Los Angeles: Things To Do And Places To Go

[suzzer99]

Hiking up by the Hollywood sign is really cool. Try to pick a clear day. Don't try to sneak down to the actual sign. There are cameras and a live security guard watching you.

Al, I just don't like the warehouse-feel of Commerce. I like the way the Bike has TVs and walls nearby. Feels more like a poker room to me. I think I've generally played 200NL there 3 or 4 times and haven't seen one maniac. Nothing but calling stations and nits.

[andyfox]

Best breakfast in town is John O'Groats on Pico near Rancho Park golf course. Great biscuits and thick, salty, crisp bacon. Kokomo at the Farmer's Market is also good. And for a semi-microbiotic time, Hugo's, either on Santa Monica in West Hollywood or on Riverside Drive just off Coldwater in the Valley has good food. I sat next to Jeff Goldblum and his, ahem, daughter, the last time I ate at the West Hollywood branch.

[andyfox]

Horrible food.

[andyfox]

There's a place called K-zo on Culver (?), right near Sony (adjacent to the Trader Joe's) in Culver City, great sushi. Also, Hamasaku, in a strip mall on Santa Monica Blvd. near Veteran is good and not far from where OP lives.

[Aloysius]

Delis:

Gotta mention Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica, since it's in your hood. Grew up on the East Coast (so I love the deli) and this is one of the better ones in LA, imo. The Godmother is ridiculously good. I've noticed some variance with their bread (baked on the premises) but when they hit it is delicious.

Brent's in Northridge is also very good. Mario's in Glendale is not bad, and a decent option on the East Side.

Langer's (Downtown) was mentioned above - really, really good pastrami, I think it's better than Katz's.

-Al

[Aloysius]

[ QUOTE ]
Find Jonathan Gold's list of 99 best restaurants in LA. They vary widely in price so there's something for you no matter what you want. He's the best food critic ever and though I've had a couple of misses if you just start going to the restaurants on that list you will be happy.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT (he just won a James Beard Award).

Map with Reviews of This Year's Essential 99

Suzzer - ah, you should check out the game one more time if you're looking for a fun, loose game (IIRC the $200NL is usually very wild). I have a fondness for Commerce cause I sort of "grew up" playing there. It is kind of disgusting though ambience-wise compared to the Bike...

-Al

[J.A.Sucker]

[ QUOTE ]
Alas, Stan's is no more. I started going there in 1969, too bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for ruining my day. I'm going to go jump off a bridge now. [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[ZeeJustin]

Sushi:

Nozawa has already been mentioned. LOL @ the pic though. The place really looks like a complete hole in the wall with no color at all. I have never actually ordered food there (I think they only recently started allowing actual orders), but have always done the Omakase which is mostly Nigiri sushi. It is probably the best quality fish I have ever had in my life, however, I generally prefer sushi places with crazy dishes, and like to order more than just nigiri. They do have the occassional sashimi dish and hand roll as well, but they are all very plain, and you will need soy sauce for almost everything. Still, I highly recommend trying this place at least once if you are gonna live in LA.

Katana in West Hollywood: Fairly expensive, amazing decor, plenty of celebrity sightings, perfect location right across from the House of Blues on Sunset. The sushi here is generally over rated, although I love their Dragon (Eel and avacado) rolls. The real appeal for me is the Robatayaki Bar. Basically it's meats that are grilled and served on sticks. The Chilean Sea bass from the Robatayaki is excellent. You are definitely paying for location, decor and atmosphere here, so it's not just for the food.

Sushi Roku is great. Owned by the same people as Katana. Probably better quality sushi although I haven't been there enough to really be the judge of that. I guess it's better food and less atmosphere compared to Katana.

Matsuhisa on La Cienega: Owned by the same guys as Nobu (Nobu Matsuhisa is the chefs name, Deniro is the other major owner). You have to order the Toro Tartare with Caviar. It is served in a little bowl, and I personally like to stir it around vigorously before eating it. The Tuna and sauce are better when mixed into one. This place is expensive, but well worth it for a food connoisseur.

Sushi Katsuya on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks: Definitely make reservations because the place is small and the wait is usually at least 30 minutes, often over an hour. Get the Albacore with Crispy Onion. Everything is good here, but the specials are generally better than the items on the menu. Don't be afraid to ask the waitress what her favorite dishes are, because the specials are always changing.

[ZeeJustin]

One more sushi place:

Asanebo on Ventura in Studio City. One of my favorite things in a sushi place is being able to go an entire meal without using soy sauce. Asanebo delivers. Every dish you order will be served in a unique sauce. The fish is very high quality, and they also have tons of exotic options like live shrimp. If you like to experiment, this is a wonderful place to go. I have never had a bad dish here. The only downside is that the portions can be small and expensive.

[ZeeJustin]

Does anyone have a good list of late night food options?

Personally I live in the Valley, and am close to Jerry's Deli which is great. I always get the Matzah ball soup (if you have never tried this soup, I highly recommend it. It's a soft ball of yummy goodness served in a chicken broth soup with some noodles). The Pastrami is good, and the California Sandwich (Bacon, Acacodo, Cheese, Turkey, and I think ranch?) is great as well.

Twain's is even closer, but the food there is absolute dogshit. Never eat there.

Wockano is the closest sushi place to me that's open late. It's decent, but not really worth the 15-20 minute drive. Does anyone know any other sushi places open late?
Katana (listed in my first post) is open til 11:30 or midnight, but I really would like to know of Sushi places open til 2am or later.

There are more options in West Hollywood. Toi is a great Thai place that is open til like 4am.

Bosanova is another great find. I think it's Brazilian cuisine? The pizzas are great. The plantains that come on the side of dishes are awesome. I personally like getting the Beef Stroganoff. Haven't had a bad dish here yet.

Pink's is open late-ish. I think it's open til 2am on weekends so that you can make it in time after the Bar's stop serving alcohol at 1:30.

Mel's diner is open late and kind of famous, but personally I think it's very over rated, and strongly prefer Jerry's Deli.