Since its opening in August 2024, Belle's - also known as Belle's Bagels, Delicatessen, and Bar - has quickly established itself as an all-day fixture on foot-traffic-heavy York Boulevard, slinging BEC bagelwiches and gravlax toast in the morning before shifting to chicken schnitzel and pickle martinis come sundown. After more than a decade as a pop-up, the deli has emerged as the rare new restaurant that feels like it's been there forever thanks to an upgraded-greatest-hits Jewish diner menu, retro-cool décor, and a spacious back patio complete with a crackling fire. A rotating menu of bar snack specials and a notably inventive cocktail program ensure that repeat visits feel fresh, even for regulars.
From its midcentury modern-meets-Art Deco design to a menu that bursts with punchy, sour, and peppery flavors, the restaurant delivers on all promises you might make about Los Angeles's dining scene to out-of-towners coming in for the weekend. Make a reservation and delight in attentive service, a small but mighty wine list, and snacky starters like shrimp chips and ayam berempah (Malaysian-style fried chicken wings swathed in a sweet chile sauce).
Los Angeles travelers can find a sleek hi-fi hideaway tucked behind the main facade of an Ojai massage parlor. Radio Roma, a new mezcal bar attached to adjacent taquería Taco Roma, takes influences from Mexico City, the Oaxaca region, and even the listening bars of Tokyo, Japan. Music floats from a vintage Klipsch sound system while tacos, like a lamb carnitas rendition with crispy edges, fly from the kitchen.
If you ever visit Cento Pasta Bar, you'll notice every table has a bowl of its spicy pomodoro pasta topped with fluffy truffle ricotta and a pool of shimmering basil oil. There's a reason this is one of the most popular dishes: it's that good, and has remained that good since Cento opened in 2021. The fresh rigatoni gets cooked al dente, giving it a satisfying bite;
For one night only, local chefs Karlo Evaristo (6100 Bread) and Jared Ventura (Studio at the Montage) resurrected their pandemic-era dining concept, Adia, at Newport Beach's Viamara. According to " TimesOC " writer Sarah Mosqueda, Adia "blends Evaristo's Filipino heritage and cooking experience with Ventura's Italian background and cooking skills to create a multi-course, fine dining menu." For this brief revival, the duo was joined by chef Benjamin Martinek, culinary director of Pendry Newport Beach, making it a rare and wondrous event.