Issue 78 — Little Mermaid Dreams & Mexican Sake
Sorry! Been House-Hopping!
Found myself in a lot of different houses lately… between dinner parties, events, apartment showings, MAK architecture tours, house-sitting for a few friends, and then… oh yeah… I’M MOVING. Bite Sized had to be put on the back burner for a couple weeks, thanks for being patient with me!
Why does it feel like 100 degrees when I’m packing my car, but gloomy when I’m house-sitting at a friend’s place with a pool?
Still, I managed to sneak in some solid meals ofc… because while I was schlepping boxes and selling furniture out of my old apartment, a girl’s gotta eat! A pickle butter bagel, sake + hand-pulled cavatelli at a Mexican restaurant, plus the tiniest tuna toast… It’s all here!
Hope you got a solid breakfast in and are having a good week.
Last issue, I mentioned something was taking over Holcomb’s spot on York — cat’s out of the bag: it’s this. 🍶
Allison Roman is returning with a new cookbook Something from Nothing, helping us turn our pantry goods into effortlessly chic meals. Coming out just in time for holiday, 11/11.
Sad I missed Sunday supper at Étra, but these photos of the guys will live on in my head forever…
Nobody Wants This just wrapped filming szn 2. Recognize the restaurant in slide 7? They also did a collab with Yeastie Boys.
If you missed Mustard Bagel’s HLP pop-up, you’re SOL. ‘We will be popping up again in the neighborhood SOON. Watch this space for all the updates!’
Here’s Looking at You… is closing June 13. Another heartbreak for LA dining. Lien is stepping away from the restaurant industry for now… But I really hope she at least keeps hosting her extremely niche restaurant trivia nights somewhere. The city needs her spark!
Meanwhile, this is instagram in 2025. An iced matcha in a fish tin.
But really, how did I miss this SZA Caesar collab…?
The Wishbone Kitchen x Essie nail polish collab is genius. Nails do end up in lots of food pics. Hands in pans, anyone?
Belle’s heard we’re into table service.
Chloe wrote an extremely honest piece about the unforeseen hardships of hosting pop-ups… each one working with a new set of people, a new kitchen, different budgets and new purveyors to navigate. Appreciate her sharing a peek behind the curtain. Someone get this woman a restaurant already!
Drink of the summer… is it Mezcal and Coconut water?
This spritz looks pretty good too…
or maybe Martha’s Coke float?
Yang’s is upgrading happy hour. How about half off their 20oz Wanderer Ribeye with any bottle of wine?
Coming to a charming old service station in Altadena, MadLab Coffee.
Speaking of Altadena - Miya on lake has reopened!
Woon brunch in Pasadener looks fun!
Also on my short list (still…)
Café 2001, Arts District
Zizou, Boyle Heights
Firstborn, Chinatown
Doto for one of these bento boxes… in Virgil Village
Some pizza stuff… 🍕
My friends are throwing an all you can eat pizza party (with an open bar) on a gorg private vista hill top in HLP, Great Oak Ranch. I’m gonna to mention it a few times in this issue hoping to get your attention… June 7! Get tix here! $45!
Pizzana’s pizza of the month is elote, avail until June 3rd
We knew Bub’s was taking over Town Pizza on York. They’re making moves, hiring a chef…set to open this summer! (Here’s a detailed AI rendering)
We need more slice options on the east side. I never make it over to Pizzeria Bianco… RIP Shin’s. I wish Grá would come out with a slice window!
Talk of the Town
Centro Raw Bar: Gorgy pics shot by Carly for Eater, OK iphone pics by me.
Cento Raw Bar: Just opened next door to Cento Pasta Bar in West Adams. It’s giving Little Mermaid party house in the chicest way possible. 🐚
Designed by Brandon Miradi, it feels like you’re dining inside a sea cave. Seafoam green counters, spiral details peppered around, and striking color pairings and pastels everywhere. The chunky bubble dishware... every detail is considered. It’s cute. You’ll want to take pics in the bathroom.
Carving Block hosted Chloe and I at the preview night and we got the full rundown: sharp cocktails, an epic seafood tower, raw bites with unexpected pairings (cherries??), and lots of shiso. Avocado pasta was unexpected and wild. Chef Avner Levi is definitely taking risks. Caviar sliders were a fun little flex... Ended on a hostess inspired dessert.
Cento Raw Bar is the perfect excuse to wear your new Brooke Callahan set, valet the car so you can rock your not-so-comfy kitten heels, and nestle into the bar with your girlfriend… gossiping about who else is in the room over piña coladas and a seafood tower.
