Lina Abascal (@linalovesit)
Lina Abascal (@linalovesit)
Truman Capote, martinis and good service
Taste Maker is a food guide from creatives, artists and professional eaters. Follow → Instagram → Google Maps
Lina Abascal is a culture writer born and raised in Los Angeles. She is a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times and has written for WIRED, Rolling Stone, The Face, Wall Street Journal, and more. She is the author of Never Be Alone Again: How Bloghouse United the Internet and the Dancefloor. She hosts the bookclub at the nonprofit community space Junior High in Glendale where the theme for the year is novels set in California.
Where do you live most of the year?
Los Angeles, CA
What do you look for in a restaurant when you walk in?
This varies so much based on my intention, am I just hungry or am I seeking a vibe. Ultimately-- a great smell and an inviting energy (doesn't need to mean cool decor) is always a green flag.
I will note that service is really important to me and I don't like when it feels like an afterthought. I don't like being ignored at the hostess stand or rushed with the check at the end. The rest of the world has mastered leisurely meals, the US needs to get on it.
What is your final meal?
Call me basic but probably a classic steakhouse martini, steak, fries, and creamed spinach
3 guests for dinner, dead or alive?
Jonathan Gold, Nora Ephron, Truman Capote
Lina’s Taste Maker Guide
Breakfast: La Azteca Tortilleria, East LA
Order: This is the best breakfast burrito! They make their flour tortillas by hand. I get the chorizo breakfast burrito and add cheese and avocado. It comes out to about $11. I love that it comes with refried beans and they lightly grill the burrito so the outside is warm. I get both red and green salsa. I never get drinks from here so this is often a multi-stop breakfast adventure. I recommend calling ahead so you can pick up instead of wait.
Coffee: Maru Coffee, Arts District
Order: I recently got a Breville espresso machine at home and am making 80% of my weekly coffees at home so I have shifted getting coffee to be more of a treat. Because of that I like to get the cream top or iced cappuccino from Maru. The Arts District location has a shorter line than Los Feliz and much more interesting people watching.
Lunch: Republique, Los Angeles
Order: Everything here is so great. The line is kind of absurd and a bit embarrassing to admit I wait in but once I get inside I sit down and read a magazine and hang for over an hour by myself so it's worth it to me. It's also very close to a lot of museums and galleries in the Miracle Mile area.
Most recently I got the mushroom rice bowl, a fresh orange juice, and a banana cream and caramel pie slice. This is more of a brunch order but I'd happily have it on a weekday if I have time.
Special dinner: Dear John's, Culver City
Order: Dear John's is as classic as Musso and Frank with much better food. The dining room is very dark and creates a sexy, old school vibe. The waiters wear tuxedos and they prepare caesar salad tableside. Everything on the menu is great, even some of the less obvious orders (at a birthday party we got spaghetti and meatballs even though it's a steak spot and they were amazing).
This is me and my boyfriend's special dinner spot. Anniversaries, birthdays, holidays. We always order the tableside caesar, the rib eye with peppercorn and herb butter sauce on the side, a vegetable and a starch side. The mushrooms are amazing. This is the kind of spot to get a martini, the speciality cocktails are fine but I find they don't pair with the food as well as a martini.
Tip: I've gotten the super expensive tater tots (caviar, etc) but I don't think they are worth it
Casual dinner: Mian (I go to the San Gabriel location but there are several in LA)
Order: This casual Szechuan noodle spot is one of my favorite places in LA. It's all about the food and 0 vibe-tax. You order off a QR code on your phone which sometimes I dislike but it is very efficient here. It's nice to go somewhere that is focused on 1 dish per person versus shared plates especially when you want to spend under $20 per person.
I always get the house noodle which is a dry noodle with ground pork, bok choy, a fried egg, and Szechuan peppercorn sauce that you select in spiciness level from 0-5. I enjoy spicy food a lot and go with a 3. I have done 4 in the past and found it less enjoyable.
They semi-recently introduced more sides at the location I go to and I like the fried pork a lot. It's basically little chicken nuggets but of pork, sort of chicharron-esq as some are small and crunchy. I also like the steamed egg with minced pork and one of the cold dishes like mushroom or noodle for when my mouth is on fire.
They only serve soda and tea. I get Diet Coke.
Special shoutouts
Manuela, Arts District, LA - this is another one of my favorite restaurants in LA. Beautiful location, amazing food at any time of day and cocktail program. Nearby a lot of cute activities like galleries and bookshops.
La Paloma, Ibiza - Going to Ibiza in the summer is my new-ish tradition and this farm to table spot has a beautiful orangerie garden with seating. There is a lot of mediocre food on the island or chains catering to wannabe bougie people and clubbers but this is somewhere special that would do well in LA. I had a mint and watermelon gazpacho last Summer that I still think about.
Saint Anselm, Brooklyn, NYC - Forget Peter Luger down the street this place doesn't have the 100 year old history but it has an amazing and well priced "butcher's steak." The skillet potatoes are to die for. Great place for a date or a special occasion it has a cozy and rustic feel that can be romantic or casual. Note: It's beer and wine only I believe.
Dishoom, London - I heard so many people talk about this place before I went and expected it to be all hype but it really delivers. In person it is worth the wait (no reservations, always a line for dinner). You are given chai while you wait so it isn't so bad, plus the cocktails are great but unlike a lot of vibey touristy places, the food holds up on its own sans vibe if you get it to-go. I've been going to London a few times a year and always get the black daal even if I am just ordering it to my hotel room to eat alone.
Yamo, San Francisco - All my best friends know I can't shut up about this place. It might be my favorite restaurant in the world. This is a hole in the wall Burmese spot in San Francisco's Mission District. I used to live down the road and go all the time. I get the house noodle with beef and tea leaf salad. For the past 10 years, the dishes have remained under $7 each. Make sure to check the times because post-Covid they reduced their hours. Cash only.
