Sure we all joke about taking a vow of poverty by returning to graduate school, but let's be honest--most of us will have a bit of coin to spend on some good eats that will satiate even the most finicky foodie. Although up for debate (a debate I will strategically avoid in this post), Los Angeles is without a doubt one of the most recognized cities in the world for diverse, delectable, and delicious cuisine. So, for your viewing pleasure, let's dive in to my top 10 eateries in the LA area!!! Take copious notes.
#1
800 Degrees Pizzeria - $$
10889 Lindbrook Dr.
You will probably eat here more times than you can count during your time at UCLA if you're a pizza lover. New Yorkers and Chicagoans, calm down--we know your pizza is awesome, but we can represent on the West Coast as well! This place is like the Chipotle of pizza joints. You walk in, select a pizza base (marinara/pesto, cheese/no cheese), then it's $1 for each additional topping. As a meat lover, I go with ham, bacon, and meatballs (cholesterol issues?). But whatever you get, your stomach will be thanking you. Don't forget to use their fancy soda machine--it can crank out hundreds of variations of soda: vanilla Coke, raspberry Sprite, lime Seagram's, and on and on...
#2
Father's Office - $$
Santa Monica Address: 1018 Montana Ave.
Venice Address: 3229 Helms Ave.
Upscale burger pub. Can't go wrong. This place only serves one kind of burger...yeah, one kind. They only need to serve one because it's the supreme dream team of burgers. For the herbivores out there they do serve salads (waste of money here if you ask me, but to each his/her own). The beef patty is 100% kobe ground beef (i.e. melts in your mouth like a warm popsicle in July). The bread is fluffy and light. Cheese is top shelf. The spinach greens are fresh and the onion & bacon compote is the perfect topping. #I'dgladlypayyouTuesdayforahamburgertoday
#3
John O'Groats - $$
10516 W Pico Blvd.
Hung over? Is your family in town and you want some good breakfast eats? Whatever the reason, this is my favorite westside breakfast joint. The home fries are perfect and come with bits of sauteed onion. The latin heat eggs are awesome (eggs, sausage, peppers, cheese). French toast is solid. And don't forget dem biscuits! They have bacon biscuits, jalapeno cheese bisuits, and old style home-on-the-range kind of biscuits that the Marlboro Man would eat while camping. You can't go wrong on this menu.
#4
C&O Trattoria - $$
31 W Washington Blvd.
Garlic knots!!! If you are in the mood for some italian comfort food, look no further. This place has complimentary garlic knots made fresh every few minutes, chiante that comes in a huge jug and you drink in tumblers, great pasta dishes and awesome ambience. Beware of ordering a large pasta as opposed to regular, if you eat it all your stomach may burst and if not you may have leftovers for three days. They practically bring it out in a trough. If you go there in the evening they stop for a few minutes to sing "That's Amore" with everyone in the restaurant--speakers will be blasting, food will be sizzling, wine will be flowing. It's so legit that any of the Goodfellas would eat here and compliment the chef. #PesciDeNiroLiotta
#5
Baby Blues BBQ - $$
444 Lincoln Blvd.
Ribs. Pulled pork. Brisket. Cornbread. Mac'n'cheese. Need I say more? For any incoming southerners or smoked/slow-cooked carnivores, this is your place. Located in Venice, Baby Blue's is the go-to barbeque joint in the area. The BBQ is vinegar-based, so if you have a hankering for super sweet BBQ this may not be your place. Prices are reasonable and the ambience is just what you would want in a BBQ restaurant. #Meatsweats
#6
Road to Seoul - $$
1230 S Western Ave.
All-you-can-eat for $17.99. After a long week of group projects and recruiting events, this is a great place to load up on protein with a good group of friends! I've also come here for a birthday and they definitely make you feel special (they turn on strobe lights and have the whole restaurant sing to you). Go for the bulgogi and other seasoned meats--if you are native Korean you might be brave enough for the squid and other "delicacies." Make sure you set a reservation, this place gets packed. Oh yeah, don't come here unless you've burned at least 1,000 calories during the day. :)
#7
Cafe Rio - $
1800 Rosecrans Ave.
Ignore Yelp's 3.5 star rating--this place can't miss. I get two things from here that are so consistently and deliciously made that I have NEVER been disappointed. I've been here over 100 times. Get the pork barbacoa salad or the pork burrito, enchilada style. The tortillas are made fresh in front of you by hand. The pork is slow-cooked for 24 hours before being served. Get the creamy tomatillo ranch dressing for your salad and your tastebuds will thank you. Portion sizes are fantastic--I'm a big guy and I barely finish an entire salad. It's a bit of a drive (15 minutes) but well worth it. They're located right next to REI and Trader Joe's so kill three birds with one stone and get your eating/camping/grocery shopping done all in one trip!
#8
India's Oven - $$
11645 Wilshire Blvd. 2nd Floor
The thing I love most about Indian food is the utilization of so many great spices--cardamom, coriander, ginger, chili pepper, curry. This place makes great Indian food! My favorite is the chicken tikka masala with garlic naan and jasmine rice. The biryani is superb as well and the recipe hails from where biryani was created--Hyderabad, India. The entrees are family style, so order a few, get some rice, some naan, and share...or hog it all to yourself.
#9
Tsujita LA - $$
2057 Sawtelle Blvd.
Do Itashimashite. That means "you're welcome" in Japanese. That's me saying "you're welcome" in advance for when you thank me after eating here. 600 reviews on Yelp and this place still has a strong 4-star rating! If you are looking for an authentic, fresh Japanese noodle house, this is the spot. It is OUT-OF-BOUNDS! The meat is fresh, the broth is perfectly salted, the noodles are cooked to a perfect al dente. The only knocks are that this place, like all restaurants in Little Osaka, is smaller than your apartment. The lines can get a bit long because of the noodle loyalists out there, so be strategic on your arrival time.
#10
1st Friday's Food Trucks - $-$$
Abbott Kinney & Venice Blvd on the 1st Friday of each month
WARNING: If you aren't into crowds then this might not be for you. This is quite the scene on the 1st Friday of each month. The best food trucks from all over LA come here to set up shop and feed the masses. What kind of food you ask? Here we go--Kogi Korean BBQ, Grilled Cheese Truck, Germany's Favorite Bratwurst, Cool Haus Ice Cream Sandwiches, to name a few.
That's my list, but most importantly, what do you like? Throw a comment into the comment box below so we can all share our creative culinary consciousness!!!
