Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: “Where should I eat?“ Here are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here’s our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town.
For the easiest weekend lunch on the Westside: Cosetta in Santa Monica
My love for Italian American restaurant Cosetta in Santa Monica runs deep, but I had not been able to visit for its lunch service until last weekend. Lunch brings an easygoing menu that has a pared down slate of some of Cosetta’s best appetizers, salads, and pizzas, as well as mid-day additions such as salad wraps and sandwiches. We stayed on the wrap side of the playground: my dining partner tried the behemoth Sabich-ish wrap, folded into a leopard-spotted tortilla that uses the restaurant’s homemade pizza dough (called “pizza wrap” on the menu), while I got the classic chicken Caesar wrap, which I could request gluten-free without an upcharge (the menu continues to be extremely accessible to gluten-sensitive Angelenos, from the gluten-free mozzarella sticks to Milanese). I loved the just-right size of this Caesar wrap; the fact that it came with pickled cauliflower, aka Puglian-style sott’oli; and that I could add a side of their Cool Ranch–dusted house-fried potato chips to finish. Kids will have an easy time here with coloring paper and grilled cheeses that taste like the famous mozzarella sticks. 3150 Ocean Park Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90405. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager
For skewers and soju: Feng Mao in Koreatown
It’s already getting warm outside, so what’s a few more meat sweats at skewer spot Feng Mao? Head to the unassuming Korean Chinese restaurant for an array of skewers dusted in cumin and chile, then grilled right at the table. A few orders of lamb, or spicy mala lamb, skewers remain necessary, alongside pork belly wrapped about bouncy enoki mushrooms, and green chives simmered in a foil tin right over the flames. Do your best to tear yourself away from the skewer section to round out orders with crisp cucumbers, lamb with cumin sauce, and green onion pancakes. Beer and soju are fairly inexpensive and will be flowing freely at most tables to wash down all the flame-kissed meat. 3901 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90019. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Southern California/Southwest
For tasty and classic Peruvian chicken: Pollo a La Brasa in Koreatown
Longtime Koreatown staple Pollo a La Brasa is the type of place where locals pass by and immediately think, “Should I get some Peruvian chicken for later?” The minimal operation has been preparing traditional rotisserie chicken for three decades. Most know the Western Avenue and Eighth Street location, which is impossible to miss thanks to the charcoal smoke billowing from the massive custom oven. Though parking remains a challenge, the wait is worth it, though those in the know order ahead. The hardest part might be figuring out the ideal group to eat a whole briny, herby, signature chicken covered in spicy aji sauce. Add on the beef anticuchos, grilled rib-eye churrasco, fried yucca, and rice pudding, then wash everything down with the purple-hued chicha morada. 764 S. Western Avenue, Koreatown, CA, 90005. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For Japanese comfort food in the SGV: Ducks in San Gabriel
I’ve been coming to Ducks for years now and the multigenerational restaurant continues to comfort with its home-style meals of katsu curry, Japanese spaghetti, udon, and soba. The most unique aspect of Ducks, to me, is its tempura. Instead of the pale and crispy tempura standard at many Japanese restaurants, Ducks’ rendition remains craggy with sharp strands of batter that look like pulled sugar. The chikuwa, or fish cake, tempura has long been my favorite — especially when paired with a warming bowl of soba noodles. You can’t really go wrong with any of the entrees at Ducks; every dish gets prepared from a recipe that’s been generationally passed down — you can taste the care in the food and feel it in the dining room, where dozens of rubber ducks brought from customers all over the world adorn the windowsills and shelves. 1381 E. Las Tunas Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest