LA Times Story on Howlin’ Ray’s Sparks Debate on Chinatown Gentrification

Howlin’ spice

There has been a polarizing reaction to a new LA Times food and culture story discussing all things Chinatown, and Howlin’ Ray’s place in the neighborhood. The crux of the story involves writer Frank Shyong standing in an hours-long line to buy some hot chicken and hand it out to others in Chinatown who have never tried the stuff, from aging retirees to nearby shop owners. Some find the chicken impressive, others not so much, but the food does bring up questions of development, gentrification, food cost, and the future of Los Angeles — not to mention what it means, both physically and financially, to be able to willingly stand in an hours-long line just for food.

In person

SeriousEats founder Ed Levine will be in Los Angeles on June 17 to discuss the food scene, pizza, his website’s rise to fame, and more. The evening will also feature J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and Nancy Silverton, and goes down at the Moss Theatre in Santa Monica. General admission tickets start at $20.

Musso’s lives on

The parade of positive coverage surrounding Musso & Frank Grill continues this year, as the iconic Hollywood steakhouse celebrates 100 years in business. The Atlantic is next up with a fawning feature on the “thriving” place, with the writer saying the restaurant is absolutely “packed to the gills” at 8 p.m. on a recent spring Saturday. A historyof the Hollywood side of the restaurant’s legacy comes next, ending with the clank and murmur of “people just happy to be in a place that still does what it does so well.”

Tiki hour

Long Beach’s hottest bar and restaurant may well be Bamboo Club, a tiki-themed spot that only opened a few weeks ago. Long Beach Post loves the place, chef Melissa Ortiz, and of course the drinks.

Sqirl talk

Prominent UK food reviewer Marina O’Loughlin of The Times took to Los Angeles for a few days recently, emerging with a picture of the city as a sunny oasis filled with delicious food. O’Loughlin counted Sqirl as among her favorite stops, and one very representative of the dining scene in the city right now. Note: The story is behind a paywall.

Guy’s world

Last week none other than Guy Fieri was enshrined in Los Angeles with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Here’s the unveiling, as captured by Variety.