blackboard plates

Bacari West Adams

The Kronfli brothers (Danny and Bobby) and chef Lior Hillel found enough success with this wine-friendly food bar (or vice versa) that they opened a branch called Bacari in Playa del Rey. The original features a black awning and interior with low-slung cushioned seating, blackboard menus and a wine bottle ceiling. Bacaro L.A.

Caveman Kitchen

Wilson Saguero and his family have run this Peruvian restaurant since 2008 in a freeway-friendly plaza. The space features concrete flooring, orange walls sporting cartoon cavemen with steaks on sticks and chicken on spits. Cavemen murals are also painted on the windows.

Ebaes

Eric Bae, a Korean-American entrepreneur, opened this Asian fusion gastropub with a Thai chef and Japanese focus. This combo might sound crazy, but the elements somehow mesh.

Everytable - South L.A

Hedge fund vet Sam Polk, founder of a local food-focused nonprofit called Groceryships, teamed with former private equity professional David Foster on Everytable. Their meals are uniquely priced for each neighborhood. Order from a menu printed in both English and Spanish.

Himalayan House

With support from son Abishek, Renu Kayastha replaced Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine with Himalayan House in Trojan Square to start 2016. She and chef Samanta Khanal specialize in the cuisine of Nepal, India and Tibet. The space features red and yellow walls lined with photos of the Himalayas.

La Flor Blanca

This Salvadoran restaurant from Edgar Navarrette and son Rolando has been a popular dining option at the Trojan Square strip mall since 1998. The space features blue tables, photo murals of El Salvador, an overhead menu, and counter service.

La Taquiza No. 2

Miguel Medina presides over La Casa de las Mulitas (“the house of mulitas”), which occupies the corner of a strip mall within shouting distance of USC’s Galen Center. The counter-service space features colorful lime green, orange, red and purple walls lined with decorative plates and Mexican art, skylights and wood tables.