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For a festive hang at one of LA’s best cideries: Benny Boy Brewing. | Marie Buck Your 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 a deep dive into Uzbek cuisine: Zira Uzbek Kitchen Wonho Frank Lee For a deep dive into Uzbek cuisine: Zira Uzbek Kitchen. On a Friday evening with no plans, I found myself headed toward Zira Uzbek Kitchen, a restaurant on Melrose Avenue. Opened by Azim Rahmatov, who immigrated from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, to Los Angeles in 2001, Zira Uzbek is one of Los Angeles's few restaurants specializing in Central Asian cuisine.
The menu is a representation of Uzbekistan’s location between Asia and Europe, with flavors from dishes like beef stroganoff and kimchi making an appearance. Start with something from the salad section, like the crunchy fermented carrot markovcha. The steak manti is a must-order, along with the traditional bread.
Round out meals with a skewered shashlik, served with a choice of frenchfries or rice. 7422 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/SouthwestFor bar popcorn and excellent martinis: Real Charmer Brooke Olsen For bar popcorn and excellent martinis: Real Charmer.
The Virgil Village space that Real Charmer occupies has had a storied history as the home to bars like Smog Cutters and Bolita. But restaurateur Dustin Lancaster has brought new life into the space with the help of Pete St. Peter from Eagle Rock’s Capri Club and Thunderbolt veteran Kayla Dowell.
There is a sort of shipwrecked captain’s cabin vibe to the interior, with sailor knots displayed on the wall and boat wheels above the bar. In the front, groups settle into two semi-private alcoves, and a few small booths run the length of the bar. Most of the seating is on stools at the bar itself, which may be the best way to experience Real Charmer.
The Meze Martini, with Kalamata, dill, rosemary, lemon peel, peppercorn, and arugula, is a must-order for any savory martini lovers, or try a classic Negroni available with gin or mezcal. Bar bites like free popcorn and Spam musubi make it easy to settle in and spend a few hours here. 864 Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029.
— Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For a festive hang at one of LA’s best cideries: Benny Boy Brewing Marie Buck For a festive hang at one of LA’s best cideries: Benny Boy Brewing. Though Los Angeles is full of outstanding breweries, cideries are fairly rare. It’s a shame, because the crisp sip of a beautifully crafted cider in various flavors is one of life’s joys.
Thankfully, Benny Boy Brewing is on the task, having operated in Lincoln Heights since 2022. The brewery also prepares excellent beers — all brewed on-site. For the ciders, Benny Boy sources apples from the Five Mile Orchard near Santa Cruz and uses whole flower hops instead of the more widely used pellet hops, which takes more patience during the production process.
The vast property has ample outdoor and indoor seating, a fire pit, and typically hosts a food pop-up. Husband-and-wife owners Ben Farber and Chelsey Rosetter set up a robust calendar of special events with live band karaoke, DJs, corgi day with friendly dog races on May 3, or even bingo with actual live chickens. It’s safe to say that there’s far more than cornhole and brews here, and you can even watch your favorite LA sports teams, as games play frequently on the television screens.
Utilize ride-share at Benny Boy, as parking can be a bit of a challenge and it’s the responsible way to imbibe. 1821 Daly Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90031. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/SouthwestFor a weekend getaway lunch in Santa Barbara: Sama Sama Kitchen Nicole Adlman For a weekend getaway lunch in Santa Barbara: Sama Sama Kitchen.
A recent weekend in Santa Barbara took me to some of my old-standby favorites on the American Riviera: legendary taqueria La Super-Rica, Montecito pizzeria Bettina, and Spanish hideaway Loquita among them. But we also had the chance to branch out on a languid Saturday morning after a run to the Santa Barbara farmers market: Sama Sama, located on a quieter end of the State Street drag, casually serves some of the best Southeast Asian food in town. At lunch time, plate sets include a combination of dishes to sample — we ordered the aptly named Morning After, piled with smashed cucumbers, nasi goreng, shrimp chips, and nutty chicken satay.
The move, especially during warmer weather, is to double or triple up on the salads, which are some of the most compelling dishes on the menu (don’t skip the crispy rice salad, served with a behemoth pork belly round, for anything). The best seats are on the small sidewalk patio that gives the perfect vantage point from which to watch life happening on the street ahead as you pore over Sama Sama’s tangy, sweet, sour, and spicy fried chicken wings. 1208 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101.
— Nicole Adlman, cities manager.
