Food

Is it possible to love a creation in spite of its creator? You have to admit that "Live Through This" rocked, even if Courtney Love is not the most likeable person on the planet. And Picasso wasn't exactly a nice guy. The same holds true for Fred Eric, one of the most controversial personalities on the LA food scene. I cannot say my one run-in with him, in which he almost ran me over with a motorcycle, exactly endeared him to me. His restaurants, as well as his personality, inspire love/hate relationships. more ›

Girls think my Chicago 'pop' in lieu of saying 'soda' is cute. That's cool, too bad I don't drink pop anyway. I hate it! It tastes so nasty. That was until I visited Galco's Old World Grocery in Highland Park, otherwise known as the Soda Pop Stop on the web. The difference in the soda pop here is the use of real sugar and real flavors. This place has over 500 kinds of sodas... more ›

I believe in America. I also believe in America's Italian delis, more specifically one found in the unlikeliest of places: Santa Monica. This being America, however, you do have to work hard and maybe even call in some favors for your lunch. The struggle to get your hands on one of Bay Cities Italian Deli’s enormous, delicious sandwiches begins in the parking lot: it’s that classic Los Angeles scenario, too many shiny expensive SUVs... more ›

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Earlier this week came the launch of BlogSoopLA, a searchable restaurant database that brings together the reviews and write ups from local bloggers. The LA outpost is following closely on the heels of the site's origins in New York, and its first sequel in San Francisco. Users of the site can either search for specific dining spots, or browse; listings are sorted by the number of blog posts for each restaurant. Here in LA,... more ›

As a girl with little money and parents who love to dine out, I often find myself eating with them on a Friday night. And I often have to twist arms to get to go to place I want (cough cough: Paco’s Tacos or Hide Sushi). Well, last Friday I was unable to twist the arm that feeds me. My step dad headed out towards Marina Del Rey hoping to take us to CPK or Souplantation (God forbid) or Nichols. I wasn’t in the mood for any of these establishments and begged to be taken to a waterfront-dining establishment. Being a good step dad, he obliged. The choices down at Fisherman’s Village—the waterfront “restaurant row” of Marina Del Rey—are sparse; there’s Shanghai Red’s, El Torrito, some Italian place, and Angler’s Choice, a seafood restaurant. Being a seafood lover and being a person of logic (a seafood restaurant by the sea should have great, fresh seafood), my mom and I voted “Angler’s Choice! Angler’s Choice!” And, unfortunately so it was. more ›

Don't even bother trying to slip that contraband jar of peanut butter into your backpack. Outside food and drinks are prohibited at Coachella. more ›

Alegria on Sunset, a warm, colorful little Mexican place set in a strip mall between a Baskin-Robbins and a Domino’s, feels like the kitchen of someone else's cool, arty grandma. Or maybe yours, depending. The room bursts witih life, and in a lot of ways, it's the epitome of Silver Lake. Not really Mexican, but kind of... Tradition filtered through an urban, artistic sensibility... All the good stuff that makes a neighborhood haunt a home. more ›

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Every time I’m driving up La Brea and I see that line of hungry hot-dog cravers snaking up the street, I gotta shake my head – seriously, people? You’d wait in that line? For a hot dog? And for Christ’s sake, where are all you people parking? Don’t get me wrong – I love Pink’s as much as the next girl, and I’ve certainly indulged in my fair share of that famous chili cheesiness... more ›

Why Winchell’s when it could be someplace with some buzz, like Frittelli’s in Beverly Hills, or Donut Man in Glendora or Stan’s in Westwood? Or at least someplace with huge fake donut on it? Well, in the interest of full disclosure, I have never been to any of those places. You could even say that my donut credentials are a little weak. I’ve had Krispy Kreme, I’ve had Honey Dew, and Dunkin Donuts, I’ve... more ›

Downtown Culver City may be flourishing with new, tasty delights but the CC has a few delicious, bustling restaurants that have been around for ages. The prime example being Paco’s Tacos (4141 Centinela Dr), which just may be the best Mexican food, not just in the city, but in the entire U.S.A. I almost hate to mention it because the ever popular Paco’s is always crowded, particularly on weekends; sometimes I’ve had to wait... more ›

It's a website, it's a blog, being able to write is unnecessary, and browsing is rewarded. more ›

Peanut butter has jelly and bacon has eggs, so why not make a go of pairing writers with food? Well, that's one of the underlying philosophies of the workshops offered through Writing Pad. Writers hungry for a comfortable and inspiring environment to sharpen their skills, rejuvenate their creativity, or hurdle over their writer's block can take advantage of a variety of single or serialized classes that are rounded out with catered tasting plates, desserts,... more ›

San Pedro is one of the last truly working-class port towns left in California. Unlike its fancy-pants neighbors Palos Verdes and Long Beach (well, at least the parts of Long Beach that are, you know, along the beach), you can still find a diverse population, low-cost housing, and most importantly, good cheap eats. A friend of mine introduced me to Baja Fish Market a few months back, and he swore up-and-down that “the fish... more ›

Sick of sushi? Tired of Thai? Want to impress your friends by turning them on to an exciting new cuisine? Try a little Colombian! La Maria Restaurant on Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood is one of those little holes-in-the-wall that foodies dream about - undiscovered and unspoiled, with reasonable prices and an experienced chef. Chef Antonio Prado worked in such Los Angeles favorites as Hugo’s and Joan’s on Third before opening La Maria. The food is just familiar enough to be comforting, but just unusual enough to keep things exciting. The menu is half Caribbean-influenced Colombian and half “Cuisine of the Americas”, which are Mexican-inspired dishes. The room is small and cozy, with a large mural on one wall. It is designed to make you feel as if you are in a little town square. more ›

