The Pantry

The wait is the fun part (at least late at night). If you want to be a goof-ball look over everything on the menu, tell your friends you want X then when your friend is ready to order for your group change your mind.

~ Rick

It's sort of mainstream these days but I think House of Blues on Sunset is a decent place to see live music. I'm too old for a mosh pit and spiked hair type of place but still prefer a stand and watch the band venue; HOB fits the bill.

~ Rick

Huh weird, this has been pretty much my exact opposite experience. Commerce has maniacs, the Bike is a more tight, rock-ish game (I play $400NL, fwiw). The Bike I go to when I want a nicer ambience.

-Al

Find Jonathan Gold's list of 99 best restaurants in LA. They vary widely in price so there's something for you no matter what you want. He's the best food critic ever and though I've had a couple of misses if you just start going to the restaurants on that list you will be happy.

Get this book about walking and go on the tours. Lots of history there and even though you look like an idiot tourist it's a great way to figure out sections of town you never knew existed.

-Michael

Hiking up by the Hollywood sign is really cool. Try to pick a clear day. Don't try to sneak down to the actual sign. There are cameras and a live security guard watching you.

Al, I just don't like the warehouse-feel of Commerce. I like the way the Bike has TVs and walls nearby. Feels more like a poker room to me. I think I've generally played 200NL there 3 or 4 times and haven't seen one maniac. Nothing but calling stations and nits.

Best breakfast in town is John O'Groats on Pico near Rancho Park golf course. Great biscuits and thick, salty, crisp bacon. Kokomo at the Farmer's Market is also good. And for a semi-microbiotic time, Hugo's, either on Santa Monica in West Hollywood or on Riverside Drive just off Coldwater in the Valley has good food. I sat next to Jeff Goldblum and his, ahem, daughter, the last time I ate at the West Hollywood branch.

Horrible food.

There's a place called K-zo on Culver (?), right near Sony (adjacent to the Trader Joe's) in Culver City, great sushi. Also, Hamasaku, in a strip mall on Santa Monica Blvd. near Veteran is good and not far from where OP lives.

Delis:

Gotta mention Bay Cities Deli in Santa Monica, since it's in your hood. Grew up on the East Coast (so I love the deli) and this is one of the better ones in LA, imo. The Godmother is ridiculously good. I've noticed some variance with their bread (baked on the premises) but when they hit it is delicious.

Brent's in Northridge is also very good. Mario's in Glendale is not bad, and a decent option on the East Side.

Langer's (Downtown) was mentioned above - really, really good pastrami, I think it's better than Katz's.

-Al

QFT (he just won a James Beard Award).

Map with Reviews of This Year's Essential 99

Suzzer - ah, you should check out the game one more time if you're looking for a fun, loose game (IIRC the $200NL is usually very wild). I have a fondness for Commerce cause I sort of "grew up" playing there. It is kind of disgusting though ambience-wise compared to the Bike...

-Al

Thanks for ruining my day. I'm going to go jump off a bridge now.

Sushi:

Nozawa has already been mentioned. LOL @ the pic though. The place really looks like a complete hole in the wall with no color at all. I have never actually ordered food there (I think they only recently started allowing actual orders), but have always done the Omakase which is mostly Nigiri sushi. It is probably the best quality fish I have ever had in my life, however, I generally prefer sushi places with crazy dishes, and like to order more than just nigiri. They do have the occassional sashimi dish and hand roll as well, but they are all very plain, and you will need soy sauce for almost everything. Still, I highly recommend trying this place at least once if you are gonna live in LA.

Katana in West Hollywood: Fairly expensive, amazing decor, plenty of celebrity sightings, perfect location right across from the House of Blues on Sunset. The sushi here is generally over rated, although I love their Dragon (Eel and avacado) rolls. The real appeal for me is the Robatayaki Bar. Basically it's meats that are grilled and served on sticks. The Chilean Sea bass from the Robatayaki is excellent. You are definitely paying for location, decor and atmosphere here, so it's not just for the food.

Sushi Roku is great. Owned by the same people as Katana. Probably better quality sushi although I haven't been there enough to really be the judge of that. I guess it's better food and less atmosphere compared to Katana.

Matsuhisa on La Cienega: Owned by the same guys as Nobu (Nobu Matsuhisa is the chefs name, Deniro is the other major owner). You have to order the Toro Tartare with Caviar. It is served in a little bowl, and I personally like to stir it around vigorously before eating it. The Tuna and sauce are better when mixed into one. This place is expensive, but well worth it for a food connoisseur.

