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 Los Angeles’s low-key coolest dining experience: Two Hommés in Inglewood
Chef-owners Abdoulaye Balde and Yaw Marcus Johnson have curated one of the coolest (and not talked about enough) dining experiences in town at their restaurant Two Hommés: following a sleek remodel, the place now feels like an any-occasion den that can host couples, raucous groups of friends, and even young families. Their menu of West African–meets–Californian dishes will feel highly legible to Angelenos, who can order standout dishes such as lamb dibi ssam, a fragrant, fall-apart smoked lamb main that merges a Senegalese street food with Korean ssam. Favorites like honey berbere chicken bites, mercilessly craggy and sauced; charred snap peas and suya-style mushrooms; and the omnipresent jollof and plantain platter complete the picture. On Sundays, the restaurant opens its doors for weekend brunch, which adds creamy jollof shrimp and grits, honey berbere chicken and waffles, a homemade lamb sausage breakfast sandwich, fresh biscuits, and an ice cream–smothered pancake, among others. No matter when you go, you can’t go wrong in the hommés’ hands. 902 N. La Brea Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90302. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager
For laidback sushi on a people-watching patio: Sogo Roll Bar in Los Feliz
The Los Feliz patio that encapsulates Sogo Roll Bar and Go Get Em Tiger remains one of Los Angeles’s finest people-watching destinations. In the mornings, young families donning vintage Levi’s park their Nuna strollers out front to sip on cortados; as the sun lowers in the sky, the crowd shifts to the other side of the patio to pound round after round of hand roll. Sogo straddles the line between really great fish, without the pretense of a full omakase. Sip on wine or sake between bites of baked crab crispy rice, black cod-topped donburi, and toro rolls. 4634 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For a weekend happy hour on a backyard patio: Everson Royce Bar in the Arts District
I’ve been coming to Everson Royce Bar since I was a college intern at a men’s streetwear brand in Vernon — so for more than a decade at this point. What keeps me coming back is the combination of balanced micheladas, a welcoming outdoor space, and an enduring happy hour menu that’s available Tuesday through Sunday (yes, that includes weekends). Happy hour runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and includes deals on nachos, ERB’s famed burger topped with sharp cheddar and dijonnaise, a trio of cocktails, and more bar snacks. The iconic and flaky buttermilk biscuits served with whipped honey butter are not on the happy hour menu, but if you’re visiting they are, in fact, a must-order any time of day. 1936 E. 7th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90021. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
For an excellent day trip planned around food and drinks: Manifattura in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is such a compact and highly walkable city that you can plan an easy day of eating and drinking by foot. No matter the itinerary, sampling glasses of pinot in the Funk Zone or Julia Child’s favorite La Super-Rica Taqueria is a breeze, as is dining at Santa Barbara’s hot spot, Manifattura. Owners Andrea Girardello and Brian Dodero are respected figures in Santa Barbara’s food scene at the popular Aperitivo. At Manifattura, there is a casual simplicity to the menu and room with Italian wines and a fun selection of spritzes. Go for the focaccia and marinated olives to stave off hunger, then dive into the potato and baccàla croquettes bathed in squid ink and a touch of chile-infused heat. One can watch the pasta being made through the front window that faces State Street and dine heartily on the radiatori prepared pizzaiolo-style. Manifattura books up quickly, but many arrive at 5 p.m. for a standby table. 413 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101 — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest