Now Serving

"GO: to the city’s best cookbook shop, curated by former Cut chef Ken Concepcion and his wife and make-up artist Michelle Mungcal. Now Serving also happens to stock the coolest ceramics (graphic Mt. Washington Pottery bowls, otherworldly Minh Singer dishes), indie food magazines, and actually useful cooking tools (J.B. Prince tweezers!). BUY: all the cookbooks you could ever want, whether it’s a new release from a buzzy chef or an rare, out-of-print classic. Now Serving probably has it. THE VIBE IS: homey. Basket-like lamps loom over tables filled with the most stylish kitchen gear, while a big fig leaf tree flanks tall shelves with indie food magazines and cookbooks you’ll actually want to cook from. When visiting chefs and cookbook authors host cookbook parties or panels at the shop, it feels like one big house party. (Check the site for upcoming events.) PRACTICAL STUFF: Open Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Closed on Monday and Tuesday. —Elyse Inamine" - Condé Nast

"Bay area bakery pop-up, Estepan, will be at Now Serving on Saturday, April 27. Put in a pre-order for bread boxes with conchas and pretzels, or an individual order of shokupan. For sweets, malted milk chocolate chip cookies and misugaru banana bread are both available. Pre-orders are available online and close on April 26 at 5 p.m." - Rebecca Roland

"‘Le Corbuffet: Edible Art and Design Classics,’ $40 What could be more fitting for your artsy friend (bonus points if they attended the University of Michigan or do something like “graphic design”) than Esther Choi’s one-of-a-kind cookbook, where home cooking meets high-brow art? Probably nothing." - kat hong

"This quaint bookshop, nestled in the heart of Chinatown, is made for those rare, rainy afternoons in Los Angeles. (Though we’ve been known to use the stacks as a hiding place from the sun, too.) You could spend hours getting lost among the hundreds of curated cookbooks and knickknacks ranging from salt cellars to vintage bandannas all tucked away on the corner of North Hill Street. Not only does it offer an extensive range of unique reads, such as the Portuguese tea magazine Eighty Degrees, but Now Serving regularly hosts book signings and guest speakers with many of the authors whose work lines the shelves. Follow them on Instagram (@nowservingLA) to stay up to date on upcoming events."

"Rene Redzepi of Noma is once again going to be in Los Angeles, and this time he’s hosting an author event at Now Serving in Chinatown. The Thursday, October 18 event runs from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., with signed books available as well as a meet and greet with Redzepi and co-author David Zilber. Tickets are available now, and must be purchased in advance." - Farley Elliott