The entire country is watching in horror as wildfires are ravaging greater Los Angeles County.

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According to the state-run site Cal Fire, there are five active wildfires, including the now-contained Sunset Fire which burned dangerously close to the heavily populated and iconic areas of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

According to reports, tens of thousands of acres of land have been scorched to the ground, with more than 2,000 homes, businesses, and houses of worship destroyed down to their foundations.

The fires — rare for this time of year — raged out of control mostly due to gusting hurricane-force winds which blew embers for miles, igniting new fires which quickly leaped from building to building. Though the winds have died down, Los Angeles is under a red flag warning with the probability of high winds returning tonight and tomorrow.

Although we’ve seen reports of celebrities like Paris Hilton and Tom Hanks losing their homes, with a population of nearly 10 million people, Los Angeles County is home to millions of regular people who will have no jobs or even homes to go to.

Making an appearance on the Tonight Show last evening, Jamie Lee Curtis (who personally donated $1 to relief efforts), fought back tears as she said her entire neighborhood was destroyed by fire. She pleaded with the public to donate to the American Red Cross and to assemble an emergency evacuation kit filled with papers and medications should you need to escape your home at a moment’s notice for any reason.

If you want to donate to the American Red Cross or other relief efforts, here’s a list of places to start. This is not a complete list, so if you have a favorite organization, please share it with others through social media or send us a note and we’ll update this list.

American Red Cross provides shelter for families, serves meals, supports emergency responders, provides medical care, and delivers emergency relief supplies.

World Central Kitchen provides food to evacuated families and first responders.

Los Angeles Noah’s Legacy Fund provides care for animals affected by the wildfires.

Baby2Baby provides diapers, food, formula, and hygiene items to families

California Community Foundation provides funding to nonprofits aiding fire recovery and rebuilding.

California Fire Foundation provides immediate financial assistance to wildfire victims.

Direct Relief delivers medical supplies and financial aid to health facilities across Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation provides critical equipment, technology, and emergency resources to support LAFD crews.

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank provides emergency food assistance to people affected by the wildfires.

Pasadena Humane is rescuing, sheltering, and reuniting pets with their owners.

United Way of Ventura County provides immediate financial relief to communities affected by the Palisades Fire.

Canine Rescue Club provides shelter for displaced pets.

Los Angeles Pet Food Pantry provides food for pets through its pet food pantry.

Gobble Gobble Give provides food and shelter for Los Angeles’ homeless.

Habitat for Humanity provides assistance in rebuilding homes.

For updates on the situation in Los Angeles County, visit LAFD.org.

Ten new restaurants received stars from Michelin as the 2024 edition of the Michelin Guide California was announced Monday evening at the Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay Hotel.

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In total, seven new restaurants received one Michelin Star, bringing the total to 66 one-starred restaurants.

Three new establishments received two stars, bringing the total of two-starred restaurants to 13 in the Golden State.

One new restaurant received a green star, given for sustainability practices.

California’s six three-starred restaurants (Addision, Atelier Crenn, the French Laundry, Quince, Single Thread, and Benu) have all retained their place in the Guide.

International director of Michelin Guides, Gwendal Poullennec, said of the Guide, “California continues to shine bright as we see the culinary scene evolve and highlight emerging talent and cuisines,” adding, “Our Inspectors continue to be impressed with this year’s selection and we toast and celebrate the excellent chef and restaurant teams being recognized. The wide array of culinary offerings will excite foodies both near and far and continue to put California on the map.”

Michelin also added 10 restaurants to the Bib Gourmand list, which recognizes eateries for great food at a great value: Cedro Italian Restaurant, Grá, Little Fish, Liu’s Cafe, Lola Gaspar, Mae Malai Thai House of Noodles, Manohar's Deli Palace, Molti Amici, Pollo a la Brasa, and Quarter Sheets.

Here are the new Michelin-starred restaurants, with Inspector notes from each. The complete 2024 California Michelin Guide, which includes nearly 600 restaurants, can be found here.

Two Michelin Stars

Aubergine (Carmel-by-the-Sea)

Easygoing luxury and refinement strike a harmonious note within L’Auberge Carmel, where every element seems designed to delight. Chef Justin Cogley balances classic technique with a sleek, modern aesthetic, and his cooking captures a sense of place that feels wholly his own. Products of spectacular quality are prepared skillfully and painstakingly presented with an artistic eye, as in a surprising "cabbage" taco filled with shallot jam, Madeira-braised treviso, Kaluga queen caviar and cabbage chips. The hits keep coming, like the rice roulade with Dungeness crab finished in a white dashi and butter sauce or the triple-seared dry-aged ribeye brushed in wagyu XO.

Sons & Daughters (San Francisco)

A cleanly minimalist new Nordic style is clearer than ever in Chef Harrison Cheney‘s elegant tasting menu that deftly weaves together a variety of preserved fruits and vegetables, flawless seafood, and aged meats. Meals are off to an impressive start with the likes of a refreshing cured California trout dressed with a chilled fish bone broth drizzled with herbed oil. Rutabaga is transformed into thin, flat strands mimicking pasta and comes dressed with a creamy-textured smoked pork fat sauce. The applewood roasted quail features crisped-skin breast plated with a luscious jus and bouquet of Napa Valley greens, while the leg and thigh are glazed with fermented blueberry.

Vespertine (Culver City)

Beginning a new chapter, Chef Jordan Kahn's singular operation emerges from a lengthy hiatus with a renewed creative vision. Diners enjoy a tasting menu that is likewise out of the ordinary, moving between floors as the meal progresses. Each dish is visually stunning, with cuisine that is not only daringly inventive, but also marshals finely honed technique and impeccably balanced flavors as in an artful dish of scallop with passionfruit, ají amarillo, and petals of horseradish tuile, or an "obsidian mirror" of smoked mussel cream with salted plum. The meal ends as strong as it begins, with a mesmerizing dessert that features kaleidoscopic flavors. Together with their sister restaurants, Vespertine works to ensure all ingredients are used in their entirety.

One Michelin Star

Hilda and Jesse (San Francisco)

Offering what may well be the Bay Area’s most creative and ambitious take on brunch, this disarming passion project from co-owners Kristina Compton and Rachel Sillcocks gets its extra shine from the pair’s extensive fine dining experience—each also contributed a grandparent for the restaurant’s name. There is nothing precious or manicured about the cooking here. It is often bold and brash, a total riot of flavors mixed with stellar ingredients, and dishes are equal parts unexpected and undeniably satisfying. At dinner, find a rotating, seasonal multicourse menu with a few optional add-ons.

Holbox (Los Angeles)

Chef Gilbert Cetina, who previously cooked with his father at neighboring stall Chichen Itza, draws from Mexican coastal cuisines in dishes whose simplicity belies remarkable flavor. Spectacular quality seafood of unassailable freshness leaves an impression, whether in electrifyingly vibrant aguachiles and ceviches, excellent tacos served on house-made heirloom corn tortillas, or skillfully grilled lobster—a panoply of exceptional house salsas gilds the lily. The frequently changing menu offers no shortage of delights, and a tasting menu, offered by reservation only on Thursdays and Fridays, is hotly sought-after.

Kiln (San Francisco)

Industry veterans Chef John Wesley and general manager Julianna Yang have combined their talents at Kiln, where the warehouse space is warmed by personable service and the kitchen delivers artful creations. The tasting menu leans Nordic, highlighting preservation techniques like curing, drying and fermentation in dishes whose simplicity is belied by intricate techniques and compelling flavor combinations.  Opening snacks like a crispy curlicue of puffed beef tendon captures this ethos, while others, like a squab breast lacquered with burnt honey and served with a truffled jus, display a classical bent.

Meteora (Los Angeles)

This whimsical, immersive space is a touch otherworldly, with its tangled greenery, moody lighting, and trance-y soundtrack, but guests will be happy to fall under its spell when they taste Chef Jordan Kahn’s singular cuisine. Primal live-fire cooking combines with a zero-waste ethos and a treasure trove of sustainably sourced wild and organic ingredients to create dishes that are as memorable as they are delicious. Charred yam with a buttery sauce accented with smoked trout roe and grilled hazelnuts is more than the sum of its parts, and a dish of raw scallops with a vivid macadamia nut leche de tigre, banana, and crunchy kombu manages to both surprise and delight.

