Stellar places for takeout and outdoor dining

Oxtail stew. Butter chicken. Miso salmon. If anyone suggests that restaurants are fading, just point them in the direction of a new list of 12 terrific places that offer takeout and outdoor dining. The list, from restaurant critic Bill Addison (for whom I am subbing today), includes new pop-ups, cherished institutions and restaurants “that fall somewhere in the middle.” Their locations range from Hermosa Beach to El Monte, from Mid-Wilshire to Windsor Hills.

Here is some of what Bill has to say about Barsha (in Hermosa Beach): “In the seemingly infinite multiverse of Los Angeles dining, the galaxy of North African cuisines feels comparatively under-represented. Thinking this over led me to Barsha in Hermosa Beach.”

Owners Adnen and Lenora Marouani “opened the restaurant in late 2019 (they have a wine bar with the same name in Manhattan Beach), entwining Tunisian flavors into their Cal-Med menu.

“Subtle, dusky-sweet spice runs through mosli (seared chicken in a vegetable stew, here reimagined with quinoa); light-handed lamb meatballs float atop m’hamsa (Tunisian couscous) in tomato broth and a dollop of herbed labneh.”

Are you ready to order? We thought so.

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If you’ve been dreaming of fried fish sandwiches, columnist Jenn Harris offers a list of some favorites. “Sometimes,” she writes, “it feels as if the forces of the universe are conspiring to create a food of the moment. That food, at this moment, is the fried fish sandwich.” Many of these sandwiches can trace their origins to two famous golden arches, but their creators have expanded the fried fish ecosphere to include Pacific striped bass, cod, sushi-grade albacore tuna and tilapia. Think of it as a dream lineup for pescatarians — and anyone else who loves fried fish.

The fried cod sandwich from Oui on Melrose is topped with dill pickles and a tangy tartar sauce.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

If your future includes cooking, columnist Ben Mims has a compelling menu that acknowledges the rituals of spring, including Easter. “Lamb? An absolute must. New potatoes? Of course! And mint? The more, the better,” Ben writes, adding, “If my food doesn’t bring to mind visions of running through a lush field while flowers burst forth and songbirds alight on a branch, I’m not doing it right.” These dishes “commemorate everything bright and new about this time of year.”

This chewy coconut cake with milk chocolate glaze is more like a candy bar in cake form.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)