James finds it easier to slumber when the room temperature is 68 to 70 degrees, when there’s complete darkness (no television or smartphone light allowed) and when the “rain on leaves” soundscape is playing on his Calm app.
The expansive poolside restaurant at Hotel Figueroa brings upscale Greek and other eastern Mediterranean flavors to Downtown such as bluefin tuna “dolmades,” various kinds of mezze, and wagyu souvlaki, and slow-cooked duck shawarma in a high-ceiling lounge-style dining room.
Chef Aaron Zimmer, previously of the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, assembles a ranchero-style menu of steaks, butterflied fish, beans, crudo, and grilled little gem greens with approachable California ingredients to please the suburban crowd.
Lucky Boy’s famed breakfast burrito — jam-packed with hash browns, eggs, cheese, and a choice of bacon, sausage, chorizo, or ham — spans eight inches long and weighs what feels like a pound.
Previously the executive chef of Michael’s, Yoon made a name selling craft beer and burgers at Father’s Office, eventually landing to a top spot on the Los Angeles Times 101 with his Southeast Asian restaurant Lukshon (which has remained dormant since the pandemic).
It will eventually expand to lunch service with signature bowls of ramen and hand rolls served all day and shareable Japanese-influenced comfort dishes like grilled skewers, tempura, chicken kaarage, and gyoza in the evenings.
Chef Raphael Francois partnered with wine professional Jordan Ogron and restaurateur Bill Chait back in June 2018, serving polished French bistro fare in a gorgeous, dimly lit space.
Executive chef Nanor Harboyan, a veteran of Destroyer and large-scale operations at Disney World, oversees all the prepared foods and savory items, while head baker Jacob Fraijo manages breads and pastries.
The latest addition to Old Pasadena is Neighbors & Friends, a multi-faceted food business founded by Kaiy Smith-Biesman and Hannah Said selling pastries, coffee, and sandwiches, along with curated home goods and specialty ingredients.
It’s hard not to bop one’s head to the music while diving head-first into crisp-golden arancini with molten pimento cheese centers, fresh slivers of kingfish crudo dolloped with passion fruit, and late-season tomatoes served with cheesy Texas toast that is miraculously gluten-free.
Her work delves into how digital culture shapes real-life dining trends, and examines the relationship between food and community as neighborhoods change.
It has all the buzz of an Instagram-powered eatery aimed at the Gen Z trust-fund crowd but with a higher comfort level, professional service and a French-American menu that makes “traditional” seem trendy.