R|O-Rebel Omakase (Laguna Beach)

As its name suggests, omakase is indeed the name of the game here, where two seatings per night are available by reservation and overseen by Chef Jordan Nakasone. Rooted in tradition, the meal skews contemporary with a focus on seasonality and product quality. In addition to standout sushi such as Japanese white salmon and shima aji, there are a surprising number of kitchen dishes, including gindara, a rectangle of cod set in a memorable cauliflower dashi and garnished with tonburi and a delicious, comforting chawanmushi topped with firefly squid and shaved bottarga.

7 Adams (San Francisco)

In this city, finding a five-course menu for under a hundred dollars is a tall order. Chefs Serena and David Fisher make it seem effortless, though, bringing their signature magic to this second act in a sleek new space. The cuisine keeps an unfussy Californian simplicity, featuring solid technique and thoughtful flavor combinations that allow quality seasonal ingredients to shine. Think carefully shaped caramelle pasta that pairs a filling of sweet and nutty kabocha squash with buttery chanterelles, or crisp-skinned black cod with sunchoke confit and a finely tuned shellfish broth. Desserts never fail to end the meal on a strong note, as in a perfectly tender, moist apple crumb cake dressed up with an orange bay leaf ice cream and satsuma granita.

Uka (Los Angeles)

Chef Yoshitaka Mitsue and Chef Shingo Kato (both formerly of the Permanent Mission of Japan to the United Nations) and two waiters take great care with the details at this sleek hideaway nestled within Japan House at the Ovation Hollywood. Here, the fish is sourced from Japan and flown in twice weekly, then cured or aged in-house. It's all part of the kaiseki dining experience at Uka, where guests are invited to savor six or nine courses. Most of the menu leans traditional, as in the kabutamushi, a dumpling made with shredded turnip and filled with Japanese sea bream, while French influences make their way into dishes like grilled abalone with a butter ponzu sauce and wagyu with a red wine jus and miso butter sauce.

Michelin Green Star

Vespertine (Culver City)

Initiatives: sourcing ingredients ethically from biodynamic, organic or wild origins; partnership with two local farms practicing biodynamic farming; locally foraged herbs; sustainably sourced seafood from indigenous fishing communities or local fisherman; utilizing open pasture grass-fed beef; sustainable commitment to dining room decor including wool carpeting, recycled glassware, and wild-harvested ceramic serving pieces.

RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table 

Strip Mall Stalwart

Echigo, perched atop a Prime Pizza in a plaza on the outskirts of Sawtelle, is the poster child of strip mall sushi.

Run by chef Toshi Kataoka, Echigo epitomizes this uniquely LA form of sushi experience. Behind an unassuming facade, its bare-bones interior houses a 12-seat sushi bar (exclusively for omakase) framing a smattering of tables (a la carte orders). Walk-ins get seated swiftly. The volume? Blissfully hushed. Exceptional, relatively affordable nigiri come in pairs. 

Since opening in 2002, the restaurant has more than galvanized its status as a classic, while managing to stay relatively under the radar. Highlights from a recent dinner included pudgy scallops glistening over warm rice, and a blue crab hand roll, an Echigo signature (well before Sugarfish took it mainstream). Try to order only one.

After dinner, head to nearby The Bigg Chill, another institution, for a cup of LA’s best frozen yogurt. A timeless bang bang. –Emily Wilson

→ Echigo (Sawtelle) • 12217 Santa Monica Blvd. Ste 201 • Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner Mon.-Sat. • Reserve. 