Sushi Katsuya on Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks: Definitely make reservations because the place is small and the wait is usually at least 30 minutes, often over an hour. Get the Albacore with Crispy Onion. Everything is good here, but the specials are generally better than the items on the menu. Don't be afraid to ask the waitress what her favorite dishes are, because the specials are always changing.

One more sushi place:

Asanebo on Ventura in Studio City. One of my favorite things in a sushi place is being able to go an entire meal without using soy sauce. Asanebo delivers. Every dish you order will be served in a unique sauce. The fish is very high quality, and they also have tons of exotic options like live shrimp. If you like to experiment, this is a wonderful place to go. I have never had a bad dish here. The only downside is that the portions can be small and expensive.

Does anyone have a good list of late night food options?

Personally I live in the Valley, and am close to Jerry's Deli which is great. I always get the Matzah ball soup (if you have never tried this soup, I highly recommend it. It's a soft ball of yummy goodness served in a chicken broth soup with some noodles). The Pastrami is good, and the California Sandwich (Bacon, Acacodo, Cheese, Turkey, and I think ranch?) is great as well.

Twain's is even closer, but the food there is absolute dogshit. Never eat there.

Wockano is the closest sushi place to me that's open late. It's decent, but not really worth the 15-20 minute drive. Does anyone know any other sushi places open late?
Katana (listed in my first post) is open til 11:30 or midnight, but I really would like to know of Sushi places open til 2am or later.

There are more options in West Hollywood. Toi is a great Thai place that is open til like 4am.

Bosanova is another great find. I think it's Brazilian cuisine? The pizzas are great. The plantains that come on the side of dishes are awesome. I personally like getting the Beef Stroganoff. Haven't had a bad dish here yet.

Pink's is open late-ish. I think it's open til 2am on weekends so that you can make it in time after the Bar's stop serving alcohol at 1:30.

Mel's diner is open late and kind of famous, but personally I think it's very over rated, and strongly prefer Jerry's Deli.

If you are into healthy food, try Hugo's Restaurant. I am walking distance from their location in Studio City and eat there all the time. They also have one in Studio City.

They have tons of Vegan options, and just about everything is farm raised and/or organic. All of the egg dishes are great. I generally prefer going there for breakfast. Lots of beverage options as well. I like getting the Macha Latte with Vanilla. It's green tea with a desert like taste.

It is very reasonably priced ($8-$12 entrees), yet I have seen a ton of celebrities there. To me that's a combination of a place that makes it definitely worth checking out.

Ok, I've made 4 posts in this thread, and they are all about food. Time for a little change up...

The Getty and 3rd Street Prominade are great activities. Try and do the Getty on a beautiful day. To most people that aren't art critics, the architecture there is far more interesting than most of the paintings. Even though it's a museum, you will spend a lot of time outdoors. The gardens there are beautiful. Great day-time date. Avoid Sundays, and to a lesser extent Saturdays because it will be packed.

The 3rd Street promenade is just a street full of shops and restaurants. There are always street performers ranging from magicians to dancers to musicians to religious evangelicals and creationists. It is a great day-time or night time activity. There is a mall right there, and also is walking distance from a beautiful spot on the beach. At the beach is the famous Santa Monica pier which has a couple of not-so-good touristy restaurants like Bubba Gump's Shrimp. It also has a tiny arcade place, and the Santa Monica Ferris Wheel.

As for concert venues, I highly recommend the Avalon. It has a capacity of about 1,500 maybe? Every show I've seen there has been great. It is my 2nd favorite concert venue right behind the 9:30 club in Washington DC.

Venice Beach is a fun day. Walk along the boardwalk-like sidewalk. There are tons of guys with shops set up outside selling t-shirts and bracelets. Lots of artists and performers as well. If you are really the walking type, I highly recommend walking all the way from Venice Beach to The Santa Monica Pier to the 3rd Street Promenade.

Ok, back to my favorite topic: food. If you want dinner there, you can go to Boa Steakhouse, or Sushi Roku. They are right across the street from each other and both owned by the same guys as Katana (see earlier post). Great food at both.

For a light snack during the day, go to the Crepe place on 3rd street near the mall. I usually get ham cheese and egg crepes. The dessert crepes are wonderful too, although I've never been that much of a dessert guy myself.

The sushi place with the conveyor belts has some of the worst sushi I've ever had in my life. Avoid it.

Jones Restaurant is awesome for late night grub.

Chaya Venice is hopping til midnight. Love to go there and load up on rounds of drinks and appetizers. Most of the appetizers are delicious. Come to think of it I'm not sure I've ever eaten dinner there. Not cheap.

