Burrata, hot honey, and pepperoni pizza at LaSorted’s in Chinatown.LaSorted’s serves sourdough pizzas, mortadella sandwiches, hot dogs, and salads in the former Chinese Friends space The hoots and hollers of a postseason baseball game reverberate through the tiny dining room and sidewalk of LaSorted’s Pizza, a new Dodger-themed pizzeria in Chinatown. It’s game four of the National League Division Series and the Dodgers are on the brink of elimination. The Boys in Blue won the game against the San Diego Padres on October 9 and are heading back to Los Angeles for the decisive match of the series tonight, October 11. LaSorted’s wasn’t officially open to the public for game 4, but friends and family were invited to gather and grub on fresh slices of mushroom, pepperoni, and cheese pizza. Named after famed Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda, LaSorted’s opens on Saturday, October 12 inside the former Chinese Friends restaurant along Broadway. As a lifelong LA sports fan, owner Tommy Brockert wanted his pizzeria located a stone’s throw from Blue Heaven on Earth: Dodger Stadium. Brockert’s memorabilia-lined restaurant includes nostalgic items like old maps, the sheet music to Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.”, and a medal from Nickeleodeon’s Guts. During the pandemic, Brockert, a professional event photographer, went deep into the world of pizza, rolling out a mobile wood-fired oven pop-up. In March 2021, he opened LaSorted’s in Silver Lake on Sunset Avenue as a takeout-only operation serving New York City-style slices, Italian deli sandwiches, and chicken wings. (LaSorted’s shared the tight space with Gemini Bakehouse for a year before it closed.) Tommy Brockert Inside LaSorted’s Chinatown.Brockert developed a sourdough recipe with the pliant and crisp crust of a New York-style slice but with greater complexity, and a cornicione that puffs up and sports a dark brown exterior like artisan bread. The crust on the cheese slices is basted with garlic oil that adds a sheen and heady aroma. The Mookie, named after Dodgers star Mookie Betts, goes all-in on fungi with mushroom cream, mushrooms, mozzarella, and ricotta. Toppings are thoughtfully balanced, while a tangy tomato sauce base is made with superior canned Alta Cucina tomatoes. Much of the Silver Lake menu, except the deli-style sandwiches, will carry over to Chinatown, including spicy pepperoni, supreme, and vodka sauce pizzas. This new location will serve some exclusives, like all-beef hot dogs made by Brockert’s cousin, butcher Evan Reiner of Droogie’s. The dogs are split, griddled, and laced with potent hot mustard from Philippe the Original down the street. An Anthony Bourdain-inspired fried mortadella pizza called the Lil’ Tony comes on a plush roll with hot mustard. The beer and wine are curated by Anajak Thai’s John Cerasulo, while Ed Lott, a former executive chef at North Italia, oversees the menu as culinary director. Bethany Reed Tommy Brockert in his Chinatown restaurant LaSorted’s. Tommy Brockert All the food at LaSorted’s in Chinatown, including salad, fries, wings, pizza, and hot dogs.Before the neighborhood became the second Chinatown of Los Angeles in 1938, it was home to many Italian restaurants, including the iconic Little Joe’s, which closed in 1998. For years, Chinatown’s dining scene has been a flashpoint for activists and developers, one side looking to preserve its legacy and affordability for residents, while the latter sought to gentrify the area with new market-rate apartments and restaurants. LaSorted’s takes over the now-closed Chinese Friends space, one of Chinatown’s first non-Cantonese restaurants that operated for over 50 years. A new sign gives a nod to the former tenant: “Hot Food, Cold Drinks, Good Friends.” LaSorted’s is open from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It’s open until 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. If the Dodgers play on Monday or Tuesday, it’ll open as well. Located at 984 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

For impeccable vibes and outstanding Caribbean flavors: Bridgetown Roti. | Wonho Frank LeeYour handy guide on where to eat from the editors at Eater LA Every Friday our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: “Where should I eat?“ Here now are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here’s our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town.For impeccable vibes and outstanding Caribbean flavors: Bridgetown Roti Wonho Frank Lee For impeccable vibes and outstanding Caribbean flavors: Bridgetown Roti.Chef Rashida Holmes opened her long-awaited permanent storefront for Bridgetown Roti in July, along with business partners Malique Smith and Joy Clarke-Holmes. The good vibes start even before one walks through the East Hollywood restaurant’s front door with a lovely mural and bold color blocks flanking the entryway patio. The vibes get even better once inside where upbeat music plays while the smell of spice fills the air. The menu stretches well beyond the signature roti and begs to be shared with a group of four or more. Some of the newer menu items are exceptional, including the honey jerk whole wings, jerk cucumber salad, and callaloo. Standbys from the pop-up days like the Sundays-only curry channa doubles, oxtail patties, and sweet and spicy plantains are as satisfying as ever. 858 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029. — Cathy Chaplin, senior editor For a comforting, warm bowl of ramen: Daikokuya Cathy Chaplin For a comforting, warm bowl of ramen: Daikokuya.As fall creeps in (it’s below 80 degrees outside), there’s a natural draw toward rich, steamy bowls of noodles and Daikokuya is there to fill the craving. The Daikokuya ramen is a creamy tonkotsu broth, with a pleasant saltiness and thick cuts of tender pork. What really sets this bowl apart are the springy noodles, which remain chewy even after sitting in the broth for some time. While the Little Tokyo location tends to attract crowds, the bowls at the Sawtelle outpost are just as good, with little to no wait most of the time. Make sure to order a Sapporo on draft in a generously sized metal mug. If not in the mood for ramen, tempura, karaage, and a chashu pork bowl with rice all present tempting options. 