Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Where to Dine
As one of the w orld's cultural
crossroads, Los Angeles is a veritable inter-
national atlas of ex otic cuisines: Afghan,
Argentine, Armenian, B urmese, Cajun,
Cambodian, Caribbean, C uban, E thio-
pian, I ndian, J ewish, K orean, Lebanese,
Moroccan, O axacan, P ersian, P eruvian,
Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese . . . w ell, y ou
get the point. H alf the fun of visiting Los
Angeles is experiencing worldly dishes that
only a major metr opolis can pr ovide.
Whatever y ou're in the mood for , this
town has it co vered, and all y ou need to
join the dinner par ty is an adv enturous
palate. And since it 's L.A., ther e's always
the bonus of spotting celebrities.
Although it 's those famous celebrity
chef and celebrity-o wned restaurants that
attract most of the media limelight, the
majority of L.A. 's best dining experiences
are at its small neighborhood haunts and
minimalls, the kind you'll never find unless
someone lets y ou in on the city 's dining
secrets—and this chapter is full of them.
The restaurants listed below are classified
first b y ar ea and then b y price, using the
following categories: Very Expensive, din-
ner from $75 per person; Expensive, dinner
from $50 per person; Moderate, dinner from
$35 per person; and I nexpensive, dinner
from $20 per person. These categories
reflect prices for an appetizer, main course,
dessert, and glass of wine.
1
BEST DINING BETS
Note:
In addition to the Best Dining Bets below, be sure to check out “The Most Unfor-
gettable Dining Experiences” in chapter 1.
•
Best Places for a P ower Lunch:
Between 12:30 and 2pm, industr y honchos swarm
like locusts to a handful of watering holes du jou. Actors, agents, lawyers, and produc-
ers flock to perennial favorites the
Ivy
(p. 121), 113 N. Robertson Blvd., West Holly-
wood (
&
310/274-8303
), and to the L.A. branch of N ew York's venerable the
Palm
(p. 124), 9001 S anta Monica Blvd., West Hollywood (
&
310/550-8811
), a steak-
house wher e the food is impeccable and the conv
ersations r ead like dialogue fr om
Entourage.
•
Best Old-School Diner:
Stand in line for one of the city 's best hamburgers at the
Apple P an,
10801 P ico B lvd., West L.A. (
&
310/475-3585
). Choose fr om the
“steakburger” or the saucy “hickor y burger ”—though r egulars kno w to get extra
hickory sauce on the side (for fr ench-fry dipping). The wallpaper at this belo ved
family-run cottage on the busy Westside looks like it dates fr om the opening day in
1947. See p. 129.
•
Best View:
The
Restaurant at the G etty Center,
1200 Getty Center Dr., West L.A.
(
&
310/440-6810
), has an in-the-clouds locale that makes for postcar d views when
the L.A. sky is smog-fr ee. Reservations are a must, even for lunch (ser ved Tues-Sun);
dinner is ser ved only on F riday and S aturday, when the museum is open late. M ake
reservations online at www.getty.edu.
