I know, I know. I was supposed to write to tell you all about Jersey Boys and I just haven't gotten around to it. Bad A! But I've had this post percolating for a while (I think about it every time I go anywhere to eat anything), so here goes: let's talk about food!
A's best yummy food places in LA!
1. Palms Thai Food, Sunset Boulevard
If you love Thai food, as I do, and you're ever in LA and on Sunset Boulevard for some reason, and looking for a spot to grab a bite, this is THE place. It's an enormous place (valet parking too), but it's not too busy on weekdays at lunchtime. I had the green curry (heavenly) and R had the chicken satay. Apparently on the weekends they have a Thai Elvis impersonator. Mental note: see this before I leave L.A.
(Photo courtesy of Palms Restaurant)
2. ROC, Little Osaka, Culver City
Best. Chinese. Food. I. Have. Ever. Eaten. R, L and I visit fairly regularly, usually when they need a break from their MCAT prep together with comfort food. Get the dumplings. And the shrimp with peppers. And the 3 cup chicken. And the Chinese Broccoli. AND THE SCALLION PANCAKES! Bliss. The cool thing is that you order and share. The point is not to order your own dish and gobble it on your own, so it's very sociable.
(Photo courtesy of TimeOut)
3. The Perch, Downtown L.A.
This place is a french-ish bistro on the 13th floor of an old building in Downtown LA. It has an incredible view of the Downtown skyline, which is gorgeous at sunset. It also has a beautiful patio area to sit on and the food is sublime. I had a sirloin steak with truffle fries (heaven; not paleo) and white chocolate bread pudding for dessert. Oh. My. God. I've been fantasising about those fries ever since! Once you've had your dinner, you can head upstairs to the rooftop bar, with its 360 degree views of the city and its faery-light trees and live music (obviously). Just make sure you book, especially if there are more than two of you.
4. Hide Sushi, Little Osaka
Literally the best sashimi I've had in my life. And then there are the dynamite scallops. No words.
5. M Cafe, Beverly Hills
This cafe does macrobiotic food only, and it is super delicious. R initially brought me here for ginger lemonade (we have a mutual appreciation of all things ginger). Can I just say: YUM. The next time we came around, we had a seared albacore salad. Big, delicious, excellent. And they have great fries, but the portions are HUGE.
So those are my favourite budget-unfriendly places. If you're looking for something cheaper and faster:
6. Five Guys
This is a franchise that started on the East Coast. They have super yummy, yummy burgers, and they use actual meat - no pink sludge here. They also have some of the best fries around, and you can request special spice. MMMM. Oh, and you can get peanuts to nibble on while you wait! You can pick your burger toppings, and in fact, depending on your eyes:stomach ratio, you can get all of them. Oh, and did I mention that the burger toppings are free? Just remember to get the little burgers and the small fries, because otherwise you'll get American sizes. They're in competition with...
7. In 'n Out
This is a fast food place that also does really great burgers with fresh ingredients (again, no pink sludge here, no sirree). Their fries are skinny and real potato too - you can see them slicing the potatoes in the kitchen. They are also mad cheap, and they have a bunless option, as does Five Guys. In 'n Out can be found only in California - it's a family business that's doing very well and doesn't want to expand. There is always a crazy queue extending out the door. The drive through backs up the whole way down the street. Did I mention there's one just across the road from where I live? Danger. R prefers these burgers, I prefer Five Guys, but really, they're both great for fast food burger joints.
8. 800 Degrees, Westwood and Santa Monica
These guys do Neapolitan pizzas, and they do them well - think thin crust, a combination of white mozzarella and parmigiano plus whatever toppings you like. I LOVE these pizzas, and they're not American sized, so if you share with a friend, you won't even feel too guilty! Cheers to that!
9. Wurstkuche, Arts District
This German sausage (harhar) place is in the Arts District, Downtown L.A. They do old school German hotdogs with an exhaustive variety of different sausages and whichever toppings you like. They also have DELICIOUS ginger beer. Mm-mm-mmmmm. I got the bockwurst sausage with onions - simple, but absolutely delicious and spicy. It went down a treat with that ginger beer and had the added benefit of reminding me of home (Raiths anybody?).
10. Eggslut, Grand Central Market, Downtown L.A.
On one of our Downtown excursions, R and I found ourselves starving and in Grand Central Market. It was a Thursday morning, so the Market was quiet, and of course, who could resist eating at a place with the word 'slut' in the name. It won't surprise you to hear that they're good with eggs. They even do coddled eggs! WHO EVEN DOES THAT!? I had a bacon and egg roll for $7 - and it was delicious. Of course, I was very hungry, so I'll have to go back, just to double check. Oh, and their orange juice is freshly squeezed. Yum yum!
And if you want something sweet:
10. Van Leeuwen Ice Cream truck, Abbot Kinney Boulevard, Venice
Get the Caramel Sundae: ginger ice cream, wafer bits and caramel sauce. Holy guacamole.
11. Sprinkles, Beverly Hills
Sprinkles does cupcakes and ice cream. They're well-known for their red velvet cupcakes, which are unbelievable. The other day, a week ago in fact, I had a major craving for cupcakes, so we headed towards Beverly Hills, only to be thwarted by B. Obamas bajillion roadblocks. Never have I disliked anyone as much as I did the 'leader of the free world' that morning. Seriously, why must he block off every damn road between me and my cupcakes! We ended up heading to the Sprinkles ATM (yes, you read that correctly: a cupcake atm) at midnight, and found that the Sprinkles ice cream shop was open. Enter the rocky road/red velvet cupcake ice cream sandwich. Death by sugar. Worth it.
12. Three Twins, Main Street, Santa Monica
I know the name makes no sense. Deal with it. While you're struggling with the name though, make sure you're nibbling on a mexican chocolate and caramel truffle waffle cone. It will make the battle much easier. Also walk the two blocks to the beach to eat that ice cream, preferably at sunset. Watch out for the cyclists.