Guy Fieri Drives Right Into LA’s Dining Scene With Bacon Mac n’ Cheeseburger Delivery

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives host Guy Fieri is doing what all worthy celebrities do these days in the food space: open a delivery-only restaurant that promises to expand their brands while serving mostly unremarkable food. Seriously, has anyone ever tweeted or Instagramed an extraordinary experience from a celebrity cloud kitchen restaurant? Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen aptly serves some of the celebrity chef’s favorite dishes, from bacon mac n’ cheeseburgers and jalapeño pig poppers to “The Crazy Cuban Sandwich,” so maybe the TV host’s food can change minds about the potential of delivery-only restaurants.

Virtual Dining Concepts, which seems to be leading the charge of these branded delivery-only operations, has been behind other launches like Tyga Bytes, Mariah’s Cookies (yeah, that Mariah), Mario’s Tortas Lopez, and (seriously) Pauly D’s Italian Subs. Fieri’s restaurant is already up and running on most delivery apps in case that craving for bourbon brown sugar chicken wings hits at 9 p.m.

In other news:

• MDK Noodles in Koreatown (and Anaheim) is trying to switch things up with a new shabu and kalguksu menu. The traditional Korean knife-cut noodle restaurant has a pretty massive back outdoor dining area that’s been successful for the longtime K-Town favorite, but the increasing popularity of hot pot and shabu-shabu in Los Angeles has led operator Stella Shin to try something never really done in LA. The AYCE menu costs $35.99 a person starting next Thursday and has a choice of chicken, anchovy, or veggie broth with traditional shabu vegetables, knife-cut noodles, selections of wagyu and prime meats, pork belly, and chicken.
• Orsa and Winston, one of Downtown LA’s most celebrated fine dining restaurants, is reopening this week with a new seafood and vegetable-focused menu. Josef Centeno’s updated tasting is available at the restaurant’s new outdoor dining area.

• Long Beach Post has a story on chef Ronnie Woods, who operates Northtown Bistro as an ode to the neighborhood he grew up in. The hearty fare has influence from soul food and backyard barbecues in North Long Beach. At the moment it’s still looking for a permanent space, operating out of a food truck for now. Follow the chef on Instagram for catering or service locations.
• L.A. Taco has a story on the dark history of lomo saltado, one of Peruvian cuisine’s most notable dishes.
• Panda Express is under fire in a new lawsuit detailing “cult-like” teambuilding seminars, reports Pasadena Star-News.
• Popular desert brunch spot La Copine out in Yucca Valley is reopening on March 19 with outdoor dining from Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.