Not Every Restaurant Gets the Recognition It Deserves

More love for Baran’s 2239

Los Angeles is full of under-represented restaurants, those places with loyal local followings who keep the place afloat while the rest of the city (and much of the food media world) ignores them completely. It’s certainly in some ways a good place to be, and likely comes with a measure of stability, but still — it’s nice to be recognized.

A prime example could well be Baran’s 2239, a South Bay option that got some early opening love (and has become a favorite for many in the area), but otherwise keeps things exceedingly low key. Luckily The Observer is on the case, calling out the place by name as a spot to enjoy “comfort food with a twist.” Everything from gnocchi with king crab to roasted baby carrots get their time to shine, with the place ultimately being deemed a more than worthy road trip stop for anyone hugging the PCH.

What to enjoy about Naugles

Still haven’t made it to the (re)opening of Southern California fast food chain Naugles? Now you can get there vicariously thanks to OC blog Monster Munching, which takes a real shining to the spot while working through a good chunk of the menu. Bean and cheese burritos, anyone?

Big whiskey comes your way

There’s a big Nikka Japanese whiskey party happening at Baldoria on Wednesday, December 28 between beverage director Matt Bostick and Big Bar’s Cari Hah. The two drinks pros will facilitate a one-on-one cocktail competition from 5 p.m. on, with an entrance fee of $15 getting you a competition drink and some small bites.

New breweries to know

The crew over at Food GPS have taken to learning about all the new breweries around town, including upstart Verdugo West Brewing in Burbank. They actually managed to nab former Smog City brewer Chris Walowski, and seem primed for a bit of success.

100 great dishes, burger edition

TimeOut has launched into a full-blown listicle frenzy, ticking off the best bites they enjoyed over 2016. This look in tackles just the burgers and such, and includes ERB, the patty melt at Brack Shop Tavern, and some other tasty stuff.

16 foodstuffs under $16

Here’s the sort of symmetrical wrap-up you can get behind: 16 of the best dishes of the year (which was 2016) and all at $16 or under. That’s exactly what Unemployed Eater put together, and it includes options from The Cannibal, Madcapra, and a lot of other awesome places.

Get to know Juan Ruiz

Ever wonder who’s really putting in the hard work at your favorite restaurants? Zagat has compiled a list of the truly unsung heroes of the restaurant world nationally, including Juan Ruiz of Melisse. He’s a line cook, sure, but also a total badass.

Who wants street food in Koreatown?

What’s up with this new spot called, presumably Kost.Eat, in Koreatown? It looks like some sort of new cool food stall at the H Mart plaza off Western, with an opening planned for March, but what the heck is it really? Zoom in on the signage and you’ll see a few menu item possibilities, a misspelling of coming soon and the line “New paradigm for tasty Korean food culture in America!” No matter what, it sounds awesome.