Culinary highlights feature Los Angeles dining and innovative cocktails

Culinary editors have highlighted standout dining experiences and innovative beverage creations across the United States. In Los Angeles, Restaurant Ki in Little Tokyo is noted for its 12-seat chef’s counter and tasting menu, specifically featuring a smoked tomato dish with perilla sorbet.

In Chinatown, Lasita is recognized for its mushroom sisig, duck and wagyu skewers, and various Filipino-inspired desserts.

In the realm of mixology, bartender Bradleigh Mobley of Bayonet in Birmingham, Alabama, has gained attention for ‘The Cry Baby,’ a cocktail that utilizes Nerds candy to create a syrup. The drink aims to evoke early-2000s nostalgia by balancing the candy’s sweetness with Volcan Blanco tequila, lemon, and Italicus.