Westlake's Forgotten Chinese Food Gem, Tacos tu Madre Restarts in Los Feliz, and More

Tacos tu Madre Los Feliz returns

Colorful Los Feliz newcomer Tacos tu Madre turned on the lights only for a soft opening stretch a couple weeks ago, but returns tomorrow in full. They’ll be selling the usual run of crafty tacos in their highly Instagrammable shop right next to the movie theater on Vermont, working all day hours from 9 a.m. to midnight.

OC’s newest distillery

Looks like Santa Ana’s Blinking Owl Distillery is almost ready to come online. The OC Weekly folks chatted with co-owners Brian Christenson, Robin Christenson, and Ryan Friesen about their upcoming plans, their love of Orange County, and — of course — those antiquated alcohol laws.

The Poppy + Rose phenomenon

Flower District breakfast darling Poppy + Rose gets some LA Downtowner love, showing off the egg-focused restaurant’s love of country cooking — including their infamous fried chicken and waffle plate.

Brunch moves at Lock & Key

Koreatown's Lock & Key is getting into the brunch game, hosting a Sunday-only three-course session for $30. The party runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and there will (of course) be booze for sale as well.

A Gracias Madre kerfuffle

Some folks are apparently upset at Gracias Madre/Cafe Gratitude over the founders' decision to start eating meat after 40 years. LA Mag digs into the back-and-forth on the whole thing, including the notion from those owners that embracing the death cycle of animals was necessary for their sustainable no-waste farm.

Behold the Bamboo Inn

LA Weekly scores a fascinating look at Bamboo Inn, a Westlake Chinese-American institution that's been around for decades. The place seems truly stuck in time, and while the food itself may not merit a long drive, there is something so wonderful about experiencing a little piece of thriving history in the middle of the city.

Inside the Farm & Kitchen Foundation

NBC LA takes a peek into Farm & Kitchen Foundation, the non-profit aimed at taking at-risk kids out of their environments and into working kitchens. The whole thing is run by Laurent Halasz, the founder of Fig & Olive, who says the program not only gives cooking classes and teaches the importance of eating whole foods, it also pushes for job readiness and enhances life skills. Take a look.