Maybe it’s the fact that February is the shortest month of the year, but the past few weeks have definitely flown by. But that didn’t stop our features team from wining and dining across Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire.
This month’s round-up features classic meals from staples in the Southern California community as well as new spots worth checking out. A hidden theme on the list? Sandwiches. Most of our reporters seemed to include a dish of a tasty filling between two slices of bread, including a Bánh Mì, a patty melt and a classic grilled cheese.
Here’s a look at the best things we ate throughout Los Angeles, Orange County and the Inland Empire in January.
Related: See the best things we ate in Southern California in 2024.
Thit Nuong/Grilled Pork Bánh Mì – Pickle Banh Mi, Long Beach
I have yet to taste bánh mì that I didn’t like, but the Thit Nuong/Grilled Pork at Pickle Banh Mi in Long Beach has taken my heart and taste buds. The Vietnamese dish has all the staples of bánh mì, including cilantro, cucumbers, jalapenos, pickled carrots and onions between a crispy baguette with a mayo and pâté spread. As for the grilled pork, it was a perfect balance of flavor without overpowering the sandwich while keeping a soft but firm texture that felt like it was melting with every bite.
— Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter
Patty melt with tallow fries – Le Hut Dinette, Santa Ana
The founders of Heritage Barbecue opened their newest spot, Le Hut Dinette, in February. Its inaugural lunch menu, conceived by the executive chef Ryan Garlitos, featured such fare as chicken and rice soup, chili cheese fries, tacos (brisket barbacoa, chicken mole, work chile verde), chocolate bibingka and, praise be, a patty melt with tallow fries. Much to my relief, the patty melt was neither a strained nor newfangled take on the classic patty melt, which, after nearly 80 years on diner menus, doesn’t benefit from reformulation. Le Hut Dinette’s sublime version comes with ground brisket, caramelized onions, requisite American cheese, pickles and special sauce sandwiched between toasted milk bread from its neighbor, 61 Hundred Bread. The dish came with a side of fries fried in tallow (beef fat), rendering them richer and tastier than their vegetable oil-fried counterparts.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Mile High Omelet – Broken Yolk Café, Temecula
Breakfast is the best meal of the day, and for my money, the best thing for breakfast is a Denver omelet – or, if you go to Broken Yolk Café: the Mile High Omelet. One of eight omelets on the menu, this beauty was filled with diced ham, green bell pepper and onion, plus American cheese. … I later noticed I could have added diced tomato. Next time. When I visited in early February, Broken Yolk had no surcharge for egg dishes to help cover the commodity’s higher cost due to the bird flu’s effects on egg availability. Other restaurants, including Denny’s, have started tacking on an extra fee.
My order was served with home-style fries and a blueberry muffin; other options include hash browns, fresh fruit, Mexican rice, refried or black beans, a biscuit, English muffin, tortillas or toast. Broken Yolk Café has 30 Southern California locations, including Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fullerton, Corona and Temecula.
— Jerry Rice, Audience Engagement Producer
Oxtail pho – Phởholic, Costa Mesa
While meals are frequent occasions for togetherness or celebration, there’s a certain freedom in escaping the incessant chatter of others by enjoying a meal in one’s own company. Phởholic, a small Vietnamese eatery in South Coast Plaza, understands such ethos by offering a series of private solo dining booths. During a recent visit after window shopping at stores beyond my tax bracket, I popped in for a bowl of oxtail pho, which was expectedly savory, rich and complex. Wonderful. But the highlight was the aforementioned private dining experience. Once seated in your cubicle-ish pod, a set of horizontal blinds rise revealing a window into the kitchen, a server on the other side takes your order, and a few minutes later, a pair of hands place your dish in front of you. The shutters are then lowered for immediate and maximum privacy. Turns out the best way to recover from delusional window shopping was a little window – and pho – of my own.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup – Laurel Tavern, Studio City
When it rains, all I want is a grilled cheese and tomato soup. Given the fact that Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe in Disneyland is closed for refurbishment, I wasn’t able to get the iconic combo there while at the Anaheim theme park. Because of this, I was on a quest to fill my craving. I decided to check out Laurel Tavern in Studio City which has a variety of food menu items in addition to their drink selection. The grilled cheese combo worked out beautifully. I loved the addition of roasted tomatoes inside the grilled cheese. Of course, the quality check comes from dipping the grilled cheese into the tomato soup, and it easily passed the test. I also paired my meal with their Lavender Fields mocktail, which was a refreshing beverage.
— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Bacon Wrapped Bratwurst – Nava Sausage Company, Redlands
The Nava Sausage company has a great selection of various sausages to choose from. Whether you want it in a grilled cheese or straight up on a bun, there are options for you. I opted for the bacon-wrapped bratwurst with grilled onions and sauerkraut. I also got a side of garlic fries, and I highly recommend both!
— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter
New England and Manhattan Clam Chowder – Bluewater Grill, Temecula
Bluewater Grill marked its 10th anniversary in Temecula last week. It estimates that it has sold about 300,000 pints of clam chowder during those years. I found out why. At $11, a cup of two-in-a-bowl makes a good starter or a satisfying meal in itself. 26700 Ynez Court, Temecula. bluewatergrill.com
— Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter
Neapolitan meatballs – Ospi, Costa Mesa
Opening to much fanfare in December, Ospi, founded by chef Jackson Kalb, who appeared on season 19 of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” and his business partner/wife, Melissa, has turned into quite the scene for Costa Mesa. Located inside the Paseo 17 complex (where Rye Goods will open this spring), I checked out the new Italian eatery during a busy weeknight. Among the (many) menu items, which lean heavily toward pastas and pizzas, the Neapolitan meatballs proved my stand-out favorite. The exceedingly tender beef and pork spheres are mixed with ricotta and pine nuts and come topped with tomato passata and grana padano cheese. Thick slices of toasted, olive oil-infused fettunta (Italian for “soaked slices”) join the party for an overall hearty dish that, while technically an antipasti, could double as a main entree.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
NOLA BBQ Gulf Shrimp & Grits – Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio, Anaheim
I’ve only had shrimp and grits a few times, and each has been a different flavor combo from the last, but the Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney’s take on the meal has easily been one of my favorites. The New Orleans “BBQ Sauce” is what makes this dish. It is packed with flavor. Typically the dish comes with Andouille Sausage, but as a pescatarian, I opted without it.
— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Calamansi creamsicle scoop – Stella Jean’s, Costa Mesa
I made a pit stop at Stella Jean’s Costa Mesa location to curb an ice cream fix I had one night. While the noted San Diego-based creamery offers a slew of creative ice cream flavors (salted maple, banana pudding, tiramisu crunch s’mores and ube + pandesal toffee, to name a few), the calamansi creamsicle caught my eye. Next to peanut butter and chocolate, citrus and cream is my top-tier flavor pairing when it comes to desserts. Calamansi, a small citrus fruit popular in Filipino cuisine, proved the perfect partner for Stella Jean’s vanilla. The fruit, which, if you will, sits somewhere between a lemon and a tangerine, was bright and punchy next to the smooth and rich vanilla. Another bonus: It’s vegan.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Regular Fries – Blue Dog Beer Tavern, Sherman Oaks
I am on a quest to find the best place to get “girl dinner” aka a Caesar salad and french fries combo. Given the fact that this is a beer tavern, I went in with low expectations for the food, but was pleasantly surprised by just how good the fries were. Also, if you aren’t familiar with Blue Dog Beer Tavern, it’s a dog-friendly restaurant that is decorated with pictures of canines who have visited.
The staff let me know that they had actually just swapped the recipe from frozen fries to fresh cut, and had actually been met with negative reviews from those who had been huge fans of the frozen fries. Listen, to each their own, but these fresh cut fries are where it’s at. They also offer garlic fries, sweet potato fries, shore fries (tossed in a house spice mix of Italian herbs and Old Bay seasoning), garlic parmesan fries and chili cheese fries.
— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Lemon Chicken and Couscous – Moun of Tunis, Los Angeles
A delicious Moroccan experience. We opted for the Moroccan feast, which consisted of about 5 courses. From the fresh pita bread and hummus to the delectable Chicken cooked to perfection, our meal was memorable! Did we also mention you sit on cushions and there are belly dancers?
— Mercedes Cannon-Tran, Local Reporter
Peanut butter saltwater taffy – Candy Baron, Laguna Beach
Whenever I find myself in downtown Laguna Beach – in the wintertime to avoid the crush of tourists who have rendered the coastal enclave impenetrable during the summer months – I make a beeline to Candy Baron to grab a fistful of saltwater taffy. My go-to pick at the 30-year-old shop is its peanut butter taffy. Reminiscent of the taffy wrapped in black and orange paper, typically found during the Halloween hauls of my youth, these taffys come with a center filled with peanut butter joy. Fret not, allergy sufferers and peanut butter deniers: Candy Baron has literal barrels filled to the brim with saltwater taffy in a variety of flavors and hues, as well as hard-to-find Kit Kat bars, candies from afar and other treats for kids ages 1 to 100.
— Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Doritos Nacho Cheese Texas Style Loaded Nachos – Doritos After Dark, Crypto.com Arena Downtown Los Angeles
Did I come to the Crypto.com Arena expecting to have my mind blown by nachos? Absolutely not. Was it? It easily became my entire personality for the night. All I could think about between acts was getting my hands on more Doritos Nachos.
@by.carolyn Transparently I will be thinking about these Nachos until the next time I see a concert @Crypto.com Arena and can go to Doritos After Dark to be reunited with said nachos but also try the other menu items. #cryptoarena #doritos #doritosafterdark #nachos #food #foodie #doritosnachos @Doritos
Doritos After Dark is an exclusive restaurant inside the Crypto.com Arena where guests can try out their favorite foods with Doritos chips incorporated into the recipe. I was given an inside tip from their chef: part of what makes the nachos so good is that they’re able to use Frito Lays seasoning in the cheese sauce. The nachos use Doritos Nacho Cheese chips as the base and are topped with brisket (I opted without, but heard people raving about it), nacho cheese sauce, sliced dill pickles and sweet onions.
— Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
See more of our monthly round-ups of the best things we ate in Southern California
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in January
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in 2024
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants in November
The best things we ate at Southern California restaurants this October
The best thing we ate at Southern California restaurants in September
The best thing we ate at Southern California restaurants in August