The June Hit List: Botanica, Mil Bakery, Pijja Palace, and More

In May, owners Emily Fiffer and Heather Sperling celebrated five years of their Silver Lake darling Botanica, a major milestone for any restaurant. It makes sense: diners continue to flock to this bright and welcoming oasis for healthful California fare. Now with chef ​​Zarah Khan at the helm, springtime dishes abound, like an asparagus and ricotta tartine with green garlic, preserved lemon, and poppy seeds. Bonus points for the wine list’s emphasis on women winemakers.

If a cheffy Indian sports bar in a Silver Lake strip mall isn’t quintessential L.A., what is? Still, Pijja Palace offers a refreshingly new addition to the city’s restaurant scene. Chefs Avish Naran and Miles Shorey, whose combined resume includes Indian Accent in New York, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Virginia, and the Culver City outpost of Roberta’s, have come together to craft an original menu of Indian American bar food. Think wings coated in Kashmiri red chile and garam masala with yogurt Stilton dipping sauce, malai rigatoni (similar to a spice-infused vodka sauce), plus design-your-own pizza with toppings like homemade Goan sausage and bell peppers jalfrezi. You can bet the game will be on, too.

The restaurant that started it all — that is, the Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo empire — is finally back from a two-year hiatus. Book a table to celebrate its return, then order a flurry of famed dishes. There’s the chicken liver toast striped with caramelized onions, that roasted bone marrow dolloped with chimichurri, and the current version of their hamachi tostada with fish sauce vinaigrette, peanuts, and avocado.

Pijja Palace isn’t the only new restaurant that melds cuisines to wonderful results. From the folks behind Highland Park sandwich shop Jeff’s Table, Oy Bar in Studio City is an izakaya with a Jewish comfort food twist. Dishes include a pastrami Reuben quesadilla, matzo ball ramen, and a burger with hoisin ketchup and melted toma cheese, cucumber, cilantro, and sliced red onion.

Find more info here.

Is there ever a bad moment for jerk chicken, oxtail mac ‘n’ cheese, or Jamaican patties? The answer is no, and the place you should go for them is Aja Dawson’s Abeautifullife Jamaican Kitchen, a Downtown restaurant whose name says it all. Come for the family recipes, stay for the rum punch and mango mimosas.

With rising temperatures just around the bend, the time is ripe for a round of margaritas and plates of mole-drenched chicken legs and pork spine. Go to Guelaguetza for all that and more, such as tlayudas for the table and spicy sautéed chapulines. The sprawling temple to Oaxacan fare boasts plenty of outdoor tables in addition to those inside, though if you choose the latter, don’t be surprised when the mariachi band shows up.

Nancy Silverton’s Pizzeria Mozza continues to dish out some of the city’s best pizza, even after 16 years of service. Fans of her crispy, tangy dough — in addition to her perfectly executed appetizers and salads — know that the start of squash blossom season is an exciting time to visit. Start with them stuffed with ricotta and fried, and also order the stunning squash blossom pie, which is topped simply with the aforementioned flowers, tomato, and burrata.

In Hospitality, the group behind popular contemporary Korean spots Hanchic and Kinn, now has a bakery in the mix. The baker Jiyoon Jang, whose pre-order pastry boxes have cultivated a devoted following over the last couple of years, is responsible for the menu of Korean-American sweets. Head to Koreatown for her miso-garu cookies, hojicha-brown butter mochi muffins, and ssuk marble pound cake, among other sweet delights.

Find more info here.

The Clark Street Bakery crew continues its growth spurt across the city, and this time, their latest reveal is a bar. Lily’s is located in The Adler hotel, on the other side of the ground floor from Clark Street Diner. The atmosphere is friendly, the vibe is retro, and the cocktails are classic. It’s mostly a place to drink — there are natural-tilting wines, too — but this is a Clark Street joint after all, so every guest can (and should) snack on freshly baked bread and butter.

Find more info here.

With the reopening of Night+Market Song after a nine-month electrical fire-induced shutdown, east siders can revel again in the fiery fare, fun wine list, and technicolor atmosphere at Kris and Sarah Yenbamroong’s cherished Thai restaurant.

As has always been the case here, there are no reservations (if you prefer to avoid a wait, book a table at their WeHo location). Get the fried chicken thighs, pad see ew, and a bottle of wine or three.

Find more info here.