The Los Angeles Restaurants We Loved in October

The hottest spot on the East Side is…

…without a doubt, right now, Seco Silverlake in Silver Lake, which just opened a few weeks ago on a prime stretch of Sunset Boulevard. Capitalizing on the ever-popular natural wines and small plates trend, Seco Silverlake serves up a tight list of by-the-glass offerings (one per color) and plenty more by the bottle, plus snacks like raw seafood tostadas and an anchovy-topped endive Caesar. But the real draw is the people-watching — Silver Lake’s young and fashionable have been flocking to the tiny spot, giddily spilling out onto the street, wine glasses in hand, seemingly without a care in the world.

(For more new openings in L.A., head here.)

— Jamie Feldmar, Los Angeles Editor

It’s that neighborhood place where I can always walk-in and have a good meal…

I go to All Time for a low-key birthday dinner or a last-minute Friday evening catch-up. You feel at home, and the menu is simple, familiar, and comforting. My go-to order usually involves some variation of the Good Ass Salad, Oaxacan tostadas, and Paul’s chocolate cake. If you don’t have a Resy, go on the earlier side!

— Courtney Allen, Senior Support Operations Manager

Let’s go, let’s go, indeed!

Vamos. Vamos. is my family’s favorite Main Street spot for cocktails (margaritas and palomas), nachos (they have no less than seven kinds!), chicken enchiladas (green chile or mole), and the green chile cheeseburger (a New Mexico specialty). It’s pretty much everything you need at night after a hard day on the Westside.

— Nic Mercure, Senior Implementation Specialist, Global Dining Access

De La Nonna must stand for…

… ‘of greatness’ because I could not have been more moved and inspired when I walked away from my Resy Regulars dinner a few weeks back. The Caesar salad is a mainstay on most menus but this one will hit you where it matters most — get it. During this enchanting experience, we were delighted with the eggplant caponata — it blew our socks off. The pepperoni and the Sicilian pizzas. Period. That’s the sentence and you must get both.

— Cody Goetze, Restaurant Success Manager

It was such a treat…

… to finally check out Lasita in Chinatown, and to do so with my fellow Resy colleagues, too, right in my hometown. Even better? The team from one of my favorite New York City restaurants, Claud, was also in town, serving up some of their greatest hits — roasted chicken with olives, kingfish crudo, and tomato mille-feuille included — as part of a special collab for the inaugural Chef Conference Los Angeles. Some of our favorites from Lasita’s new fall menu included their sinigang daikon with its perfectly clear, flavorful broth and an unexpectedly delicious shrimp burger. I’m eager to go back the next time I find myself on the West Coast.

— Deanna Ting, New York and Philadelphia Editor, Resy Editorial

The dinner of my dreams…

… might’ve been the Michele Pascarella x Daniele Uditi collab at Pizzana in Silver Lake, which featured no less than eight different pizza courses. Michele Pascarella was named Global Pizza Maker of the Year, and I totally understand why. Every dish was prepared with the freshest, locally sourced ingredients and paired with a delicious wine to enhance the flavors. The entire dining room was buzzing with excitement and awe as each pizza was presented. Truly a one-of-a-kind dinner experience.

(For more upcoming events in L.A., head here.)

— Kayla Demma, Restaurant Success Manager

For a seafood feast unlike any other…

… head to KinKan in Virgil Village, a jewel box of a restaurant where chef Nan Yimcharoen fuses the Thai flavors of her heritage with the Japanese techniques and ingredients she learned as a sushi chef. The result is a 13-course seafood-centric tasting menu that’s as refined as it is playful (case in point: a recent dessert featured tiny steamed mochi pumpkins served inside of an actual tiny pumpkin). Come for the impeccable, artfully plated seafood; stay for the funk and disco-heavy soundtrack.

— Jamie Feldmar, Los Angeles Editor

If you find yourself in the South Bay…

… as I often do whenever I come home to the West Coast, allow me to introduce you to some of my personal favorites. In Gardena, I always love getting handmade udon from Kotohira; mochi and manju from Sakuraya; soba from Otafuku; affordable sushi omakase from Kanpachi; and yukgaejang from Yukdaejang.

In Torrance, it’s gotta be the crispy tonkatsu from Kagura; fresh soba from Ichimi Ann; all my favorite Cantonese specialties from Sea Shore; all the small bites and grilled dishes from Izakaya Hachi; mole from Madre; tempura from Tendon Tempura Carlos Jr.; and last but not least, a slice of dobash cake from King’s Hawaiian Bakery. (Honorable mention goes to drinks and karaoke nights over at The San Franciscan, where I prefer to be an observer than a participant.)

And over in Redondo, I often find myself over at Pura Vita to grab lunch with friends and indulge in some vegan Italian comfort food.

— Deanna Ting, New York and Philadelphia Editor, Resy Editorial

And when it’s time for a proper burger…

I’ve been living out of the country for four years and one of the first things I wanted when I got back was a proper burger. It is with great joy that I found the double cheeseburger at Win-Dow in the original Venice location at American Beauty is still just as good as it was before I left. A classic smashburger with melty American cheese and caramelized onions, sharp pickles to cut through the richness, and a perfectly squishy bun that still manages to keep itself together after each bite: life’s simple pleasures.

— Hillary Eaton, Los Angeles Writer