WHY Juicy carne asada burritos, tacos al pastor, famously fiery salsa roja, a divey bullfighting decor, and a 4 a.m. closing time. WHAT Some complain about the long lines and the fact that they charge 40 cents for the salsas, but this is just petulant whining. El Taurino is a gift to Angelenos, and not [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The mulita, a sort of taco-quesadilla hybrid made with two fresh corn tortillas encasing meat, cheese, guacamole and salsa—the L.A. sandwich of your dreams. WHAT Tortillas are made fresh here all day, and the al pastor is slow-roasted on a vertical spit… clearly this is more than your typical strip-mall Mexican dive. Everyone gets [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For Chiu Chow noodles and nothing but: egg noodles with sliced pork; beef noodle soup; chow mein with beef, Chinese broccoli and oyster sauce; or, for special occasions, Pork Variety (aka intestines) noodle soup. WHAT Richly flavored, sustaining noodle soups and fried noodle and rice dishes from the Chaoshan region of southeastern China are [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The Cobb and Caesar salads, and the chance to sit in the same room with the people who greenlit the movie your kids saw last weekend. WHAT This clubby institution offers an old-school menu (shrimp cocktail, chicken pot pie, meatloaf) to its power-lunching Hollywood faithful. Even though some of the lunch-hour heat has migrated [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Simple, handmade and delicious trattoria fare, and fellow diners who remember what it means to dress for dinner. WHAT This showpiece of Celestino Drago’s mini-empire offers hearty regional cooking in an elegant setting. But all pretense vanishes when Celestino strolls from table to table, grinning and chatting as customers dine on dishes such as [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The exuberant Greek flavors go down well so close to the ocean. WHAT Don’t expect plate-smashing hokum at this modern Greek bistro, just very good food: feta bruschetta, grilled octopus, shrimp saganaki with tomato, basil and feta, grilled pita with a dip of olives and sun-dried tomatoes, lovely fresh-fish entrées, a hearty lamb pasta [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Exceptionally tender and tasty pork and beef ribs and pulled pork, smoked by Jay Nelson with oak and almond woods. WHAT A shack in the best sense of the word, JNJ is indeed a burger joint, but that’s not why you come here. You come for the honest-to-goodness barbecue: tender pork ribs, hefty beef [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The avocado tower, lobster salad and the tasting menu. WHAT Christine Brown combines flavors of the Mediterranean and the Pacific Rim in this color-washed bistro, and the results are generally quite successful. The ‘greens and grazing plates’ are typically big enough to share as a starter; half the room seems to get the avocado [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The best carne asada in the history of mankind, served on pressed-to-order tortillas. Remarkable birria (kid), too. WHAT Pay no mind to the graffiti and the bars on the windows, and step inside this friendly spot for gorgeous, grilled-to-order birria and carne asada, served in huge tacos, in burrito form or to go by [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Tasty chicken or carnitas tacos, vegetarian burritos and guac ‘n chips, just a block from the beach. WHAT A short stroll from the Hermosa Pier, this tiny stand makes the best fast food around. You can eat your tacos at the counter or at one of the teeny tables or, better yet, take it [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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