Plugs — Tessa Naso

L.A. food, drink, and leisure recs from an in-demand restaurant publicist + LINKS

Plugs is The Angel’s recs column. Every week, you’ll get six picks—a restaurant, a bar, a shop, an ingredient, a person, and a treat—from someone in Los Angeles who knows what they’re talking about, plus a selection of Angel-curated links. (Plugs are for paid subscribers of The Angel only; upgrade your subscription to receive all six!)

#86 is Tessa Naso, a marketing and communications consultant specializing in the restaurant industry. Tessa has overseen numerous openings and managed ongoing media relations for many of L.A.’s best and most beloved restaurants, including RVR, Dunsmoor, Saffy’s, Bavel, Bestia, Beethoven Market, Dante, and previously Horses and Damian. A New York native and graduate of the French Culinary Institute, she began her career on the East Coast, working in marketing for Eataly, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and Union Square Hospitality Group. Then, in 2014, she moved to Los Angeles to run public relations for Sprout LA, representing restaurants like Republique, Rose Cafe, Otium, Vespertine, and Destroyer. In 2017, she began working for herself and never looked back. Tessa is easily the most sought-after restaurant PR in town, and her taste in food reflects that. Here she is with her Plugs!

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Restaurant — Sushi Tomoki

My friends might kill me for spilling the beans on this spot, but I can’t help it. Sushi Tomoki is the place I find myself returning to most — and recommending always. When it opened in 2023, it was eerily quiet. The media still hasn’t caught on (fine by me), but the Valley sure has. Tucked in Studio City next to The Baked Potato, it’s wonderfully unassuming — the kind of place where the staff knows your name and Miley Cyrus eats like a regular.

My move is always the sushi bar, ordering an endless amount of nigiri à la carte. Don’t miss the uni or crab hand rolls — they might be my favorite bites in L.A. If decision fatigue hits, the omakase is a strong way to go. But if you’re like me, you’ll end with a second crab hand roll, no question.

Photo by Tessa Naso.