SoCal Restaurant Among Nation's 20 Best New Eateries: Bon Appétit

LOS ANGELES, CA — One Southern California eatery is among the nation's 20 best new restaurants, according to a new ranking released Monday by Bon Appétit magazine.

The SoCal entry, Azizam, serves up homestyle Persian food at its Sunset Boulevard restaurant.

It joins two other California picks — both in the Bay Area — offering Cantonese "drinking food" and self-proclaimed progressive Salvadoran cuisine.

"The search for this year's best new restaurants took us on a six-month expedition, with stops in Texas's barbecue capital and Manhattan’s roaring Lower East Side," the magazine wrote.

One major theme in Bon Appétit's ratings this year is "teams working together in exciting ways," according to its writers.

"Chefs across the country are wholeheartedly embracing collaboration, pulling ideas from cooks and waiters, their mentors, and other restaurants to create unique menus infused with personality and a real sense of place," Bon Appétit wrote.

Here's a look at what Bon Appétit had to say about Azizam:

Azizam
Silver Lake, Los Angeles

"Cody Ma and Misha Sesar put a hashtag under their mouthwatering Instagram photos: #notjustkabobs. At their restaurant, the couple leans away from the standard grilled meats you’ll find at many Persian restaurants, instead sharing seasonal dishes inspired by home cooking. Azizam has a fast-casual feel—order at the breezy restaurant’s counter and find a seat—but the meal is only as fast as you want it to be. You will savor every bite of the kofteh tabrizi, a densely packed beef and rice meatball that’s bigger than a baseball and rarely seen outside the kitchens of accomplished home cooks."

View the complete list of the 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024 at Bon Appétit.

Read more:

• 8 SoCal Restaurants Added To Michelin Guide: July 2024
• 2 SoCal Eateries Among Nation's Best Restaurants: USA Today Ranking
• 150+ SoCal Restaurants Honored With Wine Spectator Awards