Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
137
Roscoe's House of Chick en 'n' Waffles
BREAKF AST/SOUTHERN It sounds
like a bad joke—fried chicken and waffles on the same plate. But Roscoe's is one of those
places that you have to visit at least once to see ho w it works (and judging b y the wait,
it definitely works). A chicken-and-cheese omelet isn't everyone's ideal way to begin the
day, but it's de rigueur at Roscoe's. At lunch, few calorie-unconscious diners can resist the
juicy fried chicken smother ed in gravy and onions, a house specialty that 's served with
waffles or grits and biscuits. Large chicken-salad bo wls and chicken sandwiches also
provide plenty of cluck for the buck. H omemade corn br ead, sweet-potato pie, home-
made potato salad, and corn on the cob ar e available as side orders. Granted, the waffles
are of E ggo quality and come with enough whipped butter to stop y our heart, but the
Southern-fried chicken is addictive.
Tip:
The waffles tend to come a bit undercooked, so
ask for them crispy.
1514 N. Go wer St. (at Sunset Blv d.), Los Angeles.
&
323/466-7453.
w ww.roscoeschickenandwaffles.
com. Main courses $4-$15. No cr edit cards. Sun-Thurs 9am-midnight; F ri-Sat 8:30am-4am. M etered
street parking.
Swingers
AMERICAN/DINER/BREAKF AST Resurrected fr om a motel coffee
shop, S wingers was transformed b y a couple of L.A. hipster nightclub o wners into a
1990s version of comfy Americana. The interior seems like a slice of the 1950s until you
notice the plaid upholster y and Warhol-esque graphics, which contrast nicely with the
retro red-white-and-blue Swingers logo adorning
everything.
Guests at the attached Bev-
erly Laur el M otor H otel cho w do wn alongside body-pier ced industr y hounds fr om
nearby record companies, while a soundtrack that r uns the gamut fr om punk r ock to
Schoolhouse Rock
plays in the backgr ound. It's not all attitude, though—y ou'll enjoy a
menu of high-quality diner favorites with trendy crowd-pleasers: Steel-cut Irish oatmeal,
challah F rench toast, grilled J amaican jer k chicken, and a selection of tofu-enhanced
vegetarian dishes are just a fe w of the eclectic offerings.
Note:
There's a second location
in Santa Monica at 802 Broadway (at Lincoln Ave.;
&
310/393-9793
).
8020 Beverly Blvd. (west of Fairfax Ave.), Los Angeles.
&
323/653-5858.
www.swingersdiner.com. Most
items less than $8. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 6am-4am. Metered street parking.
6
Toi on Sunset
Value
THAI Because it's open
really
late, Toi has become an
instant fave of H ollywood hipsters who make postclubbing ex cursions to this r ock-'n'-
roll eatery a few blocks from the Sunset Strip. After all the hype, it's surprising to say that
this is L.A. 's best bargain Thai food, authentically pr epared and ser ved in por tions so
generous the wor d
enormous
seems inadequate. M enu highlights include hot-and-sour
chicken, coconut soup, and the house specialty: chicken curr y
somen,
a spicy dish with
green curry and mint sauce spooned over thin Japanese rice noodles. Vegetarians will be
pleased with the v ast selection of meat-fr ee items. The interior is a noisy amalgam of
cultish movie posters, rock-'n'-roll memorabilia, and haphazardly placed industrial-issue
dinette sets; and the plates, flatware, and drinking glasses are cheap coffee-shop issue. In
other words, it's all about the food and the scene—neither will disappoint.
Westsiders can opt for Toi on Wilshire, 1120 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica (
&
310/
394-7804
), open daily from 11am to 3am.
7505
1
/
2
Sunset Blvd. (at Gardner St.), Los Angeles.
&
323/874-8062.
www.toirockinthaifood.com. Reser-
vations accepted only for parties of 6 or more. Main courses $6-$11. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11am-4am.
