The September Hit List: Atla, Donna’s, Terroni, and More

Atla, a more casual counterpart to the Arts District’s Damian (and also a New York import) has landed in Venice. Here, the globally acclaimed chef Enrique Olvera and team are doling out upmarket all-day Mexican fare, like flaxseed chilaquiles rojos, an ethereal chicken soup served with warm tortillas, and tacos filled with crispy Brussels sprouts and spicy peanut butter. Pro tip: The drinks are excellent, from margaritas to carajillo, Mexico’s answer to the espresso martini.

A New York-style slice shop is a rare occurrence in L.A., even as the city experiences something of a pizza revival, and so the arrival of Shin’s Pizza is most welcome. The Cypress Park pizzeria shares a chef, Melissa López, with its neighbor Barras Santos. Her menu includes crackery-thin crust pies, seasonal sides (like peaches with herbs and walnuts in a toasted sesame vinaigrette) and a rotating assortment of Italian-style ices with novel flavors (right now it’s calamansi).

No reservations. Find more info here.

Terroni knows what’s up when it comes to pasta, pizza, and anything traditionally Italian, like arancini and caprese salad. In other words, it’s a standby for good reason, and now on Resy. Try the spaghetti al limone or the tagliatelle with Bolognese — and do not miss a slice of their signature chocolate cake for dessert. 

Late summer is peak season as far as local produce goes, which means that stylish museum destination Lulu is also at peak season right now. You can count on the hyperseasonal California restaurant from Alice Waters and David Tanis to put tomatoes and stone fruit front and center on their constantly-rotating menu. If you have yet to come for dinner (Lulu was lunch only for quite a while), evening is a lovely time to dine inside the Hammer Museum.

Tomato season is the most ideal time to eat bagels, and Layla makes some of the best in town. Try coming on a weekday for speedier service, otherwise get in the weekend line for an ultra-fluffy sourdough bagel with a schmear, and whichever toppings you prefer. Our rec? The Scarlet, with cream cheese, heirloom tomato, lemon zest, and chili flakes.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Crab cakes, shrimp cocktail, grilled oysters, lobster rolls: you don’t need to be on the East coast for top-notch summertime seafood. Just head to the Lonely Oyster, where chef Dom Crisp is at the helm serving up his spins on maritime fare. (Do try the lobster roll trio, with miso-brown butter, Connecticut, and Louisiana-style variations on display.) Better yet, they’re open every single day, including for lunch, and late nights on weekends.

You can’t go wrong with red sauce, and Donna’s gets that. This already-packed East Side spot from the team behind Bar Flores and Lowboy is dishing Italian American classics made with California ingredients, from garlic bread to fried calamari with squid ink aioli, fusilli alla vodka, chicken Parm, and tiramisu. Bonus points for the full bar and cocktail program, with an emphasis on Italian spirits. 

This perennially packed wine bar and Cal-Ital restaurant, formerly a walk-in only joint, now takes reservations. So you can plan ahead to enjoy bowls of cacio e pepe and rigatoni alla norma, and crispy whole grilled branzino, in their lush, entirely al fresco dining room. Plus wine, of course. Lots of it, from all over the world, by the glass and for purchase in the attached bottle shop.

This brand-new, stylishly jolly ice cream shop is heaven for children and adults alike. Nick Fisher, who also owns wine bar El Prado across the street, is the man behind the mint chip and pistachiyoyoyoyo flavors, the hot fudge sundaes and the banana splits. There’s a gumball machine filled with Lactaid pills, a jukebox with horns, and a giant planet-shaped light fixture—what more could you ask for?

No reservations. Find more info here.