Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
704 S. Alvarado St. (at 7th St.), L os Angeles .
&
213/483-8050.
w ww.langersdeli.com. M ain c ourses
$6-$17. MC, V. Mon-Sat 8am-4pm. Free parking with validation.
The Original Pantry
AMERICAN/BREAKFAST This bastion of blue-collar cook-
ing has been ser ving huge por tions of comfor t food ' round-the-clock since 1924. The
cash-only Pantry is popular with politicos, who come here for weekday lunches, and with
conferencegoers en route to the nearb y L.A. Convention Center. The well-worn restau-
rant is also a w elcoming beacon to clubbers after-hours, when D owntown becomes a
virtual ghost town. A bowl of celery stalks, carrot sticks, and whole radishes greets you at
your Formica table, and cr eamy coleslaw and sour dough br ead come fr ee with ev ery
meal. The menu? It's a chalkboard hanging on the wall. Famous for quantity rather than
quality, the Pantry serves huge T-bone steaks, densely packed hamburger loaf , macaroni
and cheese, and other American fav orites to an alr eady overfed crowd. A typical br eak-
fast—served all day—consists of a huge stack of hotcakes, a big slab of sweet cured ham,
home fries, and coffee.
877 S. F igueroa St. (at 9th St.), L os Angeles .
&
213/972-9279.
w ww.pantrycafe.com. M ain c ourses
$6-$14. No credit cards. Daily 24 hr. Free parking across the street with validation.
Philippe The Original
Value
AMERICAN Good old-fashioned value is what this
legendary landmark cafeteria is all about. P opular with both South Central project resi-
dents and Beverly Hills elite, Philippe's unspectacular dining room with sawdust floors is
one of the fe w places in L.A. wher e everyone can get along. P hilippe's claims to hav e
invented the French dip sandwich at this location in 1908; it r emains the most popular
menu item. Patrons push trays along the counter and watch while their choice of beef ,
pork, ham, tur key, or lamb is sliced and lay ered onto cr usty French bread that's been
dipped in meat juices. A hearty breakfast, served daily from 6 to 10:30am, is worthwhile
if only for P hilippe's uncommonly good cinnamon-dipped F rench toast. Beer and wine
are available. For added entertainment, request a booth in the Train Room, which houses
the nifty M odel Train Museum.
Tip:
A r egular coffee at P hilippe The Original is the
same price it was when the diner opened in 1924: 9¢.
1001 N. Alameda St. (at Ord St.), Los Angeles.
&
213/628-3781.
www.philippes.com. Most items under
$7. No credit cards. Daily 6am-10pm. Free parking.
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UNIVERSAL CITY
You can choose from among more than three dozen dining options at Universal Studios,
including chains like B ubba Gump Shrimp Co., Bucca di Beppo, and Saddle Ranch in
Universal CityWalk. But just in case y ou need a r espite from the fr enzied theme-park
atmosphere, we've also included some of our fav orite San Fernando Valley restaurants,
which are within easy driving distance of U niversal Studios.
EXPENSIVE
Pinot Bistro
Kids
CALIFORNIAN/FRENCH When the Valley crowd doesn't
want to make the drive to Patina, they pack into Pinot Bistro, one of Joachim Splichal's
cadre of successful restaurants. The Valley's only great bistro is designed with dark woods,
etched glass, and cream-colored walls that scream “trendy French” almost as loudly as the
rich, straightfor ward cooking. The menu, a symphony of California and Continental
elements, includes a beautiful warm goat cheese tar
t with ar ugula, shav ed fennel and
