"lax" news and stories

As far as airports go, LAX has a lot going for it: the parking is cheap, weather delays are rare, and hey, everyone likes palm trees. But for a city that prides itself on culinary diversity, the terminals are woefully underserved. Starbucks? Generic "bar and grill" chains? Ugh. Where's the local flavor?

Thankfully, change is on the horizon. A host of concession contracts have been submitted to Los Angeles airports commissioners and the City Counsel, and if they're approved, passengers will finally get a glimpse of culinary diversity Los Angeles has to offer. Outposts of Park's Bar-B-Q (Korean barbecue), La Serenata de Garibaldi, (traditional Mexican), and Bertha's Soul Food (the fried chicken is legendary) are all part of the plans, according to the Los Angeles Times.

If you have ever flown into LAX, you have seen the Encounter Restaurant. The iconic building - a futuristic, spider-like construction - is one of LA's more famous landmarks because it is so recognizable. The restaurant is situated in the center of the structure, where the arches come together, and it rotates, giving diners a panoramic view as they turn past the building's glass walls. But the only encounter diners are likely to have with this restaurant now is a view from afar. The building that houses the restaurant has been shut down, deemed unstable by inspectors after a half-ton piece of stucco "fell off the underside of one of the arches and smashed into the eatery's roof." The arches don't provide nearly enough support for the restaurant itself and the structure hasn't been renovated in over 50 years. It will be closed for at least six months.

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