Last summer, well before he was awarded the Pulitzer freaking Prize, LA Weekly icon Johnathan Gold took the advice of an anonymous fan and checked out the Porno Burrito in Cypress Park. more ›

Ventura Boulevard tends to get all the buzz when talking up the Valley. Boutiques, restaurant after restaurant, salons, Starbucks with TV celebrities, etc. But what about the main street just north of Ventura - Moorpark Street? You can easily miss The Coffee Fix with it's anonymous facade on the inner southwest corner at Moorpark and Whitsett in Studio City. Directly across the street is the modern looking and newish Studio City library which dominates... more ›

Confession: We watch a lot of Food TV at our house. Recently we caught an episode of Bobby Flay's charmingly egomaniacal Throwdown where he challenged Mat Arnfield of New York's A Salt and Battery to a fish & chips battle, and our tastebuds began to tingle. To add insult to injury, a couple of days later, food-cutie Tyler Florence was making his Ultimate fish & chips, which made us think that if we were... more ›

Photo by sassylittlepunkin via Flickr. Looking for an excuse to try the lobster roll and pug burger at Hungry Cat? Now you have a certifiably altruisitc motive for your gluttony. Tomorrow is the 13th Annual Dine Out Los Angeles, a one-day event where participating Los Angeles area restaurants will donate 20% or more of their day's proceeds to Aid For AIDS, a charity that works to improve the quality of life for people who... more ›

Today is free cone day at Ben & Jerry's! more ›

DJs spinning old-time jazz, 200 choices of whiskey, and a dark mellow vibe with a twist of a thirty something crowd is making the old Clifton's Silver Spoon location another reason downtown nightlife is coming abuzz. Seven Grand, named after its nearest intersection, just opened this month and it feels as if it has been here for ages. Compared to the generalized and typically terse doormen, cocktail waitresses and bartenders of Hollywood, Grand's staff... more ›

Either the folks at the Autry are the world's stupidest event planners, or they are the world's most deceptive ones. BBQ'n at the Autry is the first and only barbecue festival I've ever been to, where attendees weren't allowed to sample barbecue from the vendors in the competition. And the fact that this wasn't clearly and prominently mentioned in advance of the festival was a giant "fuck you" to all the people who came out expecting a day of food and fun. more ›

Photo by Pinky P. The Autry museum is hosting the second annual Barbeque Championship and Festival tomorrow, Saturday, April 14, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Griffith Park. 32 teams will be competing for some kind of smoke-and-meat-infused title -- and for the greater glory of barbecue. Because what could be better than marinated, rubbed, glazed and barbecued animal flesh? **If you want to prove yourself a true glutton you can enter... more ›

I’m in Burbank frequently and often find myself very preoccupied with finding a good lunch place. I’ve exhausted all the places on San Fernando near the Burbank Media Center and usually I just want a good sandwich that isn’t in sub form (although Santoro’s Italian Cold Cut is a favorite) or isn’t something from Porto’s (again, another frequently visited spot). Across from Porto’s I’ve found what seems to be an anomaly in Burbank: a... more ›

On storefronts all over town the word Famima!! (and its quirky pair of exclamation points) is showing up, with a vibrant backdrop of neon green and black. So what's Famima!!? Basically they're the Japanese version of 7-11, proffering convenient food and sundries for the urban dweller. Packaged sandwiches nestle alongside Asian-style eats like sushi rolls and noodle bowls, the dessert area is resplendent with tasty cold creme brulees and pastries, and the refrigerated drink... more ›

There has been a gross oversight, a lapse in judgment, a glitch in the matrix, a ghost in the machine, and so on and so forth… It's National Grilled Cheese Month and somehow it slipped by me like an invisible man on a banana peel. Luckily, we're not even halfway through the month, so there is still time to recover. And even more luckily, Clementine, the cutest, coziest, tastiest, freshest, raddest, lil restaurant on... more ›

Studio City's Daichan is heaven for a Japanophile like me. It will quite possibly take a lifetime to eat my way through its massive menu that has countless selections based on the combined and varied influences of Japanese and Hawaiian cuisine. You'll find everything from basic sushi and sashimi dishes to traditional curry and katsu (like the popular breaded and fried pork) plates, along with dozens of tempting appetizers, noodle bowls, rice bowls, and... more ›

I've had a few thoughts in the past about buying groceries online. One was more nostalgic and comparative, when thinking about how in New York City you can shop for your groceries in the store and then have them brought to your apartment, and how it's almost ironic that there, in a city where everything is so easily accessible that you can have anything--even pancakes--delivered to your door, whereas here in Los Angeles things... more ›

Go to Santa Fe Cafe (5679 Las Virgenes Rd.). It's so good; we need to start finding more reasons to go to Calabasas (oh wait, Malibu Canyon and that cute girl who just informed us she lives behind the restaurant). Even this vegetarian can attest that meat eaters find this place to have some of the best tacos in the Los Angeles area. Come on, the tortillas are laced in parmesan cheese, the chips... more ›

We could not be more impressed with all the restaurants going out of their way to create a veggie burger from scratch or at least deck the hell out of store-bought ones. From Stanley's in Sherman Oaks to Tiny's K.O. bar in Hollywood, LA is embracing the veggie burger. But who does it best? On that list is Lucky Devils at 6613 Hollywood Blvd., near Whitley: A delicious blend of 26 ingredients, sautéed portobello... more ›

Pete’s Café is truly an enigma in the downtown dining scene, which seems to birth a new establishment every 30 to 40 seconds these days. While living in the Little Tokyo Lofts during 2005, I was introduced to this funky little restaurant nestled into the corner of 4th Street and Main by super-neighbor and self-appointed Mayor of Downtown Los Angeles, Shawn Mitchell. Since then, I have eaten more Hellman Burgers, drank more Stella, and... more ›