The editors at Eater LA dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we’re always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here’s the very best of everything the team has eaten this week.
Refried lentils from Broken Spanish Comedor in Culver City
When I learned Broken Spanish would revive in Los Angeles, my first thoughts were of chef Ray Garcia’s refried lentils. The silky side dish has haunted my memory since the last time I had it at Broken Spanish’s pop-up at the now-defunct Neuehouse in Hollywood. Shirking the more common refried pinto, Garcia cooks lentils down with epazote until tender before blending them with salty quesillo. I finally made my way to Broken Spanish Comedor last week and the refried lentils were as good as I remembered. I almost forgot we had the entirety of a meal still coming as I burned my way through a stack of soft blue corn tortillas, each smeared with a thick layer of the lentils. My only regret: not putting in a second order of lentils to go. 12565 Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90066. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Chilaquiles from Guajillo in Huntington Park
There’s no excuse to not drive to the Huntington Park, Bell, or South Gate location for Guajillo, an all-day restaurant that feels especially lively in its morning hours. During a recent Sunday visit, most plates landing on tables were of the carne asada, chicken, chorizo, or huevos revueltos variety. Guajillo’s chilaquiles are not overdone; there’s dedicated simplicity to the golden-fried tortilla shards topped with a healthy spoonful of fresh crema and cotija cheese. As always, chilaquiles are best eaten quickly before the crispy tortillas absorb the salsa verde (or roja for extra heat), lessening the satisfying crunch; order a mango margarita on the side to wash it down. And if the manager passes by offering a creamy coconut or cajeta flan, take it. 6480 Santa Fe Avenue, Huntington Park, CA, 90255. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Lamb plate from Aroma Café in Rancho Park
Following a destabilizing move week, I have officially left beachy Venice after eight years for a more suburban pocket of West Los Angeles. One of my first stops in my new neighborhood: Rancho Park local legend Aroma Café, a small Bosnian restaurant that has been serving its community for more than two decades. Inside the restaurant and market (standing shelves with dips, dried goods, and breads sit to the right of the entrance), diners can find Balkan staples such as baked lepinja packed with ćevapi sausages; pljeskavica, a Jonathan Gold–loved burger; and tufahije, golden poached apples pocked with walnuts and topped with whipped cream and syrups. I went for a simple lamb plate: two hulking lamb loin chops accompanied by smoky grilled vegetables. Having the lamb with kaymak, a thicker clotted cream–style dip, and ajvar, a sweet roasted red pepper spread, in the dappled sunlight of a particularly warm afternoon made me feel suddenly more at home. 2530 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90064. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager
The Big Mec from Petit Trois in Hollywood
As an avid burger lover, I’ve long felt dissonance for not yet trying the Big Mec at Los Angeles’s legendary bistro Petit Trois — a burger I’ve seen splashed across social media for the better part of a decade. This weekend, I finally sat down for a taste. At first glance, I worried the Big Mec would be too heavy with its cascade of bordelaise sauce and dripping garlic aioli that envelop the entire plate. To my surprise, though, the tang of the bordelaise sauce cuts through the richness of twin beef patties and American cheese; caramelized onions provide welcome sweetness. It’s the type of burger that requires a fork and a knife, but even with decadent ingredients applied generously, I didn’t leave feeling weighed down. If anything, my visit confirmed why the Big Mec has remained such an icon. 718 N. Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest