![]() ![]() If visiting Sweet Red Peach for the first time, look for the lengthy queue of regulars waiting for a chance to score desserts at Karolyn Plummer’s Inglewood bakery. 1403 Centinela Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90302. Arrive early, or practice patience while watching the buzz surrounding this bustling, joyful community hub. ![]() Service is at the core at this historic spot. Monique Hall was a longtime Serving Spoon server who often dashed out to the store to replenish supplies if they were low. Or, try the Monique with one egg and a choice of ham, bacon, or sausage, with either grits, rice, or potatoes, and bread. The Jerry comes with three pancakes and three chicken wings. Johnson, which scores a waffle with meat, or without. The Serving Spoon feeds Inglewood and beyond, and with combination platter names that have a story behind it. The servers are downright nurturing and pleasant, sometimes dropping off food at the table with a friendly touch to a patron’s shoulder. The partners sold the business to their children Justin Johnson and Jessica Bane in mid-2022, who are now in charge of this soulful and Southern daytime menu. Johnson, who inherited the business in 2004 from her father, Harold E. That’s according to former owners Angela and her husband J.C. The Serving Spoon’s entire existence is about one thing: the spirit of service. Still, better to make a reservation for the two dinnertime seatings, which are held on Thursdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. Its $115 8-course tasting menu, which features a rotating selection of Cetina’s most-loved dishes, returned in May with a few more seats at the counter. There, diners could order from a tightened menu that included some of the 6-year-old restaurant’s greatest hits: the taco de pulpo en su tinta, “su tinta” referencing the ink-stained sofrito the curled octopus tentacle rests upon limey, lip-puckering aguachiles and cocteles served with tostadas and Saladitas crackers, respectively a smoked kanpachi tostada topped with bay scallop and zigzags of a nutty chile de arbol sauce. Mona Holmes, reporterĮven with its counter dormant during a 2023 remodel, Gilberto Cetina’s jewel box of a mariscos restaurant, Holbox (pronounced ol-bosh), kept crowds gathered just outside the doors of Mercado La Paloma with a truck parked in front. Though the takeout business is brisk, it’s best eaten while hot on-site with one of Bludso’s strong cocktails, especially the pitmaster’s punch with Fugu Vodka, pineapple, grapefruit, and ginger. Every meat is placed in a custom-built smoker for up to 14 hours, adding the perfect amount of flavorful vapor to brisket, chicken, Texas-style hot links, pulled pork, and even smoked jackfruit for vegetarians. Traditional side dishes abound on the menu with cornbread, mac and cheese, baked beans, and potato salad. This Compton native’s fame and strong following are years in the making, developed through perfecting Texas-style barbecue with a Los Angeles inflection. One could say that Bludso is having a moment. ![]() Bludso, along with business partner James Starr, also operates the original location on La Brea, a takeout counter at Proud Bird near LAX, plus another barbecue restaurant in Australia. A month prior, Bludso won a coveted James Beard Award for his book Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul, while appearing as a judge on Netflix’s American Barbecue Showdown. In early July, Bludso’s BBQ co-owner Kevin Bludso opened a new Santa Monica location. The father of LA’s modern barbecue movement is busy in 2023. Musso & Frank is old-school Hollywood charm. One might overhear a newbie diner complaining about the peeling wallpaper or lack of new dishes, but quell the haters by taking in a stirred-only martini. They’re always in a hurry with a goal to make diners feel important while dropping off a glass of pinot noir or baked escargot, crab Louie, filet of sandabs, or a perfectly cooked prime rib. The staff gracefully move throughout the room with intention. There’s something about the pageantry of uniformed waiters and bartenders wearing white or red jackets, but their skill and dedication are why management embroiders the number of years employed on their shirt cuffs. While walking in, take a quick glimpse into the loud kitchen and observe the slightly faded chandeliers, wall light sconces, 1930s art, wood paneling, or even the customers who might be casually dressed or donning a tuxedo before settling into a red leather banquette or the bar. Head to the retro car-filled parking lot before descending into the nearly 104-year-old restaurant. If driving or walking near Hollywood Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue, look for the green sign that signals your arrival to Musso & Frank Grill. ![]()
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