Restaurateur Jonah Freedman’s Guide to Silver Lake

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“I love the balance between urban and outdoor living,” says Toronto-born Jonah Freedman about Silver Lake, the Los Angeles neighbourhood where he lives and owns Freedman’s, a Jewish-American restaurant with a Parisian-bistro vibe. There’s Sunset Boulevard with its buzzy boutiques and coffee shops on one side, and the serene trails and dog park of the Silver Lake Reservoir on the other. Tucked into a strip mall, Freedman’s offers an alternative to the light, airy dining rooms typical of California (and beyond) thanks to its lush wallpapers, mahogany bar and milk-glass light fixtures. Less than a year after opening its doors, Freedman’s was ranked number four on the Bon Appetit Hot 10 list (one bite of a whitefish cigar or waffle latke and you’ll understand why), and Jonah was included in Forbes’ 30 under 30 Food & Drink list in 2019. This is his guide to Silver Lake.

enRoute Best breakfast sandwich?

Jonah Freedman Cuscatleca Bakery. The French roll with bacon, egg and cheese is amazing.

ER Best sandwich spot?

JF Ô Banh Mi. On Fridays they do a whole roasted pig. You get a nice crispy skin and a little au jus on the side. It’s pretty perfect.

ER Favourite Tuesday-night restaurant?

JF Speranza. Quick, casual, easy, all outdoors with a chill patio vibe. The lamb chops are always perfectly cooked.

Matzoh ball soup from Freedman's in Los Angeles
The dining area of Freedman's restaurant in Los Angeles

ER Best live music show?

JF Marty and Elayne at the Dresden. They’ve been playing there for over 35 years. They dress in flowy, black and bright-blue sequins. It’s quite a nostalgic show.

ER Favourite dive bar?

JF Ye Rustic Inn. They have amazing wings and fun karaoke. It’s a pretty rowdy place.

ER Go-to lunch spot?

JF Dune. I get fried-chicken shawarma, which comes wrapped in a housemade pita with tons of garlic sauce.

ER Best place for a stiff drink?

JF Tiki-Ti. Their Tiki cocktails are extremely potent. Don’t have more than two.

Jonah Freedman sitting at a booth
A gourmet hot dog from Freedman's in Los Angeles

ER Favourite neighbourhood overachiever?

JF Tsubaki serves small, ambitious Japanese plates and they have an amazing sake program.

ER Best bar food outside of a bar?

JF Rich’s BBQ outside of 4100 Bar. There’s a guy who has a little barbecue cart and he sells hot links and ribs. Get both.

ER Favourite neighbourhood landmark?

JF The architect Richard Neutra had a ton of homes in Silver Lake. I believe he used to live here as well, so going to the Neutra House is a cool option for the neighbourhood.