Bar Restaurant is a new, well, you know, that does away with the pretentious and, frankly, tedious task of selecting a clever moniker. Initially opened as just a bar, this Silver Lake spot is now ready to fulfill both aspects of its name, with a French-leaning menu that includes mushroom soupe a l’oignon, pork tonkatsu with wakame Béarnaise, and mussels with Dijon mustard and milk-bread toast.

No, the West Coast version of Hardee’s hasn’t opened a Tokyo-style restaurant - Tempura Carlos Jr is a new spot in Torrance that is serving everything deep-fried. Named after their founder, a Peruvian-born, Japanese-trained chef who developed his own crispy, egg-based batter, they’re frying everything from shrimp to shishito peppers to king crab, over your choice of either rice or soba noodles.

You’ll discover/locate/uncover Found Oyster next to the recently opened Five Leaves in East Hollywood. With a wooden bar, checkered tile floor, and nautical interior, this feels more like a spot you’d find in a cheerier version of The Lighthouse, as opposed to their actual location, which is a mere block away from that big blue Scientology building on Sunset Blvd. In addition to the namesake oysters, Found also serves shucked clams, chowder, steamers, and a lobster roll with serrano chili, with wine and beer on the way. They’re currently only open on weekends.

Berkshire House is a new bar in Mid-City. Although this crowded stretch of La Brea Ave. has a decent amount of restaurants - Republique, Nong La, and of course, an obligatory Sugarfish outpost - this is one of the few casual spots in the neighborhood to grab a drink and watch a game. With a spacious interior, wraparound couches, and TVs that number in the double digits, Berkshire House has got everything sports fans need, plus a menu that includes a mix of chicken wings, pizza, and cheesesteaks, as well as $3 drinks (!!!) during Happy Hour.

In perhaps one of the most ambitious crossovers of 2019 (sorry @ Endgame), the chefs behind LA’s Sqirl and legendary Mexico City restaurant Contramar have teamed up to open Onda. Located in the Proper Hotel in Santa Monica, the menu blends the two cities’ cultures and cuisines, with dishes like smoked trout tostada, and corn masa-battered kelp with anchovies, lemon fritto misto, and crema salsa verde.

Located on that busy stretch on Sunset Blvd., that’s home to Pine & Crane, 33 Taps, and that one La Colombe that Abbi from Broad City randomly once took a picture with her dad in front of, Needle is focused on Hong Kong-style cooking. That means dishes like wood ear mushrooms with chili oil and scallions, and pork-chop buns with pork loin, milk bread, and spicy relish.

Grá is a new fermentation-focused spot in Echo Park, which means everything under the microorganism sun, from sourdough pizzas and kimchi to kombucha and natural wines. At first glance, it kind of looks like an Ikea showroom for Eastside coffee shops, with concrete floors, mismatched chairs and communal tables (and of course, hanging plants), and in the kitchen, you’ll find an Italian wood-fired oven baking organic pies with toppings like pistachio pesto and carnitas.

Holcomb is a new wine bar from the people behind some of our favorite places to drink, like The Hermosillo, Bar Covell, and Oriel. Located in Highland Park, all of the wines here are served from a tap - to help keep prices low - and the menu includes the usual roundup of wine-friendly snacks, like beef tartare, salumi, and a pork rillette sandwich.

Located in Little Tokyo, Yapa is a cocktail bar and restaurant that’s focused on Nikkei cuisine - traditional Peruvian ingredients prepared with Japanese techniques, like korokke (a deep-fried croquette popular in Japan that Yapa fills with corn and yellow peppers) and tiradito (a spicy Peruvian raw-fish dish that’s cut like sashimi).

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

After doing pop-ups all over the city, Goldburger has finally found a home - but only for a limited time. Based out of the space that used to be Haché in Silver Lake, this smashburger spot will only be around for the next six months - and is weekends-only at the moment - so get your fill of their thin-and-crispy double burgers (or the LA Special, topped with pastrami and dijonnaise slaw) while you can.

We checked out Goldburger, read our first thoughts here.

Between the high ceilings, beach-related artwork, and those damn rattan lighting fixtures every single LA restaurant seems to have nowadays, Bondi Harvest’s new outpost in Culver City’s ever-expanding Platform complex feels more like a coastal Sydney cafe than a SoulCycle-adjacent restaurant. Compared to their Santa Monica location, this version of the Australian cafe is a little more upscale, with foods like butterflied barbecued prawns and a 32-ounce Aussie Wagyu tomahawk steak, and a bar filled with only beer and wine from Down Under.

Cool, dark, and covered in greenery, Lolo is a new natural wine bar in East Hollywood that will surely be gracing an Instagram Story near you. The menu is filled with stuff that pairs well with all manner of wine (preservative-free and otherwise), from snacks like grilled focaccia and burrata, to larger dishes like ricotta cavatelli and steak au poivre.

