Drew Barrymore's Sprinkles Collab, Bon Appetit's Best New Restos, More A.M. Intel

Sprinkles Cupcakes x Drew Barrymore

Here’s a collaboration for you: Drew Barrymore is partnering up with Sprinkles on a one-off cupcake to raise money for United Friends of the Children, a foster youth empowerment program. The yellow cake and strawberry cupcake is available across the Sprinkles universe all month long, with proceeds going straight to the cause.

Bon Appetit's best new 50

Bon Appetit has unleashed it's semi-finalist list, as it were, of the best new restaurants in the country. Of course Los Angeles is well represented, with Cassia, Trois Familia, RiceBar, and Winsome all represented — plus upstart strip mall legend Baroo, of course.

No more Amelia Bakery

Looks like a short run for Amelia Bakery, which surprisingly closed just a couple of days ago. A tipster points out the dead Yelp page for the former Susina Bakery spot on Beverly, though no reason is given for the loss. Eater has reached out to the babka specialists to find out what gives, but so far hasn't heard back.

The problem with restaurant weeks

Munchies goes anonymous for this discussion of restaurant weeks like dineLA and others that happen all year long in cities across the U.S. According to this not-to-be-named chef/owner, these reduced-price weeks put a strain on business without really boosting longer-term sales from repeat customers, leading to what some worry could be a lose-lose proposition. Then again, it's a broad way to get in a lot more customers, and to showcase food diners may not otherwise be familiar with.

The El Dorado is here

The subterranean bar inside Downtown’s El Dorado Lofts has been in city permitting purgatory for a while now, but just found its way out in time to soft open as of last Friday. Some simple signage is up for the space now, which is all sorts of kitschy vintage inside. Think busy wallpaper, plush leather banquettes, and oil paintings wrapped in gilded frames. Look for evening only hours every night but Monday. 416 S. Spring St., Downtown.

open now on 4th & Spring

A photo posted by @cwendel_ on Jul 22, 2016 at 7:47pm PDT

Westbound’s boozy ice cream

For those who might be looking for both a way to beat the summer heat and to keep drinking, enter Westbound’s new spiked ice cream. The Downtown cocktail den is doing their boozed-up ice creams all month long, including an earl grey ice cream with housemade lemon sorbet and Beefeater gin.

Why Mexican food rules

Munchies talks to the Pez Cantina team to figure out just what it is about Mexican food that makes everything taste so delicious. In a word, it's sazón, a generalist term with no direct English counterpart, but is used to describe the balance of flavor in a dish.  Think of it as the Mexican umami, but even more awesome.

The best barbecue in Burbank/Glendale?

Reddit is on the hunt for great barbecue in the Glendale/Burbank area, with users chiming in on suggestions from Handy Market to Ribs USA. Got a secret spot in that area you think the world should know about?

Free coffee galore at LocoL

All month long, LocoL in Watts is giving away free coffee. The high-quality stuff was always very cheap, but for the entire month it’s now going to be gratis, for apparently no reason at all other than to get folks in the door, give back to the community, and maybe help get more people trying those breakfast items on the menu.

All DAY. All August. Because we love you. NO strings attached. We just want y'all to come through and be with our LocoL families and cool down with some ice coffee or start your day with a hot one. This is our first ever promotion as a company and we thought why not start it off the only way we know how, and that way is to GIVE. See you at #LocoL #Watts #Oakland

A photo posted by Planetary Papi (@ridingshotgunla) on Jul 27, 2016 at 11:59am PDT