Belle’s Review: This Highland Park Jewish Deli Is an All-Day Haven of Pickletinis and Matzo Ball Soup | Eater LA

"An all-day fixture on foot-traffic-heavy York Boulevard since August 2024, it slings gravlax bagels in the morning before shifting to chicken schnitzel and pickle martinis come sundown. After more than a decade as a pop-up, it feels like a rare new restaurant that’s been there forever thanks to an upgraded-greatest-hits Jewish diner menu, retro-cool décor, and a spacious back patio with a crackling fire; a rotating menu of bar snack specials and a notably inventive cocktail program ensure repeat visits feel fresh, even for regulars. Matzo ball soup is a must-order regardless of the time of day—livened with fresh dill and parsley yet otherwise classic, with plump, salty matzo dumplings bobbing in a savory chicken broth that’s better than a therapy session. The Reuben stands up to Los Angeles’s historic pastrami institutions, loaded with tender meat, sauerkraut, and melted Swiss, appropriately messy but built on rye that maintains its structural integrity. During the day, the open-faced gravlax bagel compels with silky smoked salmon, pickled onions, scallion cream cheese, a heap of dill, and a surprise zap of acidity and sweetness from preserved lemon; if you’re hungover, the BECA—bacon, egg, cheese, and scallion–avocado mash—might genuinely be the best cure in Los Angeles. After dark the cocktail menu becomes its own draw: the pickle martini (Uncle Val’s botanical gin, Manzanilla sherry, sour pickle brine) has achieved cult status; for something lighter, the cleverly named Cel-Ray Chaiball (with Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda, Ford’s gin, and celery bitters) is an only-at-Belle’s creation, and playful specials include the Tekiah Negroni with Amaro Angeleno and the Mezcal Tov with mezcal, manzanilla sherry, celery shrub, and lime, plus a full martini menu and other classics. Best for long life chats over pickletinis and scallion latkes on a “cold” 59-degree Los Angeles night or a cheeky martini at the bar (solo or with a might-be-a-date), it also restores my will to live with hair of the dog and a bowl of matzo ball soup after karaoke. Insider tip: the back patio is one of the best private-party spots in Northeast LA, with ample seating and an ambiance-enhancing fireplace where guests can gather for cocktails and shared plates of elephant fries smothered in pastrami and sherry-caramelized onions." - Hilary Pollack