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.
Sweet and sour pork baby back ribs from Din Tai Fung in Arcadia
I grew up in Arcadia where the very first U.S. location of Din Tai Fung opened in 2000. Despite this, I’ve always been a bit of a Din Tai Fung skeptic (it’s hard not to be when your hometown arguably has some of the best Chinese food not just in Los Angeles, but in the states — especially at the many mom-and-pops in the SGV). Nevertheless, especially with its huge expansion, I see the appeal of Din Tai Fung now. The new spaces feel elaborate and extravagant; dumplings get expertly folded with delicate skin that gives way to piping hot pork broth. And DTF’s Shanghai-style pork ribs are some of the best I’ve ever had: the rib meat is super tender, the sauce an impressive tightrope walk between sweet and tangy, and the bones fun to clean before moving on to another bite. I like to save the sauce to pour onto an order of garlic green beans. Come to Din Tai Fung for their famed xiao long bao, stay for the ribs. 400 S. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91007. — Kat Thompson, audience editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
The jambalaya pasta at Heights Deli & Bottle Shop in Glassell Park
Initially, a Lincoln Heights neighborhood favorite, the Heights Deli & Bottle Shop became that spot for folks throughout Los Angeles, not only for its chicken Parmesan sandwiches and take-home wine and beer options that span across continents, but also for its wonderful pastas that seem to hit the spot for lunch or dinner. I was thrilled when they opened a second location in Glassell Park in 2021, which turned me into a regular who ordered the chicken pesto pasta regularly. But a new favorite has entered the chat: the penne jambalaya. The cooks are always busy, chopping, marinating, or sautéing dishes for the to-go crowd out of Glassell Park, or for folks who sit at one of the patio tables in Lincoln Heights. They take perfectly cooked penne and place Italian sausage, grilled chicken, slices of portobello, and marinated shrimp in chile flakes, then douse it with a spicy, ridiculously creamy Bolognese sauce. This is the dish that compels one to eat solo, head bent over the plate, undisturbed, and get busy shoveling bites. You’ll wonder what the ingredients are as the sauce’s subtle heat sneaks up on you. Purchasing an excellent bottle to accompany this dish is the pro move. 2135 N. San Fernando Road, Glassell Park, CA 90065. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Orange chicken wings from the Benjamin in Fairfax
I’ve long been wanting to visit the Benjamin, Los Angeles’s hotshot restaurant on Melrose that opened in 2024 from the team behind the Hundreds. On a recent weekend, I finally had a chance to sidle up to the bar and have one of its martinis and a few snacks before heading upstairs to a celebration at its newer sister haunt Bar Benjamin. Among a compelling slate of starters, orange chicken wings stand out for their deviation from the Panda variety, something you might expect to find at a longtime Chinese American restaurant like Formosa Cafe more than you would a restaurant that feels like a sleek softcore steakhouse. Huge chicken drumsticks and wings come in a neat pile, shellacked with orange-infused sweet and sour sauce and pocked by sesame seeds. They’re sticky and hedonistic, just what you want before indulging in a second (or third) martini. Pair them with a side of fries and house pickled cauliflower for an impeccable bar trinity. 7174 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager
Rib-eye steak from Dunsmoor in Glassell Park
Los Angeles seems unable to get enough of Dunsmoor, a wood-fired restaurant in Glassell Park, from chef Brian Dunsmoor that channels food history in each dish. On nearly every night open, the candelit room is abuzz with groups gathered around the longer tables in the middle, or tucked into two-tops in the pockets of the room, sipping Miller High Lifes or glasses of wine. My latest trip to Dunsmoor was motivated by an immediate need for the restaurant’s massive rib-eye, cooked medium-rare and served with salty, rich marrow on the side. The 32-ounce cut must be among Los Angeles’s most impressive steaks, with a dark, well-seasoned crust and meat so tender that you barely need a knife to slice it. Although the rib-eye will likely (rightfully) be the star of the show, be sure to order the risotto-esque Carolina gold rice and soul-warming pork and green chile stew, served with chewy, blistered flour tortillas on the side. If reservations for the main dining room are full, head around the corner to the walk-in only wine bar for an abbreviated menu. 3501 Eagle Rock Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90065. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest