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Places to Eat in LA — my favorites
When I travelled I met plenty of people who stuck to MacDonalds because they knew what they'd get. This page is not for those people. This is a listing of my personal favorite places to enjoy real meals worth having.
Some of my favorites by category - and some of other people's favorites.
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ Most Unique ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
The Magic Castle
7001 Franklin Ave, a block north of Hollywood Bld, between La Brea & Highland
Hollywood, CA
MagicCastle.com
The Magic Castle is more than just a place to eat. It's a night of continuous magic — with 3 theaters providing 5 unique magic shows from intimate close-up magic to a full-on stage show. It's a night of romance and elegance where women wear nice dresses and men wear ties and jackets. There's no other place in the whole world like it. Fine dining and even finer magic.
However, the Magic Castle is a private club so in order to dine there and see the shows, you must have a guest card given to you by a member.
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ Casual ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
New Meiji — Sushi & Chinese
5176 Wilshire Blvd, at Sycamore, between LaBrea and Highland
LA, CA 90036
(323) 931-7827
Open Monday - Saturday 10am - 9pm
The place isn't fancy; the food is excellent.
I love sushi and the prices here were so low that I just couldn't resist trying it. Now it's a favorite. If you love sushi, you'll be impressed by the quality and surprised by the price. If your companion doesn't like sushi, he can go for the Teriyaki, Japanese U-Don, or Chinese food. To give you an example of the prices, a normal-sized 6-piece roll is $2.50. A 14-piece combo of sushi, a 6-piece Tuna roll and 4 large slices of California roll (the Nigiri Special) is $7.95.
The tables are more like a fast food place than a restaurant so it's not a dress-up place. It's the place you can stop into on a whim. If you're visiting the museums on Wish ire and have a car, or are on your way across town, it's an easy stop. And if you remember, tell Karen, your chef and hostess, that Deborah says hello. New Meiji is one of my favorite places.
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Omega Greek Cafe
7015 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
Between LaBrea and Sycamore — just a couple of doors east of LaBrea
Open 7 days a week, noon to 11pm. Delivery all hours.
(323) 932-9768
Greek sandwhiches, Greek deli, Greek pizza.
The banner that caught my eye as I walked past said Gyro and Beer $6.95 all times. The man at the door, the lights, and the decor on a Thursday night as I arrived to try it said "fancy." This is a nice place that you can come to for any date or meeting. Top notch treatment without pretense — and terrific food. The meat in our gyros was thick, juicy, real, quaility. The bread was so perfect. This is no fast food gyro.
If you happen to be alone, you might choose to sit at the very nice bar and draw with the magnet shavings on the counter top. (I loved that stuff as a kid.)
Top quality in every way, prices you don't worry about for a second, even in these tight times.
(It's just a few doors from Pinks. I can't understand why people line up for that place when there are places like Omega Greek Cafe. I was so unimpressed by Pinks.) Omega will clearly be one of my places.
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- The original:
3701 Cahuenga Blvd, Studio City, CA (818) 760-8226
It's hidden in a tiny strip mall on the west side of the street. Has an outdoor patio with heat lamps.
- 10651 Magnolia Blvd, North Hollywood, CA (818) 994-8226
- 2635 W Olive Ave, Burbank, CA
- Sunset Plaza, 8555 Sunset Blvd (310) 652-7008
Mexican food that's not an Americanized chain. Great prices. Great Mexican. Cash-only.
When I want Mexican this is the first place I think of going to. It's the place I bring all my out of town guests. They don't serve a web burrito though.
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Baja Fresh
Several locations: There's one in Santa Monica, one at the Beverly Center in LA, another 11690 San Vicente Blvd. Just keep an eye out for them.
Not as Mexican as Poquito Mas, it's my second favorite for a burrito.
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Stefano's New York Pizza by the Slice
1310 Third Street, next to the AMC Theater on the Third St Promenade
Santa Monica
Phone (310) 587-2429
If you're from NY and seeking the kind of pizza you're used to, you'll be disappointed over and over in LA. But every once in a while you'll find a slice you can enjoy. I found it in, of all things, a place on a mall. I like sitting outside, enjoying the ocean air and people watching.
Thin crust slize - $2.25, or $2.50 with 1 topping
Sicilian slice - $2.50
Prices may have gone up since I was last there around 2005.
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Mulberry Street Pizza
347 N. Cañon Drive, Beverly Hills
Phone (310) 247-8100
I have not eaten here and have only had the take-out once. However, this place is famous for importing water from NY to make its very thin, crisp crust. It's owned and sometimes manned by actress Cathy Moriaty. This is not in the category of prices you don't think about. I think it's pricy for pizza. People call it good value though. I can't say.
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ Finer ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
Frankies — New York Italian Restaurant
7228 Melrose Avenue (corner of Alta Vista — between LaBrea and Fairfax
Phone (323) 937-2801
No Website
Frankies is all at once a classic NY neighborhood restaurant where long-time friends hang out at the bar or enjoy a good meal, and also a fancy dinner date place where you might enjoy live piano. I like it for lunch although the $5.95 lunch menu I used to enoy is gone and prices for lunch are now more like $7. (I love the Fried Calamari for $6.95 and often choose it as a place to meet friends.) It's a place where the waiters remember you and the owner's little grl sometimes helps out. The owners really are good old NY Italian.
