes things like cavatelli with crispy lamb, Manila clams in bacon broth, and charred lemon cake.

We checked out The Restaurant At The Firehouse and put it on our Hit List.

This classic Culver City spot has been around since the ’60s, and was supposedly one of Frank Sinatra’s favorite hangouts in LA. Now it’s reopening with a Rat Pack-approved menu, including a tableside Caesar salad, oysters Rockefeller, and a few different steaks.

We checked out Dear John’s and put it on our Hit List.

Another restaurant that’s gone through (some more recent) changes, Dudley Market is reopening after closing down in 2017. Now, it’s a seafood spot with a huge wine selection.

We checked out Dudley Market and put it on our Hit List.

This new cafe in Los Feliz serves things you’d expect at a French spot - strong coffee, pastries, pissaladière (onion tart), and quiche. Everything on the menu is under $13, too. They’re currently just open for breakfast and lunch, but will have dinner soon.

We checked out Loupiotte Kitchen and put it on our Hit List.

Sorra is a new rooftop bar/restaurant in Hollywood offering views on par with the scenery at Mama Shelter. The menu is from the people behind Hinoki and the Bird, and features dishes like avocado tostada with nori aioli, grilled maitake mushrooms, and suckling pig bao.

We checked out Sorra, read our first thoughts here.

Aduke is a new Nigerian spot in Pico-Robertson, serving traditional staples like jollof rice with plantains, seafood stews, and yam porridge.

We checked out Aduke African Cuisine and put it on our Hit List.

Ceviche Project has been popping up all over the Eastside since 2015, and now, they have a permanent space on Hyperion Blvd. in Silver Lake, across from The Friend. It’s an almost-entirely seafood spot, with fresh fish and shellfish on ice at the bar. They also have beer, wine, and sake.

We checked out Ceviche Project and put it on our Hit List.

Supercool isn’t your traditional scoop shop - they have made-to-order liquid nitrogen ice cream. It’s in the same building as the Vista Theater in Los Feliz, so you can grab a cone before watching the whatever-anniversary screening of The Shining.

This vowel-averse spot in Santa Monica serves everything from uni pasta and pork katsu to capicola pizza. Everything on the menu is under $20, and it’s in the old Hinterland space on Main Street.

A new spot from the same people as the (now-closed) Prova Pizza, Provami is a new Italian spot on Melrose in Weho. In addition to Neapolitan-style pizzas with a bunch of different toppings, there are salads, and Italian classics like eggplant parmesan and meatballs.

We checked out Provami Pizzeria, read our first thoughts here.

H+H is a massive Brazilian steakhouse in Downtown LA. They have a bar where you can order a la carte, but the emphasis seems to be on the $58, all-you-can eat dinner that includes things like ribeye, lamb chops, and pork ribs.

A new German beer garden, Rasselbock is a spot in Mar Vista from the same people as Wirtshaus in Hollywood. They have a long list of German beers, along with schnitzel and a few different kinds of brats. There’s a big patio, and they have brunch on weekends.

We checked out Rasselbock, read our first thoughts here.

Auburn is a tasting menu restaurant on Melrose from a former Republique chef. You can choose between four, six, or nine courses, with the option for wine pairings - or if you’d rather go a la carte, you can do so at the bar. The menu includes dishes like snap peas with uni, halibut with mushrooms, and duck leg with puffed grains.

We checked out Auburn, read our first thoughts here.

After popping up for two years at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market and Dinosaur Coffee, Maury’s Bagels is now open in Silver Lake, serving bagels and bagel sandwiches. At the pop-ups we usually ordered the whitefish, but you couldn’t really go wrong.

We checked out Maury’s and put it on our Hit List.

This is the second of two sit-down restaurants (the first is Tartine Bianco) inside The Manufactory at the Row in DTLA. They have a short, seasonal menu, including dishes like pasta with Dungeness crab and lamb belly with salsa verde.

We checked out Alameda Supper Club and put it on our Hit List.

Silverlake Ramen is expanding again - after opening in Santa Monica last year, they now have a third sit-down location in Downtown LA. If it’s like the other locations, you can expect long waits and fantastic tonkotsu-style ramen.

