A Famous ‘Jiro Dreams of Sushi’ Chef Pops Up in Beverly Hills Next Month

New York City’s popular Sushi Nakazawa is popping up in Los Angeles next month. The weeks-long West Village restaurant’s residency goes down inside the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel beginning on May 12, and reservations for the limited run are available as of today.

Sushi Nakazawa is considered to be among the best sushi options anywhere in New York City, earning multiple stars from New York Times critic Pete Wells over the past eight years of service. More casual fans will know the name Daisuke Nakazawa for his star turn as an apprentice in Jiro Dreams of Sushi, the famous documentary about an obsessive Tokyo sushi chef. In the years since the film, Nakazawa was able to parlay the attention into his own restaurant in New York City (and a later expansion into Washington D.C.), though this Los Angeles pop-up is being led by the restaurant’s executive chef Wei Chen. The monthlong pop-up will run Monday to Saturday with two limited seatings per night, booked via Resy. Tickets are $325 per person.

Cocktails at Pizzana now

Pizzana West Hollywood is serving cocktails starting tonight. The Robertson Boulevard restaurant has expanded beyond beer and wine, now selling a full lineup of Italian classics and modern drinks for dinner alongside chef Daniele Uditi’s food.

A look at Black barbecue heritage in Southern California

Want to hear more about the barbecue scene (today and historically) in Los Angeles? Whetstone’s Setting the Table talked with Lonnie Edwards of Ribtown and Eater LA’s own Mona Holmes about the topic of Black barbecue in the city; give it a listen.

And ways to help around LA

Valerie Confections in Echo Park is hosting an ongoing borscht benefit, starting today. Vegetarian bowls of borscht will be for sale at the cafe, with all profits going to World Central Kitchen’s efforts in Ukraine.

The People Assisting the Homeless (PATH) team is throwing a Taste of Home festival in Hollywood on Saturday, April 30. The fundraising event will feature bites from Broad Street Oyster Co., Ospi, Hotville Chicken, Caboco, Saucy Chicken Rotisserie, Gogo’s Tacos, and others. There will be nearly three dozen food and drink vendors in all; tickets are $45 for general admission, and more with drink tickets or for VIP access.

There’s a fundraiser for No Us Without You tonight at Everson Royce Bar in the Arts District. The evening event runs from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. and features food, a DJ, and drinks from Yola Mezcal along with the debut of new crunchy tacos on the menu. Founders Othón Nolaso and Damian Diaz from No Us Without You — a non-profit aimed at addressing food insecurity for mostly back-of-house restaurant workers — will be in attendance, and a portion of the night’s proceeds will go towards the cause.