Los Angeles Magazine's Best New Restaurants 2019 - Top Dishes
Los Angeles Magazine's Best New Restaurants celebration is known for bringing together top chefs and adoring food fanatics for a night to remember. This year did not disappoint! Where else would you get the chance to sample the latest and greatest gourmet bites LA has to offer under one roof?
This year’s event took place inside Rolling Greens Nursery in DTLA on Tuesday night. Upon arriving, I was greeted by an array of succulents and palms, along with the cozy mid-century style lounges for relaxing.
Featured restaurants included Bavel, Somni, Freedman’s, Kali, The Bellwether, Hayato, Hippo, Love & Salt, Ma’am Sir, Majordomo, Porridge + Puffs, and Rossoblu.
One of the main allures of the event is opening your palate to gourmet surprises offered by new restaurants looking to set themselves apart in the busy LA food scene. This mix of love for traditional and experimental fare helped me narrow down my top three bites of the night.
Love & Salt - It’s not an easy task to make squash an unforgettable dish, but that’s just what Chef Chris Feldmeier did with his Delicata Squash and Burrata. The squash is prepared with honey, saba, brown butter, sage and pepitas. Each ingredient culminates in a mouthwatering experience that can’t be missed at their Italian-inspired Manhattan Beach restaurant. It paired best with a glass of Malene’s Old Vine Rosé.
Majordomo - The highlight of the evening was the smoked bone-in APL-style Short Rib with ssämjang by David Chang’s new restaurant in Chinatown. It felt like winning the meat lottery when I picked up the giant beef rib smoked to perfection.The succulent meat paired exceptionally well with a Maker’s Mark Old Rooibos cocktail made with rooibos tea, lemon bitters, and lemon essence. Bourbon and ribs can’t be beat.
Porridge + Puffs - It’s evident from the first bite of Minh Phan’s California Yakimiso Porridge that it’s crafted with a lot of love. This unassuming dish warms the soul with a variety of quality ingredients including Koda Farms’ organic Kokuho Rose Heirloom Rice with grilled black-eyed pea miso, spice braised chayote, rose geranium pickled onions, Grow Good sprouts and flowers. To complete the meal, I recommend a glass of Flying Embers Ancient Berry Hard Kombucha, especially if you’re looking for a refreshing alternative to beer.
Los Angeles Magazine's Best New Restaurants is the perfect way to plan out your culinary to do list. Getting to interact with the chefs and learning about their dishes beforehand helps to create a greater appreciation when you visit their restaurants afterward.
So many new places to go and dishes to eat!