WHY For dozens of beers on tap, mainly Californian, Belgian and German brews, which you can try in four-ounce, five-shot sample flights. WHAT This aptly named bar has a polished professor vibe with better-than-average bar food: chipotle shrimp quesadillas, a solid build-your-own beef, turkey, veggie or salmon burger, and salmon fish ‘n chips that tastes [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY NYC chef Laurent Tourondel understands the true meaning of the Holy Trinity: meat, potatoes and pastry. WHAT There are a lot of things to like about BLT: sauces that are actually worthy of the top-quality steaks (three-mustard, chimichurri); non-beef mains that are often even better than the excellent steaks; potatoes nine ways (the gratin [...]
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WHY A sandwich institution of stomach-stretching proportions. WHAT Busy Bee earns its reputation on both quality and quantity: the locally famous deli is home to a cast of hulking sandwiches. It’s a no-frills place, a convenience store that happens to house a great sandwich counter. The cold subs are plenty filling (mortadella, tuna, prosciutto and [...]
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WHY A plate of retro charm and a side of rock ‘n roll. WHAT A key in the rise of Retro Row—the vintage-loving stretch of 4th Street famous for its pin-up poses and deadstock designs—the Pike is owned by former Social Distortion drummer Chris Reece. The bar is themed around the icons of lost Long [...]
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WHY Cute knotted pretzel buns from Dolce Forno, house-made pickles and BBQ-style ketchup. WHAT This tiny burger joint may be nearly impossible to find (look for the Winchell’s on Wilshire just east of the 405), but it’s worth the effort. Longtime caterer Bill Dertouzos says he got tired of paying a fortune for top-quality burgers [...]
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WHY Really fantastic café food: sandwiches on fresh bread, homemade soups, a perfect chopped salad, wonderful desserts. WHAT The bakery and café from the husband-and-wife chefs at Rustic Canyon, Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan, is a place of deafening noise and recession-resistant crowds, who line up at breakfast and lunch to order pricey ciabatta sandwiches [...]
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WHY For what is quite possibly the best burger in town. Sorry, Father’s Office. WHAT Adam Fleischman takes burgers very, very seriously. He grinds the beef from flap steak and short ribs, gets soft, shiny yet sturdy buns from a Portuguese bakery, and offers such toppings as grilled onions, parmesan cheese crisps and shiitake mushrooms. [...]
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WHY ‘Humpday’ dinners, a complete family meal for four for $40 to $52, and Monday pasta dinners for less than $40 for four. WHAT Katie Trevino brings her business savvy, gregarious personality and network of Hancock Park friends to this gourmet takeout place in a handsome restored bungalow, and partner Michael Beglinger brings his decade [...]
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WHY Bacon maple doughnuts. WHAT This retro diner at Main and 5th (5th being called ‘the Nickel’ by the tougher locals in this hardscrabble neighborhood) has won local fame for bringing L.A. the bacon doughnut. But that’s not the only thing worth eating here. Come for any of the very good breakfast dishes, like the [...]
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WHY Cheeseburgers and peach pie with vanilla ice cream. WHAT Want to make your guests happy without spending a fortune? Serve them burgers and pie from Pie ‘n Burger, Pasadena’s revered diner. It caters for parties of 50 or more, either burgers (including veggie) and pie or barbecue chicken and tri-tip and pie, with the [...]
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