Mark Peikert

Face it, Angeleno: It’s Chinatown. And the menus there are often worth the cross-city trek. If you’re still thinking of cash-only, lazy-Susan feasts, well, there are still plenty of those around. But these days, you’re just as likely to stumble on a great burger, a Filipino feast, a natural-wine bar or a cure-all cocktail lounge. That’s the fun of eating and drinking in this particular neighborhood: Despite its name, Chinatown refuses to stay in one culinary lane. The neighborhood’s three main plazas—Far East, Mandarin and Central—are packed with everything from decades-old institutions to newer spots that have made the area into a destination in its own right. Come hungry, bring cash and be willing to explore. We’ve rounded up the Chinatown restaurants and bars worth a visit, whether you want a bowl of beefy pho, a double-dipped French dip, Nashville hot chicken or a great glass of wine.  RECOMMENDED: See more in our full guide to things to do in Chinatown

Getting seats to the best Broadway shows usually requires quite a bit of advance planning. But what if you haven't planned, and you urgently need to see a show tomorrow or even tonight? Don't panic: There are plenty of options for last-minute tickets, especially if you’re willing to put in some legwork. It partly depends on what you're willing to pay and how much risk you're willing to take—and, of course, on plain old luck. If everything goes your way, you might even luck into cheap Broadway tickets, great seats or a chance to see hit shows that you would never have been able to get into earlier. Here is our insider guide to buying last-minute Broadway tickets. The day before the show: Enter the digital lottery Many Broadway shows—including Aladdin, The Book of Mormon and Hadestown—conduct digital lotteries for cheap tickets on the day before each performance. In most cases, you enter the lottery online, then wait until later the same day to find out by email if you've won; if you do, you'll need to reply to the ticket offer within an hour or you'll lose your chance. A few shows, such as Wicked, do their drawings on the morning of the show itself; others have drawings once a week, notably the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child $40 ticket lottery and the $10 Hamilton lottery, both of which happen on Fridays and cover the week ahead. For a full list of shows that offer lotteries, consult Broadway on a Budget or Playbill's Broadway and Off Broadway listings. The morning of the s

The Hollywood Bowl is getting a serious dose of South Central L.A. For emajendat, visual artist Lauren Halsey will turn the amphitheater into a technicolor fever dream, complete with a custom stage set and a lineup that’s basically a who’s who of adventurous music. Erykah Badu and the Alchemist headline, bringing their soulful R&B and dusty hip-hop production to the Bowl ahead of their forthcoming collaborative album, while Anderson .Paak spins as DJ Pee .Wee, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea joins in, and Charles Gaines Collective teams up with L.A. jazz outfit Black Nile and Devin Daniels. Catch the maximalist spectacle on September 29; talk about it for weeks afterward.

Attention proud nerds: Anime After Dark is about to tip nerd culture into a deliriously playful burlesque fantasia at The Slipper Room. Expect a high-gloss collision of cosplay and cabaret as performers bring JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Spy x Family, Pokémon, Cowboy Bebop, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Ghost in the Shell and Sailor Moon to life with wit, heat, and precision. Featuring Lychee Mynx, Happy Bun Bun, Storm Psycho 6, Mae B. Koi and more. 

Tap your toes and enjoy the music at the 15th Annual Blue Note Jazz Festival, with performances running from June 1 through July 1. The festival pops up at major venues across NYC, including Sony Hall, Blue Note Jazz Club and SummerStage in Central Park. This year's performances include Ledisi, Durand Bernarr, Big Freedia, UMI, Bestin Conrad, Shabaka Hutchins, Kokoroko, Cymande, Take 6, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Jose James, BLK ODYSSY Louie Vega: Elements of Life and more. Here's the full lineup with ticketing info. 

Erstwhile podcast host and comic about town Marc Maron has been branching out into live music lately. He’ll bring both the laughs and the melodies with his Marc Maron Band for one night only this April 13 at Lodge Room. Joining him on the bill will be special guest comedians Blair Socci and Lara Beitz. 

