"To reach the river-facing dining room at Lingua Franca, you’ll walk along the LA River bike path until you reach a neon sign featuring the restaurant’s river crane mascot. Owners Lauren and Peter Lemos, the duo behind lauded sandwich shop Wax Paper, describe their restaurant as New Californian cuisine built off old-school recipes. There’s a sense of experimentation and fun across the whole menu: beef cheeks braised in root beer with a sour cream beef jus, and a burger that comes on an English muffin–style bun. Lingua Franca is only open for dinner right now, but will soon welcome diners into its mismatched and artwork-filled space during the day, with options like fried bologna sandwiches, buttermilk waffles, and cold fried chicken." - ByKate Kassin
