LA - Recommendations?

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

There are some good restaurants on La Brea, but Vito's ain't one of them.

Maybe they need to have street signs in Chinese for you as well as English?

LOL me no speaky engrish

la cienega..la brea...it's all spanish sounding to me

 

[retronotmetro]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

LOL me no speaky engrish

la cienega..la brea...it's all spanish sounding to me

Not Spanish . . . Los Anglish. You can always spot the transplants. They're the ones who try to pronounce "Los Feliz" with a correct Spanish accent.

 

[farfisa23]

Providence on Melrose is the best seafood place in LA. Prepare to pay through the nose. It is owned by an ex-Water Grill Chef and is super.

+1 on Angelini. If they have the Pigeon, get it, it's great, I think the best Italian in LA.

For Japanese, I really like TOT and Daikokuya (the ramen is slamming), both are hole in the wall places in Japantown and both perfect for a quick lunch near the hotel. Try the Soba at TOT.

If you want expensive and big scene, Cut, which is Puck's new place in the Beverly Wilshire is good. The rest of his LA places, I agree are totally played out but the beef here is fantastic. Same goes for Maestro's steakhouse in BH. Really good and really expensive.

Now I'm hungry.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by retronotmetro

Not Spanish . . . Los Anglish. You can always spot the transplants. They're the ones who try to pronounce "Los Feliz" with a correct Spanish accent.

Haha. "Sepulveda" is a good litmus test, too.

 

[farfisa23]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Haha. "Sepulveda" is a good litmus test, too.

My friend from Bombay calls it Seap-UL-vida. Try getting someone from the midwest to pronounce Figueroa. It's hilarious.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Originally Posted by farfisa23

Try getting someone from the midwest to pronounce Figueroa. It's hilarious.

Throw "Pajaro" at them.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

I second the guy who suggested Grace.

If you're shopping during lunch around Rodeo/Saks/Neimans/Barneys I really like The Grill (on the Alley). If you want some lighter fare then I like Oliver attached to Sports Club LA.
But, if you're around Robertson then like GetSmart I suggest Chaya.

If you want "cool" Japanse you can do without Koi and go to Katana which is across from the Mondrian and bridges the celeb hot spot and some normalcy gap.

But, all in all the ONE thing I miss most about LA and am craving sooooo bad is Zankou Chicken.

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Haha. "Sepulveda" is a good litmus test, too.
Normandie... I've heard people asking for "Nor-man-DIE."

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by whodini

Normandie... I've heard people asking for "Nor-man-DIE."
If you were there for Rodney King, you might have too

. Agree on the Angelini pigeon, also the suckling pig is great, but now is not the season. I would suggest an of the daily specials. I really wish we had Italian that good in San Francisco. For a casual lunch, the Little Next Door is pretty good. For dinner the Little Door is great for ambience on a very warm night. The food is only OK, but if you like couscous Royale, that is excellent there.

 

[tbone226]

All, thanks for the recommendations. I'll have to sort through this list and see where to go. Do any of you guys know any good fish taco places as well? Thanks again.

 

[farfisa23]

Originally Posted by SoCal2NYC

But, all in all the ONE thing I miss most about LA and am craving sooooo bad is Zankou Chicken.

You say that now, but I went to the one in East Hollywood a few weeks ago after not eating there for a long time.

It was kind of gnarly, if you haven't been in a while, you have a platonic ideal of what the Zankou is but it was really bleh. But that garlic sauce, it was still delish.

 

[farfisa23]

Originally Posted by tbone226

All, thanks for the recommendations. I'll have to sort through this list and see where to go. Do any of you guys know any good fish taco places as well? Thanks again.

Senor Fish downtown on 1st is really good. I think they may be a lunch only spot.

La Serenata De Garibaldi in East LA and Santa Monica are both good for fish tacos too.

If you are in Silver Lake, El Siete Mares on Sunset has really good ones too. It's a dive, but you can sit outside and watch the hipsters grub down.

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by tbone226

All, thanks for the recommendations. I'll have to sort through this list and see where to go. Do any of you guys know any good fish taco places as well? Thanks again.
I can't think of any "stands" that have fish tacos worth talking about. Some might mention Wahoo's but I think Sharky's is easily the best chain for seafood tacos. Their fish tacos are simple and delicious as are their tempura shrimp burritos. Señor Fish, like farfisa mentioned, is decent. I personally think Sharky's is better.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Originally Posted by farfisa23

You say that now, but I went to the one in East Hollywood a few weeks ago after not eating there for a long time.

It was kind of gnarly, if you haven't been in a while, you have a platonic ideal of what the Zankou is but it was really bleh. But that garlic sauce, it was still delish.

I've only ever been to the one off Sepulveda/Santa Monica that I would frequent about once a week when I lived in Westwood.

 

[dapperdude]

Roy's. It's a few blocks from your hotel and is pretty amazing, serving "Hawaiin Fusion Cuisine."

There are great restaurants all over the area but that's probably one of the best or the best downtown.