The Sierra Club has organized this inaugural Earth Day concert, dubbed Sierra Sessions. Hosted by KCRW DJ Novena Carmel, the night will feature performances by eco-conscious songwriters and storytellers, including Hurray for the Riff Raff, Irene Diaz, Dr. Lyla June, Rising Appalachia, Rozzi and more. Each artist will perform a few songs in the intimacy of Village Studios and share reflections on nature and life on Earth. If you can’t make it in person, the concert will be streamed on YouTube on Earth Day, when the various chapters of the Sierra Club will also host watch parties. If you can make it to the show, stick around afterward for an after-party.

Whether you’re excited about or terrified by artificial intelligence, it seems to be here to stay. Creatives can learn how to work with AI at RenderCon—which offers a deep dive into the future of media, art and technology as it relates to AI. Hosted by the Render Network, the conference hosts artists—including L.A.-based Refik Anadol, the mind behind soon-to-open Dataland—developers and industry leaders for two days of talks, panels and hands-on workshops focused on real-world AI production workflows. Expect practical insights, demos of cutting-edge new tools and networking opportunities.

A Current Affair returns to Brooklyn with 70 premier vintage retailers on April 11 and April 12, offering thrifters access to some of the best deals around, not to mention rare and collectible designer vintage. Come out to the Industry City location in Brooklyn at 51 34th St. on Saturday and Sunday, and browse clothes, bags, accessories, jewelry and more. General admission is $21.88, but early-bird and weekend passes are also available at higher price points.

On April 18, 19, and 25 at the Broadway Comedy Club, veteran magicians Jim Vines and Carl Mercurio perform a comedic set of tricks and illusions that is especially tailored to delight young audiences—though the rest of the family is likely to enjoy it, too. And at just $25 a ticket, this is a surprisingly affordable Times Square outing for a larger group.

Celebrate sustainability in action at the Earth Day 2026 Festival, a free gathering from noon to 6pm in Union Square. Expect a full afternoon of climate-focused, family-friendly programming, including interactive workshops, live performances, "climate art" and activities. Dozens of environmental nonprofits and green businesses will be on hand, alongside sustainable food vendors, to make it easy (and fun) to learn how to live a little greener. 

It would be nearly impossible (or at the very least, incredibly time-consuming) to visit all of the restaurants in the Lower East Side. Luckily, Taste of the Lower East Side brings all of our favorites together in one place, and they are doing it all for charity. On Wednesday, April 29, dozens of the neighborhood's best restaurants, bars and small businesses are coming together to serve the best food and drinks in town. Pile up a plate with bites and drinks from Beauty & Essex, Freemans, Mia's Cocina and more. It is all going down at the Metropolitan Pavilion (125 West 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues). Tickets range from $300 for general admission and up, with proceeds going to  Grand St. Settlement.

Timed to the United States’ 250th anniversary, the American Folk Art Museum's Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States exhibition explores how vernacular art has shaped national identity. Using the museum’s collection, the show delves into the meanings of “folk,” “nation” and “patriotism” at the 2 Lincoln Square gallery. It offers a thought-provoking look at who is represented in American stories and how those stories change. The show runs April 10–September 13, then reopens October 8 and runs through February 28, 2027.

The inaugural Downtown NYC JazzFest brings five nights of live music to Lower Manhattan from April 22–26, taking over The Django, Roxy Bar and Club Room at Soho Grand. Expect a mix of rising talent and marquee acts, including Shayna Steele, Mark G. Meadows and Brian Newman, all celebrating downtown’s long-standing jazz legacy, where tradition meets experimentation in some of the city’s most atmospheric spaces. Tickets vary in price based on venue, from free Saturday and Sunday afternoon sets at Roxy Bar to $40 performances at The Django.

