WHY Excellent and authentic Argentinean classics: empanadas, milanesa, white fish, huge platters of sizzling meat, mashed potatoes and bread pudding, all at more than reasonable prices. WHAT At this quirky café in the middle of a deli and meat market, patrons cheer their soccer team on TV or simply kibitz while munching on sandwiches slathered [...]
April 15, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY A friendly Irish pub in the heart of the Valley, with good beer (Guinness, Harp, Bass, Smithwick’s), well-made burgers and crisp fish ‘n chips. WHAT It’s a bit gloomy at first, but once your eyes adjust you’ll find a handsome room, friendly locals and fresh beer. If the bar’s too crowded, grab a table [...]
March 17, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Fresh tofu made on-site, as well as some vegan grocery essentials, including soy milk, tofu pudding and packaged vegan foods. WHAT Kevin Tran is L.A.’s king of fresh tofu. Come here to buy the good stuff, and allow time to eat in his amazing vegan Vietnamese café while you’re there. WHO A steady stream [...]
December 12, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The best old-school stand burger in the Valley. WHAT 84-year-old Bill Elwell has been making burgers on his vintage grill in this dumpy part of Van Nuys for decades, and something about the seasoning of the grill and Bill’s technique makes for the perfect fast-food burger, complete with orange cheese and a grilled white [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The best ice cream soda in L.A., if not the world. WHAT Set inside a pharmacy that sells a Cronenbergian array of medical devices, this retro-style soda counter serves a fantastic array of ice creams: Lappert’s, Cascade and Fosselman’s (including our fave, chocolate-dipped strawberry). But what we love most is how they use that [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY To savor top-quality Vietnamese and Thai cooking. WHAT Owner-chef Dan Nguyen, who seems omnipresent in this small, stylish café in Warner Center Shopping Plaza, has created a neighborhood gem offering Vietnamese and Thai specialties, including pad thai, sates, salads, curries and stir-fries. Don’t miss the wonderful pho and other noodle soups, the succulent, porky [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY To watch your order of sangak, a floppy, chewy, yard-long sesame-encrusted flatbread, pulled from the oven in front of you. WHAT Co-owner Reza Abdollahi once owned a flour mill back in Iran, and this expertise is no doubt why legions of fans willingly take a number and line up. The kebab menu looks familiar, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY To travel back in time in the heart of the Valley. WHAT Swiss-trained chef Ueli Huegli has transformed a tired Italian restaurant, with a menu pulled largely from the late, lamented Matterhorn Chef, where he used to cook. The extensive menu includes Italian pastas (handmade gnocchi is a specialty) as well as hearty Swiss-German [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Because there’s nothing like it in Tarzana: an upscale but casual spot serving the kind of food we like to eat. WHAT A couple of smart restaurateurs (they own 22 places around the country) opened Bleecker Street late in 2009, in affluent but restaurant-challenged Tarzana, and it took off like a rocket. The two-story, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Upscale Italian food and service of a higher caliber than you’d expect from such a modest-looking place, at prices that are more than fair. WHAT A real find in the west Valley, Adagio is all about comfort: a cozy but not too fancy setting, solicitous but not too formal service, and well-prepared Italian food [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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