Here’s How to Support L.A. Restaurants Who Provided Fire Relief

Evan Funke is a certified hitmaker in L.A. (see also: Mother Wolf, Felix), but his three-level flagship in Beverly Hills might just be his magnum opus, complete with impeccable service, a glass-encased pasta room, and a sumptuously decorated rooftop bar. Funke has been on the ground serving meals with World Central Kitchen, and for a portion of January, proceeds from all cacio e pepe sold are being donated to LAFD Foundation. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

 

Similar to Funke, above, Evan Funke’s Hollywood ode to Roman-style pizzas and pastas has been donating all proceeds from orders of its signature tonarelli cacio e pepe in January to LAFD Foundation. While you’re there, save room for the rolling amaro cart and finely crafted desserts from pastry chef Shannon Swindle. Seats are still a hot commodity, but we’ve got you covered.

The perpetually buzzy Melrose Hill anchor stands out from other neighborhood Italian joints thanks to chef Evan Algorri’s (a recent James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: California) personal interpretations of regional dishes, and a smart list of mainly natural wines from Italy and France. They’re offering free meals to displaced people and donating meals to first responders and evacuees. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

All five locations of this Italian-American institution, an homage to the red-sauce joints that co-owners Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo grew up eating, have been delivering food to the main command posts for first responders; several locations have also been serving as distribution hubs to collect and deliver food from other restaurants. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

This lush, cozy destination services the neighborhood day and night with a menu of crowd-pleasing new American favorites (look for the “Good Ass Salad” and an expertly roasted half-chicken), rotating through a selection of top-notch produce from small local farmers for good measure. The Los Feliz stalwart has been offering free meals to anyone displaced by the fires. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

Every neighborhood should be so lucky to have a delightfully cozy wine bar like Little Ripper. There’s always something fun to nibble, from the scallop crudo to meatballs with harissa romesco. Beverages go beyond the typical selections, with everything from orange wines to wine cocktails.  Over the weekend of January 24, they teamed up with Mad Collective for a night of pasta and wine-centric fundraising. All wine proceeds are being donated to fire relief efforts. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

In true izakaya fashion, this chic little spot is handsomely decorated and wonderful for grazing over various small plates with excellently curated sake to go with everything (no wonder it’s where we always take out-of-towners.) A line cook at Tsubaki and sister sake bar Ototo, Erich, lost his home in the Eaton fire. All sales of the restaurant’s hojicha parfait (at Tsubaki) and Suntory draft beer (at Ototo) from the week of January 23 went to support Erich’s recovery efforts. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

Chef Jon Harris’ inspiration pulls from everything he knew growing up near Linden Blvd. in Brooklyn — his Caribbean roots, friend’s bar mitzvahs, Italian restaurants around the neighborhood, and more, all mixed with a hefty dose of California sun in the heart of Hollywood. Harris and co. are donating $20,000 to the California Community Foundation for wildfire relief efforts, and pledged 20% of all January proceeds toward wildfire relief support. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. 

This new Highland Park spinoff of the perpetually packed West Adams all-day café went bigger and better last year, adding a sprawling outdoor patio and a new dinner and cocktails menu, to boot. Both locations have been providing meals for first responders and those who have experienced loss. One of their line cooks, Lorena Sanchez, also lost her home in the Eaton fire and has a GoFundMe set up for direct contributions.  More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

This Santa Monica non-traditional restaurant, which feels like an intimate barbecue hosted in your coolest, most creative friend’s Venice backyard, has been feeding firefighters. You can buy meals for them, too, and if even after the immediate need passes, trust us — between the open-air vibes and the charcoal-kissed menu, you’ll want to hang here all year long. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

On Jan. 30, Italian pasta master Francesco Allegro is teaming up with Pizzana’s Daniele Uditi for a special six-course pasta and seafood night, with 100% of profits donated to the California Fire Foundation. Even if you miss it, it’s always worth a stop at one of Pizzana’s several locations, for Uditi’s creatively topped (i.e. cacio e pepe), nouveau Neapolitan-style pies, and more from the full menu of Italian hits.

This sourdough pizza and fermented food specialist in Echo Park/Historic Filipinotown has been offering free meals for first responders, evacuees, and volunteers. Do note: As a champion of all fermented things, a meal here should start with kimchi and pickled cucumbers before moving on to a traditional or (vegan) tahini-topped pie. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

On  Jan. 15 and 16, the popular (and only-in-L.A.) Indian-Italian sports bar offered complimentary Desi Smash Burgers and Piri Piri Fries to anyone displaced by the fires and any first responders. But come any day for heavy hitters like the malai rigatoni — a creamy, tomato masala concoction — and green chutney pizza with a fenugreek-laced sauce, while watching the game on one of the many surrounding screens.

Everybody’s favorite roving pizza pop-up, famed for its rectangular focaccia-style pies, settled into a permanent home — a colorful, greenery-filled indoor-outdoor Arts District space that adds a raw bar and a list of natural wines to the recipe. The week of Jan. 14, De La Nonna hosted a donation drive for fire relief. More information on the restaurant’s Instagram.

The Silver Lake stalwart for colorful, vegetable-forward Cal-Med cuisine partnered with World Central Kitchen, and has been donating meals through other distribution channels, while remaining open for normal business hours. They are also accepting donations via hello@botanicarestaurant.com or venmo @Emily-Fiffer to provide meals to evacuees and first responders. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

This hip Venice seafood specialist — beloved for its raw bar and casual dinner party vibes —  has been offering free food for first responders and those displaced by the fires. The restaurant has also donated 20% of  sales to Community Brigade, a program in partnership with LA County Fire Department that provides support to communities impacted by wildfires and other natural disasters. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

Kismet is open and giving people the option to donate meals via online ordering to feed firefighters, first responders and displaced Angelenos. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. And while the menu here normally leans heavy on the vegetables, with a Middle Eastern-meets-California twist, for the month of February, the restaurant is playing dress-up as a steakhouse with all the classics of the genre (but it hasn’t gone full carnivore just yet; there are still plenty of vegetarian delights).

