Cracked Crab is my seafood fantasy come true. Many years ago my dad knew the owner of one of those really ghetto seafood places on the Redondo Pier. I'm talking newspaper-spread-out-over-the-wooden-table, sit-at-the-bench-with-a-bib and eat-while-fighting-off-the-seagulls kind of ghetto. And since dad knew the owner, the seafood came like a tsunami and I was spoiled beyond belief. Unfortunately that place closed down years ago and I've been at a loss for a hard core, bang-on-the-crab-with-a-mallet restaurant. But... [continue]

Morro Bay is a beach town about 200 miles northwest of Los Angeles. On a recent trip I had the pleasure of dining in the area, and the result is this quick back to back weekend series. Come back tomorrow for even more seafood as we head down the coast to Pismo Beach. Today, though, we're sticking to the beautiful town of Morro Bay. Known as a fishing port and a tourist town, Morro bay... [continue]

Dong Il Jang is highly ranked on Yelp and is one of the oldest Korean restaurants in Los Angeles. It also happens to be one of the higher-end Korean places in K-town. It is a little pricier than the usual cheap Korean places I go to, but you see it reflected both in the atmosphere and the presentation of the food. I'm looking to get away from strictly Korean Barbecue and go for more variety... [continue]

I was very excited to go to Barrio Fiesta with my Filipino friends Isabel and William. I had very little exposure to Filipino food before, so I was mentally pumped to try all the new stuff they were going to throw at me. Let me say it now, I was not dissapointed. The restaurant is on the East side of Eagle Rock Blvd in Eagle Rock. The parking is a bit tough, as the good-sized... [continue]

Al Gelato sits on Robertson in the southern part of Bevely Hills. It came recommended from a couple of friends, but I initially had doubts because it was billed more as a dessert place, but hey, if they have cake and pizza and gelato all in one place, who am I to complain? The pre-meal bread is huge! It's got a thin crust and very soft and fluffy insides. They plop down a plate of... [continue]

Surprisingly, the West Side has quite a few impressive barbecue joints, which are hole-in-the-walls. One of these is Mr. Cecil's California Ribs. We found it on Pico Blvd., one block west of Bundy Ave. The restaurant sits in this unique, little, round building. The tables are few, but the place is very cozy. The menu feels slightly limited, but maybe our eyes skipped some parts of it because we knew exactly what we wanted...RIBS... [continue]

I'm sure everyone here has some opinion on what's the best steakhouse in Los Angeles. There's Morton's, Cut, a number of Ruth's Chris's, Mastro's, and probably a ton of others that I can't think of right now. It was the g/f's birthday and we got to splurge at Mastro's a bit, so here are the photos -- proof, if you will -- that we lived it up for a night.... [continue]

I don't know about you, but I like my seafood fresh, cheap, and in big hearty portions. So when I heard about Seafood VIllage and their crab special, I had to drive over and see for myself. Seafood Village dominates a small plaza on Garvey just a block east of Atlantic in Monterey Park. Park spaces could be a little hard to find in the small lot during dinner rush hour, but street parking... [continue]

I love DineLA week. All these great restaurants at almost affordable prices. I wish I had more time to hit up all the great places! DineLA YEAR, I say! Bring it back now!Useless and completely unrealistic rant aside, Harold and Belle's came highly recommended from my friend Sharon, "Our favorite place, so much food!" she says. I can't say no to that! So here we go: It's certainly not in the greatest neighborhood, and... [continue]

John O'Groats is an inconspicuous little breakfast and lunch joint on Pico Blvd, near Westside Pavilion. There's a blue awning and a container of coffee outside -- to keep you awake while you wait for a seat. Alas, I can't vouch for the quality of the coffee, because we were seated promptly. Photos of actual food, after the jump...... [continue]

Sitting besides Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Allegria is a cozy and warm fine Italian restaurant. As part of DineLA Week, we visited to try the prix-fixe menu. LAist has been offering you some great coverage of Restaurant Week: to join in the party, you can find a listing of participating restaurants at DineLA.com. Participating restaurants typically offer a three-course lunch for $22 and dinner for $34.... [continue]

Last night, as steady rain drenched West Hollywood, Ingrid Michaelson rocked out to a sold-out Troubadour. The mood was light and the in-between-song bantering was charming and quite often hilarious. Ingrid sings with with her mellow innocence and fragile vulnerability in full effect and is backed up beautifully by Ms. Allie Moss, her backup singer and guitarist. The enthusiastic audience managed to tease her back out for a two song encore, a melodic version... [continue]

Prominently featured in Grey's Anatomy and Old Navy ads, Singer-Songwriter and independent music wonder Ingrid Michaelson's music comes to the Troubadour this Thursday night. Tickets are all gone, but photos will be forthcoming here on LAist. Born in Staten Island, Ingrid started piano lessons at 4 and graduated from State University of New York at Binghamton with a degree in theater. She wrote the songs for her first album while on the road touring... [continue]

I know, I know, KevCheng is a food blogger, what's with the DJ spinning up there? Now, I've never been a huge "Let's go hear a DJ spin" kind of guy, so when I was invited by a friend to go to a "lounge" and listen to "House Music," I just wasn't very motivated; especially when I learned it's on Sunset where it's usually $15 just to park. $15!? That's one night at Korean...... [continue]

Ah, Santa Barbara. Wine, adobe buildings, wine, nice scenery, wine... So a few months ago I shot a beautiful, simple wedding at the Santa Barbara Courthouse (Most of us bloggers have a life outside of LAist, dear reader. I happen to be a photographer.) Afterwards, we walked through the huge grassy courtyard, across the street, and right into this gorgeous little restaurant called Elements. We had some unbelievably good sandwiches and wraps at the...... [continue]

1. Cajun Style Deep Fried Turkey from Miss Peaches. See above. It's off the hook. 2. A seemingly endless supply of ethnic restaurants in Los Angeles. This is such a great place to be a food blogger. 3. LAist, of course. 4. Del Taco, which is actually open today. 'Cause when you're cooking up something ridiculous for dinner, the last thing you want to worry about is making lunch. 5. My Fujifilm camera --...... [continue]

I love, love, LOVE hole in the wall ethnic food. I love the feeling of stumbling across a great little restaurant with passionate people working there to feed the locals. I also love finding a restaurant that has its own soul and unique take on a culture's food. Melanee Thai near Century City is the perfect example of the hole in the wall with its own voice. I had the great fortune of meeting...... [continue]

The annual Epilepsy Freedom Walk took place this morning in Griffith Park with honorary chairman Greg Grunberg of "Heroes" fame leading the crowd of supporters. We have previously highlighted this event here on LAist. To find out how you can help the work of the Epilopsy Foundation, visit The Epilepsy Foundation. Photos after the jump......... [continue]

Korea Town is a busy place, my friends, let me tell ya. There's bars and clubs galore here in K-town, insanity going on at all hours of the night, and when my Korean brothas and sisters are done drinking for the night, and are ready for something greasy or refreshing -- I could only imagine that they'd hit this house, the house of Nak Won....... [continue]

Gaby's Mediterranean near Venice and Motor is open LATE (until 1 a.m. daily), so you can actually visit at some ungodly hour -- drunk out of your mind -- and never actually get a good look at what came out of the kitchen. But I'm a photographer, yo, so I'm here at golden hour, for the beautiful afternoon light, just so I can present to you some pictures of the food......... [continue]