Summer 2021 LA Hit List

It’s been a minute since I’ve blogged and I’ve missed it so much! What has everyone been up to??? Me, I was hella busy with my day job, buying a house (more on that later), and making a baby! Haha. Right after my birthday in October, I found out I was pregnant. And fast forward to June 18th, my husband and I welcomed our baby boy Nico into the world! We have already taken him to some of our favorite LA spots! At 3 weeks old, he has already had his first LA brunch at Nic’s on Beverly, first famous ice cream shop visit to Fosselman’s, first coffee date at ROW DTLA, and first LA photo op at Urban Light LACMA. My baby boy is already #soLA!

After a long year of being stuck at home + avoiding certain food/alcohol due to pregnancy :), I’m ready to hit the town with my little family. Sharing with you my must-try spots for this summer AKA my Summer 2021 LA Hit List. Let me know if you’ve tried any of these places and if they’re worth the hype!

bicyclette.la — 1. Bicyclette LA

The newest creation of the amazing husband and wife duo, Chef Walter and Margarita Manzke (owners of Republique). Bicyclette is LA’s newest Parisian bistro with an upbeat and fancy vibe. So egg-cited to try the soft egg in the shell with smoked sturgeon and caviar. I also plan on ordering the chicken liver pate with the famous baguette and the duck breast with baby beets, barley, and brooks cherries.
They officially opened on June 16 and accept dinner reservations via OpenTable from Tuesday-Saturday from 6pm.

lamesa — 2. La Mesa Restaurant & Lounge

Itching for paradise, but not ready to get on a plane just yet (AHEM delta strain)? Same girl, same. I’m going to take a baby step and head over to La Mesa in Hollywood for all the Tulum vibes. The space is 10,000+ square feet. WUT. Like what do you even do with all that square footage???? Fire dance shows, I heard! Haha. I can’t wait to experience it all. (And not gonna lie, I’m most excited to take an ig worthy pic cuddled up with my hubby on their infamous indoor swing.)

sushi hide — 3. Sushi Hide

Ok I know it’s so basic to say you crave sushi the entire time you’re pregnant, but yo I was craving sushi the entire time I was pregnant. I saw this picture of the chirashi and I salivated instantly. I also hear they have top notch omakase experiences one at about $100 and another at around $250. You have to make reservations for their omakase at least a week in advance so plan accordingly! I hope my husband and I can make it to dinner there soon. Until then, I have my heart set on the takeout sushi box (11 pieces of nigiri) and the… duh… chirashi,

4. Rappahannock Oyster Bar

My perfect summer day = raw oysters and a cold glass of white wine on a v cute patio. Rappahannock gots all of the aboves and I can’t wait to enjoy happy hour there! Located at the ROW DTLA. They also offer raw seafood towers and other seafood specialties like lobster rolls.

5. John Reed Fitness

Pre-COVID = wake up at the buttcrack of dawn to get to the gym and rush a 1-hour workout before heading to the office. WFH = at-home workouts throughout the day. I fell in LOVE with outdoor walks/runs for cardio, pilates/yoga/HIIT online classes. I vowed to never spend money on a gym membership ever again.
Then my coworker shows me pics/videos of John Reed and I’m instantly hooked. It’s like LA’s fanciest gym and LA’s hottest night club had a baby. One of the videos my coworker sent was a DJ booth in the middle of the weight room. ARE YOU GUYS KIDDING ME? Fuck my boring house gym and YouTube classes, sign me up for John Reed immediately.

donutman — 6. The Donut Man

I’ve been wanting to try Donut Man for yeeeears. I heard about their infamous strawberry donuts so long ago, but I never made my way to its original location in Glendora. Proclaimed to be the best donuts in SoCal!
Lucky me (and you), Donut Man opened up a location in Grand Central Market. They are known for using high quality, fresh strawberries for the donut filling. They literally inspect each strawberry!

7. n/soto

Still not ready to be out and about all the time? You can enjoy some high-end takeout from n/soto, which is n/naka izakaya style! They are now offering a summer izakaya bento that I am so excited to try.

8. Chifa

I was immediately attracted to the space. Aesthetics for days. One-of-a-kind, interesting, and unique. Then when I looked into what type of food they serve… traditional Cantonese, Taiwanese, and Peruvian food with a modern twist. Also one-of-a-kind, interesting, and unique! I’m here for ALL OF IT. Can’t wait to try the brulee char siu, jelly corn, lomo saltado, and chinese fries with green sauce.

carahotel — 9. Cara Hotel

Dreaming of the day we get to summer in Europe, but until then I will enjoy a meal at the beautiful Cara Hotel. I mean… look at that poolside seating. Wow. I hear the ambiance is v relaxing, intimate, and quiet. Like the waiters whisper to keep the vibe low key. This new mom is down for some quiet time, lol. Def going to order the lemon pasta.

10. Daybird

I’m enjoying the fried chicken sando trend and I’m loving all the new spots poppin up around LA with different specialties. Daybird is known for their Szechuan hot chicken sandwich. Huge crispy chicken with bursting flavors- a good mix of numbing spiciness and sweetness + a perfect slaw with pickled chilis.

afuri — 11. Afuri

I love that everything great always makes its way to LA ;)
Afuri is a well-known ramen spot originally from Japan. Its first US location is in Portland and now we are lucky to have Afuri in DTLA. They offer a unique ramen experience that is known to be light and refreshing. Not your typical tonkotsu. Their signature is made with yuzu and chicken broth. Can’t wait to try it!