If you’ve been meaning to try COTOA, you still have time. But wait much longer, and you'll have to follow chef Alejandra Espinoza to a new address. The Michelin Bib Gourmand–recognized Ecuadorian restaurant is closing its original North Miami location later this month and relocating to a larger space just minutes away. The new COTOA is set to open Thursday, October 22 at 1111 NE 125th St., Suite 200, featuring more seats, more dishes and, mercifully, more room for anyone who has tried to herd a larger dinner party into the current space. RECOMMENDED: Miami Spice extends through Halloween for the first time in 25 years, giving diners a whole extra month of amazing deals COTOA opened its first standalone restaurant in April 2025 and quickly became a destination for Espinoza’s modern take on Ecuadorian cooking. The new 80-seat restaurant is designed to build on that momentum while giving the chef more room to explore her home country's food and culture. The new space will include a 60-seat dining room, a 10-seat bar and TOA, an intimate eight-seat private dining room. Ecuadorian artwork will also be incorporated throughout the restaurant, adding a cultural component to the experience alongside Espinoza’s cooking. Photograph: Courtesy COTOACevichocho at COTOA And yes, there will be more food. The larger kitchen lets COTOA add new dishes across the menu while keeping some of the restaurant’s existing signatures. (We're fans of the Pan de Yuca, the Mahi Mahi Manicero, and the C

If you've ever thought about traveling to Cuba, the Trump administration just made that tropical trip significantly more complicated.  The U.S. government has tightened restrictions on travel to the island nation, eliminating some previously authorized ways for Americans to visit the Caribbean country and adding new restrictions on certain financial transactions. The changes took effect September 30 as part of the Trump administration’s broader Cuba policy. RECOMMENDED: These are officially the best islands in the world to visit in 2026 The important distinction is that the U.S. has not imposed a blanket ban on Americans traveling to Cuba. U.S. citizens and residents can still visit under the categories of authorized travel established by the Treasury Department. But several of those categories have now become considerably narrower. One of the biggest changes affects professional travel: Americans can no longer use a general authorization to attend or organize professional meetings and conferences in Cuba. The Treasury Department says specific licenses may still be issued on a case-by-case basis, while those already in Cuba under the former authorization have until October 30 to leave the country. Educational travel is also getting a shake-up. The government eliminated the previous authorization for group “people-to-people” educational travel, which had allowed Americans to visit Cuba as part of organized educational exchanges. New rules require qualifying educational travel

Sometimes you feel like a nut, but have you ever felt like a Peanutter?  Planters is hiring three people to become its newest "Peanutters," an actual job title and easily the most aggressively nutty entry-level career opportunity in America. Starting in June 2027, the three hires will climb aboard the brand’s 26-foot-long NUTmobile and spend the year crisscrossing the country, seeing the U.S. from inside a peanut and meeting nut enthusiasts from all walks of life. RECOMMENDED: America’s most peaceful campground is located on this breathtaking New England coast, per new ranking The NUTmobile is exactly what it sounds like: a giant, 26-foot peanut on wheels. And no, Peanutters aren't just driving and waving at people; the position will also create social media content, work with local and national media, plan and execute events, and represent Planters at sporting events, festivals, college campuses and community gatherings. (And maybe occasionally fetch Mr. Peanut coffee and polish his monocle, we assume.) The gig is aimed at social media-savvy college graduates who are engaging storytellers and confident communicators. Applicants need to submit a resume and a short video explaining what they’d bring to the role. Creativity and humor are absolutely encouraged; nobody wants a dour Peanutter. There are some perks, too. The Peanutter position is full-time and features an annual salary, benefits and meal and travel stipends. Last year’s Peanutters traveled through 41 states, logged

