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Five brand new brunches to try in April

OK, so this brunch is a couple months old, but believe us when we say it’s great. The midcentury-modern–inspired decor provides a stylish setting for chef Oscar Torres’s imaginative American cuisine in the heart of Studio City, meaning you might enjoy a killer fresno-topped smashburger in the lounge; some bold chilaquiles topped with scrambled eggs, crème fraîche, charred tomatoes and cheddar on the patio; or the deceptively simple Green Eggs & Ham scramble near the fire pit. Our advice? Snag a spot indoors or outdoors, because you’re going to need a table’s surface area to hold all of the dishes and brunch cocktails you’re going to want to order. (And with most dishes hovering around $12, you can order away.)

Smashburgers are taking over L.A. Here are seven spots to find them.

Studio City’s midcentury modern–inspired neighborhood spot is so on board the smashburger trend, the restaurant recently flipped its thicker-pattied burger to a double, smashed-patty variety smothered in American cheese—which is… sort of fitting for a restaurant with an aesthetic flair from the golden age of fast food. But theirs gets a gourmet twist with pickled Fresno chilies and grilled green onion as toppings, and it’s all served on a garlic-aioli–smeared potato bun. We’re partial to the Mister O’s hanger steak, but unlike that gorgous take on beef, the smashburger’s available during lunch and brunch, so we can easily see this becoming our all-day Mister O’s go-to.

Mister O’s Restaurant and Lounge in Studio City With Chef Oscar Torres

Executive chef Oscar Torres joined us with a taste of Mister O’s. Mister O’s located at 11838 Ventura Blvd in Studio City recently opened in September 2018. It’s a perfect spot for the holidays. They have an award winning cocktail program…Voted #1 cocktail program in Los Angeles by Eater LA. It’s currently “Nominated” by Eater LA as top 5 “BEST design restaurant” in Los Angeles.

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This throwback charmer specializing in neo-midcentury Americana has bowed a short stroll from CBS’ Radford lot in Studio City. Restaurateur Michael Cardenas, who launched chef Josef Centeno to L.A. fame at Lazy Ox Canteen, has now bet on Mario Alberto, previously the executive chef at Laurel Hardware and Ysabel. The menu swerves from shrimp Bolognese with fennel jam to scallops with sunchokes and walnut aioli.

Mister O’s Honors the Past While Staying Current in Studio City

Restaurateur Michael Hide Cardenas has built an impressive resume since working as maître d’ at Teru Sushi back in the ’80s. Most notably, he co-founded an L.A. restaurant collective called Innovative Dining Group. Now Michael’s made a triumphant return to Studio City with a seasonally focused restaurant with mid-century modern design called Mister O’s.

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Restaurateur Michael Cardenas is behind this midcentury lounge along the Valley’s main drag. The cooking is unabashedly global, from fried turmeric bread with figs to shrimp bolognese laced with fennel jam. Pickled giardiniera is a smart contrast atop Puerto Rican-style pork belly, even if the beans underneath are a tad salty. Opt for the guava panna cotta afterward.

Mister O’s offers “modern Angeleno cuisine”

Prolific restaurateur Michael Cardenas (Sushi Roku, Lazy Ox) is behind Mister O’s in Studio City. Chef Mario Alberto (Lazy Ox, Ysabel) creates bright, “modern Angeleno cuisine” with light dishes like avocado with salt cod and lemon balm or fried turmeric bread with tiger figs, olives, farmer’s cheese and honey; mains run from sea bass with chanterelles and corn to lamb loin with sunchokes and côte de boeuf. The bar program from Rafael Jonathan Barba (The Restaurant at Meadowood) is sophisticated, and the wine and beer lists are compelling.

The 13 Hottest Cocktail Spots in Los Angeles

There’s no better time to celebrate spring in LA than with a nicely crafted cocktail. Luckily for the denizens of Los Angeles, the city has a wealth of outstanding bars to imbibe and entertain. And since it’s hard for a lot of businesses to get standalone liquor licenses, many of LA’s best bars actually reside as a part or inside of restaurants. Whether in the mood for tiki drinks, daytime sippers, or a wealth of whiskey, here now, a guide to where to drink cocktails right this moment in the City of Angels.

Step Inside the Valley’s Newest Retro Dining Charmer

And just like that, Studio City has surprising new dinner destination on its hands. This is Mister O’s, born of the former Take a Bao space on Ventura Boulevard, and with a backbone that’s been years in the making.

Mister O’s comes to life by way of serial restaurateur Michael Cardenas (Innovative Dining Group, The Robata), who spent years opening up important local projects like Downtown’s seminal Lazy Ox Canteen with Josef Centeno.

Mister O’s Is One of L.A.’s Most Promising New Restaurants

Mister O’s, which prolific restaurateur Michael Cardenas is opening in L.A.’s Studio City neighborhood Tuesday evening, is a thoroughly modern, built-for-2018 destination. But it’s also a restaurant with some important DNA that dates back almost a decade.

Lazy Ox Canteen, the seminal restaurant that Cardenas and chef Josef Centeno opened in 2009, was a pioneer in many ways. The Little Tokyo spot was one of the first restaurants that put downtown L.A. on the map as a dining destination.