189 by Dominique Ansel

101 Best restaurants of Los Angeles

@latimes

"#84 I didn’t have high expectations for 189 by Dominique Ansel, the first full-service restaurant from the New York pastry superstar. Ansel is best known as the creator of the cronut, a dessert so wildly popular that I wondered whether he could make lightning strike twice. But Ansel is meticulous and inventive, qualities that translate well in both sweet and savory cooking. Start with Ansel’s sweet corn “elote” milk bread, a Wonka-esque masterwork of cotija-dusted bread cubes filled with pureed corn. The dish captures the essence of the Mexican street classic in a single neat bite. Crisp pork belly with labneh and fresh figs is a refreshing, delicious pairing, and if it’s on the menu, there are few less surprising and gratifying ways to spend an afternoon at the Grove than with Ansel’s cabbage soup. Handmade gnocchi dolloped with fresh peas and lemon burrata won’t set Instagram afire, but it’s so good you may be tempted to skip dessert altogether. Full bar. Validated garage parking. Credit cards accepted."

Sean Glass

@sdotglass