Start with the unusual persimmon and avocado salad with endive and red onion; the blend of sweet, bitter, sharp, and rich (I like my salad like I like my men) isn't wholly intuitive but really works. The ingredients get arranged in layers so you can scoop a little of each with every bite; buttermilk dressing smoothes spikier edges. Distinctly unphotogenic ricotta dumplings, oblong beige lumps in a brownish broth, make up for their homeliness with comforting depth; the dumpling wrappers are pleasingly toothsome.
The Hummingbird, chef Ricardo Zarate's irreverent ceviche shack perched in Echo Park, is one of those iykyk restaurants that has quietly become a locals' favorite and even lured some Westside regulars for its lip-puckering ceviches, Nikkei hand rolls, and aji-spiked risotto de mariscos. Zarate (of Picca and Rosaliné fame) feels both at his most relaxed and confident in the casual space, often behind the counter portioning out dishes himself.