The editors at Eater LA dine out several times a week, if not per day, which means we’re always encountering standout dishes that deserve time in the limelight. Here’s the very best of everything the team has eaten this week.
Corn congee from Firstborn in Chinatown
Corn congee from Firstborn in Chinatown. Rebecca Roland
Summer is in full swing at Chinatown restaurant Firstborn, its menu currently rife with warm-weather produce like juicy tomatoes, nectarines, and peaches. Going down the menu during a recent dinner, I searched for any opportunity to make the most of the season, opting for dishes like heirloom tomatoes with nectarine and jasmine, steamed egg topped with tomato and nori, and corn congee dotted with tender bits of pork belly. Although the more year-round dishes like the Chongqing chicken and barbecue cabbage were still absolute hits, the summer dishes were unparalleled. Instead of obscuring the produce, Wang made it the star of the dish, building flavors around the corn kernels in the congee or the ripe nectarines. Even now, days after eating at Firstborn, I wish I had a pot of corn congee in my fridge, or some fresh tomatoes to top my steamed eggs with. If headed over for dinner, consider sitting at the bar to watch bar manager Kenzo Han work their magic. The dining room is gorgeous, but grabbing a seat at the mortadella-colored stone counter, sipping a savory martini between bites of chile-inflected fried chicken may be the best way to do dinner here. After wrapping up Firstborn, head over to neighboring Steep or Cafe Triste for another cocktail or glass of wine. 978 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Peach salad from Wife and the Somm in Glassell Park
Peach salad at Wife and the Somm in Glassell Park. Mona Holmes
Now that stone fruit season is at its peak, it’s time to get in as many peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, and plums as possible. We only have a short range to get this kind of fruit when at its sweetest, which is, if we’re lucky, typically from May all the way through September. Thank goodness Los Angeles restaurants are doing incredible things with summer fruit, including Wife and the Somm in Glassell Park. This Northeast LA neighborhood find is such a cozy nook with an even more charming patio covered in grapevines. This is the place to take an intimate group of friends to share four dishes (and the cinnamon bun) while sharing gossip, personal victories, the newest lip color, or how to fight emerging fascism. Whatever you do, order the peach salad. Chef Frank Saporito curates his yellow and white peaches from Juicy Fruit Orchard and layers them with mascarpone cheese, honey powder, fresh mint, and an agave lime vinaigrette. It’s refreshing and ideal in 90 degrees, especially with a glass of something bubbly and crisp, something Wife and the Somm has in droves. 3416 Verdugo Road, Glassell Park, CA, 90065. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest
Lemon-pepper buffalo wings from Marathon Burger in Venice Beach
Lemon-pepper buffalo wings from Marathon Burger in Venice Beach. Nicole Adlman
Marathon Burger — opened by the team behind the estate of late Los Angeles rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle — became a long-line sensation when its Melrose location debuted in early 2025. Just a few months later, Marathon set its sights on the Westside, opening a burger stand steps away from the ocean on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Here, beach revelers can find wagyu smash burgers, vegan portobello mushroom patties (not gluten-free, unfortunately, but one can dream), chicken wings in myriad sauces, milkshakes, and seasoned fries. To my surprise, the wings stood out from the burger pack, coated generously in tangy buffalo sauce and then sprinkled, at my request, with the joint’s lemon-pepper seasoning. Every bite offers the ideal ratio of buttery, to vinegary, to peppery flavors so invigorating that dipping the wings in ranch becomes an afterthought. 1827 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291. — Nicole Adlman, Eater editorial manager
Spicy beer-steamed shrimp from the Backyard at the Hollywood Bowl
Matthew Kang
Simplicity reigns at the Backyard, a kind of remnant of the now-closed Tavern that the recently shuttered A.O.C. in Brentwood eventually replaced. The fully outdoor restaurant at the Hollywood Bowl is only available to those attending the venue, but weekend tickets for classical concerts can be extraordinarily affordable. Of the two Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne-led restaurants at the Bowl, I prefer the Backyard for its airy ambience, where you’ll hear the orchestra warm up as the sun sets. It’s a cheerful place, where crunchy watermelon and purslane come along with ripe peach slices and crumbled feta. The spicy beer-steamed shrimp feels like a wild Oktoberfest take on shrimp cocktail, with large, juicy shrimp kissed with paprika and other spices. Dipped into the tangy cocktail sauce, it was hard to put down, though instead of washing it down with hefeweizen we were sipping a wild skin-contact orange wine from Portugal. There’s really nothing quite like a night at the Bowl, especially one that starts with a tasty appetizer like this. 2301 Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90068.— Matthew Kang, correspondent, Eater
House Special Chè from Bake & Chè in Rosemead
I was so happy when Bake & Chè opened its third location earlier this summer in the San Gabriel Valley, so I no longer have to trek to Orange County to get a cassava cake or frosty, coconut milk-based chè. The house special chè is an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink moment, featuring custardy purple potato, durian, pandan jelly, red and yellow beans, strands of jackfruit, cornstarch-coated and ruby red-hued water chestnuts, palm fruit, and sweetened peanuts. No two bites of chè are the same, and eating it feels like an adventure. For me, with the August sun beating down, there is no better summer dessert. 8968 Garvey Ave, Rosemead, CA 91770. — Kat Thompson, audience editor