GUIDE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Weekends in a 9 to 5 world are sweet, sweet bliss, and that’s especially true in Los Angeles. The city swells with people looking to have a good time, and restaurants put out their best during these busiest few days. Many restaurants offer dishes reserved especially for the weekend—sometimes because the dishes require hours to cook, other times for tradition, but mostly in the spirit of rest and relaxation with family and friends. We’ve gathered up 17 of LA’s best weekend specials for meals worthy of those precious Saturdays and Sundays, listed in alphabetical order.

It’s All Good House of Kabob

Out in Reseda, It’s All Good House of Kabob is an aptly named Persian restaurant from Medhi Ghasemil that regularly serves excellent kabobs and koobideh. Most legendary is their weekend-only biryani, a rare lamb dish local to Isfahan, Iran. A browned patty of cinnamon-seasoned ground lamb is nestled between two warm, fluffy rounds of pull-apart wheat flatbread. Most visitors declare the trip to be worth it for this specialty alone. -PM

JiST Cafe

As if weekend-only dishes aren’t hard enough to snag, JiST Cafe adds an extra dose of scarcity with the Lucky Ducky. The surprise brunch item can be found at the Little Tokyo Japanese diner on random weekend days. The specialty involves two sunny-side-up eggs and duck confit over Chinese scallion pancakes. JiST Café has many other delicious brunch offerings like chashu hash and chocolate chip and banana pancakes, so we’re willing to gamble a few weekend mornings for a chance sighting of the Lucky Ducky. -PM

La Estrella

Menudo is a Mexican soup commonly served on Sundays, often as a kind of hangover cure. La Estrella in Boyle Heights has been serving their menudo for over 30 years, and has a loyal following on L.A.’s Eastside. The spicy red broth contains beef tripe, onions, lime and chopped cilantro for a reviving start to your Sunday morning. You can also find exceptional tacos in the truck outside the restaurant any day of the week. -PM

Metro Balderas

While carnitas is usually just one option in a carnivore’s list, at Metro Balderas selecting slow-cooked pork is only the tip of the iceberg. The small Highland Park taqueria offers 8 different cuts of carnitas on the weekends: maciza (pork shoulder), costilla (ribs), cuerito (skin), trompa (snout), oreja (ears), buche (stomach) and even nana (uterus). Sample a few or try the mixed carnitas taco; there’s no wrong answer here. -PM

GUIDE CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE