Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
136
INEXPENSIVE
El Cholo
MEXICAN L.A.'s oldest Mexican restaurant (Gary Cooper and B ing
Crosby were regulars, and Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty still are), El Cholo has been
serving up authentic M exican cuisine in this pink adobe hacienda since 1925, ev en
though the once-outlying mid- Wilshire neighborhood ar ound it has since turned into
Koreatown. El Cholo's
muy
strong margaritas, invitingly messy nachos—the first ser ved
in the U.S.—and classic combination dinners don 't break new culinary ground, but the
kitchen has perfected these standards over 80 years. Other specialties include seasonally
available green-corn tamales and cr eative sizzling v egetarian fajitas that go way bey ond
just eliminating the meat. The atmosphere is festive, as people from all parts of town dine
happily in the many rambling rooms that compose the restaurant. Westsiders head to El
Cholo's Santa Monica branch at 1025 Wilshire Blvd. (at 11th S t.;
&
310/899-1106
).
Note:
Be prepared for a long wait on w eekends.
1121 S. Western Ave. (south of Olympic Blvd.), Los Angeles.
&
323/734-2773.
www.elcholo.com. Reser-
vations suggested. Main courses $8-$15. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 11am-9pm.
Free self-parking or valet parking $5.
Fred 62
AMERICAN/BREAKFAST Opened in the heart of trendy Los Feliz by chef
Fred Eric, this slightly skewed 24-hour coffee shop comes by its retro kitsch honestly. Eric
remodeled the tiny corner diner with spiffy 1950s car-cultur e icons, including hood-
ornament sconces and blue ser vice-station smocks for the waitstaff . He then named it
after himself (and his bir th year, 1962) and pepper ed the menu with puns and inside
jokes. There's a daily “ cream of what F red wants” soup, plus sandwiches (the smoked
salmon is gr eat), burgers, salads, tofu scrambles, and a handful of Asian noodle bo wls,
including “SEOUL-FULL NOO*DEL-I, ” a cr yptic name for K orean potato-star ch
noodles, vegetables, and sesame dressing in hot broth. You might feel like you've stepped
into a Route 66 beatnik diner in TV land, but the clientele is v ery real and the food is
comforting (slow service, though). Don't miss the house-made potato chips, “punk tarts”
(Fred's take on pie), and fr esh lemonade.
1850 N. Vermont Ave. (at Russell A ve.), L os Feliz.
&
323/667-0062.
w ww.fred62.com. M ain c ourses
$4-$14. MC, V. Daily 24 hr. Metered street parking.
6
Pink's Hot Dogs
Kids
GRILL Pink's isn't your usual guidebook r ecommendation,
but then again, this corner stand isn 't your typical hot dog shack. This L.A. icon gr ew
around the late Paul and Betty Pink, who opened for business in 1939 selling 10¢ wie-
ners from a used hot dog cart. Now this place serves 2,000 dogs every day on Pink's soft
steamed rolls. There are 24 varieties of dogs available, many coined by the celebrities who
order them. Martha Stewart once stopped her caravan to order a 10-incher with mustard,
relish, onions, chopped tomatoes, sauer kraut, bacon, and sour cr eam, and now you too
can order a “Martha Stewart” dog. The heartburn-inducing chili dogs (made from Betty's
chili formula that 's still a secr et) are craved by even the most upstanding, health-con-
scious Angelenos. Lots of folklore emanates from this wiener shack: Bruce Willis report-
edly proposed to Demi Moore in the parking lot, and Orson Welles holds the record for
the most hot dogs consumed in one sitting (18). E ven though the dogs are churned out
every 30 seconds, expect to wait in line ev en at midnight—you'll invariably meet a true
crossroads of Los Angeles cultures.
709 N. La Br ea Ave. (at M elrose Ave.), Los Angeles.
&
323/931-4223.
www.pinkshollywood.com. Chili
dog $2.85. No credit cards. Sun-Thurs 9:30am-2am; Fri-Sat 9:30am-3am.