I promise the website is no reflection of the restaurant, it's fine food, or the excellent service. Don't even bother with it. The info there is not complete or correct.
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Todai — All-You-Can-Eat Japanese Seafood Buffet Restaurant
Several locations. I love the one at the Beverly Center! (But didn't like the one in West LA at all.)
I was not keen on an all you can eat place of sushi but this place is amazing. There is so much there. Not just sushi and not just fish. Just about everyone can find food they like at Todai. Check out the menu online.
Apparenly pricing depends on location. Their site says that lunch ranges from $12.95 - $16.95 and dinner from $22.95 - $27.95.Children's prices are based on height: 5' and under, 4' and under, 3' and under. Seniors 65 and over receive 20% discount for dinner (lunch at some locations). If you go exactly on your birthday, you get a coupon for one complimentary meal to be used at another time. (Since my birthday is on a holiday I never get this benefit.)
Lots of planning for the MacGathering took place at the Beverly Center Todai.
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Mama’s Original Pizza and Pasta
3311 Motor Avenue at National Blvd., West Los Angeles
Phone (310) 204-MAMA
Website with menu
I have not gotten over there to try their pizza yet, but some of my friends like the place. In fact, you can have an evening of pizza and magic there most Monday Evenings from 7-9.
I have another friend, Magic Bob Weiss who performs casual magic there. I met Bob in 1993 while I was on a date and he was performing. He was an impressive magician so I asked for his card. Eventually we became friends. Having now seen him perform for all types of groups and ages, I grow more and more impressed by his magical performances. So on a Monday night if you're hungry and in West LA maybe pizza and magic would be fun. (And don't forget to ask for Magic Bob's card in case you'd like to hire a great magician someday.)
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Shanghai Reds
13813 Fiji Way, on the water
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Phone (310) 823-4522
A top place to go and enjoy the marina.
I haven't eaten here in a long time, but the beauty of the location can't be beat, so I continue to recommend it. It's right on the water, so you have a view of all the boats coming in and out of the marina. If you're lucky you'll also be able to hear some of the sounds. (I love the sounds of a marina.) The brunch is not inexpensive, so make this a meal you'll enjoy for a time, not a quick stop for fuel.
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White Lotus
1743 Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028
Right off Hollywood Blvd
Phone: (323) 463-0060
Website
I attended a private media event there recently (November 2003). I played photographer, so I was invited into the kitchen and happily took them up on the invitation to meet the creators of the fabulous food I'd been sampling. I was impressed by how clean and nice looking the kitchen was. And the staff! So nice! The head chef spent time with us, telling us about his creations, and showing us each entree and appetizer being created. It's evident that he loves his job and that he's got creative freedom there. It was fun hanging out back there.
The food is a cross between Asian and Western. The restaurant is a cross between indoor and outdoor. There's also a sushi bar and a night club. The night club area has several small rooms so you can escape the crowd and have a private conversation. You can see the menu and rooms at their website. I heard that when it first opened and was the hot place to go, the staff had an attitude. Maybe it's good that I steer clear of "in" places. From what I saw, I'd enjoy White Lotus on a date or with friends.
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ Other People's Favorites ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
Zankou Chicken — Roasted Chicken
Multiple locations from West LA to Glendale
The website lists every location, it's phone number, and hours.
Open 10am til either 10, 11, or midnight.
ZankouChicken.com
Many friends I respect rave about it so I list it here but personally I am not impressed.
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Some other food resoures:
~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ Misc Notes ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~
Cilantro Warning: If you don't like Cilantro be sure to make sure it's not in the food you order. I'm not joking. It's in almost everything here.
Looking for Pizza? If you're from NY or Chicago, don't expect pizza as you know it.
But if you're into things like Barbecue Chicken on pizza you're in the right place.
For what it's worth to you, I boycott Denny's. Back in the mid-90's they had TV commercials advertising dinner specials. As I wrote, I listened to TV, without my eyes glued to the tube. After LAMG meetings we'd all go out to Denny's downtown for dinner, so during this special I invited a few extra people along, offering to pay, citing the special. The problem? The special was not that late at night. They claimed it was stated on the TV ad. (It was not; I listened many more times after that and it was never, ever said. It was however, in very tiny white print at the bottom of the screen for a very short time.)I spent far too much money on dinners that night. Since Denny's was being sued for not serving black people, they'd stopped answering phones. It was weeks before they picked up a phone. They said they'd check out my complaint with the LA staff and suddenly their commercial was off the air! When it came back, the hours were said aloud — and they had the nerve to state that the hours always were always voiced. I hate dishonesty. Denny's made a mistake and could have owned up to it. They chose not to. Thus, I have found a lot of better places to eat, even in the middle of the night. Denny's won't get my money until they repay me.
I also boycott McDonalds. Have done since the 70s. Why? Whey it was announced how bad styrofoam was for the planet, others returned to wrapping food in paper. McDonalds doubled the size of their styrofoam containers and ran ads heralding its benefits. I also dislike that they marketed to kids, playing on kids.
This page was last updated at 11:57 AM on Monday, May 14, 2007
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