Celebrate Super Bowl Sunday in L.A. with the best wings and dips
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- Upgrade your wings and dip for Super Bowl Sunday.
- The water unexpectedly released from dams on Trump’s order didn’t help farms or L.A.
- What’s that smell? Readers share the scents that remind them of L.A.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
The best wings and dip for Super Bowl Sunday
Super Bowl LIX kicks off tomorrow in New Orleans as the Kansas City Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Chiefs will be looking to win their third Super Bowl in a row, and Taylor Swift will likely be cheering again for Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce from the stands.
Along with the game, eyes will be on L.A. native Kendrick Lamar when he takes the stage for the halftime show. He is expected to perform his Grammy-winning hit song “Not Like Us,” which calls out rapper Drake for alleged sexual misconduct, pedophilia and a host of other transgressions.
As excited as some folks are about the matchup and halftime show, others are just as excited about what they are going to eat during the game.
Can’t chow down in New Orleans for the Super Bowl this year? No problem. There are plenty of food options to choose from in L.A. or to make at home yourself. Here are some of the best.
Head to an L.A. wing spot
Whether you’re looking for takeout or delivery options during the Super Bowl, wings are always a great choice. My colleagues on the food team pulled together a list of the best places for wings — where you can get them grilled, smoked or fried; bone-in or boneless; rubbed with herbs and spices or drenched in a variety of sauces.
On the edge of Koreatown, Chimmelier is serving up Korean fried chicken wings doused in soy garlic and sweet gochujang sauces.
In Inglewood, American Deli is offering Atlanta-style wings rubbed with lemon pepper seasoning.
For wing traditionalists who are content with hot wings doused in orange buffalo sauce, the Escondite in downtown L.A. is serving some of the best in town.
Make some dip at home
What’s a Super Bowl party without some dip? My colleague Jenn Harris offers up eight options that should whet your appetite.
For the queso lovers, this pimento queso dip combines Velveeta cheese and jarred, chopped pimento peppers for the best rendition of a Tex-Mex queso.
If you’re plant-based, this vegan spinach artichoke dip is a good option. It calls for Marcona almonds instead of cheese, and garlicky sautéed spinach and artichokes, creating a creamy — creamless — dip.
Guacamole enthusiasts will enjoy this spicy California roll guacamole from cookbook author Alyse Whitney. She turns the popular sushi filling into a dip, mixing imitation crab, Kewpie mayonnaise and fiery Sriracha with smooth guacamole.
Whatever your appetite calls for, just remember to keep your TV on, no matter what Kendrick Lamar tells you.
The week’s biggest stories
A month after L.A. firestorms, essential questions still haunt Southern California
- The region is still grappling with basic questions about what caused the blazes, why evacuations were so chaotic and whether officials were prepared. Here are some key points from The Times’ fire coverage.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to Washington this week to secure federal disaster aid and build his relationship with President Trump.
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass selected a private consulting firm to assist with infrastructure restoration and environmental mitigation.
- Local authorities say a recent uptick in arson arrests was probably the result of increased public attention to common smaller fires, not the work of copycats.
- Meanwhile, the chance of a strong atmospheric river storm grows — as does the risk of mudslides in Los Angeles.
Mysterious land purchases within Joshua Tree National Park worry locals and environmentalists
- People with ties to the hotel industry are among the buyers and entities that have snapped up 22 parcels within the national park’s boundaries.
- Environmentalists and nearby residents are concerned that potential development by the new land owners could affect the fragile desert environment in the area.
Trump’s move to release more water from dams didn’t help farms or fire-devastated Los Angeles
- The Trump administration abruptly sent water flowing from two California dams. The action could leave less water in dams for the summer, when farmers typically use it.
- Trump pledged to “open up the valves” to bring the region more water — even though reservoirs that supply Southern California’s cities were at record levels (and remain so).
Migrants welcomed under Biden are fearful as Trump targets legal immigration programs
- President Trump has cut down pathways for legal immigration that offered a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of people who fled war and other political or humanitarian crises.
- Last fiscal year, the U.S. resettled more than 100,000 refugees — the highest number in three decades.
More big stories
- California breathes a sigh of relief with delayed tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
- The military paused sexual assault prevention training after Trump’s executive order on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
- Monterey County residents are suing energy companies after a massive toxic battery fire at Moss Landing.
- An asteroid could collide with Earth in 2032. What could happen if it hits, and should we worry?
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This week’s must reads
A couple looking for housing after the fires ran into scams, bidding wars and predatory landlords. When his Altadena home burned, Todd Smoyer was thrust into a desperate house hunt alongside thousands of other families. He finally found a home, but there were plenty of obstacles along the way.
“We haven’t been able to relax for a month,” Smoyer said.
More must reads
- Local bookstores become “community touchstones” in the aftermath of the L.A. County wildfires.
- A rising San Diego politician abruptly quit, citing “personal safety.” It raises a lot of questions.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected].
For your weekend
Going out
- 🌴 This year’s Modernism Week in Palm Springs provides a rare chance to step inside stunning Midcentury Modern homes, including Elvis Presley’s honeymoon hideaway.
- 🧑💼 Here are five easy exercises for your lower back to alleviate desk job aches and pains.
- 👃 What’s that smell? Readers share the scents that remind them of L.A.
- 🏙️ With a David Hockney show in Palm Springs, we visit the artist’s L.A. haunts.
Staying in
- 🍅🧅 It’s time to drop tomato and onion from your guacamole, our food editor writes.
- 📺 Netflix’s “Apple Cider Vinegar” tells the story of wellness influencer Belle Gibson, whose story of overcoming brain cancer turned out to be false.
- 🏳️⚧️ Laverne Cox and George Wallace offer a loving vision of trans families in “Clean Slate,” a new comedy series on Prime Video.
- 🧑🍳 Here’s a recipe for slow-roasted salmon with spicy radicchio and olives.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
How well did you follow the news this week? Take our quiz.
Which pop star closed out the Jan. 30 FireAid benefit concert in Inglewood with a pair of tunes from “A Star Is Born” followed by a new song written for the occasion with her fiancé? Plus nine other questions from our weekly news quiz.
Have a great weekend, from the Essential California team
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
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