Nic's On Beverly (CLOSED)

Even as the most cheese-loving omnivores, we think about the vegan pizza at Nic’s on Beverly a little more than we’d care to admit. The fluffy-doughed square pies still feature cheese, though it’s nut-based, and the satisfyingly crisp edges of each slice only prove that Detroit-style pizza can be made—and made well—totally vegan. But Nic’s on Beverly is so much more than the pizza: The plant-based American restaurant from Nic Adler, Jason Eisner and chef Steven Fretz also serves house-cut fries, Southern-style fried oyster mushrooms with silky potato purée and gravy, and piled-high burgers in both a meat-inspired and a truffled falafel version. When it’s open, the back patio feels like a secret garden—and the perfect place for a glass of frosé or three. Since Chef Jared Simons, formerly of cult-favorite Taco Vega, took over the kitchen, this restaurant is a solid number one.