A Weekend in Los Angeles - Find. Eat. Drink.

BAR PINTXO

Joe Miller decided to open Bar Pintxo after traveling to Spain with wine imported Andre Tamers (De Maison Selections), because he wanted to replicate the food and experience of a true pintxos bar. This small restaurant in Santa Monica really comes close. A selection of pintxos are displayed on the bar. Some of the food is cooked in front of you in the tiny open kitchen and the wine list contains some traditional and excellent choices of wine, sherry, and cider.

109 Santa Monica Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90401 (map this)

T: 310.458.2012

www.barpintxo.com

CORA’S COFFEE SHOPPE

A new twist on an old school theme. There are bar stools inside with a couple of tables and al fresco dining outside on the covered porch. Worth trying are the burrata-caprese omelette, the orange-blueberry pancakes, and the huevos rancheros. Note the brunch crowd loves this place, so there can be quite a wait on the weekends. If you are staying nearby, it’s worth a stop when there isn’t a long wait for tables.

1802 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (map this)

T: 310.451.9562

www.corascoffee.com

ANIMAL

Farmers market, animal focused (with an emphasis on pig) menu changes daily. Bold flavors, interesting products, well-priced small producer oriented wine-list. Worth trying: pig ear with chili, lime and fried egg; smoked trout with avocado, poblano, corn, bacon, crema; sweet breads with hen of the woods mushrooms; bacon chocolate crunch bar with s&p anglaise. Chefs / owners Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo won Food & Wine’s 2009 Best New Chefs award.

www.animalrestaurant.com

435 N. Fairfax Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90036 (map this)

T: 323.782.9225

WHAT

The sun, the surf, Hollywood - everyone knows what Los Angeles is, but beyond the obvious there are some authentic finds.

WHY

No longer a food wasteland where being seen is the only focus, LA’s food scene is catching up quickly.

October 17, 2009

A WEEKEND IN LOS ANGELES

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LOTERIA GRILL - FARMERS MARKET

Truly authentic taqueria with a variety of choices including: pollo en mole poblano (chicken), chicarron en salsa verde (pork rinds), carne deshebrada (shredded beef), champignon con epazole (mushrooms). Try one of the fresh juices to pair with the flavorful food. Both the pineapple and limeade are perfect accompaniments. Afterwards, you can walk off your meal strolling around the market or even shopping at The Grove.

www.loteriagrill.com

6333 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (map this)

T: 323.930.2211

6627 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028 (map this)

T: 323.465.2500 (make a reservation)

HIDE SUSHI

Locals love this small sushi joint in the Little Osaka section of Los Angeles. We sat next to a guy who travels across town for lunch at Hide and in Los Angeles driving more than the usual 20 minutes counts big. They slay live shrimp right in front of you. That’s fresh. They only accept cash, but there is an ATM on the premises, which doesn’t make for the most sexy design, so ignore the decor and go for the fresh fish.

2040 Sawtelle Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90025 (map this)

T: 310.477.7242

WA SUSHI

Two former Matsuhisa chefs serve up both creative sushi and traditional Japanese dishes in this small West Hollywood restaurant. The sea urchin with white truffle oil is shockingly good as is the fresh sweet shrimp with tempura fried heads. Also worth trying is the more traditional shrimp steamed custard with mushrooms and sea bream. Sit at the sushi bar and put your dinner in the hands of TT (Toru Takenaka) or Hiroyuki Imai and you won’t be disappointed. Like many of the best sushi joints in Los Angeles, this is in a strip mall. However, since the restaurant is on the second floor, you have a nice view overlooking the twinkling lights of Hollywood.

1106 N. La Cienega Blvd

West Hollywood, CA 90069 (map this)

T: 310.854-7285

INTELLIGENTSIA COFFEE & TEA

Wait in line for your coffee concierge to serve you at a barista station. The line might look painfully long, but once inside your coffee and tea paradise awaits as your personal barista takes care of you. It’s a cool space and the coffee and pastries are excellent. What more could you ask for?

www.intelligentsiacoffee.com

1331 Abbot Kinney Boulevard

Venice, CA 90291-3739 (map this)

T: 310.399.1233

IN-N-OUT BURGER

It’s a west coast fast-food institution and so much so that we had to try it in-between lunch and dinner, during our weekend visit. If you are a burger fan, it’s worth a stop. Friendly service, fresh grilled taste, juicy, but not speedy-fast food. There’s also a secret menu (secret menu).

www.in-n-out.com

CANTER’S

A Los Angeles landmark since 1931, this is the place to find late night food and entertainment. Open 24 hours, the food in the dining room is classic deli and the Kibitz Room next door has a formidable music history: The Wallflowers are one of the bands who got their start there. Expect to see a wide range of people, including lots of movie stars and rockers. Say hi to Bella, she’s been working the nightshift since 1964 and has served everyone from Paul Newman to Guns & Roses.

www.cantersdeli.com

419 N. Fairfax Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90036 (map this)

T: 323.651.2030

KATSU-YA SUSHI

In a strip mall in Studio City, you won’t be wowed by the ambiance, but expect to be happy with the sushi. As with other sushi restaurants, it‘s best to sit at the bar. They serve inventive fusion cuisine and it’s worth checking out the daily specials. Recommended items include: crispy rice with spicy tuna, spicy tuna roll with creamy rock shrimp tempura. Both lunch and dinner can be crowded and there’s valet parking outside the restaurant. It’s all about the food here and due to its locale by many of the major Hollywood production lots, expect some good celeb spotting.

www.katsu-yagroup.com

11680 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 (map this)

T: 818.985.6976

CHEZ JAY

Perhaps it’s the neon signs that seem to scream “come drink here,” but Chez Jay has that certain je ne sais quoi. Tiny, divey, with a storied past. It has ties to Watergate: Daniel Ellsberg, who worked at the nearby Rand Corp., supposedly passed the Pentagon Papers to a reporter there. Major marquis names have come to this old school watering hole: Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Clint Eastwood. Marlon Brando allegedly waltzed off with a waitress and Henry Kissinger spent so much time in the back, a rear table was dubbed the "Kissinger Room." The owner even once roomed with actor Leonard Nimoy. So for a piece of old Hollywood right across from the ocean, this is a good spot for grabbing a late night drink.

www.chezjays.com

1657 Ocean Avenue

Santa Monica, CA 90401 (map this)

(310) 395-1741