The newest addition to Leimert Park, Swift Cafe draws inspiration from Indian, Caribbean, and Central and South American cuisines, with a menu that is healthy and mostly plant-based. Dishes include ravioli made with sweet potato, almond milk ricotta, and sage butter, coconut chickpea curry, and jerk chicken with coconut rice and plantains.

Originally hailing from San Francisco, Vive La Tarte has brought their portmanteau-filled menu to Sunset Blvd. That includes a “Breakfast Tacro” - which is equal parts taco and croissant - filled with egg, avocado, bacon, cheese, and salsa - fresh-baked loaves of bread, avocado toast, and a “Kalefornia” breakfast salad.

We checked out Vive La Tarte, read our first thoughts here.

From the people behind NYC’s Sunday in Brooklyn comes Sibling Rival. Located in The Hoxton hotel, this all-day cafe features a gold-trimmed bar, mismatched tiles, and plush booths, making it look like what would happen if the hashtag #jungalow got hitched to a diner in the ’50s. But the menu is firmly rooted in this decade, full of dishes like the greenest Green Toast of all time (with avocado, spring peas, wheatgrass oil, and sprouts) and bone broth made with turmeric and ginger.

“HRB” is short for “Hand Roll Bar,” and as such, this hand-to-table restaurant specializes in sushi rolls with fillings like yuzu spicy tuna with cucumber, salmon, toro, and blue crab. Located next to Pershing Square in DTLA (and precariously close to the similarly themed KazuNori) HRB’s minimalist, slate-gray interiors ensure your focus is on the fish, which presumably amplifies the titular Experience.

We checked out The HRB Experience, read our first thoughts here.

Named after the iconic, tomato-based sauce mama used to make, Sunday Gravy is a new Italian restaurant in Inglewood. With its traditional red-and-white checkered tablecloths, dripping-font logo, and menu filled with everything from arrabiata pasta to fries with short rib ragu and mozzarella, Sunday Gravy seems to check every box required to be considered a cool, hip Italian restaurant - which is sure to impress even the toughest of mamas.

There are as many sports bars in LA as there are recent disappointing playoff losses by LA teams - but that doesn’t mean we don’t still investigate the interesting-looking new ones. The Greyhound’s a bar and restaurant in Glendale with darts, wings, a huge tap list, and plenty of TVs to watch Jared Goff to throw six-yard incompletions on. It’s the second location of the Highland Park spot famous for its game-day deals, so we expect a similar situation here.

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

This izakaya in the middle of Boystown serves a wide variety of Japanese bar food, including kushiyaki and donabe. In addition to skewered meats and hot pots, they also have a bunch of sushi and sashimi options - including a couple different omakase tiers - to go along with their sake list.

Everyone’s favorite black-out-and-house-some-Tex-Mex bar in North Hollywood has opened another location in Weho. The food is fine, but what you’re really there for are the massive $11 margaritas - and the option to make them “Texas Size” (36 oz instead of 18) for $2 more.

Lowell Cafe is “the first cannabis cafe in the U.S.,” and while none of the food is infused with cannabis, it is designed to “complement the heightened senses.” This joint (haha) is 21+, and offers the option to either BYOW (bring your own weed), which comes with a “tokage” fee, or buy some on the premises. If you have any questions, pot sommeliers are available to guide you, and the rotating menu includes food like miso-glazed pork belly, jalapeno mac and cheese bites, and vegan nachos. If that’s not enough for you, there’s a Taco Bell 1.3 miles away.

We checked out Lowell Cafe, read our first thoughts here.

Although a good banchan spread can feel like a prix fixe meal, Haewah Dal is serving actual Korean tasting menus. Located in Long Beach, this new restaurant features three different prix fixe options (you can choose between five, six, and ten courses, ranging from $60-130), which include traditional staples like galbijjim (braised beef short rib) and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles) and modern dishes like black cod with crispy potato and Chilean sea bass with a berry chutney. Don’t worry, you can also order a la carte, too.

We checked out Haewah Dal, read our first thoughts here.

HiHo is bringing their fantastic, back-to-basics burgers to Mid-Wilshire. Located next to recently opened branches of Uovo and Kazunori, their newest outpost is almost identical to the original - they’re serving burgers, milkshakes, and an excellent Key lime pie in a minimalist setting guaranteed to please your inner Marie Kondo. But most importantly, now you don’t have to travel to the Third Street Promenade to taste one of LA’s best burgers.

With its rattan furniture, mosaic tiles, and blue walls that are more vibrant and mesmerizing than Yves Klein’s famous monochrome, The Cliffdiver is the summer vacation you wish you’d taken. As the name suggests, the menu is filled with seafood like octopus tostada, marlin tacos, and pacific snapper ceviche, and as if living in Malibu wasn’t already enough of a prize, all residents of the area get a 15% discount.

