It has taken me a little over 34 years of living to visit LA. The reasons I could give for taking so long include the fact that it is thousands of miles away from most of the places I’ve lived, and that other cities just had more restaurants that I was interested in checking out (90% of the reason I choose to visit any given place), but the truth is that it was due in no small part to the anti-LA propaganda that people of my geographic and demographic background (East Coast elitist (not elite (no degree), just elitist) are subject to. This includes ideas like it's full of vapid try-hards with cardboard personalities, it's a smog-laden web of multi-lane highways that happens to be in the shape of a city, or that the food is overpriced fad-diet-fueled garbage. However, these things are at best only 65-70% true.
All jokes aside we did have a lovely time in LA, and managed to eat some pretty spectacular food. Here’s a list of some of my favorite places we visited.
This bakery/restaurant has a reputation for delicious sandwiches, doughnuts, and baked goods in general, but don’t sleep on their salads and (huge) hash browns. The menu is a little unusual in that many items will be marked with a time of day before which they are not available, so if you want something specific (like the outstanding Italian sandwich) just double check to make sure you aren’t too early.
Another spot with great sandwiches and salads. As the name implies they are open pretty much all day (9am-9pm). The crispy chicken and biscuit sandwich is great, as is the Belgian waffle, and breakfast burrito. Honestly the entire menu seemed pretty dialed in, but one person can only try so much. They also offer a number of fun and delicious beverage options (both with and without alcohol).
A very hip coffee shop with a really wide array of options from different roasters. They serve your typical cafe espresso menu, but also offer a number of cocktail and pastry inspired specialty drinks. However my favorite section of the menu is the lengthy list of fancy pour over options.
Probably the most widely known restaurant we visited. This wine bar is helmed by chef Jeremy Fox, and really lived up to the hype. The cocktails were great, the wine list is interesting and prolific without being intimidating, service is efficient, but still warm, and the food is the perfect mix of high execution and approachable style and presentation. We got a bunch of dishes for the table to share, and I really had trouble choosing a favorite. Pictured are the mandarin salad with hoshigaki, and the very famous beet and berry salad. Both of which were so good that I could almost forgive them for taking the pea/white chocolate/macadamia dish off the menu the night we came (it may sound strange but lots of folks rate this as one of the greatest dishes ever created. Certainly in the history of Californian cuisine).
Pretty classic Korean fare with lots of menu items you’ll find familiar if you like to go out for Korean food. The LA galbi was probably the best I’ve ever had, and it really seems like you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. They kept dropping off more chilled toasted barley tea which is great because I could probably drink about two gallons of that stuff a day.
This place is an absolute must if you are in LA and like Mexican-style seafood. Tons of ceviche, aguachile, and tostada options with larger options for entrees. The fish quality here is insanely good. Definitely among the best I’ve ever had. The tostada was basically as good as the fabled tuna tostada from Contramar in Mexico City (which is no mean feat), and the prices are incredibly reasonable as well. We got a Monterey bay scallop ceviche for $21 which must have come with about three quarters of a pound of bay scallops. Crazy. If you got a similar portion of Nantucket bay scallops in New England, your wallet would be at least $75 lighter. They also offer a tasting menu which I will absolutely indulge in the next time I find myself in the area.
This is a bakery I’ve been wanting to try for a long time. They are famous for their absolutely gargantuan cinnamon rolls (pictured (with cream cheese frosting on the side because I'm really more of a glaze guy when it comes to cinnamon rolls)), but I was drawn here for their 100% naturally leavened Viennoiserie. I think a lot of people don't realize how big of a deal it is to make croissants, danishes, and the like using only sourdough starter and no commercial yeast. Basically nobody does it. It takes a lot more time and attention than the typical method using commercial yeast, but the results are pretty wonderful. This place is pretty popular though, so get there early if you can. We got there a little past noon and all the Viennoiserie was sold out except a pear Danish (which was excellent) and the morning bun (which I didn't try, but probably would also be delicious).
The most fine-dining future-goth-inspired counter service brunch spot you’re likely to find anywhere. This casual outpost of the Jordan Kahn (king of the future-goth chefs) empire. The food here is so beautiful that from the menu descriptions you’d be forgiven for thinking it was all style and no substance. This was certainly my expectation when we placed our orders. But I can now happily report that the food is every bit as delicious as it looks. They also have a delicious range of house blended herbal teas and a small collection of house-made pantry items and ceramics for sale. All in all a pretty wonderful experience from a place that I was worried would be driven only by aesthetics.
I consider Thai food to be a perfect cuisine. The complexity and depth of flavor of the dishes, the scope of the repertoire, the balance of sweet/sour/spicy/umami as well as different textures all make this a top contender for the best planet earth has to offer in terms of cooking. All this was on full display at the wonderful Jitlada. Their jungle curry and crab fried rice are spectacular, but you really can’t go wrong. Just order something that sounds interesting, and I promise you won't regret it.
Quite simply the best flour tortillas in the world. This is a super casual counter service taqueria with just a handful of menu options. Everything we tried was delicious, but I especially recommend the chivichanga. The fillings and salsas are great, but really you come here for the tortillas. The texture and flavor of these are head and shoulders above anything else I've tried. They are less fluffy and more stretchy than your typical Tex-Mex flour tortilla which I personally found quite nice. Definitely worth checking out if you have even a mild interest in flour tortilla based west coast Mexican food.
If this post has inspired you to take a little trip to the largest city on the West Coast, and has dispelled any worries you might have had that this city was all flash and no substance, and if you want to experience some of that sunshine-y Mexicali flavor without a transcontinental flight, why not check out our upcoming Cinco de Mayo class?