This new Chinese spot started as a pop-up in ETA, and now has a permanent location in Filipinotown. It’s run by a mother/son team, and has a small menu of interesting-looking noodles, bao, and vegetable dishes like smashed radishes, and bean curd sticks with mushrooms.

We checked out Woon and put it on our Hit List.

Decadence is a bar/restaurant in Hermosa that has an Asian-ish menu of things like chicken banh mis, chicken and mushroom dumplings, and something called sexy skinny fries. There’s a flower wall inside, and some plush purple lounge seats.

Neighborhood is a new coffee shop on an in-between stretch of La Brea near Beverly between West Hollywood and Hancock Park. They also have pastries and vegan ice cream.

A new spot on Sunset in Silver Lake, Tatsunoya is the second U.S. location of a very popular Japanese ramen spot. If it’s anything like the original one in Pasadena, we expect lines and fantastic tonkotsu-style ramen.

This is a new restaurant on the Eastside where you’ll find lots of fresh meat and produce (like ribeye and avocado beet salad) in a nice bungalow space set back from Rowena in a not-crazy part of Silver Lake.

We checked out Small Town, read our first thoughts here.

Audrey is a new restaurant inside the Hammer Museum in Westwood. There’s a big bar if you want some cocktails after looking at art all day and the food menu is straightforward stuff like roast chicken, mushroom bolognese, and bone-in ribeye.

We checked out Audrey and put it on our Hit List.

Border X is a brewery with a massive new taproom in Bell. Much of the beer is inspired by Mexican ingredients, like a saison with hibiscus, a horchata golden stout, and a chocolate stout.

A burger spot on Main Street in Santa Monica, Cowabunga Republic serves burgers, fries, and milkshakes from a takeout window and has a patio with picnic tables out front.

A new wine bar on Ventura in Sherman Oaks, Buvette has a massive selection of mostly French wines both by the glass and the bottle. They also have some snacks to go along with your bottle of beaujolais, like olives, bread and butter, and cheese and charcuterie.

Former pop-up Shreebs has now become a permanent fixture on a trafficky stretch of Glendale Blvd. in Echo Park. They have pastries and some coffee drinks made with unusual coffee ingredients like spruce tips, lemongrass, and black pepper.

La Esquina is a new Mexican spot near Culver Junction in Palms. It’s open all day, and serves breakfast burritos, chilaquiles, and machachas in the morning, then transitions to tacos, burritos, and quesadillas for lunch and dinner. If you’re looking for a new place to mix up your lunch routine in this part of town, this could be a good option.

Eating at Milky Way, a kosher spot in Pico-Robertson, is probably like stepping inside Stephen Spielberg’s mom’s kitchen. That’s partially because it was originally founded by Spielberg’s mom, Leah Adler, but went on hiatus after she passed away a couple of years ago. Now, Milky Way is back and the food is still kosher, but features a mix of cuisines - you’ll find eggplant parmesan and a Cajun fish sandwich alongside blintzes and latkes.

By The Way Burger is a new fast casual spot in Weho. They have shakes, fries, and all kinds of burgers - beef, salmon, chicken, veggie. They’re open until 11:30 on weekends, so next time you’re bar-hopping on Santa Monica Blvd. and need a between-bar burger stop, this could be a good place for it.

This new dim sum spot serves both traditional and non-traditional dumplings. So you’ll find pork and crab xiao long bao, along with ahi tuna egg rolls and cheeseburger dumplings.

We checked out My Little Dumpling, read our first thoughts here.

The backyard burger pop-up that drew massive crowds has now opened a brick and mortar in Silver Lake across the street from Silverlake Wine. The smash burgers are super simple - with cheese, pickles, and onions - and they have shakes and fries, as well.

We checked out Burgers Never Say Die, read our first thoughts here.

From the same people behind Mohawk Bend, California Sun is a place for pizza and beer in Silver Lake. They serve both New York and Detroit-style (pan) pizza, and salads, alongside a tap list that includes a bunch of hard-to-find beers. If you want to take some home with you, there’s a stash of canned and bottled beer you can buy to-go.

