Eat Here: Various Pies, and Something Unexpected

See the map of all How to Eat L.A. picks here.

Mariscos Za Za Zá: I've never misunderstood a restaurant so deeply. I thought Mariscos Za Za Zá was some unheralded local pop-up, which is why I went. No, it's part of a big international restaurant group. But that means it has a full bar, so that's fun! It's a rather elegant weekend lunch destination, with outdoor-only dining in a sandy, tree-studded backyard with some nice tables and umbrellas. The food — all seafood, mostly raw — is perfectly prepared. As it should be. With the backing this restaurant has, it'd be weird if it weren't perfect. (Frogtown)

Natraliart Jamaican Restaurant & Market: People from New York love to come here and say we have no Caribbean food, but it's not true! It's just maybe not in the neighborhoods they stay in on their business trips. I'm a fan of Natraliart mainly because the food is good, but also it has a little market attached, so you can pick up some Jamaican staples to try out. Absolutely get a patty here - they're great; I refuse to find out if they're homemade. Oxtails are also a must-order.  (Mid City)

Borekas Sephardic Pastries: Just a window serving walk-up customers in (of course) a strip mall in the Valley. What you're getting here are borekas, filled pastries in mostly savory renditions. The lone sweet one is filled with chocolate; it tastes exactly like a chocolate croissant, so it's obviously a gimme. But I deeply appreciate the potato and brown butter, and cheese and za'atar, varieties. Pastry stuffed with cheese? Yes. Pastry stuffed with potato? YES. Both come with boiled eggs, pickles, a hot sauce called schug, and a tomato pulp called resek agvaniyot. It's really just pulped tomatoes, maybe with a little salt. You mix it with the hot sauce in the proportions of your choosing. If you want to eat there, you'll be sitting on an upside-down plastic crate. Might be worth it, as borekas are especially good when still hot. (Sherman Oaks)

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See the map of all How to Eat L.A. picks here.