The Santa Monica seafood restaurant took over dinner service at Huckleberry for three days in mid-January for a special menu from the Crudo team featuring crab pasta, pizza, crudo, and cooked seafood. 10% of all profits went go to Los Angeles Wildfire Relief and Recovery. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. And visit Crudo e Nudo any time for oysters, wood-fired salmon with minted yogurt, and Sicilian-style ceviche along Main Street.

The Lowcountry-inspired seafood spot hosted a fire relief donation drive in support of the Union Station Adult Center; this week they have resumed dinner operations. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. Come by for chef Ari Kolender’s spins on the the dishes he grew up with: (Found Oyster) anchovy and tomato bread pudding, barbecued Gulf shrimp, and lots and lots of oysters. 

This Sherman Oaks Thai institution, with its incredible fried chicken and even more impressive wine collection, has been cooking meals for first responders and displaced families, and is accepting donations to continue doing so via Venmo @anajak-thai. They are also open for takeout and indoor reservations. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram, plus some tips on getting in.

This Caribbean restaurant, the first brick and mortar location of Bajan chef Rashida Jones’s beloved pop-up, has been providing hot meals (think oxtail patties and fragrant pumpkin rotis) to first responders and those affected by the fires and shelters. Also, they are accepting monetary donations to fund the meals via Venmo. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

It’s not every day you find a restaurant that seamlessly melds Japanese fusion cuisine with the electric atmosphere of a ’90s nightclub. Budonoki’s team insists on having fun, from the nostalgic R&B playlist to chef Dan Rabilwongse’s creative izakaya fare, sprinkled with Southeast Asian and French flavors. On Jan. 17, the restaurant released their first merch drop, with 20% of sales going towards fire relief efforts. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

Powerhouse chef-restaurateur Wes Avila (Guerilla Tacos, Angry Egret Dinette) brings coastal Mexican cuisine to the heart of Hollywood with this 5,000-square-foot, mostly outdoor destination restaurant for festive large-format cooking. They’ve been offering complimentary meals to fire fighters and first responders. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

The Beverly Hills institution — known for matriarch Helene An’s famed garlic noodles, and an upscale atmosphere complete with live koi — donated 100% of profits from brunch and dinner on Jan. 12 to LAFD. Even if you missed that day, it’s worth a visit for the other modern Vietnamese-inspired fare, like ho fun “banh cuon” ravioli or chicken oyster satay, and to learn more about the An family’s inspiring history.

On Jan. 26 and 27,  Nana Thai and Holy Basil teamed up on collaborative menus, with 100% of proceeds going to fire relief. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. Either way, come for freewheeling, wildly creative Thai fare you won’t find anywhere else in the city, like wild shrimp aguachile and wonton nachos.

Lasita, one of our favorite spots for modern Filipino fare (and a ridiculously good rotisserie chicken) has been feeding first responders, fire fighters, and anyone affected by the fires, both at their Chinatown storefront and through drop-offs across the city. More information on the restaurant’s Instagram.

The Venice location of this Thai trailblazer has been cooking meals for first responders and operating at a reduced capacity for the public; the Silver Lake location is open for normal business hours. In either case, come for pad Thai, party wings, crab fried rice, and the “world-famous fried chicken sandwich,” just a few of the signature hits from Kris Yenbamroong. The whole vibe is buzzing, ultra-cool, and fiery, fueled entirely by chiles, curries, and natural wines. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. 

This Spanish tapas and wine newcomer in Silver Lake has been donating a portion of all revenue from specific days to @feedthestreets_la to support their work providing meals to firefighters and evacuees. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. The all-Spanish beverage program focuses on wine, vermouth, sherry and cider; while the tapas menu references Spanish cuisine, while remaining rooted in seasonal Californian produce

Melrose Hill’s smartly designed nouveau bistro, from the owner of Domaine L.A. (so you can expect a 200-bottle strong list), has been welcoming in anyone displaced, alongside first responders, for a warm meal and a safe space. Chef Travis Hayden also lost his home in the Palisades fire and has a GoFundMe setup to contribute directly. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

Go for this Provençal-inspired menu in West Hollywood, from fresh crudos to grilled swordfish with persillade sauce. Stay for the French-ish cocktails and plenty of wine on the verdant garden patio filled with patterns and textures that feel like pure escapism. And as a bonus, Chez Mia has been taking donations to feed impacted families. More info for those in need and for those who can give. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram.

On Jan. 21, Mirate launched a fire relief menu, with $2 of each cocktail benefits Habitat for Humanity until the end of March. A portion of each cocktail goes to Mirate staff who lost homes in the fire. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. And those cocktails, by the way, are serious stuff: the three-story modern Mexican restaurant recently earned a spot on the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars.

Hollywood’s newest cool-kid hangout for New American cuisine and Art Deco vibes, donated 100% of profits from the weekend of Jan. 10 to those impacted by the fires. More info on the restaurant’s Instagram. Things are still going strong: Come by for classic cocktails (including a dedicated martini mini-menu, in addition to seasonal and non-alcoholic creations) and wines, along with the raved-about burger.