If your ideal hotel amenity is a bedside ghost, America has plenty of haunted places where you can check in—and potentially never check out. USA Today's 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards has rounded up the country’s best haunted hotels, with properties ranging from grand historic resorts to a former ocean liner and, naturally, the Massachusetts home where Lizzie Borden’s father and stepmother were brutally murdered in 1892. (And yes, there's a new Netflix series about that one in case you don't know the bloody lore.) The list was determined through reader voting after nominations from a panel of experts and editors. Taking the top spot is the Fainting Goat Island Inn in Nichols, New York, a former railroad hotel dating to the 1800s. The inn is known for its historic charm and reported paranormal activity, including tales of a ghostly woman named Bertha and mysterious happenings throughout the property. Photograph: Courtesy Fainting Goat Island InnFainting Goat Island Inn RECOMMENDED: These NYC ghost tours will show you real-life horrors that took place in the Big Apple The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, lands at No. 2. The Ozarks hotel has a particularly grim backstory: It was once operated as a hospital by Norman Baker, a con man who claimed to have discovered a cure for cancer. Guests have long reported strange noises, apparitions and other unexplained activity.  The list then hops around the country, taking in Gettysburg’s Farnsworth House Inn, South

We love a good chop at a classic Chicago steakhouse, but we love it even more when it costs less than a buck. Yes, Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille is turning the clock back to 1979 this Friday, October 2, with a deal that looks like a typo: two of its Friday lunch dishes will cost just 79 cents each. The annual Flashback Friday promotion is coming to all three of Perry’s Chicago-area locations (Oak Brook, Schaumburg and Vernon Hills) and for 2026, the steakhouse is doubling the number of diners who can score the bargain. The first 200 guests at each location will receive a card redeemable for one of the two 79-cent meals.  Naturally, the most tempting option is Perry’s Famous Pork Chop Friday Lunch, the restaurant’s signature seven-finger-high chop in a lunch-sized portion. The pork chop comes with whipped potatoes, homemade applesauce and freshly baked bread. Perry’s describes its meaty process as a combination of curing, slow-smoking and caramelizing the chop before it hits your plate.  RECOMMENDED: Review: West Loop's Trino brings Latin American flair to the classic steakhouse experience View this post on Instagram A post shared by Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille (@perrys_steakhouse) The other 79-cent option is the newer Caramelized Prime Rib Steak Sandwich, made with pecan wood-fired prime rib that’s crusted and caramelized to order. It comes with French fries and horseradish cream. There are 100 cards available for each dish at every location.  Ther

If your idea of a relaxing Saturday involves starring in your own personal episode of Hot Ones, Boston's got you. covered this weekend. That's right: Spicetoberfest, the city’s fall festival of spice, food and culture, returns to Boston City Hall Plaza on Saturday October 3, and admission is completely free. RECOMMENDED: This South Boston Spanish spot was named one of America’s best restaurants of 2026, per The New York Times The fiery festival takes over the plaza’s North Terrace this Saturday from 11am to 6pm, bringing together local chefs, farmers, hot-sauce makers, food entrepreneurs, artists and small businesses for a day devoted to the joys of the fall harvest. The main attraction for chiliheads is the “Are You Brave Enough” Hot Sauce Challenge, running throughout the festival. There’s also a Spice Lane market packed with local hot peppers and hot-sauce makers, so you can discover your next favorite bottle (which might also make you question your life choices). Photograph: Courtesy SpicetoberfestSpicetoberfest The food lineup comes with a side of major cooking talent. Chef Morgan Spivey of Luxe P Kitchen Catering kicks things off at noon, followed by Greencrab.org’s Chef Mary Parks at 1:30pm. Chef Chris Faison from Hell’s Kitchen season 24 takes over at 3pm, and Yardie BBQ Delights’ Chef Audley Mills closes out the chef demonstrations at 4:30pm. And when you need to give your taste buds a rest, you can sip some milk and enjoy live music and cultural performances, incl

