Your Los Angeles Restaurant Weekend Guide: September 11

Every Friday, our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: “Where should I eat?“ Here are four places to check out this weekend in Los Angeles. And if you need some ideas on where to drink, here’s our list of the hottest places to get cocktails in town.

For Korean coffee drinks and Spam musubi: Mokja in Highland Park

Chef Debbie Lee has teamed up with Be Bright’s Frank La to open Mokja, a Korean cafe and market tucked behind Yi Cha in Highland Park. Just more than a month in, Mokja seems to already be firing on all cylinders, churning out refreshing yuzu cold brews and musubi stacked with salty Spam and a fluffy slab of egg. The mayak egg sando has become an early hit, along with the fall apart tender oxtail handpie. Mokja feels like the type of place that will grow into a neighborhood staple, whether you’re looking to catch up with friends over a cup of coffee or build your own ramen for a quick lunch. Be sure to check out the pastry case as well — the black sesame chocolate pie is worth the trip over alone. 5719 North Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90042. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

For lemon pepper wings and branzino at L.A.’s ultimate sports bar: Pawn Shop in Hollywood

Even though I’m not a huge sports fan, I love the right kind of sports bar. Pawn Shop, a new, swanky sports lounge in Hollywood, is that place. I can happily down beer or cocktails with wings and things while surrounded by obsessed Angelenos focused on our Dodgers, Clippers or Lakers, Rams, or Kings. On a recent visit, I watched the U.S. Open on a huge screen while dipping into beef tallow fries; lemon pepper wings; and a hot dog topped with caviar, charred cabbage, and branzino. Not to worry: one of 53 television screens will have your favorite team on, either in the massive main room or one of seven private suites. It’s a pure vibe, especially when sipping one of Jason Kilgore’s cocktails (mine was the tequila-infused and fruity Amber Waves). Book a spot early and soak every ambitious element in. 5901 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA, 90038. — Mona Holmes, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest

For the ultimate “beach sandwich”: Little Fish in Melrose Hill

Before I experienced the beach sandwich at Little Fish, I heard about it via word-of-mouth murmurings, and frankly, it sounded weird. Mussels on toast? Sure. Mussels in a po’ boy? Certainly. But cured mussels on a ciabatta sandwich? Unusual, although admittedly intriguing. When I finally tried it for myself, I understood the hype around this now cult-favorite Los Angeles sandwich: The soy-curing process turns each briny mussel into a tiny umami bomb, pickled guindilla peppers add acidity and heat, and a generous smear of mayonnaise brings tang and coolness. Then, there’s the crunch — twofold here — in the crispy crust of the airy pan de cristal and the nostalgia-inducing shards of potato chips. It’s a sandwich; it’s a trip to the beach. It’s a beach sandwich. If you haven’t had the beloved fried fish sandwich that put Little Fish on the map, don’t miss that either, but this weekend feels like a good time to order both and swap halves with a friend. 5035 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. — Hilary Pollack, Eater deputy editor

For Argentine-Uruguayan food that sings on the plate: Alto in Studio City 

The San Fernando Valley’s most unsung restaurant might be Alto in Studio City, an Argentine-Uruguayan restaurant that has gotten some flowers in local media but feels far undercovered for how distinct the experience it offers is. It may not help that the restaurant sits on a stretch of Ventura studded with corporate chains; just down the way, Sherman Oaks feels like the cool-kid hangout (anchored by Anajak and Daisy Margarita Bar). Still, Alto has persevered for more than a year, having just hit its big milestone anniversary earlier this month. Here you can find a kombu-cured pork txuleta, as saline as the ocean; vesicular tempura squash blossoms bursting with ground shrimp and zig-zagged with xo sauce; puffy, leopard-spotted beef empanadas; a rib-eye flanked by flaky potato terrine pooled in chimichurri; and confit piquillos that melt on the tongue. The gluten-free, cheesy tapioca Chipa bread, served alongside tomato compound butter pocked with hazelnuts, might be one of the best dishes I have had all year. The night I went, chef-owner Juana Castellanos Lagemann worked the room brightly while co-owner and chef Esteban Klenzi managed the heat in the kitchen. The pair have shaped a stunning space dedicated to the foodways of the sprawling Pampas region, and their passion comes through in the specificity. If there’s one reservation you need to make for a weekend dinner, this is it. 12969 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604. — Nicole Fellah, Eater editorial manager