LA Food Experts Share Their Favorite Go-To Restaurants in 2022

Welcome to the Year in Eater 2022 — an annual tradition that looks back at the highs, lows, and in-betweens of Los Angeles’s restaurant scene. Today, LA’s finest food writers, editors, reporters, and a few select others with strong opinions share their go-to favorite places to eat around town.

---

Farley Elliott, Senior Editor, Eater LA

It’s always hard to have go-to destinations in our line of work, but I keep finding myself back at Moo’s Craft Barbecue for beer, burgers, and of course barbecue. Y&J Gourmet was a weeknight pickup hit for its classic and simple Chinese food, and seeing HomeState proliferate further across Los Angeles is good for me (and everyone else).

Kristie Hang, Freelance Writer

Enlighten Bistro 168, but it closed within months of opening. Excited to try their newest rendition of it as 1968 Bistro, Red 99 has been amazing, Ramen Nagi, Afuri Ramen, Chao Wei Ju, Tai Ping Sa Choi Kee, Medan Kitchen

Oren Peleg, Freelance Writer

Bacetti, The Prince, Taste of Tehran, Horses, KazuNori, Tacos Árabes

Sharon Lee, Content Creator, @helloimsharon (TikTok)

Yangban Society, Open Market, Mirak, Jitlada, Kuya Lord

Meghan McCarron

Matthew Kang, Lead Editor, Eater LA

Soban, Katsu Sando, BCD Tofu, Mom’s Touch, Sapp Coffee Shop, Park’s BBQ, Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Pardis, MDK Noodle, Tam O’Shanter, Mitsuwa Market’s Food Court, Lan Noodle, Laoxi Noodle House, Ichimiann, Coni’Seafood, Tacos La Carreta, and Tacos Los Palomos

Baxter Holmes, Senior Writer, ESPN

Cobi’s, KinKan, Hatchet Hall, Pizzeria Bianco, Mes Amis, Anajak, Katsu Sando, Damian

Danielle Dorsey, Senior West Coast Editor, Thrillist

It truly speaks volumes when, as a food writer tasked with regularly reviewing new restaurants, you make the time to visit certain spots again and again. In 2022, Alta Adams, Post & Beam, and Here’s Looking at You were a few of the places that I always felt eager to return to. Similarly, I could always count on Grandmasters Recorders whenever hunger or thirst struck in the midst of Hollywood traipsing, and Cara Cara and Cabra’s Downtown rooftops were great not just for the views and vibes, but with tempting menus regardless of the time of day.

Jenn Tanaka, Contributor, Eater LA

El Cochinito, Taco Maria, Heritage Barbecue, Paradise Dynasty, Populaire, Ryla, N/Soto, Burnt Crumbs

Dave Holmes, Editor-at-Large, Esquire

Mirabelle Wine Bar in Valley Village is my Cheers. Great wine list with choices for any budget, and excellent food off the grill out back, including a perfect happy hour burger. My go-to places for one-on-one dinners are L&E, Found Oyster, and Little Dom’s, and my ideal brunch is Petit Trois. Breakfast sandwiches at Muffin Can Stop Us and breakfast tacos at Homestate. My crew tends to gather on Saturday and/or Sunday afternoons at either Laurel Tavern or Forman’s for burgers and beers, but they both have salads that don’t make you feel like you’re depriving yourself by eating a salad.

Farley Elliott

Gary Baum, Senior Writer, The Hollywood Reporter

Courage Bagels, Langer’s, Moo’s BBQ, Holbox, Zankou, Pine & Crane, San Vicente Bungalows

Cathy Chaplin, Senior Reporter/Editor, Eater LA

Bub and Grandma’s for fresh loaves and puffy doughnuts, Old Sasoon Bakery for za’atar flatbreads, and Kim Hoa Hue for central Vietnamese cooking, especially the clam rice.

