7 Memorial Day party recipes from L.A. chefs and restaurants

Yes, we started with dessert. And while an ice cream party inspired by the new Firehouse Hotel restaurant may be all you want to throw this long weekend, we have more recipes from great L.A. chefs and restaurants for the unofficial start of summer.

Burgers, of course. And Jenn Harris’s brilliant adaptation of everyone’s favorite double-double will make everyone happy:

Homemade Double Double Burgers

If you’re feeding a no-meat crowd, you’ll want to try the herbed quinoa patties from True Food Kitchen:

Inside-Out Quinoa Burgers

Maybe you want to go classy with your cookout. If so, you should throw this elegant whole branzino on the grill. The easy, tasty recipe comes from Bryant Ng and Kim Luu-Ng of Cassia, our Gold award winner this year:

Whole Grilled Branzino

Potato salad is a must at any summer barbecue. This dead-simple classic from Canter’s Deli has been around forever and will become part of your regular party rotation too:

Canter’s Potato Salad

The ideal green salad that doesn’t wilt? Kale. Love it or hate it, it can stand up to heat and hours on the picnic table. This one from Little Dom’s has the added bonus of grilled carrots:

Tuscan Kale Salad with Grilled Carrots

Go beyond plain iced tea with this formula for Thai iced tea from Jitlada. Creamy and sweet, it’s as refreshing as it is indulgent:

Jitlada’s Thai Iced Tea

For a drink that can double as dessert, go for this atole from Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria. In it, he chars strawberries on the grill and blends them with masa and milk for a smoky sweet drink:

Atole de Fresas al Rescoldo Maize

Happy cooking!

Post your party pics and tag them #latcooking!