without a doubt my favorite restaurant experience in los angeles was umamicatessen. the downtown location of the infamous umami burger chain hits all my buttons: industrial interior, relaxed atmosphere (not too buzzy, even though the place was still pretty new and buzzworthy when we went), only gourmet burgers on the menu and the best. side dishes. ever. sweet potato fries, pork popcorn, truffle salad – we went all out and ordered everything we felt like tasting. if you’re going, definitely try the local ham as an appetizer. pig lovers as we are, this place blew our minds.

photos by stephanie duval