Also a lot of the street taco places in LA are awesome. There's one called Oaxaca (I think) on Lincoln just at the border of Venice and Santa Monica that's great - it's in a truck. Another on Pico west of the 405 is the best I can remember. Of course I was drunk and I could have the street totally wrong. It's in a little walk up building. Basically you just have to start trying them.

I lived there 4 years when I went to UCLA. As far as events go meh, I never found anything special. As far as food though, go to Marvin's Diner in Westwood right next to the theaters, and get a donut at the exact same place. Best burgers/sandwiches/onion rings I've ever had before in my life.

And 2, Fogo de Chao in Beverly Hills. I've eaten at the Fat Duck in England among other places, and I can say without a doubt Fogo de Chao was the best overall meal I've ever had.

Try the ahi tuna sandwich at Mexicali (on Ventura). I'm a big ahi tuna sandwich aficionado, and this is the best one I've ever had. It's the only thing I ever get when I eat there, and even though I don't live in the valley, I still go back for it as much as I can. Definitely wait to sit outside. It's much nicer, and for some reason all the tables inside seem like they're at neck height.

For the best Margaritas and pretty tasty old-school Mexican food, Casa Vega also on Ventura in Sherman Oaks. Also lots of star sighting potential. The cast of Friends always used to hang out there. Fun atmosphere.

Not healthy, but Joe Peep's in N. Hollywood has the best pizza I've had in LA. This is the home of the ridiculously gigantic "5969 Calorie Pizza". Personally I like the thin crust "Blue Collar" version, which they sell like it's scrawny, but is still huge.

Can't beat Tommy's chili-cheese fries (with onions, peppers and sour cream). All the food groups are represented. It's nature's perfect food.

Hollywood Bowl is an incredible concert venue - acoustically and aesthetically. Radiohead there was one of the best live shows I've ever seen.

Long Beach Aquarium is also really neat and a great place to go with kids.

I've eaten at two of the Ethiopian places on Fairfax (& Pico-ish). Nyala was the best. I don't remember the name of the other place, but it was pretty good. It's connected to a shop and some of the seats like little saddles that you sit on like a horse.

Joe's Pizza Coming to Santa Monica

For ex-NY'ers, yup, that Joe's Pizza. I understand the quality at the one in Manhattan has gone down since they moved a couple blocks... but at one point, imo, that was not only the best slice but the best pizza period in NYC.

-Al

Is this a new you? Other than the "idiot tourist" comment what happened to the whiny, find the dark side of everything, I never have fun (insert just about any activity here) lmd I used to know. If you are coming out as a pleasant "find the bright side" type keep in mind this is the person I always thought was inside you anyway.

I'll check out the walk book since I'm running out of places down here behind the Orange Curtain. And I won't worry about looking like an "idiot tourist" since I probably get the "hip casual" look down better than most of you young guys anyway.

~ Rick

I just moved away from 14th/Wilshire, so I'm pretty familiar with your area.

Breakfast: Near you is Bagel Nosh on Wilshire and 19th (ish), its ok there. The Omelet Parlor on Main Street (by the border of SM and Venice) is awesome, they even have early-bird half-price omelets before 7, maybe 8 I think.

Bar: Check out the Parlor on Wilshire/15th. Really cool atmosphere, good happy hour 4-8PM everyday. Play some shuffleboard, its free before 8:00 PM.

Also check out the office, its a pretty packed locals spot on Montana/12th ish. Awesome burgers (they have stuff on the wall saying they have the best burgers in LA, maxim wrote them up, etc.) and great sweet-potato fries if you like that stuff. I think they have something like 34 beers on tap.

Definitely go to westwood and get Diddy Reese, so good, but they just recently raised prices to $1.25 for 2 cookies and a scoop of ice cream!

La Brea tar pits are cool if you like natural history.

The Viper Room consistantly has the best bands.

When it comes next summer, the LA Film Fest.

You cannot comprehend a "movie experience" until you see a show at the Dome @ the Archlight.

Sushi- Wabe Sabes on Abbot Kinney

Cat and Fiddle in Hollywood is a great bar, IMO.

If you are into Theater, check out the Elephant on Santa Monica and Vine, also the .

Sharky's Burritos on Cahuenga destroys all Taco Shops. I

Irv's Burgers across the street from Gelson's by Santa Monica and Martel. Also Astro Burger on Santa Monice and Farifax.

Only shop at Whole Foods.

The tea selection at Solar Cafe on Cahuenga and Franklin.