LA's Global Dining Dominance, Free Intelligentsia Coffee, and More A.M. Intel

LA has some of the best restaurants in the world

According to Conde Nast Traveler, Los Angeles is home to some of the best restaurants in the world. This strong list of global favorites treats Los Angeles well, offering up names like Animal, Sqirl, Guisados, and Gjelina, among others.

Blinking Owl’s new debut

Orange County earns a new distillery this week, with the arrival of Blinking Owl to Santa Ana. Opening officially on September 24, the distillery is owned by Brian and Robin Christenson, says the LA Times, and will be overseen by master distiller Ryan Friesen. They’re currently the only distillery down that way, and apparently are keen to source as much of their grain and other goods locally as possible.

LAX’s latest food truck

The ongoing food truck flip happening at Terminal 4 at LAX is here once again, with newcomer Grilled Cheeze Please! stepping in as the latest tenant. with a simple menu of upscale grilled cheese sandwiches, the bright yellow truck is now ready to roll (or park, as it were).

Taco Maria’s big three year anniversary plans

Looks like a big party is heading for Orange County soon, as Carlos Salgado and team are planning a series of guest chef dinners with some of Mexico’s brightest talents. Starting October 7 with Javier Placencia and continuing November 11 with Diego Hernandez and December 2 with Enrique Olvera, Taco Maria will host nights of tasting menu prowess that are likely to be remembered for a long time. Tickets go on sale three weeks before each dinner, which makes the first one up for grabs now.

Saffron Beverly Hills closed

It’s the end of the line for Saffron in Beverly Hills, as Food GPS notes that a going away letter has been pinned to the window of the place that reads: "This Saffron location has been closed permanently. We appreciate your support over the years." The note also points customers to the company’s other locations in Downtown.

Intelligentsia Silver Lake is back (kinda)

Can’t wait for your favorite bespoke tile photo spot (aka Intelligentsia Coffee in Silver Lake) to reopen? You can snag free cups of joe from the parking lot at Sunset Junction apparently, as the company undergoes a fair bit of renovation.

Take a look at Koshiji

Food Talk Central goes inside Koshiji, an awesome yakitori specialist in Torrance. Skewers run in the $2 to $4 range and are sturdy as they come — just check out the photos for yourself.

Comparing sushi prices

This Buzzfeed video takes a peek behind the curtain at three different ranges of sushi restaurant across Los Angeles, from the $3 roll spots (Sushi Stop) to the moderately priced omakase option (Hamasaku) to the blowout dinner experience (Sasabune). There’s a clear winner, of course, but yikes to Sushi Stop for serving $4 bluefin tuna nigiri, which is very, very unsustainable.