Southern California News Group reporters and editors have been busy hitting up restaurants this month, and our findings don’t disappoint. From classic diner dishes to baked treats, barbecues, and elevated fusion dishes from Los Angeles’ new hotspots, these October dishes were finger-lickin’ good.

Here are some of the standout dishes, desserts, and snacks our team tried this month.

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If you are looking for more kitchen options to check out, see the best things we ate in Southern California September.

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Stinko Burger from Twoheys Restaurant. (Fielding Buck, SCNG)

Arnold Palmer of Twoheys Restaurant. (Fielding Buck, SCNG)

Ice Cream from Twoheys Restaurant. (Fielding Buck, SCNG)

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Stinko Burger from Twoheys Restaurant. (Fielding Buck, SCNG)

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Stinko Burger, Sundae Ice Cream and Arnold Palmer – Twoheys Restaurant

Twoheys Restaurant An institution in the San Gabriel Valley since 1943. It’s known for its $12.95 Stinko, a simple burger named after a raw onion slice, and its $9.95-$11.95 ice creams with bittersweet or milk chocolate options. Arnold Palmers are also impressive. It moved to another location but is now at 424 Fair Oaks Ave, South Pasadena.

– Fielding Buck, Restaurant Reporter

Ham and Gruyère Croissant – Crème Bakery

Crème Bakery in Claremont Village (off Harvard Boulevard, not Yale Boulevard, which is the main street) has a line that stretches the length of the block every weekend. I needed to find out what all the fuss was about, and that’s what I did. Pastries, quiches, freshly baked breads and pies visually striking. The buttery, freshly baked smell coming through the doors can throw you off balance. And the Ham and Gruyère Croissant, oh my! The flaky pastry is so buttery, the cheese is creamy and rich, and the ham is the perfect savory touch. When it comes to pastries, I usually lean towards savory rather than sweet, and this croissant is not only the best thing I’ve had in October, but probably the best of my life.

–Emily St. Martin, Digital Features Editor

Mac & Cheese – Gram’s Bar-B-Que

After touring the catacombs at Riverside’s historic Mission Inn, my friends and I were looking for a nearby place to eat. We headed to Gram’s Bar-B-Que, which serves Southern-style barbecue and Cajun specialties. Dinner options come with two sides and cornbread, so I went with fried shrimp, fried okra, and macaroni and cheese. The seasoning on the fried shrimp was delicious and unique, but the star of the show was the macaroni and cheese. The flavor upgrade on this iconic dish leaves you wanting to go back for more.

– Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer

Berry and Cream Churro – Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe

To celebrate Hello Kitty’s 50th Anniversary, the newly opened Hello Kitty and Friends Cafe at Universal CityWalk Hollywood is featuring several new limited-time menu items; strawberry sugar cookie sandwich, confetti anniversary cake and sparkling strawberry soda with coconut cream. After trying these delicious treats, another menu item caught my eye: the fruit and cream churro. To be dramatic, I stood up in the newsroom and gave a passionate speech to my coworkers about how good this churro was. It’s a classic dessert filled with fruit jam and cream cheese frosting, pink frosting, and a chocolate version of Hello Kitty’s iconic bow. It is similar to a toaster pie in churro form. When it comes to churro rankings, this one rose to the top of my list.

– Carolyn Burt, Audience Engagement Producer

Milanese – Churros Calientes

Sandwiches are no excuse for being boring, and this Milanese sandwich is anything but. It is made with breaded chicken breast, spinach, tomatoes, avocado mayonnaise and mixed green salad. Normally I can’t get enough after the first half of a sandwich, but this one was filling, so pace yourself.

– Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter

Churros con Chocolate – Churros Calientes

I was skeptical when I saw that the churros here were thinner than the churro cart churros we were used to, but I was quickly convinced that these thin churros were superior. The Spanish server suggested eating them the way you would in Spain: Dip the churros in chocolate, take a bite, and then sip the rich hot chocolate with the churro. Give me some more of these sweets, please.

– Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter

Biscuit – Waxed Hi-Fi

These are the best biscuits I’ve ever had. When I talked to the chef and owner TJ Johnson of Wax-On Hi-FiHe told me these were a customer favorite and I can easily see why. A family recipe made with honey miso sauce, which gives the biscuits a moist center and adds a sweet flavor while maintaining their golden brown crispy exterior. I ordered the two-piece, but do yourself a favor and opt for the five-piece; You won’t regret it.

– Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter

SEE MORE: Wax-on Hi-Fi combines beats and flavors in downtown Los Angeles

Curry with rice and fried chicken – Wax-On Hi-Fi

I’m not a fan of curry but this Japanese-inspired curry mixed with Southern spices in fried chicken It made me reconsider my own taste. Curry pairs perfectly with white rice and fried chicken, feeling like a natural harmony of flavors. The chicken remained juicy throughout, and the more time the dish spent soaking in the curry, the better each bite became.

– Charlie Vargas, Features Reporter

Labor Wednesday license plate – Best in the Park

In Los Angeles—and especially in Echo Park—it can be difficult to find a restaurant that combines top-notch food with reasonable prices. The Park’s Finest does just that; Filipino barbecue, quality service and wait times are so good that you’ll question why you haven’t come across it before. I popped in on a Wednesday night and was delighted to find the Labor Wednesday special: a plate of coconut steak (my favorite), hot link medley, pulled pork, sugar-coated chicken, veggie medley, cornbread bibingka (my second favorite), and rice. Great for fickle eaters like me who want to try a little bit of everything.

– Dorothy Elder, Audience Engagement Producer

Patty Melt – High Horse Hall

If I glance at a menu and see that the meatballs are melting, I almost always order them. In the pre-Ssmashburger days, the few times I could find American cheese on a burger outside of a fast-food joint, it would be on patties. over there High Horse Hall In Fullerton, the beef patty (medium rare, please), American cheese, grilled onions on sourdough stands as one of the best I’ve enjoyed in OC lately.

– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

Maple Bar – DK’s Donuts

After checking out a new restaurant offering delicious but fancy dessert options, I headed there immediately. DK’s Donuts in Costa Mesa for a pre-dessert dessert. A plain, unfilled maple stick did the trick. It always happens. In the age of sourdough starters and artisan donuts with interesting flavors, I still prefer a classic late-night diner that raises the standards to sugary perfection. Bonus: The dot-and-dash interior seating is a welcome throwback to ’50s diners.

– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

SEE MORE: Here are the new dining offerings at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles

Sliced ​​Cheese Pizza – Johnny’s the Bronx Pizza

While doing research Best places to grab a single slice in OCI didn’t forget to mention my weekly waiting time: Johnny Bronx Pizza In Corona Del Mar. My order? A simple but generously sized slice of cheese that always arrives hot to the table with a crispy, foldable crust. The tables here have all the ingredients you need: garlic powder, paprika, parmesan sprinkles, salt and pepper. The service here is also outstanding in that, contrary to its Bronx name and everything it suggests, it is always warm and friendly.

– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

San Juan Blue Tortilla – Campesino Cafe

During a media event Ecology Center Someone extended a warm hand to me for the K-12 Farm to School Summit, where we educators and farmers gathered to learn more about the state’s farm-to-school movement and focus on helping more California K-12 schools fundraise for local and regenerative school lunches. Blue corn tortilla in the middle of an interview. San Juan Blue Tortillas, officially known as. at the Ecology Center’s Community Tables dinner series and Campesino CafeSoft, unadulterated tortilla made using ingredients collected from the farm’s soil was one of the highlights of the day.

– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter

Bonus from the Bay Area

Pizza – Montescaro

I stopped by while in San Francisco Montesacro In the city’s Mid-Market neighborhood, I lusted after the casal bertone pizza, a guanciale-laced wonder. I could smell the distinctive funk smell of smoked meat from across the dining room. A hint of pecorino romano powder added to its playfulness, balanced by a drizzle of chestnut honey. Each pizza comes with its own cutter so guests can cut slices to their preferred size.

– Brock Keeling, Restaurant Reporter