If you were to take bets on where America’s best new restaurant of 2026 would be, you'd have won big by picking Tempe, Arizona. (Has anyone ever picked Tempe before?) Yelp just unveiled its Best New Restaurants of 2026, a list of 25 culinary newcomers selected using a combination of review volume and ratings from January 2025 through June 11, 2026. And the number one restaurant is Filthy Animal, a jungle-themed restaurant in Tempe named after a line from Home Alone (if you can keep all of those disparate inspirations in your brain). RECOMMENDED: The best burgers in America to sink your teeth into The restaurant, from restaurateur Teddy Myers’ Pretty Decent Concepts, occupies a former P.F. Chang’s on Mill Avenue, where executive chef Rene Vargas works an open fire pit, turning out dishes that pull from Asian, Mexican and tropical influences. The decor goes all in on the safari fantasy, with leopard prints, lush greenery, dramatic lighting and stuffed exotic animals. Yelp describes the vibe as “sexy, dark and moody,” which is considerably more appealing than Rainforest Cafe. View this post on Instagram The menu is equally maximalist, with miso tomato-butter milk bread, tuna pineapple ceviche, beef tartare and roasted oysters with gochujang butter and Chihuahua queso. Yelpers are particularly enthusiastic about the lemongrass half chicken and lobster mac and cheese. There’s even a ’70s-inspired speakeasy, Drop Dead Gorgeous, tucked inside for pre-dinner cocktails

There's never a shortage of new places to eat in Los Angeles, which makes getting noticed a little like trying to get a reservation at the hottest spot in town. But two L.A. newcomers have managed to stand out from the pack, landing on Yelp’s list of the 25 Best New Restaurants of 2026. The local entries are Firstborn at No. 2 and Lucia at No. 19, with both restaurants bringing very different approaches to the fine-dining game. RECOMMENDED: Three Los Angeles hotels join the ranks of Michelin key recipients for 2026 Firstborn, the Chinese-American stunner in Chinatown, is the highest-ranked L.A. restaurant on the list—and the only Angeleno newcomer to crack Yelp’s top 10. Chef-owner Anthony Wang draws on his Chinese-American heritage and European culinary training for a seasonal tasting menu that evolves regularly. The restaurant occupies an art-deco space and has already earned Michelin recognition, but the food is what makes Firstborn particularly intriguing. The $68 prix-fixe offers three choices per course, with possible dishes including caviar blinis, duck sausage, crispy Chongqing fried chicken, duck fat rice and melon shaved ice. Cocktails lean into a sci-fi-movie aesthetic, while the lighting keeps things decidedly romantic. View this post on Instagram Meanwhile, Lucia brings a seen-and-be-seen vibe with its Caribbean dishes. Owner Sam Jordan and two-time James Beard Award finalist Chef Cleophus “Ophus” Hethington focus on the Caribbean diaspora with se

Sure, you could fly to Japan for cocktails. Or you could just head to Lincoln Park. This fall, Sushi-san’s underground Dojo is once again a passport to Japan’s cocktail scene with the return of Tokyo Last Call, a five-week pop-up bringing bartenders from some of the country’s most acclaimed bars to Chicago. RECOMMENDED: Two Chicago-area eateries made the New York Times list of America’s best restaurants, including this suburban Greek charmer Now in its third season, Tokyo Last Call runs October 8 through November 8, with each weekend dedicated to a different Japanese bar. And unlike previous editions, this year’s lineup is entirely Japan-based, making it a particularly concentrated tour of the country’s current cocktail culture. The series kicks off October 8–11 with Bar Nayuta and bartender Hiro Nakayama, followed by Kyoto’s Cocktail Stand Furek and bartender Ryuichi Saito from October 15–18. Bar Trench bartender Rogerio Igarashi Vaz takes over October 22–25, followed by The Bellwood’s Cole Nunley October 29–November 1. The series wraps November 5–8 with Yas Kawakubo of Punch Room Tokyo. Each visiting bartender will serve a four-drink menu built around spirits from House of Suntory, including Roku Gin, Hibiki Japanese Harmony, Toki and Toki Black whiskies. The cocktails will showcase each bar’s individual approach, while drawing on the traditional techniques and flavors that have made Japan’s cocktail scene such a global obsession. The Dojo itself dons a speakeasy atmosphere

