The Southern California News Group reporters and editors have been busy restaurant hopping this month, and our finds don’t disappoint. From classic diner fare to baked goodies, BBQ, and elevated fusion dishes from new L.A. hot spots, these October meals were finger-lickin’ good.
Here are some of the stand-out meals, desserts, and snacks that our team tried this month.
If you’re looking for more cuisine options to check out, see the best things we ate in Southern California in September.
Stinko Burger, Ice Cream Sundae and Arnold Palmer – Twoheys Restaurant
Twoheys Restaurant has been an institution in the San Gabriel Valley since 1943. It’s known for the Stinko, $12.95, a simple burger named for its slice of raw onion, and for its sundaes, $9.95-$11.95 with a choice of bittersweet or milk chocolate. The Arnold Palmers are impressive, too. It’s moved around, but now it’s at 424 Fair Oaks Ave, South Pasadena.
– Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter
Ham and Gruyère Croissant – Crème Bakery
Crème Bakery in the Claremont Village (off of Harvard Ave., not the main drag, which is Yale Ave.) has a line that stretches down the block every weekend. I had to find out what all the fuss was about, and did I ever. The pastries, quiches, fresh baked breads and tarts are visually striking. The buttery, fresh-baked smell that comes wafting from the doors could knock you off kilter. And the Ham and Gruyère Croissant, my goodness! The flakey pastry is so buttery, the cheese is creamy and rich and the ham is the perfect savory touch. I often lean toward savory over sweet when it comes to pastries, and this croissant is not just the best I’ve had in October, but possibly, my life.
– Emily St. Martin, Digital Features Editor
Mac & Cheese – Gram’s Bar-B-Que
After getting a tour of the catacombs at Riverside’s historic Mission Inn, my friends and I were in search of a nearby spot to grab a meal. We made our way over to Gram’s Bar-B-Que which serves Southern-style BBQ dishes and Cajun specialties. Their dinner options come with two sides and cornbread, so I went with fried shrimp, fried okra, and mac & cheese. The seasoning on the fried shrimp was tasty and unique, but the star of the show was the mac & cheese. The flavor upgrade on this iconic dish makes me want to return for more.
– Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Berry and Cream Churro – Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe
To celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th Anniversary, the newly opened Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe at Universal CityWalk Hollywood has a few new limited-time menu items; a strawberry sugar cookie sandwich, a confetti anniversary cake and a sparkling strawberry soda with coconut cream foam. After trying those tasty treats, another menu item caught my eye, the berry & cream churro. To be dramatic, I stood up in the newsroom and gave a passionate speech to my coworkers about just how good this churro is. It is a classic churro stuffed with a berry jam and cream cheese frosting, topped with pink frosting and a chocolate version of Hello Kitty’s iconic bow. It is like a toaster strudel in churro form. As far as churro rankings go, this jumped to the top of my list.
– Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer
Milanese – Churros Calientes
Sandwiches are no excuse for being boring, and this Milanese one is anything but. It’s made with breaded chicken breast, spinach, tomatoes, avocado mayonnaise and mixed green salad. I normally don’t get full after the first half of a sandwich, but this one was packed, so pace yourself.
– Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter
Churros con Chocolate – Churros Calientes
I was skeptical when I saw that the churros here were thinner than those at a churro cart we’ve become so accustomed to, but I was quickly convinced these thinner delights were superior. The Spanish server recommended eating them like they do in Spain: submerging the churros into the chocolate, taking a bite, and then sipping the rich hot chocolate with the churro. Give me more of these churros, please.
– Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter
Biscuits – Wax-On Hi-Fi
These are hands down the best biscuits I’ve ever had. When I spoke to chef and owner TJ Johnson of Wax-On Hi-Fi, she told me these were a customer favorite, and I could easily taste why. They’re a family recipe made with a honey miso sauce, which gives the biscuits a moist center and adds a sweet taste while maintaining a golden brown crispy exterior. I ordered the two-piece, but do yourself a favor and go for the five-piece—you won’t regret it.
– Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter
SEE MORE: Wax-on Hi-Fi mixes beats and flavors in downtown Los Angeles
Curry with rice and fried chicken – Wax-On Hi-Fi
I am not a fan of curry, but this Japanese-inspired curry mixed with Southern spices on the fried chicken made me reconsider my own taste buds. The curry paired perfectly with the white rice and fried chicken, making it feel like a natural fit of flavors. The chicken remained juicy throughout, and the more time passed with the food being submerged in the curry, the better each bite got.
– Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter
Worker Wednesday plate – The Park’s Finest
In LA – and especially in Echo Park – it can be hard to find a sit-down restaurant that marries top-notch food with reasonable pricing. The Park’s Finest does just that, delivering Filipino barbecue, quality service and wait times so good that you’ll question why you didn’t come across it sooner. I went in on a Wednesday night and was elated to find the Worker Wednesday special: a plate of coconut beef (my favorite), hot link medley, pulled pork, candy-coated chicken, veggie medley, cornbread bibingka (my second favorite), and rice. Great for indecisive eaters like me who want to try a little bit of everything.
– Dorothy Elder, Audience Engagement Producer
Patty Melt – High Horse Saloon
If I scan a menu and see a patty melt, I almost always order it. In pre-smashburger days, the few times I could find American cheese on a burger, outside of a fast-food joint, would be on a patty melt. The one at High Horse Saloon in Fullerton, with a beef patty (cooked medium, please), American cheese, grilled onion on toasted sourdough, stands as one of the best I’ve enjoyed in OC as of late.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Maple Bar – DK’s Donuts
After checking out a new restaurant with delicious yet ornate dessert offerings, I made a beeline to DK’s Donuts in Costa Mesa for an apres-dessert dessert. The maple bar, plain, not filled, did the trick. It always does. In an era of artisan doughnuts with sourdough starters and whimsical flavors, I still prefer a classic late-night joint that fries up the standards to sugary perfection. Bonus: The dot-and-dash interior seating is a lovely throwback to ’50s-era diners.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
SEE MORE: Here are the new dining offerings at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles
Slice of Cheese Pizza – Johnny’s the Bronx Pizza
While researching the best places in OC to grab a single slice, I made sure to mention my weekly standby: Johnny’s the Bronx Pizza in Corona Del Mar. My order? A simple yet ample-sized cheese slice that always arrives at the table hot with a crisp, foldable crust. Tables here provide all the provisions you’ll need: garlic powder, red pepper, parm sprinkle, salt and black pepper. The service here is also exceptional in that, contrary to its Bronx name and all that it suggests, it’s always warm and friendly.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
San Juan Blue Tortillas – Campesino Cafe
During a media event at the Ecology Center for its K-12 Farm to School Summit, wherein we educators and farmers gathered to learn more about the state’s farm-to-school movement focused on getting more California K-12 schools to source local and regenerative school lunches, someone handed me a warm blue corn tortilla in the middle of an interview. San Juan Blue Tortillas, as it’s officially called. Found at Ecology Center’s Community Tables dinner series and at its Campesino Cafe, the pillowy, unadulterated tortilla, made using ingredients plucked from the farm’s soil, was a standout of the day.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter
Bonus from the Bay Area
Pizza – Montescaro
While in San Francisco, I stopped by Montesacro in the city’s Mid-Market neighborhood, where I fell in lust with the casal bertone pizza, a guanciale-laced wonder. I could smell the cured meat’s signature funk from across the dining room. A dusting of pecorino romano added to its funkiness, which was balanced by a chestnut honey drizzle. Each pizza comes with its own cutter, allowing guests to cut slices to their preferred size.
– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter