Cinema News

The No. 1 L.A. restaurant, times six

December 10, 2025 | View in browser

By James Rainey

Staff Writer

Good morning. Here's what to know to start this day, Wednesday, Dec. 10.

L.A.'s top restaurant offers many tastes.
Earthquake swarms keep rattling the Bay Area. What's going on?
34 movies and shows to watch on a plane — or trapped at the airport — this holiday season.
And here's today's e-newspaper.

Mercado La Paloma — six restaurants in one place — tops L.A. Times Top 101 list

Our writers just finished their annual deep dive in search of the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles. For No. 1 on the list they made an inspired choice: Mercado La Paloma.

Inspired for several reasons: Because the mercado houses not one but six eateries. Each offers something unique and uniquely L.A. None will bust your budget. All offer a chance to commune, cafeteria style, in the heart of L.A.

"In a year when disasters tore at our city, honoring the power of community feels more urgent than ever," wrote Times restaurant critic Bill Addison and food columnist Jenn Harris in naming the mercado No. 1.

Mercado La Paloma sits south of the 10 Freeway, on the far side of the 110 Freeway from USC. The six dining spots draw a mix of USC profs and students, construction laborers, postal workers and clerks from the neighboring DMV. In other words, a tapestry of L.A.

The restaurants sit under one roof in a building that used to house a garment factory. The businesses ring the periphery of the room, with seating in the middle. It's crowded for lunch and dinner and there's a low thrum, the sound of calories finding a happy home.

The headliner in the compact food arcade might be Holbox, chef Gilberto Cetina's ode to Mexican seafood and the winner of a Michelin star and recognition by the World's 50 Best franchise as one of the top 50 restaurants in North America, as well as the L.A. Times' L.A. restaurant of the year award in 2023.

Our reviewers say Cetina's "command of mariscos is unmatched in Southern California — his ceviches, aguachiles and tostadas revolutionary in their freshness and jigsaw-intricate flavors." They call the smoked kanpachi taco "one of the most sophisticated things to eat in Los Angeles."

One recent day, hipsters and retirees lined up for a seat at Holbox, named for an island off the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula, about a four-hour drive from where Cetina grew up.

Adding an extra dose of sweetness to Cetina's success is the fact that it occurred alongside the restaurant his father created nearly 25 years ago as one of the original tenants in the same food arcade: Chichen Itza. And that original continues to thrive, with our experts recommending the "lush, orange-scented cochinita pibil" or the "crackling kibi and the brunchy huevos motuleños over ham and black bean puree."

I got Chichen Itza's fish tacos with rice and beans, a nice lunchtime feast that set me back just $16.80, tip included. What already felt like a win settled even more nicely when I checked out the New York Times top restaurant for this year and found that even a modest starter plate at Semma in NYC would cost more than my full L.A. Meal. Ahhhh.

It turns out the virtuous chain that created Chichen Itza and Holbox has another link. Fátima Juárez began working at Holbox in 2017 and opened Komal last year, yes, in the Mercado La Paloma, with her husband, Conrado Rivera. She's a master of masa and heirloom corn varieties. Her tortillas taste like it. "Start with the extraordinary quesadilla de flor de calabaza," our writers recommend, "a creased blue corn tortilla, bound by melted quesillo, arrayed with squash blossoms radiating like sunbeams."

Said Times Food Editor Daniel Hernandez: "So now Fatima has her own restaurant inside the very same mercado. So it's a beautiful continuum."

That still leaves three zingy food stalls for future visits to the mercado: Taqueria Vista Hermosa, Thai Corner Food Express and Oaxacalifornia. If you can find parking in a cozy parking lot, you might be on a roll … and even be able to consume some of the best food in L.A. in the shady patio. "A food hall and sanctuary for us all," Harris and Addison declare. "Mercado La Paloma embodies the Los Angeles we love."

Today's top stories

Stockton mass shooting update

Multiple masked gunmen fired at least 50 rounds during the Nov. 29 attack on a child's birthday party that left three children and an adult dead in Stockton, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow said Tuesday.
However, Withrow says it could still be weeks or months before arrests are made.

Earthquake swarms keep rattling the Bay Area — here's what we know

Over the last month, dozens of small earthquakes have hit the San Francisco Bay Area, with the most recent occurring Monday.
The clusters of earthquakes have all been close to the Calaveras fault and have incited worries that more seismic events will arise.

The fight for Warner Bros.

Last week Netflix agreed to buy Warner Bros. in a shocking $82.7-billion deal, but there are still several hurdles that could stop the merger, according to experts.
Paramount's hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery challenges Netflix's deal for the streaming and media powerhouse.
Hollywood's already bleak job market braces for impact: massive layoffs are likely regardless of whether Netflix or Paramount acquires Warner Bros.
On Monday, an HBO Max subscriber sued Netflix, citing concerns that the merger would decrease competition among streaming services and raise subscription prices.

Cloud bank lingers over Central Valley

Clouds have covered much of Central California for more than two weeks, bringing stretches of intense fog and low temperatures.
The abnormal weather has continued to create visibility concerns on roads and could bring a record-cool December, according to meteorologist Carlos Molina.

What else is going on

L.A. City Council passes an ordinance to streamline affordable housing.
California and L.A. place top of the most generous communities in 2025, a GoFundMe analysis has found.
These wild mushrooms have sickened Californians. Here's how to forage safely.
Iconic Helms Bakery to close this weekend after just 13 months back in operation.
A woman claiming to be an heiress allegedly scammed nearly $30 million from California banks, according to authorities.
Ricki Lake thought everything was lost in the Palisades fire — until a stranger found her holiday miracle.

Commentary and opinions

Is $140,000 really a poverty income? Clearly not, but the viral debate underscores the "affordability" issue, columnist Michael Hiltzik argues.
Columnist Steve Lopez asks, If affordability is a hoax, why are people turning to food pantries?
A plea to Netflix's Ted Sarandos: Don't screw up Warner Bros. and HBO, writes culture critic Mary McNamara.
Guest contributor Dave Jones asks, what happens when a real estate giant tries to suppress climate-risk data?

This morning's must reads

For your downtime

Going out

Events: Become the smartest person at your next dinner party after attending a Lectures on Tap.
Self-care: Unwind from a hectic year with this tuning fork facial — and see if it's worth the $430.

Staying in

Documentaries: See if you agree with this list of the 16 best documentaries of 2025.
Movies: Don't know what to watch while on the plane or at the airport? Here's 34 movies to get you inspired.
Recipe: Have a cozy night in and make Kurrypinch's Coconut Chickpea Curry.
✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

Question of the day: What do you wear when you fly?

Polly Drown said, "It depends on how long the flight is, but I have a few rules for all flights:

— Always wear a mask.

— Layers are a must any time of year.

— No 'hard pants' (think leggings, sweatpants, anything with elastic waist and soft comfy fabric).

— Comfortable walking shoes because I'll be taking the long way in the airport to get some steps in!"

Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally ... your photo of the day

Today's great photo is from staff writer Christopher Reynolds of passengers on Amtrak's Southwest Chief, on which a 2,265-mile and 32-stop trip from Los Angeles to Chicago generally takes about 43 hours.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, Fast Break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew J. Campa, weekend writer
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.

Thank you for reading Essential California from the Los Angeles Times

Highlights from our Dec. 11 issue

December 10, 2025 | View in browser

Participants in the 2025 Oscar Actors Roundtable interact on set at the Los Angeles Times.

By Matt Brennan

Editor in Chief, The Envelope

It may not be signaled by white smoke at the Academy Museum, but with the arrival of the first big year-end prizes and our annual Envelope Roundtables, Oscar season is well and truly here.

Over the next three weeks, keep an eye out as we unveil in-depth conversations with some of this year's most-talked-about actors, actresses and directors — starting with this week's cover story.

Read on for a sneak peek at our 2025 Oscar Actors Roundtable, plus more highlights from our Dec. 11 issue.

Cover story: The Envelope Actors Roundtable

On a rainy Saturday afternoon at The Times newsroom last month, actors Will Arnett ("Is This Thing On?"), Benicio Del Toro ("One Battle After Another"), Jacob Elordi ("Frankenstein"), Wagner Moura ("The Secret Agent"), Jesse Plemons ("Bugonia") and Stelland Skarsgård ("Sentimental Value") joined moderator Yvonne Villarreal to discuss balance in all its forms — between work and family, preparation and spontaneity, expectation and ambition.

In other words, the participants brought the same depth to the conversation as they did to their acclaimed roles, and an abiding respect for their peers around the table. I had the privilege of watching it live, and you can trust me when I say you won't want to miss it. Keep an eye out for the premiere tomorrow on latimes.com, our YouTube channel, Spectrum and, of course, in your mailboxes.

Laura Dern

It's never easy navigating the death of a parent, but doing so amid the release of two prominent films requires special resolve. And after the death of her mother, Diane Ladd, last month, Laura Dern initially worried about having to talk about her parents while promoting "Is This Thing On?" and "Jay Kelly." But if there were one actor with the poise to get through it — as evidenced by the lyrical reflections on the loss of David Lynch she published in The Times earlier this year — it would be Dern.

"I thought, 'This is going to be hard because I'm going to have to talk about my parents,'" she told Margy Rochlin, whose profile of Dern features co-stars Will Arnett and George Clooney singing her praises. "Then I thought, 'They are my muses, my guides, my teachers. I've never done an interview without talking about my parents, and that will be the case for the rest of my life.'"

'The Smashing Machine's' brutal fight scenes

When I stepped out of my first viewing of "The Smashing Machine" earlier this fall, I made a beeline for director Benny Safdie at the post-screening reception. Having spent a significant chunk of the runtime wincing and grimacing at the mixed martial arts sequences, I had to know: How did they get those thuds and thwacks to sound so... real?

Bob Strauss has the answer to that question and many more in the story that conversation inspired, which goes inside the making of "The Smashing Machine" with Safdie, actor Ryan Bader, cinematographer Maceo Bishop and sound mixers Skip Lievsay and Paul Urmson.

"The fingerless grappling gloves MMA fighters use made for sharper, more painful impact noises than padded, puffier boxing gloves do. These were enhanced by hours of recordings of hands striking skin," Strauss writes. "And double Oscar-winning prosthetic makeup artist Kazu Hiro designed a lifelike silicone dummy of Johnson's upper body for knee-to-head shots, which everyone agreed was fun to punch — and sounded authentic when they did."

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