WHY For the best fast food on the Boardwalk. WHAT Now found in markets across the country, Jody Maroni’s sausages were first served at this little stand in the late ’70s. There’s nothing like a brat with grilled onions and peppers on a sunny summer day. WHO The circus of humanity that prowls the Venice [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Though not on the water, this is one of the best beach-town cafés around—and a perfect lunch stop if you’re driving up the coast. WHAT This branch of the Marmalade restaurant/caterer mini-chain serves wine and has an actual dining room, unlike the Santa Monica flagship. The draw is very good food in a casual, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Good, honest food served 24 hours a day—and valet parking is free during the day! WHAT An essential place to know about if you find yourself hungry on the westside at 3 a.m. Even at the more conventional dining hours, Izzy’s serves reliable matzo ball soup, pastrami sandwiches, bagels ‘n lox, brisket and all [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Sunny-side-up tables overlooking the Venice Boardwalk and the beach beyond. WHAT Of the parade of tourist-bait sidewalk cafés on the Boardwalk, this has been our favorite since the ’70s, when sandwiches with avocado and sprouts were considered exotic. Today we like the egg scrambles, turkey burgers and big salads. WHO Aged hippies and a [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Omelets made with a variety of interesting sausages; goat cheese salad; tender brisket. WHAT High-backed wooden booths, chalkboard menus and retro tile make for a setting of Rockwellian charm, just the place to wallow in the comfort of eggs, sausages, pancakes, fashionable salads and hearty entrées. Locals come for an early supper with a [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Tables on the sand, smack in the middle of Santa Monica Beach. WHAT This longtime on-the-sand café is now part of the public Annenberg Beach Club next door. The straightforward fare is pretty much the same—nothing amazing, but that omelet, breakfast quesadilla or burger tastes so much better when the sun is sparkling on [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For house-roasted organic coffee, properly robust, to take home by the pound or order in a cup. WHAT Don’t expect to hang out in this miniature storefront—it’s a place to buy good whole beans to take home or a tasty brewed cup or latte to take with you. 2908 Main St., Santa Monica, 310.392.9243, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Hand-cut steaks, house-made sausages and excellent prepared salads and sandwiches. The butcher will even custom make your favorite sausage if you bring in the recipe and buy at least five pounds of it. WHAT A throwback in the best sense of the word, Bob’s has personal service, a quality butcher counter, an excellent deli, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The great retail fish market Santa Monica has long depended upon, as well as a much-needed casual oyster bar, which had been curiously lacking in this oceanside city. WHAT This longstanding market has seafood galore, of course, along with beer, wine and everything you might want to rub beneath gills and between tentacles. Skip [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For excellent homestyle sweets: German chocolate cake, banana pudding with vanilla wafers, layer cakes, cupcakes, whoopie pies and lemon squares. WHAT This nostalgia-driven bake shop dressed in retro colors turns out desserts that owner Susan Sarich found on her grandmother’s recipe cards. Several more locations, including Calabasas (23653 Calabasas Rd., 818.591.2223) and Manhattan Beach [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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