With the Super Bowl, Valentine’s Day, Mardi Gras and one coveted three-day weekend, February proved a busy yet brief month. Somehow our writers kept pace, scouring the city for bars with food that attracts fans outside of sports seasons, arming you with last-minute date ideas, dishing on where to find the best beignets and Creole cuisine, and diving into what we’ve deemed the best coffee culture in the world. As always, we continued reporting on breaking news from within the food industry, including the ongoing strike from Medieval Times workers and astronomical gas bills that are pushing some restaurants to the point of closure.

To prepare you as we head into a new month, here are the best restaurants and bars to visit in L.A. right now, from a worldly new bistro in Pasadena to a bricks-and-mortar launch from one of L.A.’s favorite taqueros. Including some long-standing favorites like a new brunch menu at one of our favorite New England-style restaurants and Mexico City-style huaraches in South Gate.