Vol. 6
We’re keeping it both local and in the family for this edition - each of the below restaurants is connected to other LA favorites by way of ownership (spoiler alert - they’re all great). But first, I have a corrections corner from Vol. 5: Awan ice cream is… entirely plant-based?!? It was so creamy and incredible that I truly had zero idea. No grainy mouthfeel or artificially thickened dairy-substitutes alerted themselves, so this place is perfect whether you’re down with dairy or not.
From Where I Sat
Here’s Looking At You (Koreatown) - HYLA has been through a lot over the years. From a pandemic closure that the owners feared permanent to this year’s sudden death of Chef Jonathan Whitener at only 36, HLAY has faced obstacles that few restaurants could recover from. Earlier this summer, Ronan’s chef Daniel Cutler came aboard and the restaurant is back (baby!), and thankfully the same as ever, if not better. Last-minute reservations are hard to come by, however 2 people can usually snag a seat at the bar. Not to make this all about me, but I’ve been eating here since 2018, including celebrating my engagement(!), so I can provide long-term testimony. The menu is rotating and seasonal, but some of the evergreen items are my favorites:
Chicken liver, served with grainy mustard, apple butter, and crispy shallots.
Frogs' legs, served with a very spicy salsa negra, scallions, and lime. These are a must-order and are reminiscent of big ol’ crispy chicken wings.
Blue prawns, with nam jim, a cabbage & papaya slaw, etc. Your hands will get messy and your tongue will sweat, in a good way.
Their dry-aged, bone-in rib eye. I mean, say less.
The cocktail menu is equally seasonal, and it offers exciting takes on familiar drinks, and also features a small tiki drink menu that I’ve never quite understood. A recent standout drink was the Sucia Please, which features two of my favorites Condesa Dry Gin and Xila (a Mezcal liqueur) with an escabeche brine. The whole cocktail was like drinking spicy pickled carrots from a taco shop in the best way possible, like a spicy, super dirty martini.
From 8:30 - 10pm they serve a Happy Hour menu with an insane burger… more on that to come. HLAY is a sister restaurant to All Day Baby, who is cranking out some of the best hangover-friendly breakfast burritos in the city, along with countless other fantastic dishes. HLAY is also around the corner from my favorite dive bar Frank ‘n Hank, and Jilli, previously mentioned in Vol. 3.
Kismet (Los Feliz) - Kismet the middle child of Los Angeles — everyone always seems to forget about her, and she’s often in the shadow of her younger sister, Kismet Rotisserie (excellent for delivery). Despite their poultry claim to fame, Kismet refers to themselves as a “vegetable-loving restaurant for food, wine, and friends” and I must say I concur. It’s a Mediterranean dream that’s meant to be shared with a group amidst funky wines. The vegetable dishes never feel like an afterthought, but they don’t neglect the proteins either.
Highlights are the Fried Cauliflower with caper yogurt, Marinated Feta, Trout on the Plancha, Maitake Mushrooms, and the Lamb Ribs. Seemingly hidden towards the bottom of the menu are the Persian Crispy Rice - I am begging you to order this - along with the Flaky Bread (malawach), which you are also required to order. After dinner, boogie over to Covell for more dimly lit wine bar times, it’s basically next door.
Saffy’s (East Hollywood) - Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis are 3 for 3 in terms of successful restaurants. They own Bestia, which was at the forefront of the Arts District’s warehouse-turned-fine-dining boom and after 12 years is still difficult to snag a rez, and Bavel, a Middle-Eastern DTLA darling that never, ever, ever disappoints. Two years ago, they opened Saffy’s as a more approachable, neighborhood-y option, under the watchful eye of the massive, bright blue Scientology complex that looms across the street (yikes!). I hate to break it to the owners, but Saffy’s is such a hot spot that it doesn’t quite have the casual, neighborhood feel they describe. It’s loud, crowded, and pricey, but it doesn’t matter because the food, drinks, and atmosphere are stellar and you’ll be excited to return before you’ve even left.
Stunning raw scallops are served in their shells, and hummus tahini arrives with two generous slices of sesame-coated challah bread. Seasonal vegetable tempuras abound, and various grilled vegetable dishes feel lighter when served with peppery greens, plentiful herbs, and spicy bites of pickled fresnos. Succulent, shaved lamb & wagyu shawarma hits the table blanketed in laffa alongside a huge plate of layered sauces. Skewers of perfectly grilled meats arrive on swords better suited for medieval torture, and you will begrudgingly pay extra for a second, frustratingly perfect pita because no matter how many skewers you order, only a single pita accompanies them. Sigh.
You will pay a premium for this meal, but you will depart feeling full and thinking “fuck, that was really, really, good.” Because just like Bavel and Bestia, Saffy’s is really, really good. Like all my favorite restaurants, it’s best experienced with a group of friends ready to share everything. If you really feel like draining your savings, pop over to Found Oyster across the street beforehand for happy hour oysters (but go early as there are no reservations).
In My Kitchen
As much as I love to eat out, I spent a lot of this summer cooking. I took a page from my friend Karlee’s playbook and made these (honestly incredible) herb yogurt-marinated grilled chicken legs with insanely tender potatoes (leftover taters went into breakfast burritos) while camping in the Sequoias, all done over a fire pit, making me feel cool and capable of open-fire cooking. I’ve indulged in a few fancy steak dinners at home with friends (shoutout to McCall’s for excellent ribbies, and Eataly for their 40% off dry-aged sale) with vegetable sides and fun wines.
On My Radar
I’m a summer girl through and through, but after summer’s bounty, fall produce comes in at a close second. There are some fancy new vegetables on the market I’ll be trying, and I’m looking forward to seeing heartier produce at the farmers’ markets. Despite our warm weather, I’ll be leaning into soup szn when I host a spooky craft night for the girls. Now that summer is over, maybe I’ll finally make it to the west side to try Si! Mon, and I’m planning to cruise on over to the increasingly popular Mercado La Paloma for LA’s first-ever craft molino, Komal.
Happy Spooky Season to all!!!
xo