Restaurant reservations and economics, tacos, melons

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Pre-pandemic regulars disappeared from the dining room at Botanica, according to co-owner Heather Sperling, which she attributes to migration during COVID. Photo by Carter Hiyama.

Reporter Adam Iscoe exposes the auctioneers and private clubs making a profit on restaurant reservations. Behind most kitchen doors, restaurants are hemorrhaging money. Heather Sperling documented every dollar her restaurant spent over the course of a month. Stephanie Breijo spent months talking to chefs and restaurateurs about operating in crisis mode. Daniel Hernandez and the Food section team at the LA Times canvassed the city to find its best tacos. Aaron Lindell from Quarter Sheets uses summer melons from Weiser Family Farms in playful ways.