The Michelin Guide, one of the world’s most recognized dining endorsements, revealed 13 new additions to its California recommendations on Wednesday, July 10, with six of the 13 spots found in Los Angeles. These restaurants join the ranks of other eateries deemed “recommended” by the guide.
While not nearly as coveted as Michelin’s other sought-after ratings, being added to the guide could earn the restaurants Bib Gourmand or Michelin stars come awards season. The ever-changing dining bible, which first started reviewing restaurants in 1926, sporadically adds new restaurants to its recommended list throughout the year.
Among the new Los Angeles additions are Barra Santos, Danbi, Grá, Leopardo, Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles and Stella.
Located in Cyprus Park, Barra Santos, a small, no-reservations restaurant, is the brainchild of chef-owner Mike Santos who focuses on Portuguese fare. “Plenty of items are designed for sharing, including their crispy and tender bacalhau fritters with salt cod, potato, and caramelized onion, or charred cabbage over a bed of white beans studded with Iberico pork and garlic butter sauce,” notes Michelin.
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Koreatown’s Danbi, which translates to “sweet rain” in Korean, received attention for Chef Lareine Ko’s “mushroom bibimbap with fresh vegetables, as well as a crispy scallop pancake accompanied by a creamy mentaiko sauce.” Michelin also beamed over chef Isabell Manibusan’s pastries, including “the almost-nostalgic banana milk cloud with brûléed meringue and banana milk crème anglaise, or the Mont Halla, a Korean twist on a Mont Blanc.”
Pizzeria Grá in Echo Park won props for its focus on fermentation with sourdough pizza, seasonal pickled vegetables and fermented drinks. “Classics like pepperoni will always rule, but hard hitters like stracciatella and prosciutto with basil and a drizzle of coffee-infused honey are worth noting.”
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Chef Joshua Skenes (of two-star sparkler Saison fame) earned plaudits for Leonardo, found inside the onetime La Brea Bakery building. Skenes’ joint features a menu focused on seafood with a few pizzas tossed in for good measure. The French tire company’s guide suggests that guests come “with a group to sample a variety, beginning with crispy red flint waffles with bordier butter and maple syrup, and splurge by adding Ossetra caviar aged for six months with country bacon salt.” Skenes also has a pie christened the Hail Satan, a sweet-spicy pizza with salumi, hot tomato sauce, garlic and honey.
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Malai Data’s Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles, a onetime pop-up now found in an East Hollywood strip mall (which harbor some of the most exciting and affordable cuisine as of late), received raves for its boat noodles that come “with a thick, intense broth and your choice of pork or beef, noodle type, and spice level.” Also of note are the stir-fried dishes, like “the boldly spiced chili holy basil with ground pork, bell peppers, and green beans.”
Stella, a two-story Italian spot in West Hollywood, was added to the guide for its “lardo di Colonanta, a dish of thinly sliced and meltingly soft lardo paired with strawberries, razor-thin caciocavello cheese, and a balsamic amaro” and its su filindeu, “an impressive pasta dish with hand-stretched noodles cooked in bone broth accompanied by braised lamb neck and pecorino dolce.”
Other Southern California eateries namechecked by Michelin include Molti Amici in Healdsburg, Ambrogio by Acquerello in La Jolla and Santa Barbara’s Silvers Omakase.
The California’s Michelin Guide’s annual stars ceremony happens on Aug. 5 in Half Moon Bay.