Every meat is placed in a custom-built smoker for up to 14 hours, adding the perfect amount of flavorful vapor to brisket, chicken, Texas-style hot links, pulled pork, and even smoked jackfruit for vegetarians. Traditional side dishes abound on the menu with cornbread, mac and cheese, baked beans, and potato salad. This Compton native’s fame and strong following are years in the making, developed through perfecting Texas-style barbecue with a Los Angeles inflection. One could say that Bludso is having a moment. Bludso, along with business partner James Starr, also operates the original location on La Brea, a takeout counter at Proud Bird near LAX, plus another barbecue restaurant in Australia. A month prior, Bludso won a coveted James Beard Award for his book Bludso’s BBQ Cookbook: A Family Affair in Smoke and Soul, while appearing as a judge on Netflix’s American Barbecue Showdown. In early July, Bludso’s BBQ co-owner Kevin Bludso opened a new Santa Monica location. The father of LA’s modern barbecue movement is busy in 2023. ![]() The dish to get on the dinner menu is the chile butter-glazed Hainanese fish rice made with dry-aged barramundi and served with chicken fat rice, ginger-scallion sauce, and pickled cucumbers. For those dining at the Alhambra destination for brunch or lunch, the plate-sized pancake made with blue cornmeal and mochiko flour makes for an awesomely chewy short stack. With every iteration, Yang’s Kitchen has maintained its commitment to impeccable ingredient sourcing and providing living wages for its workers. The restaurant’s reinvention as a casual daytime spot with Asian-inflected fare was widely embraced, as was the transition to an additional dinner service offering playful riffs on Chinese classics. While the restaurant’s initial Taiwanese comfort food menu was a hit with diners and critics, the labor- and cost-intensive dishes were unsustainable in the long run. Since opening in 2019, Yang’s Kitchen has worn several hats. Musso & Frank is old-school Hollywood charm. One might overhear a newbie diner complaining about the peeling wallpaper or lack of new dishes, but quell the haters by taking in a stirred-only martini. ![]() They’re always in a hurry with a goal to make diners feel important while dropping off a glass of pinot noir or baked escargot, crab Louie, filet of sandabs, or a perfectly cooked prime rib. ![]() The staff gracefully move throughout the room with intention. There’s something about the pageantry of uniformed waiters and bartenders wearing white or red jackets, but their skill and dedication are why management embroiders the number of years employed on their shirt cuffs. While walking in, take a quick glimpse into the loud kitchen and observe the slightly faded chandeliers, wall light sconces, 1930s art, wood paneling, or even the customers who might be casually dressed or donning a tuxedo before settling into a red leather banquette or the bar. Head to the retro car-filled parking lot before descending into the nearly 104-year-old restaurant. If driving or walking near Hollywood Boulevard and Cherokee Avenue, look for the green sign that signals your arrival to Musso & Frank Grill.
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