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BARS & RESTAURANTS • The Nines

Rooftops

• Elephante (Santa Monica, above), breezy Italian lounge with idyllic sunsets

• Calabra (Santa Monica), Mediterranean at The Proper 

• Terra at Eataly (Century City), pasta, wine, gelato, nearly 360-degree city views

• Bar Funke (Beverly Hills), pink quartz bar beckons with Funke-branded Negronis 

• Dante (Beverly Hills), award-winning martinis amid Beverly Hills’ best vantage

• Harriet’s Rooftop (Sunset Strip), retro decor, expensive drinks, killer views 

• Mother Tongue (Hollywood), health-conscious Michael Mina joint atop members-only athletic club

• Bar Flores (Echo Park), women-owned cantina with margaritas, flowering vines, and pop-up tacos

• LA Cha Cha Chá (Arts District), second-story bar offering Mexico City-inspired fare

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RESTAURANTS • First Person 

The Melrose Hill Moment

Ètra, which opened last month in Melrose Hill, is the first capital-d Dinner restaurant among the neighborhood’s slew of forthcoming openings (see Intel, below). The Italian newcomer hides behind its daytime counterpart, Café Telegrama, which was immediately swarmed when it opened last month. 

Parking is tricky around the trafficky intersection of Western and Melrose, an early concern for the burgeoning area, where blue chip gallerist David Zwirner also planted his LA flag last spring. Otherwise, it’s been an impressive doubleheader premiere.

Telegrama serves a satisfying Greek yogurt with granola and seasonal preserves in the morning. At lunch, a craveworthy tuna melt-inspired sandwich stars pepperoncini aioli in place of cheddar. The space is airy and polished, with a sunny patio that folds into Ètra come nightfall. 

Handsome and (a bit too) dimly lit, Ètra is reminiscent of a Bode store: all warm wood, an intimate smattering of tables, and a six-seat wine bar. Chef and co-owner Evan Algorri gives the people what they want: crudo, extra-tender meatballs, pastas, chicken with Calabrian chili juice, steak with grilled cabbage. The silky spaghetti pomodoro has a kick of heat, and the chicory salad with anchovy, black pepper, and cured yolk is the best new Caesar in town. 

During opening week, the crowd was a who’s who from the restaurant industry and LA’s creative set. As galleries continue to open up in the area, it’s likely to become an art world go-to. 

But right out of the gate, Ètra is as hot at night as Telegrama by day. Melrose Hill is off to the races. –Emily Wilson

→ Ètra (Melrose Hill) • 737 N. Western Ave. • dinner Tues.-Sun. • Reserve.
→ Cafe Telegrama (Melrose Hill) • 737 N. Western Ave. • 8a-3p daily. 

RESTAURANTS • Intel

MORE MELROSE HILL: The team from beloved wine shop Domaine LA is opening a French restaurant in the neighborhood. Per our source, the buildout should be done by March and it'll be “somewhere in between Stir Crazy and [NYC’s] Frenchette.”

AND MORE: Also slated for early ’24, L.A. Grocery & Cafe, a 5,000 SF cafe and market by one of the Honey Hi founders. Plus, the first west coast outpost of New York City’s Scarr’s Pizza, a full-service restaurant from the Little Fish team, and Color Club, a new nightclub from the Haas Brothers (who are currently on display at Deitch).

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RESTAURANTS • First Word 

Keep Sushi Weird

The Skinny: Tyson Cole has racked up accolades for his 20-year-old Austin-based sushi bar Uchi, which took Texas by storm and birthed a restaurant empire. Now, his flagship’s first west coast location has arrived in Los Angeles (with a 14-seat omakase-only follow-up, Oheya, coming in 2024).

The Vibe: There’s nothing particularly Texan about the moody sushi den, situated in a prime spot on Santa Monica Blvd. between West Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Slabs of blonde wood function as makeshift walls to separate different sections of the restaurant, and an expansive outdoor space makes conspicuous celebrity tables easy to spot. 

The Food: Technically brilliant. The massive menu is split into many sections: omakase, hot and cool tastings, nigiri and sashimi, agemono (tempura), ​​makimono (cut rolls), and toyosu (fish market), among others. The best way forward is the omakase. If you prefer to go your own way, you can’t possibly over-index on the superb hot and cool tastings, specifically yellowtail with orange and thai chili and ora king salmon with brown butter hollandaise and ikura.

The Verdict: Itamae precision meets Southern hospitality — it shouldn’t work, but it does. –Caitlin White

→ Uchi (Norma Triangle) • 9001 Santa Monica Blvd. • Reserve.