We checked out California Sun, read our first thoughts here.

Shaquille’s - named after former Laker Shaquille O’Neal - is a Southern restaurant at LA Live. It seems a bit clubby, with black leather booths and a DJ stand, and it’s decorated with Lakers memorabilia, including a very large chair that is presumably for Shaq himself. No word on whether another famous former Laker is allowed inside, but there is a Kobe beef burger on the menu.

Eleven is a new diner and deli on Wilshire in Miracle Mile. The menu has what you’d expect - reubens, patty melts, all day breakfast, and malt shakes. It could be a good option in this area when you’re sick of the same salad you bring to work for lunch every day.

This casual French spot on La Brea is from a big-deal chef who used to run an excellent fine dining place that closed in 2011 called Ortolan. The menu focuses on seafood, pasta, charcuterie, and oysters and they also have a massive wine list.

We checked out Kass, read our first thoughts here.

A new spot in Santa Monica attached to Heroic Deli, this Italian wine bar has a short a la carte menu of dishes like eggplant parmesan ravioli, uni pasta, and cioppino. Or you can choose four courses for $50.

We checked out Heroic Wine Bar, read our first thoughts here.

The same chef behind Rosaline opened a new all-day spot in West LA. They serve things like breakfast burritos in the morning, sandwiches and burgers at lunch, and oysters and chorizo ragu for dinner.

We checked out Pikoh, read our first thoughts here.

Dumpling Monster is a new dim sum spot next to the Trader Joe’s on Santa Monica Bvd. in Weho that serves a whole bunch of pan-fried dumplings and xiao long bao, along with fried rice and noodles.

This is an upscale Japanese-influenced dinner spot on Melrose and La Cienega in West Hollywood. The seafood includes things like scallop and sea urchin with daikon, and non-fish options like pork chashu with udon, and chicken meatballs.

We checked out Pacifique, read our first thoughts here.

Teddy’s started as a truck on the railroad tracks in South LA, where they served one thing: fantastic beef birria. Last year, they opened a location in Pico Rivera, and now there’s a new one by the beach in Venice.

We checked out Teddy’s Red Tacos, read our first thoughts here.

This complex at the Row in DTLA has a few parts. Tartine Bianco is a casual dinner spot, The Market serving flatbreads, salads, and pastries all-day, and there’s also a coffee and ice cream window outside. It’s a collaboration between the excellent Tartine Bakery in San Francisco and a big-deal pizzeria from Phoenix, so there’s good reason to be excited about this massive, bread-filled restaurant.

We checked out The Manufactory, read our first thoughts here.

Hom is a new Italian spot in Woodland Hills that specializes in handmade pastas. They also have a whole bunch of pizzas, and meatier dishes like lamb chops, ossobuco, and branzino.

El Segundo Brewing Company has opened a pizza shop in their hometown. They have a wide variety of pies with both traditional and less traditional toppings (including one with charred spam and pineapple) to go along with a huge tap list of El Segundo beers.

We checked out The Slice And Pint, read our first thoughts here.

The Arts District’s latest addition, House of Machines is an all-day motorcycle-themed cafe/bar. They have breakfast burritos and sandwiches until 11:30 daily, and then serve mostly bar food (ribs, burgers, salads) after that. There’s a decent selection of beer on tap, and some barrel-aged cocktails too.

LN2 is a new Italian-ish spot on Melrose that serves wood-fired pizzas and upscale pub food. The pizzas have a huge range of toppings, from duck confit and butternut squash to kale and sundried tomato. They also have a very interesting-looking build-your-own sundae option, and serve sandwiches at lunchtime.

The excellent all-vegan spot Donut Friend has now expanded from Highland Park to Downtown LA. The menu is pretty massive, and has some crazy toppings, including one donut with vegan cream cheese, strawberries, and basil, and another with Sriracha and peanut butter.

San Francisco’s popular Tartine Manufactory has begun its LA takeover. For now, it’s just a coffee and ice cream window where you can also buy sandwiches and pastries, but they plan on expanding to a full restaurant and bakery in the next few weeks.