Baby Bistro: Across town and with a totally different vibe comes the long-awaited pop-up-turned-restaurant from Miles Thompson and Andy Schwartz.
My favorite pop-up space of theirs was in an old barbershop inside Hotel Normandie. Checkered floors, wood-framed mirrors lined with candles, and wine chilling in those vintage white porcelain tubs. Epitome of wabi sabi. I remember thinking, how could a permanent space top this?
Turns out, it can. Designed (and built) by Grayson Revoir, the new space is everything and more… gorgeous greens, warm woods… open kitchen. It feels like you’ve been invited to dinner at their house, just with a few extra strangers.;)
I haven’t fired the menu anywhere else except here and MhZh - with 8 items, why wouldn’t you. I trust them. Chef Miles Thompson’s food is a love letter to L.A. seasonal, inventive, and deeply personal. Even though I don’t eat meat, I always love seeing a terrine hit the table.
Everything I tried was great, but the cucumbers with squid unexpectedly stole the show. And for dessert? ‘Just a really, really good cookie’ Pine nuts with a slightly savory cucumber cream, candied rhubarb, and fennel fronds.
OK! Gonna have to go back to try the collar they just posted. So glad they’re here to stay. Reservations here.
Coming Up 📆
Now - 5/31 Chelsea Mak at Bucatini
5/29 Sansho at Canyon Coffee SOLD OUT
5/29 Small Bites + Wine Flights @ Vinovore - celebrating queer women winemakers.
6/07 La Festa Vol 3 at Oak Ridge - $45 all you can eat and drink!
6/28 Goodboy + Friend’s Wine Fest - this is always SUCH a party. Really fun.
Specials Board:
Barra Santos Sweet crunchy snap peas, persian cukes, pea tendrils, walnuts & mint w. a tarragon crème fraîche dressing. This was sooo good. Reminds me of the shrimp salad from last Spring!
New Breakfast Burrito at Honey Hi @eatcoyotas cassava flour tortillas, soft scrambled farm eggs with chives, @porkandflowers chorizo, sautéed kale with leek and garlic confit, @rancho_gordo ayocote beans, grass fed raw cheddar, smoky spicy salsa macha, served with a house made cilantro lime cashew crema
Bub’s Potato crisp (which hit the menu for Mother’s Day) laid on a bed of horseradish cream, with smoked salmon, fried capers, dill, cornichon tapenade, curried and red onion.
Recent Bites:
Camelia: the newest (but not that new) restaurant from the Ototo + Tsubaki team. She’s sitting pretty in the former Church & State space in the Arts District.
Elevated but not fussy… with my kind of flavor profiles. Classic french-ish with a japanese yuzu twist? The room is warm with wood paneling, carpet (!!), and fun little table accessories, chopstick rests.
I had a gorgeous salad, with mango, Comté, walnuts, calamansi vinaigrette, the most adorable little tuna toast, and a sashimi plate with little pickled kombu flavor bombs. Fab wine. All hits. I also love that they credit all their staff on the menu. You’ll want to sit in Jess’ section ;)
Mustard’s made a pickle butter bagel for their pop-up at Sam’s, an ode to Sam’s cornichon butter, so obviously I had to order it. Compound butter w/ housemade pickles, garlic, mustard, capers & dill on the freshest available bagel. Crispy, crunchy, tangy... amazing flavor bomb. Definitely a lot of butter (or at least more than I’m used to). Put me back to bed.
Their main spot is on pause for now, but they’ll be back. The neighborhood really showed up for them at Sam's. Lots of people walked from home with their dogs. Hope they end up close by!
I usually lean towards the Asian dishes at Loreto. Atún Picante, sashimi… OR I stick to the classics like tostadas and zarandeados. But I kept seeing the cavatelli go out at weddings and finally had to try it. Loved. Served with venus clams, and manchego cheese. Couldn’t believe they’re hand-rolling pasta on top of everything else... Chef is swapping it out soon, so get on it!
Also, a Mexican sake just entered the chat. Funky, dry, and super sippable, pairs great with seafood. But we already knew that.. More on that here.
That’s all for now.. g2g!
🔗 Last Week’s Most Clicked Link
Your Erewhon protein plate could never...
Hot Tongue for a bomb slice 🍕on the East side
Love this! Reminds me of the Violette de Bordeaux Figs with calabrian chili oil & cured lardo recipe I adapted from California cuisine restaurant Rustic Canyon! check it out:
https://thesecretingredient.substack.com/p/get-rustic-canyons-recipe-violette