Alison Herman, Staff Writer, The Ringer

Pardis, Sonoratown, Holy Basil, Ruen Pair, Pollo a la Brasa

Bill Esparza, Contributor, Eater LA

Comedor Tenchita, Manzanilla (Ensenada), Wa Kumiai Tabita (Valle de Guadalupe), Guatemalan Night Market, Corredor Salvadoreño, Mesa Thai, Damian

Hadley Tomicki, Deputy Editor, L.A. TACO

El Jaliciense, Mirame, A Beautiful Life, Willie Mae’s, Radna Silom, Hamasaku, Magari, Matu, Quiadaiyn, Chuy’s Tacos Dorados, Brothers Cousins Tacos, Angry Egret Dinette, Simonette, Fia Steak, The Jerk Spot, Blue Hole Belizean restaurant, Uovo, and Ceviche Stop

Josh Lurie, Founder, FoodGPS.com

Tam’s Noodle House remains a family favorite in San Gabriel for Cantonese comfort food, particularly scrambled eggs with shrimp and noodles enriched with duck egg yolks. Closer to home, Hail Mary Pizza is a crowd-pleaser for its pizza and salads. Their bitter dandelion salad is one of LA’s best salads when they have it on the menu. As always, kebabs are in heavy rotation.

Matthew Kang

Andy Wang, Contributor, Robb Report and Food & Wine

Saffy’s, Orleans & York (the shrimp inspiration might be my favorite dish in LA), Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Lu’s Garden, Fortune No. 1 (chef Anthony Wang deserves all the credit for this one, and I would like to publicly apologize for going so many times without him), Anajak, Adam’s Get Down Gumbo (at farmers markets all over LA), All Day Baby

Jean Trinh, LA Editor, Eater

Bodega Park, Pearl River Deli, Yang’s Kitchen, Bone Kettle

Christine Ko, Actress, Dave, Only Murders in the Building

Salt’s Cure for breakfast, Tartine Sycamore for lunch, Terry’s & Los Tacos for dinner, Capital Seafood for Chinese food and group dinners, Bistro Na’s

Alissa Walker, Senior Writer, Curbed

Woon Kitchen, De Sano, Be U, Win-Dow, HiFi Kitchen, Bloom & Plume, Izakaya Osen, Doubting Thomas, Cassell’s, GoGo’s, Sonoratown, Musso & Frank, Thunderbolt, Homage Brewing, Bar Flores, Genever

Esther Tseng, Freelance Writer

Pine & Crane, Tsubaki, Ototo, Found Oyster, Eszett, Bar Moruno, Tatsunoya, Ruen Pair, Loupiotte Kitchen

Mona Holmes, Reporter, Eater LA

Marouch, Jerusalem Chicken, Jeff’s Table, Tacos y Birria La Unica, Joy, and Antico Nuovo

Lesley Suter, Special Projects Editor, Eater

I stayed fairly local this year. Bub & Grandma’s new space opened up just down the street from me, so I probably met 10,000 friends for breakfast or lunch in its first few months. Moo’s Craft BBQ is also on my usual route, and my Texas-born husband can’t get enough. My guilty pleasure Saturday night is at Colombo’s Italian Steakhouse down the street from me in Eagle Rock, where I go for a martini with a sidecar and some exceptionally basic chicken parm.

Cathy Chaplin

Meghan McCarron, Special Correspondent, Eater

I’ve been a terrible regular this year outside of restaurants within walking distance of my house. We are deeply loyal to Honey’s Kettle (best friend chicken in LA?). Our Friday evening move is splitting a burger and fries from WEHO Sausage Company in the Citizen Public Market food hall. The burger is not smashed or bistro-y or any kind of trend, it’s just good. Mayura’s dosas and curries also are in heavy rotation.

Nicole Adlman, Eater Cities Manager

I’m a Westside hermit at heart, so you could often find me just down the street from my home in Venice at Ospi (the brunch menu’s giant buttery hashbrown is reason enough to live here on the weekend); Little Prince in Santa Monica (and later in the year, newcomer Augie’s on Main next door for Josiah Citrin’s garlic-studded “dirty chicken”); Tacos Por Favor for weekend breakfast burritos; gluten-free bakery Breadblok in Santa Monica (the upcoming Venice opening is maybe the best news I’ve seen all year); Tuk Tuk Thai in Sawtelle Japantown; Tallula’s in Santa Monica for the massive nachos sencillo; Birdie G’s; and Gjusta for work “power” lunches and personal lunches.