The second outpost of the extremely popular (and fantastic) Jon and Vinny’s just opened up on San Vicente in Brentwood. The space looks a bit bigger than the original, and they offer the same classics - cacio e pepe, meatballs, and the LA Woman pizza.

We checked out Jon & Vinny’s Brentwood, read our first thoughts here.

Simonette is an all-day cafe/bistro/bar in the new Palihotel in Culver City. They’re open daily from 7am-11pm, so pretty much anytime you’re in Downtown Culver and want a niçoise salad or some steak tartare, Simonette is there for you.

We checked out Simonette, read our first thoughts here.

The people behind Bar Caló and Ostrich Farm - two of our favorite spots in Echo Park - have taken over Brite Spot, the diner on Sunset. They’re planning on a complete redesign and an entirely new menu this summer, but in the meantime, they have an updated menu with a whole bunch of American diner classics.

Ord & Broadway is a Filipino-ish spot in Chinatown. They have some traditional Filipino options, like lumpia, tapsilog rice bowls, and oxtails adobo - and also a whole bunch of other stuff, like Buffalo wings, shrimp tacos, and bulgogi.

We checked out Ord & Broadway, read our first thoughts here.

This new beer bar in the Arts District has a glass-blowing studio inside of it. There are also a whole bunch of beers on tap and a big patio filled with greenery to go along with what appears to be a little room where you can watch a man blow glass.

We checked out High Tide and put it on our Bar Hit List.

A new French cafe/bistro, Cafe Parisien is in Larchmont Village and has the classics you’d expect: mussels, steak frites, escargot, and a big case of pastries.

A handful of new delis have been opening up around town, and this Italian deli in DTLA is the latest. It’s in front of Bar Clacson, and you can bring your food back to the bar if you want a cocktail with your Italian hero or chop salad.

We checked out E Stretto, read our first thoughts here.

H Cafe is a new all-day spot in Koreatown that serves pub-style food like short rib hash and biscuits and gravy in the morning, and chicken and waffles and steak frites at dinner.

Equal Parts opened up back in December, taking the place of the Smog Cutter, a legendary Virgil Village bar. It looks pretty divey - they have some old-school video games like NBA Jam, and like the old Smog Cutter, they’ll start doing karaoke soon.

This is a new Mexican spot from the same chef behind Wolf. They serve mostly tacos, as well as some brunch options like chilaquiles and eggs with a pork roll. The a la carte tacos are $3.25 each, and there’s a good crispy jackfruit vegetarian option.

Nightshade is an Asian-inspired place in the Arts District from a pretty big deal chef. The menu is short with interesting-looking things like mapo tofu lasagna, prawn toast, and a remix on hot chicken that uses Szechuan-spiced quail. It looks a lot like some other big spots in this area that opened in the last year - so you can expect light wood, hanging plants, and an open kitchen.

We checked out Nightshade, read our first thoughts here.

From the same people as solid neighborhood spot Balcones De Peru, this is a new Peruvian restaurant in Studio City. While a couple plates are the same as the original this menu has a whole new mix of ceviches and larger-format grilled meat and fish dishes. It’s in the old Girasol space, so we expect an excellent patio.

We checked out Los Balcones, read our first thoughts here.

This new ramen spot in Koreatown switches things things up from the traditional tonkotsu (slow-cooked pork broth) style you’ll find in most LA noodle places. They do have the classics, but they also have yuzu chicken broth and pork broth with truffle butter or burnt garlic.

We checked out Iki Ramen, read our first thoughts here.

A new biergarten in Highland Park, Hinterhof serves all-vegan German food. They have 12 taps of German beer, a huge front patio with long picnic tables, and meatless versions of schnitzel and currywurst.

We checked out Hinterhof, read our first thoughts here.

The Shelby is a new bar/restaurant on West Third near the Beverly Center. They have Southern food and a long cocktail list, so it might be a good option if you’re in Beverly Grove and want to check out someplace new for date night.

We checked out The Shelby, read our first thoughts here.