The March Hit List: Bar Chelou, Villas Tacos, and More

For the last several years, chef Diego Argoti has been known for his raucous alleyway pop-ups, where he served inspired mashups like crunch wrap supreme lasagna and biscuit and gravy pierogies under the moniker Estrano. Now, he’s funneling his own delightfully skewed style (and experience working in kitchens like Bestia and Bavel) into a sit-down dining experience called Poltergeist inside of the Echo Park arcade Button Mash. Expect things like broccoli beef ravioli, whole grilled dorade with green malawach, and, of course, vintage games aplenty.

It’s been over five years since Peter and Lauren Lemos, the founders of beloved sandwich shop Wax Paper, announced their full-scale restaurant-to-be. Finally, Lingua Franca, their all-day New Californian restaurant, is here. Expect a laid-back vibe, lots of wood, and pops of pale color. As for food, it’s cheffy comfort fare: braised leek and endive with roasted walnuts en vinaigrette, burgers on English muffins with burnt onion and Point Reyes Toma cheese, and matchstick potatoes with malt vinegar aioli. Pay a visit for an early taste of what’s likely to be a hot table in coming months. 

Email molly@linguafrancaco.com for reservations.

Seasoned chef Douglas Rankin (Bar Restaurant, Trois Mec, Petit Trois) is the name behind Pasadena’s brand-new modern French bistro. Chelou translates to “unexpected” in French, so you can look forward to typical dishes done differently—in this case, with a fair amount of Asian influence. For example, sprouting cauliflower comes with a Sichuan peppercorn au poivre, while the boudin blanc is paired with Japanese curry, Ibérico XO, and bok choy.

The sophomore restaurant to Chifa, from Opening Ceremony founder Humberto Leon and his siblings Rica Leon and John Liu, is equally modish, if not more so. Monarch is a banquet-style restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley and a sight to behold, infused with butterfly motifs and twinkling tones of periwinkle. The cuisine pulls from both Hong Kong and Taiwan, with dishes like shredded chicken salad with Chinese spices and julienne cabbage, black pepper lobster tail, and baked pork chop rice with tomato sauce and melted Gruyere.

New to Culver City is Juliet, a restaurant that bills itself as modern Parisian through and through. Rohan Talwar of Margot and Norah is the restaurateur, while noted designer Jeremiah Brent is responsible for the space. Highlights from the menu, which runs all day, include crêpes Suzette, a Croque Madame with smoked ham and green chile bechamel, and poulet rôti with black lentils and truffle jus.

The ambitious taquero Victor Villa has been doling out mesquite-grilled seven-layer tacos on handmade blue corn tortillas from a stand in Highland Park for years now, and drumming up plenty of hype along the way. He has won L.A. Taco’s annual “Taco Madness” competition more than once, and been featured on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles. Now, Villa has a brick-and-mortar to call his own, which means more tacos for more people, albeit not without standing in line. 

No reservations. Find more info here.

This Arts District favorite for focaccia-style pizza, salads, and oysters is kicking things up with the addition of two new services — lunch and late-night slices. The former is on from Thursday through Saturday with focaccia sandwiches and lox-topped pizza. As for the latter, a slice of pepperoni is the perfect nightcap after a few hours of dancing and drinking at the next-door new Italo-disco hot spot The Let’s Go! Disco.

Some nights call for an expertly crafted Negroni, a sultry atmosphere, and a plate of steak frites. That’s why we have Cafe Stella. Make a Resy for dinner, but leave time for an aperitif or a nightcap next door at the adjoining Bar Stella. Whether you drink a martini, an old-fashioned, or like to switch things up, the cocktails here (and the people-watching) are among the best in L.A.

Now is a good time to try Secret Pizza, the New York-style pizza outfit that Bill Addison named the #1 best new pizzeria in L.A. a few months ago. The buzz has died down a bit since that story first ran, though the pies are still exceptional. Pre-order yours on Monday at 11 a.m. for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evening pick-ups in El Sereno. Once secured, there’s plenty of dine-in seating to enjoy your pizza mere moments after it exits the oven

No reservations. Find pre-order info here.

Lasita just keeps getting better. Come for the tamarind-dusted shrimp chips and the lemongrass-and-ginger-scented rotisserie chicken, but stay for the rotating specials, often posted on Instagram. Recent hits have included panko-crusted adobo-braised beef ribs; pork collar with spiced coconut cream, smoked trout roe, and pickled mustard green; and crab fat pancit. There’s always something new happening here, and it never disappoints.

This new Mar Vista watering hole calls itself “L.A.’s first natural wine dive bar.” (We can think of a few others, but hey, there’s always room for one more.) Hence, an enticing bottle selection and by-the-glass options, craft and not-so-craft beers, a pool table, and DJ nights. More to the point, it’s a cool new bar, and a win for West siders writ large.

Find more info here.