Some of L.A.’s top tacos expand to Mid-Wilshire with a second Sonoratown
Plus, a popular barbecue pop-up gets its own restaurant, Pies for Justice returns, and more in this week’s top L.A. restaurant news.
Sonoratown Mid-City
Downtown’s Sonora-style taqueria famed for its handmade flour tortillas stuffed with char-grilled meats has grown its operation with a second location — and has even more expansion planned. Sonoratown, from owners Jennifer Feltham and Teo Diaz, launched in 2016 in ode to Diaz’s hometown tacos; at the start of June, the duo opened their anticipated second location in a strip mall in Mid-Wilshire, serving the same menu of downtown’s tacos, chivichangas, caramelos, aguas frescas and more. A standing counter and limited outdoor seating are available; in the future, the team hopes to open a designated tortilleria in a vacant space within the same shopping center. Hours are currently limited to 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday but will eventually mirror downtown’s hours — which include dinner service — in the coming weeks.
5610 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, (949) 490-0198, sonoratown.com
Mastro’s Ocean Club downtown
Steakhouse and raw-bar upscale chain Mastro’s Ocean Club has opened on the ground floor of downtown’s Circa development complex. The 14,000-square-foot restaurant and lounge features primarily indoor dining, a signature piano room with live entertainment and a menu of wagyu, lobster tails, chops, sushi, crab legs and other staples of Mastro’s, now catty-corner from the Crypto.com Arena. Mastro’s in downtown is open from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday and from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
1200 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, (213) 204-6842, mastrosrestaurants.com
Shady Grove Foods
A new barbecue restaurant from longtime catering and pop-up operation Shady Grove Foods is now open in Long Beach, serving smoked meats, weekend brunch, Cajun- and Creole-influenced dishes and craft beer. The father-and-son business from David and Dennis Robicheau serves what they call “Long Beach-style barbecue,” inspired less by Texas-barbecue methods and other traditional preparations and more influenced by the city’s ample Cambodian population and Dennis’ upbringing in the multicultural city — resulting in dishes such as buttermilk fried chicken served over salad in a nam prik-style dressing. Other items include beef back ribs, St. Louis-style ribs, a tri-tip take on a French dip sandwich with Cajun brown sauce, smoky-bean breakfast burritos, thick-cut-bacon BLTs and shrimp po’boys. Shady Grove Foods, in the former Restauration space, is open with limited menu and hours — Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. — but plans to expand its items, hours and bar menu in the near future.
2708 E. 4th St., Long Beach, (310) 748-4794, shadygrovefoods.com
Kaffee Bohnen
A new coffee shop in Koreatown is now open with L.A.-made baked goods and locally roasted coffee daily. Kaffee Bohnen serves fresh pastries from the lauded Röckenwagner Bakery, coffee from also-local roastery Balrog Coffee, daily single-origin espresso selections and select pantry goods such as artisanal honeys. Indoor seating, Wi-Fi and free parking are all available.
2800 W. Olympic Blvd., Ste. A, Los Angeles, (424) 452-7068, instagram.com/kaffeebohnen_losangeles
Pies for Justice
On June 18, in celebration of holiday Juneteenth (held June 19), annual pie bake sale and citywide fundraiser Pies for Justice returns for its third year. Organized by community-minded culinary activism group Gather for Good, Pies for Justice calls on dozens of bakers across L.A. and Orange County to sell pies, cakes, savory pastries, dessert raffles and other items to benefit a rotation of nonprofits and organizations that champion social-justice causes. This year’s proceeds will benefit gun-safety advocacy nonprofit Everytown and local birthing and midwifery center Kindred Space LA. Check online and on Instagram (@andgatherforgood) for lineup updates and ordering procedure, which varies by participant.
Eat your way across L.A.
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