Southern California's sprawling food scene offers plenty to explore, and local dining editors recently shared some standout recommendations across the region. From a celebratory Malibu steakhouse to an inventive East Hollywood pop-up, here’s a look at what they’ve been trying.
Perched directly over the beach in Malibu, Mastro’s Ocean Club offers an experience that one editorial manager, Nicole Fellah, found still holds up a decade after her last visit. The restaurant, a national steakhouse chain with roots in Scottsdale, Arizona, provides panoramic window views that give the "effect of dining in a charming old-school yacht." Fellah highlighted the smoking, dry-ice-bedded seafood tower and the "mercilessly rich lobster mashed potatoes." For dessert, while many opt for the strawberry sauce-laden butter cake, a flourless chocolate cake is also available. Mastro's Ocean Club is located at 18412 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.
In Los Angeles, Majordomo recently introduced a new brunch service, running Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Audience editor Kat Thompson visited, noting the "playfulness of the dinner menu" extends to brunch, with new deviations. Thompson particularly praised the corn pancakes, describing them as "sweet and salty with the summery flavor of corn throughout," elevated by warm date syrup and creamy creme fraiche. Other menu items included a steak and egg riff on their crispy rice and a fried bing topped with pork shoulder. The bo ssam, a popular dinner dish, remains an option for groups during brunch. Majordomo can be found at 1725 Naud Street.
For something truly unique, deputy editor Rebecca Roland recommended Camello, an heirloom pita pop-up currently operating consistently out of East Hollywood. Roland was "blown away" by the pitas, which use heirloom corn, staining the pockets "soft shades of pink and purple." The menu, which Roland ordered in its entirety, features pitas stuffed with black garlic carne asada and mushroom barbacoa, alongside a tangy cotija cheesecake. Owned by Ronnie Muñoz, Camello blends Lebanese and Mexican traditions with flavors from Syrian, Palestinian, and Japanese foodways, creating a taste that feels "very Los Angeles and at the same time entirely singular." The pop-up is located at 906 North Normandie Avenue and offers delivery through Doordash.
Further north, in Carpinteria, just east of Santa Barbara, deputy editor Hilary Pollack discovered Little Dom’s Seafood. This spot is a seafood-focused relative to Los Feliz's Little Dom’s. Pollack noted the menu "leans heavily into the riches of the Pacific," with brunch options like a smoked salmon platter with whipped burrata and an "outrageously juicy seared fish sandwich." Her top pick for a relaxed afternoon meal was the uni and eggs on toasted brioche, featuring local Santa Barbara uni, smoked trout roe, and a touch of housemade hot sauce, perfectly suited for brunch in a beach town. Little Dom’s Seafood is located at 686 Linden Ave in Carpinteria.
These diverse dining experiences offer Southern Californians a range of options, whether seeking a special occasion meal by the ocean or exploring new flavors in a familiar neighborhood.