(abeautifullife) Jamaican Kitchen

"Of all the Jamaican restaurants in the city, DTLA's A Beautiful Life is the best option for a sit-down meal that feels like a party. There’s a bass-heavy playlist thumping as people sip tropical drinks on the patio while music videos play on multiple screens inside. And if you swing by after 5pm, you’ll discover a hookah lounge tucked in the back corner. Dishes like oxtail mac and cheese, jerk shrimp, and rasta pasta take a while to come out from the kitchen, but they also have a takeout-only location on Spring Street if you’re looking for something quick. " - nikko duren, brant cox, garrett snyder, sylvio martins

"In another, Aja Dawson of A Beautiful Life Jamaican Kitchen describes how her parents’ Caribbean upbringing inspired the restaurant’s stewed oxtail dish." - Jean Trinh

"Of all the Jamaican restaurants in the city, DTLA's A Beautiful Life is the best option for a sit-down meal that feels like a party. There’s a bass-heavy playlist thumping as people sip tropical drinks on the patio while music videos play on multiple screens inside. And if you swing by after 5pm, you’ll discover a hookah lounge tucked in the back corner. Dishes like oxtail mac and cheese, jerk shrimp, and rasta pasta take a while to come out from the kitchen, but they also have a takeout-only location on Spring Street if you’re looking for something quick." - Nikko Duren

"Even though the menu at this Jamaican fusion pop-up is constantly changing, they’re always serving up exciting versions of Caribbean dishes. Well, that and their . Past menus have included burritos made with oxtail, jerk chicken served over rice, and “mosschata,” an Irish moss horchata sweetened with agave nectar. The menu is posted every Friday at 9am for preorders — so make sure you set an alarm (or seven), then text your order to (323) 300-4054." - Kat Hong

"Little Tokyo’s casual three-year-old hangout Baldoria is set to close at the end of this week. Owner David King says that he’s ending the restaurant’s run to focus on a retail project instead. King, a Mozza alum, first opened Baldoria along San Pedro Street back in the middle of 2016 with chef Duke Gervais and barman Matt Bostick. The restaurant mostly stuck to a simple menu of snackable items like pizzas, pulled pork sliders, pastas, and charcuterie. Over time, Gervais even offered pizza making classes, and the bar kept cranking with pre-batched cocktails and a steady happy hour. Now King is moving on. In a statement sent to Eater, he says: As for what’s next, King is partnering with Bostick on a new retail-only bottled cocktail company called B&K Classic Cocktail Co. The final night of service at Baldoria will be this Sunday night, and starting now everything in the restaurant is 30% off. Sounds like it’s time for one heck of a sendoff party." - Farley Elliott