Have you ever visited an iconic landmark and thought, "That's it?" You're not alone. A new study from luggage-storage company Stasher has examined Tripadvisor ratings for 665 attractions across the country, and there are some that travelers were less than enthused about. RECOMMENDED: These 10 U.S. hotels are a book lover’s dream come true The biggest mismatch belongs to a Los Angeles icon: the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It topped Stasher’s list of the country’s most overrated attractions, with an online popularity score of 94.4 out of 100 but a Tripadvisor rating of just 3.4 out of 5. That rating tied the Alamodome in San Antonio for the lowest among the 10 attractions on the overrated list. Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey came in second, followed by Plymouth Rock–Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Massachusetts. Not surprising, since it's just a rock. Six Flags Great America in Illinois, Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England also made the cut. And perhaps the most unlikely addition was the Central Park Zoo. Coming in at No. 6, the pocket-sized zoo's location wasn't enough for some reviewers, apparently, who found it underwhelming. But if the Walk of Fame and Six Flags are supposedly not worth your time, where should you go instead? Stasher’s underrated list offers alternatives, led by the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. It earned a 4.8 Tripadvisor rating while registering an online popularity score of just 21.8.

Anyone with an airline app on their phone knows that people are always trying to convince you to book low-cost travel ASAP. But here's one sale that would actually lose you money if you didn't act on it now. The annual Vegas 5-Day Sale is back with more than 180 limited-time offers, including deals on hotels, restaurants, shows, attractions and even weddings. RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in Las Vegas on the Strip and beyond Running through Saturday, September 26, the sale offers savings of up to 60 percent on select resort stays, plus other deals designed to trim the cost of a Vegas getaway. So if your fall calendar is looking a little too responsible, here's your excuse. Among the biggest hotel deals are up to 60 percent off at Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s Las Vegas, Horseshoe Las Vegas and The LINQ Hotel + Experience, with an included $50 food and beverage credit. SAHARA Las Vegas is also offering up to 60 percent off stays, while MGM Resorts properties—including MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, Park MGM, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur—offer 50 percent off room rates. There are plenty of ways to turn a hotel discount into an even more appealing package. Fontainebleau Las Vegas is offering up to 20 percent off rooms plus a $50 daily resort credit and free parking, while Wynn and Encore are offering up to 30 percent off resort rooms or 20 percent off tower suites, plus a complimentary buffet pass for two. The STRAT has rooms starting at $49 midweek and $99 on weekends, w

Mike Majlak has eaten burgers around the world. Now he’s decided to do something slightly more ambitious than posting a number between one and 10 about them: He’s opening a burger restaurant in Hollywood. The social media personality, bestselling author of The Fifth Vital and IMPAULSIVE podcast co-host is bringing his 10/10Burger concept to a brick-and-mortar at 1253 Vine St., set to open October 10. After all, if 10,000 hours makes you an expert at something, then Majlak can comfortably be called a burger expert after years of obsessing over what separates a merely good burger from one worthy of a perfect score.  RECOMMENDED: The best burgers in America to sink your teeth into The menu is straightforward. The signature 10/10Burger comes with one or two smashed beef patties, American cheese, grilled onions, pickles, a toasted potato bun and the brand’s signature 10/10 sauce. There’s The Old School, a classic burger with ketchup and mustard, plus a crispy chicken sandwich, homemade fries and a Cinnamon Toast Crunch milkshake to polish off the meal. “I’ve eaten hundreds of burgers around the world and spent my entire life figuring out exactly what makes the perfect burger,” Majlak said in a statement. “10/10Burger is a curation of everything I’ve learned along the way. We’ve taken this concept around the world to massive crowds, but having a permanent home in Los Angeles is a huge moment for me. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time, and I’m excited for people to finally be a