Jessica Koslow

It is not every day someone gets the opportunity to eat on the 34th floor in LA But that is exactly where AC Bar & Bistro sits, overlooking Crypto.com Arena, LA Convention Center and the entire city. It is where diners can order a well-reviewed burger and then walk across the floor to La Lo La Rooftop for the same sweeping 360 views and a different menu: tapas and cocktails. These are just two of the 13 places to eat and drink inside the Moxy + AC Hotel located at 1260 South Figueroa Street.

The newest addition as of September is Wild Angels, a grab-and-go all-day cafe just off the Moxy lobby with an entrance on Figueroa Street. Formerly operated by Bluestone Lane, the property decided to assume operations in order to offer a wider range of options.

“It is exciting to get an opportunity to reopen the coffee shop as Wild Angels and tie into some of those hallmarks of Los Angeles: great cup of coffee, great breakfast sandwich, pastries,” said Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage Jason Johnston, who oversees the hotel’s four restaurants, catering and banquet events. “L.A. is a breakfast town.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

There is something very satisfying about a bento box. Diners can try a little bit of a lot and mix different flavors, textures and types of dishes (appetizers, mains, sides) in one meal. This summer, Chef Wedchayan “Deau” Arpapornnopparat debuted his version, called the Kao Kaeang lunch ($28), at all locations of his Thai restaurant Holy Basil. It’s just one upgrade of many — he also moved his original DTLA location to the Arts District — that he is overseeing as his restaurants evolve, change and “push the boundaries of what Bangkok cuisine is,” he said.

The idea of the Kao Kaeang lunch is inspired by Thailand’s popular curry shops. It’s a traditional street food experience, and with his take, guests can choose one wok-fired dish, one curry and one cold vegetable, accompanied by chili fish sauce, chive cakes, vegetable soup and organic jasmine rice.

According to Chef Deau, he and his team have a two-fold mission when they arrive to work each day: “1) to showcase what Thai cuisine could be to our prospective customers and 2) to be able to make this profession a sustainable career for everyone on our team so we can keep doing what we love.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Most people love 24-hour diners and have probably visited one for a late-night meal at some point, but according to Yelp data, from January 2020 through 2025, 24/7 restaurants in the United States decreased by 11%. Fortunately, LA has NORMS, which is celebrating its 77th anniversary on Sept. 24, and other classic choices to visit when hunger hits before or after normal business hours.

NORMS’ 24-hour model started early on in the restaurant’s history, probably around number four’s arrival, relayed Mark Politzer, NORMS’ president and CEO, who will mark two years with the company in January.

“Our concept was always, where life doesn’t stop, where life happens. It’s been our slogan for many years,” Politzer said. “We’re proud to be in the community this long. NORMS has always been a place for people and the community to break bread, meet, have conversation, laughs, celebrate, mourn.” . . .

Read the entire article at Pasadena Weekly.

Around this time last year, chef-owner Michele Galifi was prepping to open the doors of his new restaurant, Bianca Sicilian Trattoria, in the Arts District. Fresh off a fall from a ladder and a broken wrist, arm and elbow, the proud Palermitano picked himself up and spent the next 12 months cooking and serving traditional Sicilian food. Last month, he expanded operations with Lulu’s Coffee, a new breakfast spot inside Bianca Sicilian Trattoria.

While the restaurant is named after his first daughter, Bianca, Lulu is a nickname for his second daughter, Lucia.

“She’s a little feisty one,” he relayed. “I feel like it can connect to the coffee.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Chef Casey Lane feels right at home on Abbot Kinney. He landed here in 2009 at age 25 to open The Tasting Kitchen, which, according to Forbes, “helped turn a scruffy Westside street into one of the most consequential dining corridors in America,” and he is back again, reopening the restaurant in July after a 2023 fire and permit and construction delays.

Although he left the restaurant in 2019 to pursue other opportunities (Ghisallo, Jyan Isaac Bread, Hotel Figueroa, Marco Polo, Simonette), the 2026 newly designed Tasting Kitchen was calling, and Lane was ready to return.

“What I’ve always loved about The Tasting Kitchen is the freedom to create,” he shared. “There’s nothing better as a creative than having the freedom to explore, to make mistakes and to have successes along the way.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.