And if indoor still isn’t your thing? They’ve also got a sprawling patio. When you go, do not skimp on the natural wine list, expertly assembled by the in-house sommelier, Ryan Mercado. Finally, add a dollop of chicken fat rice and the chili-spiked spicy salsita to hold it all together. That’s OK, because they’re also extremely affordable, as are a plethora of grilled vegetable sides, like juicy eggplant (with more garlic) and crispy roasted cauliflower. What you’re eating: Do not be fooled by the grocery store implications of “rotisserie” - Filipinos do it better! Either the slow-roasted chicken inasal or pork belly lechon are plenty succulent on their own add the garlic mojo sauce and these dishes elevate from delicious to highly addictive. What’s another bottle of natural wine when the atmosphere is this good? The new dining room - by the trendy (and award-winning) design firm Preen - is warm and welcoming, and coaxes diners to linger long into the summer night. Flipping from a chef-driven, experimental concept into a more casual sit-down spot, the menu shift officially happened in early February, but with indoor dining still beleaguered by pandemic precautions, it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that Lasita made its official debut. One such renaissance comes from the transformation of Chinatown’s Lasa into Lasita. The premise: Restaurateurs have been hit hard by the pandemic, but the ensuing creativity and pivots have been nothing short of inspired. For LA meat lovers this summer - Beverly Hills, that’s where you want to be. Nailing the proper calibrations for a perfect steak are one thing, this does all that restaurant and excels in every other category, too. Imagine the best steakhouse you’ve been to and turn your expectations up to 11: The martinis are stronger, the salads are crisper, and the meat is juicier. The prix fixe rotates nightly, so the chef can serve the freshest cuts and continue introducing guests to new preparations. What you’re eating: The $78 Wagyu dinner is a five-course rollercoaster through everything Matū stands for - 24-hour-simmered bone broth gives way to filets, beef cheeks, and all manners of tartare and inventive vegetable sides. In Māori, Matū loosely translates to “essence” or “richness,” and the goal of this chic new spot is to get to the heart of what a great steak should be. With beef sourced from New Zealand’s First Light Farms, Matū’s meat is all of those things, so guests can partake in a fancy night at this upscale Beverly Hills steak restaurant without a guilty conscience. The premise: From the one of founders of Sugarfish comes the first restaurant in LA to serve only 100% grass-fed Wagyu beef, and co-founder Jerry Greenberg describes their signature Wagyu dinner as “a take on omakase that showcases the beef in a variety of preparations.” Look, if you’re eating expensive meat in 2021, it better be GMO-free, sustainable, and pretty fucking delicious. Here’s what resilience looks like in LA’s dining scene this summer. Strange can be good, though, and a hot, delicious meal can do wonders for a tired spirit. From the plant-inspired elegance at Ardor in West Hollywood’s gorgeous Edition Hotel to an exceptionally ambitious Beverly Hills steakhouse, new concepts are still debuting, and old favorites are gearing up for another strange autumn. And it means that outdoor dining and other precautions are here to stay through fall.īut as Angelenos prepare to shoulder yet another round of mask mandates and potential restrictions, everybody’s still gotta eat. It means that supporting the culinary creativity in our community that soldiers on, against all odds, is a work of greater solidarity with the entire restaurant industry. All this continued anxiety only means that little treasures - like outdoor meals with family or friends - are more important than ever. In Los Angeles and around the world, the only certainty this summer is uncertainty. Thus we present Table Stakes, a monthly rundown of the five (or so) must-know spots that have swung wide their doors in the past thirty (or so). But to keep tabs on the most worthy? Yeoman’s work, and we’re proud to do it. To keep tabs on every Los Angeles restaurant and bar opening is folly.

Ardour restaurant dc