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RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table

All Grown Up in the Arts District

It's hard to overstate the amount of praise lavished on the first iteration of Baroo, a shoestring operation in a Hollywood strip mall where chef Kwang Uh played mad scientist with ferments and pickles. Since shuttering that storefront in 2018, Uh and his wife/partner Mina Park resurfaced in various guises (a pop-up at a flea market, a fast-casual stall in Grand Central Market), but lacked a space that matches their ambition — until now.

The recently opened Baroo in the Arts District is, finally, a capital-R restaurant, with a grown-up hunk of real estate, in a neighborhood quickly establishing itself as the go-to for risk-taking, high-end dining (see also: Yangban Society, Yess, Kato). One can imagine the pressure the couple feels to deliver in these shiny new digs. 

What a relief, then, that the new Baroo is a major step up in every way. The prix-fixe menu is a departure from the strip mall’s a la carte setup, with more polished versions of the flavors and techniques that launched them into stardom. It’s a format that allows Uh to flex, deploying more high-end ingredients, like a Peads & Barnett pork collar (served with a "goulash jigae") and wild-caught black cod. And in perhaps the most substantial upgrade, there's now a bar program, focused on lesser-known Korean spirits like yakju and makgeolli, along with a waitstaff well-versed in them. 

The vibe is industrial Zen (fitting for a couple who met at a Buddhist monastery in Korea), but far from austere. On a recent Tuesday night, Park floated around the warmly lit room, pouring complimentary sips of locally produced makgeolli, greeting longtime customers who dressed up for the occasion. Meanwhile, Uh bopped around to hand-deliver desserts. It felt like a reunion. 

And it’s one you can join. Reservations are relatively easy to come by, for now. If the past is any indicator, you’ll want to get in before Baroo is discovered all over again. –Jamie Feldmar

→ Baroo (Arts District) • 905 E. 2nd St. • Reserve.

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GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines

Haute Provisioning, Central/West

• The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills), old school icon gets breath of fresh air from new owner

• Petrossian (West Hollywood), caviar, but also smoked fish, charcuterie, and other flights of fancy 

• Monsieur Marcel (Beverly Grove), original Farmer’s Market standby for aspiring Francophiles

• Gjusta Grocer (Venice, above), prepared foods, local produce, baked goods, florals 

• Farmshop (Brentwood), restaurant, bakery, and shop in Brentwood Country Mart 

• Lady & Larder (Santa Monica), top-tier charcuterie boards, plus pantry essentials

• Fatty Mart (Mar Vista), Asian groceries and more from Little Fatty team

• La Española Meats (Harbor City), for Spanish meats, cheese, and paella fixings

• Erewhon (various locations), especially Venice or Calabasas locations for people-watching

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California’s Michelin Star Ceremony was held last week in Oakland, with the prestigious guide listing a robust number of 614 restaurants in the Golden State, with 87 of them awarded stars.

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Six new restaurants were awarded one star, and four restaurants were newly minted green star recipients. Two restaurants (Aphotic in San Francisco and Heritage in Los Angeles) were awarded both green and one-star designations. In addition, awards for cocktail programs and service were also announced. No new two or three-star designations were announced this year. 10 new California restaurants were also awarded Bib Gourmand designations.

New One Star Restaurants

Aphotic (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Seafood

Auro (Wine Country)
Cuisine: Contemporary

Chez Noir (Carmel-by-the-Sea)
Cuisine: Contemporary

Heritage (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Californian

Nari (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Thai

Valle (Oceanside)
Cuisine: Mexican

New Green Star Restaurants

Aphotic (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Seafood

Heritage (Long Beach)
Cuisine: Contemporary

Pomet (Oakland)
Cuisine: Californian

Providence (Hollywood)
Cuisine: Seafood

New Bib Gourmand Restaurants

Bansang (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Korean

Bombera (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Mexican

Carnes Asadas Pancho Lopez (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Mexican

Cobi's (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Asian

Eat Joy Food (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Taiwanese

Mabel’s Gone Fishing (San Diego)
Cuisine: Seafood

Maligne (Monterey)
Cuisine: Californian

Petiscos (South Bay)
Cuisine: Portuguese

Snail Bar (San Francisco)
Cuisine: Contemporary

Villa's Tacos (Los Angeles)
Cuisine: Mexican

For a list of all California Michelin-starred restaurants visit michelin.com.