The February Hit List: Crudo e Nudo, Genwa, Mantee Cafe, Shiku, and More

If you haven’t hit this Studio City bistro for Armenian and Lebanese specialties, you’re missing out. It’s long been a Valley favorite, especially for its charming patio, which will open for outdoor dining again at some point. But for now, the mezze platters and mixed grill deals — between the two, you get everything from tabbouleh and hummus to kefta kebabs, lamb chops, and vermicelli rice pilaf — are the way to go. 

Dining status: Curbside pickup is available six days a week; order calling 818-761-6565 or place your order in person. Find more info and the full menu here.

Watching Tyler and Ashley Wells roll with the punches — and there have been many — at their small Los Feliz spot is the perfect study of how restaurateurs have adapted during the last year. Pivoting to new business models, switching menus, working hard to secure the safety of their staff, customers, not to mention their business, it’s all there. Still, they persisted. The current menu features bubbly-crust pizzas that have been perfected over months of changing mandates, morning pastries and coffee, market boxes, wines, and so much more. 

Dining status: Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner most days; closed Wednesday and Thursday. Info for pickup and delivery found here.

Opened by self-proclaimed “King of Soul Food” Adolf Dulan in 1999, Dulan’s has not only become a fixture for South L.A., it’s a must-stop for just about every political dignitary, celebrity, athlete, and anyone who loves great fried chicken. Case in point: When then-campaigning President Biden was looking to have breakfast with local black ministers, this is where they met. Now owned by Adolf’s son, the great food and community spirit continue. The collard greens, smothered oxtails, and meatloaf are just as legendary, all served from a steam table. 

Dining status: Pickup and delivery offered from two locations; menu and info here.

It’s hard to keep a good sunset to yourself. The Santa Monica restaurant has great magic-hour vibes, lots of open space, and safety measures in place for in-person dining. Expect smaller crowds and the need for warm clothes during the colder month, but things like Brussels sprouts salad or burrata with honey and pears; fusilli with arugula pesto; and polenta with mushrooms, soft egg, and black truffles await. Should you want to stay home, takeout is an option, or check out one of the entertaining DIY experiences. 

Dining status: In-person dining available by reservation only; checkout menus for delivery or takeout here.

For more than 30 years, this Downtown staple has served comfort food favorites like pan-fried chicken, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and firehouse chili (it is set in a former firehouse, after all). But like a lot of restaurants that relied on office workers and events business, it’s doing everything it can to survive, including  a loyalty program for coffee and pastries in the mornings, and making everything available for takeout, including DIY cocktails, wines (half-price on Wednesdays), and date-night kits for two. 

Dining status: Pickup and delivery available; find menus and info here.

Pop-ups and pandemic dining really go hand in hand. Still, the duo behind this roving Mediterranean-inspired raw bar have created something so special, they’re opening a brick-and-mortar location along Main Street in Santa Monica any day now. At first, it will offer take-aways like oysters and tuna tartare, wood-fired salmon with minted yogurt and pita, Sicilian ceviche, wines by the glass or bottle, and cocktails.

Dining status: Takeout initially, with outdoor tables when allowed. Reservations will be available soon. More info here.

Both the Mid-Wilshire and downtown L.A. locations offer an “express” menu — bowls filled with various bulgogi, vegetables and either rice or rice noodles. But the full menu of bibimbap, soul-warming tofu stews, grilled marinated meats, and plenty of banchan are available for full meals — for takeout, but also once again for patio dining. There’s also shochu, cold sake, and beer to make it feel like you’re at the restaurant. Almost. Call either location for pickup or delivery; or order from the Mid-Wilshire location here and Downtown L.A. here

Dining status: Pickup and delivery is available seven days a week, reservations available for patio dining.

Esters, the wine bar and shop across from Cassia in Santa Monica, is more than just a neighborhood spot for a good bottle or three. The menu includes wine-adjacent snacks, necessities like charcuterie plates, olives scented with orange and fennel, lavender almonds, and cheese and breads. The kind of thing you can throw in the car for a socially-distanced picnic. For takeout, keep an eye out for new wine packs each week, plus virtual tastings to help you find your next favorite Sancerre or Ligurian pigato. When it reopens for dining, look for an extended menu.

Dining status: Open daily for shopping, curbside pickup, takeout, and delivery; reopening for in-person dining in early February. Get all the info here.

It’s never easy opening a new restaurant, let alone doing it during a pandemic. But this West Third Street newcomer has hit the ground running with Roman-style pinsa and a small selection of Italian wines to go. The oval-shaped pizza is made with a blend of flours (and higher hydration, for you pizza geeks), yielding a lighter, even somewhat healthier, crust. Anyway you slice it — and you slice it yourself — it’s pretty delicious, whether a classic Margherita or the carbonara-inspired pie. Once the restaurant opens more fully, the menu will include Italian staples like fresh pastas, chicken Milanese, and more.

Dining status: Takeout and delivery for now; find the menu and more details here.

Chef Carlos Salgado continues to offer a limited menu of family meal kits — meant to be reheated at home — from his Costa Mesa restaurant. This is a meal worth making the drive for, things like Sonoma duck leg carnitas with a side of persimmon and baby chicory salad; roasted baby carrots with purple sprouting broccoli; and pistachio alfajores with salted dulce de leche for dessert. Don’t forget to order the housemade salsas (the trio is the way to go) and other pantry staples, plus very cool wine and beer selections. Watch for weekly menus on social media.

Dining status: Pickup only on Fridays and Saturdays; call 714-538-8444 to order.

The Baroo spinoff has finally opened at The Grand Central Market. The counter-only spot from Kwang Uh and Mina Park features Korean dishes like fried chicken, bento boxes, and various banchan that made Baroo famous. The real bonus is the rotating list of pantry staples and other takeaway items for your own kitchen (roasted bamboo salt, anyone?), and an array of Korean soft drinks and hard-to-find chips and other salty snacks. 

Dining status: Counter and curbside pickup is available; find the menu and ordering info here.