4 Restaurants to Try This Labor Day Weekend in Los Angeles, 2024 Edition (2024)

Every Friday our editors compile a trusty list of recommendations to answer the most pressing of questions: “Where should I eat?“ Here now 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 co*cktails in town.

For a solid plant-based meal next to MDR’s boat taxi service: Planta Cocina

Planta

Whether you live in or visit Los Angeles, fantastic plant-based options abound. Some of the country’s most innovative vegan restaurants are in this region and appeal to vegans and omnivores alike. Check out Planta Cocina this weekend and have a meal with the added bonus of dining in the consistently cooler temperatures in Marina del Rey. The Canadian and American plant-based restaurant chain debuted in 2023 and prepares stunning food like the ahi watermelon nigiri, or firecracker roll layered in sweet potatoes, avocado, unagi, gochujang mayo, and chili salt. Staff throw mushrooms, corn, and Japanese eggplant on the robata grill, though one can also opt for the hearts of palm “crab” tostada, an al pastor taco bowl, and a pasta verde with Woodland mushrooms and tomatillo salsa. In addition to inventive co*cktails and an excellent wine selection, the non-alcoholic options are some of the best in the city. While there, take advantage of the adjacent city-operated water taxi service that costs $1 to cruise around the Marina. 4625 Admiralty Way, Suite 104, Marina Del Rey, CA, 90292. — Mona Holmes, reporter

For an underrated late-night pizza situation in the heart of Hollywood: Lucky’s Pizza

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Luigi Erausquin, who’s been selling delivery and take-out pizzas up in Canoga Park at Lucky’s Pizza to modest success, recently expanded to a handy brick-and-mortar storefront on Hollywood Boulevard serving the same menu of sourdough thin-crust New York-style pizza. The toppings tend to be heavier and mostly agnostic, leading to everything from elemental cheese or pepperoni all the way up to spicy barbecue, buffalo chicken, and meat lovers. This is basically elevated delivery pizza served until the wee hours of the night with a sweet, aromatic crust and the heft to keep all the cheese, sauce, and toppings in place. The Sabrosa pizza is a truly strange but satisfying topping mix of sausage, pineapple, basil, barbecue sauce, Canadian bacon, and ají limo (a Peruvian chile). Erausquin seems focused on a social media-oriented marketing strategy to help build an audience, which is smart given some of his more creative pizzas. However, Erausquin’s not a one-trick pony or a flash in the pan: This is genuinely very tasty pizza. 6541 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 101, Los Angeles, CA 90028. — Matthew Kang, lead editor

For contemporary Thai desserts built for sharing: Kanomwaan

Wonho Frank Lee

When Champ Jansaeng and his wife Chanita Maneekarn opened their dessert shop, Kanomwaan, in December 2023, the couple wasn’t sure what the reception would be like. Eight months into the endeavor their hub for Thai sweets is as bustling as neighboring restaurant Ruen Pair, which Jansaeng’s parents opened nearly 30 years ago and the couple now run. Swing in after the sun sets to find a line snaking out the door and groups huddling close to share scoops of Thai-inspired gelati in flavors like dragon fruit and tamarind and elaborate shaved ice presentations. The amply-portioned bing su inspired by the traditional bua loi dessert comes with four accouterments for maximum customization: chewy purple rice balls, salted egg yolk sauce, sweetened condensed milk, and Biscoff cookie crumbs. The heap of finely shaved ice is crowned with whipped cream and a scoop of the shop’s signature Candle Smoke Salted Egg gelato. Come hungry and dig in with help from at least three friends. 5261 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90027. — Cathy Chaplin, senior editor

For a Thai experience in the Santa Ynez Valley: Na Na Thai

Nicole Adlman

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Located off the small-town-gem-dotted Highway 101, Buellton is perhaps best known for a pea soup restaurant (Pea Soup Anderson’s, now in hibernation) and the flame-licked, Santa Maria-style barbecue found at Hitching Post II, which featured in the movie Sideways. But tucked into one of its strip malls is Na Na Thai, run by husband-wife duo Nik and Ashley Ramirez, whose name nods to the street the couple lived on during a period abroad in Thailand, and Nana Plaza, an entertainment district in Bangkok. There’s no better first stop on a Central Coast road trip than Na Na, which immediately charms with red-painted walls and mid-century sconces. The menu brims with the zippy tang of Thai flavors — often a mixture of sour, sweet, salty, and nutty at once. Best bets here include the gai tod (a fried Jidori chicken served with a vinegary nam jim jaew), although a bigger group might go for pla tod, a fried whole seabass served with fried garlic and sauces; the lip-puckering, dried-shrimp-pocked som tum; and its classic pad thai, topped with massive grilled shrimp. Toast to the weekend with some of the restaurant’s local wine selections, and let the good times roll. 225 McMurray Road, Unit E, Buellton, CA 93427. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager

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