Little Fish

Big praise.

Jul 15, 2026

Sup readers? Though not the main food event of my weekend (see the Little Fish section below), I need to tell you about my experience this weekend at a Culver City neighborhood diner, Maxine’s.

There has been a lot of discourse lately about what it means to be a neighborhood restaurant: see Eater, Danny Palumbo’s recent letter, Alison Herman’s take, and past notes of mine on the topic. For me, Maxine’s embodies the definition.

Warm and hospitable in both atmosphere and service. Waiters interacting with regulars. Kids and dogs welcome. Walkable and easy to park at, for those coming from close by, or across town. A place for a totally comfortable, friendly experience. Tangible love poured into the cooking and the space.

At the end of the meal, when we told our waiter it was our first time, he said, “Welcome to the family.” That pretty much sums up the experience of dining at Maxine’s.

In today’s newsletter: A fantastic meal at Little Fish and lots of things newsworthy.

LITTLE FISH

I’m not going to lie, I was pretty stoked Friday morning when I received the LA Times alert that Bill Addison had published a review of Little Fish. I was even more stoked after reading it, since his notes were glowing. What timing! My reservation had been made days prior for 7:30pm that night.

Expectations were high. I’d heard and read other rave reviews about Little Fish, and though it may not be fair, I associate the Melrose Hill area with stellar meals I’ve had at Bar Etoile and Ètra. Throw a Bill Addison review into the mix, and let’s just say the bar was set.

We arrive and the restaurant is electric. The space is full, bright, energetic. People are sipping glasses of wine at the window bar. We’re led outside to enjoy wine on the sidewalk until our table is ready. The California chilled red is fantastic. It feels like summer.

Our group contemplates important decisions about what to order. The waiter scribbles the crudo special on the white paper tablecloth and shares his favorites about the menu. Eventually we recite our agreed upon selections to him: the daily crudo (yellowtail), tuna stuffed olives, a beach sandwich, seasonal melon, rockfish karaage (though on Friday it was actually cod), corn dumplings, french fries, and the half chicken.

The food is outstanding. Portions are on the smaller side, and we order just the right amount for a hungry group of four. We enjoy the beach sandwich so much that we put in a request for a second. The mussel, pepper, potato chip, and mayo layers just work on the airy ciabatta.

The cod karaage is unexpectedly light and the light fry lets you appreciate the high quality fish. With corn in season the dumplings are a buttery, sweet delight. And though it’s a fish restaurant, the chicken is absolutely killer: served with a flavorful jus, moist, deboned meat, and perfectly crisp skin.

I would order everything again except the tuna stuffed olives. They are served hot (I’m not sure why, but I was expecting them to be cold), and while I love olives and tuna, apparently I prefer them served separately. The yellowtail crudo was delicious, but it was a standard take on a popular menu item in Los Angeles.

Cheesecake for dessert was a swalty (sweet and salty) finish to an amazing meal. I would return again in a heartbeat.

If you haven’t already, check out my LA-focused takeover on We Scouted last week.
Pizzeria Sei’s new location is using DoorDash as its reservations platform. I have yet to make a reservation through DoorDash, but apparently need to since you get $12 in DoorDash credit after dining. I’m curious if Pizzeria Sei was paid to use DoorDash over Resy, the platform their original location used. Other notable restaurants accepting reservations through DoorDash in LA include Loreto, Beethoven Market, Seline, Gjelina, and Pijja Palace.
I’m looking forward to visiting the newly opened Bodega & Palms.
You can preorder Wong Farms mangoes so you don’t end up greeted by a sold out sign at the Hollywood Farmers Market like I was.