2 days Ago
Fried chicken from Honey’s Kettle in Culver City. | Rebecca Roland Follow Eater editors as they share their favorite dishes they ate in LA 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.
Fried chicken from Honey’s Kettle in Culver City Rebecca Roland Fried chicken from Honey’s Kettle in Culver City. You can’t talk about fried chicken in Los Angeles without bringing up Honey’s Kettle, which has consistently fried up some of the best chicken in town since opening its first location in Compton in 2000. Owner Vincent Williams strikes the perfect balance between juicy chicken and crispy crust, where neither overpowers the other.
The outer coating is well-seasoned and stays crispy even as it cools down. There’s no bad piece of chicken in meals here, whether you're reaching for a breast, wing, thigh, or drumstick. Order one of the meal sets, which comes with a plush biscuit, fries, and sweet and tangy pickles.
Mornings bring fried chicken and hot cakes, meaning it’s not a bad way to start the day. 9537 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest Crispy tacos from Vchos in Montebello Nicole Adlman Crispy tacos from Vchos in Montebello.
Vchos, a roving Salvadoran food truck that also has a standalone shop in Montebello’s sleek BLVD MRKT food hall, popped up at the Los Angeles Times’ Festival of Books over the weekend, giving me the opportunity to enjoy some of its greatest hits. While the pupusas here are often the main draw, the crispy shrimp and potato tacos, served with just-acidic-enough salsa roja and allspice-flecked rice and beans, demanded my (and my toddler’s) rapt attention. The crunch is as good as it gets for crispy tacos, and they mercifully didn’t fall apart with a robust bite.
Inside, pillowy mashed potatoes rest under seasoned grilled shrimp; the whole taco gets dusted in powdery, salty cotija. Somehow, eating them on a patch of lawn at the University of Southern California became a near-euphoric experience. 520 W.
Whittier Boulevard, Unit E, Montebello, CA 90640. — Nicole Adlman, cities managerBanana bread at the Reyn in Pasadena Mona Holmes Banana bread at the Reyn in Pasadena. Throughout the weekend, one of Pasadena’s longtime breakfast spots buzzes from the time it opens until the last customer walks through the door.
The Reyn is a pure classic diner cranking out pancakes, waffles, omelets, and huevos rancheros at warp speed, proving that diner line cooks are the most skilled in the business. Adorable tchotchke signs instruct diners to “Drink Coffee, Do Stupid Things Faster with More Energy” while sitting in cozy booths. One can immediately tell that regulars keep this decades-old spot going, and it’s very likely that they’re ordering the banana bread.
My home recipe is good, but the Reyn’s version is a formidable competitor, slathered in a generous serving of soft butter. The bread is firm, not overly sweet, and actually complements a heartier breakfast item like the Ortega supreme scramble with chopped sausage links, Swiss cheese, and Ortega chiles, topped with sour cream and salsa. It’s less than a dollar to get two slices, while an entire loaf is $8, so take some home to enjoy later.
635 N. Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA, 91101. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest.