2208 Sawtelle Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90064. — Rebecca Roland, associate editor For terrific Korean comfort takeout in Koreatown: Jun Won Matthew Kang For terrific Korean comfort takeout in Koreatown: Jun Won.I love a restaurant that knows what it does best and sticks to the classics. That’s Jun Won, a literal one-table establishment along Third Street that serves only four dishes. Technically it’s called Jun Won Dak, the dak for the two chicken dishes featured on the menu. The first is a comforting, brothy samgyetang that’s extra satisfying when the weather cools down. The other is daktoritang, a spicy braised chicken dish with a sticky sweet soy base and plenty of softened vegetables. The menu rounds out with one of the best galbijjim in town and a terrific rendition of eundaegu joorim, or spicy braised black cod. It’s hard to quantify how much this restaurant means to me. It was one of my dad’s favorite Korean places in LA, and the owner Jung Ye Jun is like that sweet older Korean imo (auntie) everyone wishes cooked for them all the time. Just order everything on the menu at Jun Won Dak, gorge at home (or at that single table), and keep the leftovers for the rest of the week. 4254 1/2 W. 3rd Street Los Angeles, CA 90020. — Matthew Kang, lead editor For a stick-to-your-ribs experience in Lincoln Heights: El Huarachito Katrina Yentch For a stick-to-your-ribs experience in Lincoln Heights: El Huarachito.When a packed restaurant is family-owned and the staff knows customers by name, the meal is going to be great. El Huarachito has been holding down home-style Mexican food in Boyle Heights for 24 years on Broadway between Daly Street and Lincoln Park Avenue. For the best experience, ask for recommendations and trust the process. El Huarachito’s breakfasts can fill anyone up for the day with chilaquiles, huevos divorciados, or a heaping pile of shredded beef with eggs (machaca con huevos). And since we’re approaching cooler weather, caldo can make any day better, though these traditional Mexican soups are great in hot weather too. Try the caldo de res with beef, pozole, or menudo. A serving of cheesy queso fundido with chorizo is always worth it, as are the tacos with house-made tortillas. This menu is massive with house specials including birria de chivo, carne asada with grilled cactus, enchiladas, tortas, and of course, aguas frescas that vary every day. Come with four to try as much as possible, and leave happy. 3010 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90031. — Mona Holmes, reporter

Sauced. | Ssam KimBell’s at Caldo Verde, a throwback Italian feast, and more Some of Los Angeles’s most exciting meals can be found on the back patio of a wine bar or under an EZ-up on a neighborhood corner. Pop-ups are ingrained in the dining culture of the Southland, whether they’re a preview of a more permanent space or just a one-off. This is a guide to new and ongoing pop-ups around town. Have a pop-up that should be on this list? Email us at la@eater.com.Upcoming Kyungbin at Sauced DTLA Justin Min, chef of the now-closed modern Korean restaurant Hanchic, is popping up at Sauced DTLA from October 10 to 13. Look forward to a menu that includes beef tartare gimbap, shrimp cigars, and salmon shrimp crudo. While up on the rooftop of the former Ace Hotel, make sure to take in the views with a glass of wine in hand. 929 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015. Dinner at Garibaldina Society Italian social club Garibaldina Society is hosting a family dinner on Sunday, October 13, complete with dancing. Dinner will be served as a buffet, and a bar will be available for adults to imbibe. 4533 N. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90065. Bodega Bakes at Friends & Family Paola Velez is taking her new cookbook, Bodega Bakes, on tour, and this weekend it will land at Friends & Family. Starting at 10 a.m. on October 13, the bakery will serve a special menu of treats from the book like guava and cheese turnovers, pineapple empanadillas, and mango and brown butter blondies. 5150 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027. Bell’s at Caldo Verde Chef Daisy Ryan of Michelin-starred restaurant Bell’s will cook at Caldo Verde for one night only on October 16. She’ll prepare recipes inspired by three of her favorite cookbooks: My Mexico by Diana Kennedy, The River Cafe Cookbook by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, and Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells. Reservations are available through OpenTable. 1100 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015.Ongoing Black Lagoon at the Normandie Club Just in time for spooky season, the Halloween pop-up Black Lagoon has landed at Koreatown’s Normandie Club. Running from October 10 to 31, the pop-up will serve eerie cocktails like the Nightmare Fuel with tequila, matcha, and absinthe, and the Paranoia shot with gin, lime, and coconut. 3612 W. 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Flight Night at Agnes Agnes is debuting a new weekly wine-tasting series starting September 18. For $20, guests can sample rotating flights of wine curated by beverage director Zaitouna Kusto (Esters, Hinoki & the Bird). An optional $15 cheese pairing is available to add on. 40 W. Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91105. Walking Spanish at Las Perlas Modern Central American pop-up Walking Spanish holds court at Las Perlas in West Hollywood on Sundays and Mondays. The special residency menu includes dishes like loaded yucca fries, a braised short rib with kimchi and cheese, and a fried chicken sandwich. 7511 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90046.

Loco moco at Edgemar in Santa Monica. | Jackson DavisPancakes, bottomless mimosas, avocado toast, and chilaquiles Brunch is a year-round activity in Los Angeles. Over the weekend, some of the city’s best restaurants offer outstanding Benedicts, buttery pancakes, and more that are best paired with a cocktail, mimosa, or mocktail. Here are 10 hot new brunch spots to try this weekend in Los Angeles. For Los Angeles’s essential brunch destinations, check out this list.

Alex and Elvia Garcia, the chefs and owners of Evil Cooks, which is opening a resaturant in El Sereno next month. | Evil CooksChefs Alex and Elvia Garcia’s innovative pop-up takes over a tiny space in El Sereno on November 12 The heavy metal-loving couple behind Evil Cooks, chefs Alex and Elvia Garcia, are opening a permanent restaurant in El Sereno on November 12 in the former Antojito Chapines Chicken N Churros space. Called Evil Cooks Corazón Abierto (“open heart”), the restaurant features an open kitchen that seats five diners inside and 25 more on the back patio. The Garcias ended the four-year-old pop-up from their El Sereno home on October 5 to focus on the incoming restaurant but will continue to serve at Smorgasburg on Sundays. Evil Cooks, one of the most acclaimed and innovative taquerías in Los Angeles, was recently featured in PBS’s Rebel Kitchens and named a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2024. Alex worked his way up from dishwasher to chef over his 24-year career in Long Beach and Riverside, while Elvia worked in various commercial kitchens, including at UCLA, for 17 years. The Garcias have fielded dozens of offers for restaurant locations and have been courted by investors, but waited for the right time and place before taking the plunge. “Everything just fell into place. We wanted to wait for our daughter to start school,” says Elvia. The couple is opening the new restaurant without any other business partners. “We wanted to have a following and El Sereno is where our customers are. Plus, we can just stumble home at the end of the night,” says Alex. At the new storefront, fans of the pop-up will be able to get the Poseidon, a grilled octopus taco marinated in recaudo negro; the McSatan, a bacon cheeseburger taco inspired by Mexico City’s Don Toño; and the Chilakillers burrito, a carb-loaded parcel. “We will have all the tacos, burritos, and tortas we’ve been serving at the El Sereno pop-up and Smorgasburg,” says Alex. Also on the menu are special dishes that the Garcias introduced during their pandemic-era Kamikaze tasting menu, including a grilled octopus served over mushroom risotto, a take on fish and chips using butter-poached fish and fried tortilla strips, and baklava “Wellington” made with pork ribs wrapped in phyllo dough topped with pistachios and pashmak (Iranian candy floss). Desserts include sweet corn in a piloncillo (brown sugar cone) atole, sweet potato cooked in piloncillo, and a cannelle in atole de nuez (nuts). Tepache, a fermented pineapple drink, will be available to drink. The menu and space for Evil Cooks Corazón Abierto reflects Alex and Elvia’s long journey and experiences. “The restaurant is actually a letter to thank everyone, especially Elvia, and obviously my mom, who brought me here to the United States,” says Alex. “It’s for everyone who’s had my back since I was little because that’s when I started dreaming about having my own business.” Evil Cooks Corazón Abierto is located at 3333 N. Eastern Avenue, El Sereno, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, and will be open from Tuesday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. Evil Cooks The streetside setup for Evil Cooks during the pandemic in El Sereno.