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

Uovo has brought its affordable, handmade pasta to Mid-Wilshire. Although it’s not our favorite casual pasta spot in the city, there’s nothing wrong with any of their $16 bowls, which range from tagliatelle al ragu to cacio e pepe to ravioli di ricotta. Also opening next door, in similarly sleek, modern spaces are new locations of HiHo and Kazunori.

There are many benefits to dining in the globalized economy, and perhaps no restaurant demonstrates them better than Azay. Located in Little Tokyo, one half of their menu is made up of Japanese staples like chawanmushi (savory egg custard), cha soba, and bento boxes, and the other features French dishes like boeuf bourguignon, a croque monsieur, and salade aux lardons. Who needs free trade?

We checked out Azay, read our first thoughts here.

Spiked seltzers and Phoebe Waller-Bridge projects have had quite a summer, but apparently the hottest trend in LA right now is hot chicken. Dave’s is by no means a newcomer to the pantheon (we like their Hollywood location), but they’ve just opened a new outpost in North Hollywood. Not much has changed with this second spot - you still order a combination of tenders and sliders (with spice levels ranging from No Heat to Reaper) at the counter - but the space is a bit bigger than its predecessor, which means there’s plenty of room to douse your head with water if things get too spicy.

Just as the sun continues to rise, Historic Filipinotown continues to open exciting new places to eat and drink. The latest is addition is Thunderbolt, a cocktail bar with a Southern/Filipino menu. Located next to similarly leaning BBQ spot The Park’s Finest, the menu is filled with cocktails like the La Frutera, made with tequila, mango, and tamarind, and foods like fried green tomato sandwiches and an 18-hour smoked brisket.

We checked out Thunderbolt, read our first thoughts here.

Fuku, the latest installment in the Momofuku Culinary Universe (a.k.a. the other MCU), is located in the new SocialEats space at Santa Monica’s Gallery food hall. It’s the first LA location of the East Coast cult fave, and they’re not changing much, serving fried chicken fingers, chicken boxes, and sandwiches.

From the people behind one of our favorite taverns on the Eastside, Osen Izakaya, comes Kappo Osen. The menu features a wide variety of dishes, including kushiyaki skewers, sushi, duck breast, Wagyu beef, and nabe (Japanese hot pot). There’s also an omakase option. Decorated to look like a ryokan, or Japanese inn, with its tatami mats and sliding doors that lead to private rooms, you’ll feel like you’re at the base of Mount Fuji, rather than downtown Santa Monica, where you just saw two people mount the same Bird scooter.

When we first got wind of V, a new Downtown restaurant/bar that has been described as a “multi-sensory dining experience with a ‘scent strategy’,” we had a lot of questions. Why does the graffiti art on the walls remind us of the opening sequence of The Da Vinci Code? Do we need velvet couches in every color of the rainbow? And what the hell is a “scent strategy”? And while we don’t have all the answers, we do know that the “new neighborhood hangout set in a converted 1920s jewelry store” will be serving everything from coffee and pastries to cocktails, sourdough pizzas, and more.

We checked out V, read our first thoughts here.

The chef behind Dialogue has just opened Pasjoli, a new French restaurant in Santa Monica. Unlike the very tiny, very expensive tasting menu spot (where a meal for two can famously break the $700 barrier), Pasjoli is serving slightly more casual French food a la carte - like a caramelized onion and Gruyère tart and pressed roast duck - in a space that feels like what would happen if Jean Prouvé had done production design on Moonrise Kingdom.

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

Roji Bakery is a new coffee shop that specializes in shokupan, a.k.a. “milk bread” that’s softer and fluffier than a Casper mattress. Originally from Kumamoto, Japan, their LA outpost is located in Miracle Mile, and is serving a wide variety of pastries like strawberry danishes, edamame cheese bread, and chocolate croissants.

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.

We checked out American Beauty and put it on our Hit List.

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.

We checked out Bianca Bakery, read our first thoughts here.

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.

We checked out Sushi Miyagi, read our first thoughts here.

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 menu at Abernethy’s includes hot and sour sablefish, cacio e pepe with Northern Chinese-style noodles, and a condensed milk rice pudding with butter-roasted pineapple. Other chefs on the docket include the people behind 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, read our first thoughts here.

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.

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

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, read our first thoughts here.

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.

We checked out Bee Taqueria, read our first thoughts here.

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.

We checked out Lanea, read our first thoughts here.

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.

We checked out Yasu, read our first thoughts here.

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 checked out Portuguese Bend Distillery, read our first thoughts here.

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).

We checked out Baon, read our first thoughts here.

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.