"Vernatoun is a restaurant and banquet hall that’s excelled at cooking Armenian comfort food in the back corner of a Glendale strip mall since 2021. Lump mesquite charcoal bags are piled up behind a kitchen window, giving customers a small taste of their process. Luscious lule (ground meat) skewers center on either beef chuck roll or chicken thigh, which get seasoned with onions and spices and beautifully express charcoal smoke. Pork baby back pork ribs sport nice sears that don’t actually lock in juices, as the myth states, but clearly still help boost eating enjoyment. Kebab plates come with rice, grilled tomato and pepper, and a potent red pepper sauce folded with onions, paprika and parsley." - Joshua Lurie