Kato and Freedman’s Receive Best New Chef Awards

Best new chefs, according to Food & Wine

Jon Yao of Kato and Liz Johnson of Freedman’s receive Best New Chef nods from Food & Wine’s annual list. At Freedman’s, Food & Wine restaurant editor Jordana Rothman writes, “Johnson treats tradition like a suggestion, an approach that frees her up to finesse old ideas while still tugging at nostalgic heartstrings.” At Kato, Rothman tries the steamed branzino and has this to say: “Delicate branzino and ribbons of scallion scorched with burning-hot oil, a Taiwanese method that adjusts the scallion’s brightness from mellow flicker to floodlight. Tasting it for the first time is a bit like opening Dorothy’s farmhouse door and stepping into the Technicolor Land of Oz.”

CBD and fried chicken

Grub chef Betty Fraser puts together a CBD-based fried chicken and cannabis dinner on June 2, where she’ll work with Denise Di Carlo to pair terpene-infused cocktails with three courses of homestyle cooking. Tickets cost $85.

Cafe changeover in Boyle Heights

A new cafe called Capuyo Cafe has replaced Primera Taza’s former location, reports Boyle Heights Beat. Featuring coffees from Mexico, Colombia, and other Latin American countries, it’ll serve reasonably priced coffee drinks to the neighborhood. Local owners Beatriz Zaragoza and Daisy Íñiguez say they’ll also use local farmers market produce to create salads and juices.

Another cafe replacement, this time in Beverly Hills

The former Euro Caffe, a small espresso bar for soccer fanatics in Beverly Hills’ Golden Triangle, has turned into Oro Caffe, which serves tea, pastries, and some savory lunch dishes in a relaxed room, reports Toddrickallen. The stretch along little Santa Monica can be extremely difficult to operate on, with high rents and competition.

Mission Chinese visits Night + Market

New York City’s Mission Chinese hits Night + Market West Hollywood on May 22 with a collaboration menu (plus cocktails from Copenhagen-based Empirical Spirits). It’ll likely be a packed house to make reservations right here.

PETA loves LA

Animal rights group PETA has named Los Angeles as the most vegan-friendly city in America, reports LA Weekly. With tons of vegan-friendly options on menus and restaurants like Little Pine, Cafe Gratitude, and Crossroads specializing in plant-based cooking, it’s easy to eat vegan in this city.