04-04-10: Magnumpi205Did you get her name?
"Hot buns and juicy burgers"
319 responses Add your response
03-16-10: AzaudJust hit Sunnin Lebanese Cafe on Westwood Blvd & Santa Monica last week. Food was and great and it was cheap/affordable. Meat kabobs were tender and juicey, pilaf was perfect, got the mixed appetizer plate that was a great assortment. Creamy hommos. I love the Lebanese beer Almaza. Wish I lived closer, I'd hit it at least once a week. You can get a decent meal for ~$15. |
Azaud, Tam O'Shanter. Heh, heh. Another old LA place. Had a rental in Los Feliz for awhile, so the drive along Los Feliz Blvd. through Atwater Village and on to Glendale is imprinted on my memory. The golf place to the left, Tam to the right, up to Dinah's and take a left to main drag Glendale. Not that long ago Burbank used to have a lot of old food hangouts that remind me of Hollywood in the Carson years before places like Fred 62 started sprouting up along with the 68 Dodge Dart tattooed driving clientele. Time to get out my DVD of "Things that aren't here anymore" and revisit old LA. Better go before another audiogon-er bitches about the old fart and his twenty sentences. |
Me too on the Lebanese food! There used to be a place on Westwood that had great chow. I was just commenting on how far away from burgers we'd gotten. Don't fret; I'm a big high-jacker myself. Remember Josephine's on Santa Monica? I'm still in mourning. Orleans had a blackened redfish that was in a blackened SAUCE. It was insane! Great sandwich board at The Tom O'Shanter on Los Feliz just outside of Glendale. They are owned by Lawry's, and the prime rib is therefore of course incredible to boot. |
03-15-10: AzaudLordy, I can imagine what the next morning is like. Better pre-position an extra roll of toilet paper next to the thrown before going to bed. |
Hey Azaud, I'm down for Lebanese food. Love it. I had an Iranian brother-in-law who'd take us to all these delish places in Atlanta. I didn't say In & Out wasn't good, I'm just no fan. They are very consistent in the product they deliver and that's saying a lot. Watching them put the spuds in the cutter is cool, but I've had better fries at several Suisse places, and better fries at many mussel & frites joints in the big apple. Don't get me started on noshing, black & whites, Nova, Borscht-in-a -cup, and kugel. I'm a sick puppy for that stuff. Barney Greengrass on Amsterdam has taken (actually I gave happily) a lot of my money. Today I overheard a group of thirty-somethings at the mall oohing & awing over their visit to Picasso's in Vegas, and I thought about what a letdown my experience was there after places like the French Laundry in California. I mean if you're going to spend real money, why not take ethereal over hoo hum. Sad that most of my foodie memories are just that. Dude! |
At "Ptomaine Tommy's", if you order "extra chili", you end up with this mess that ten of those paper towels they call napkins won't make a dent in (BTW, they have those paper towel dispensers EVERYWHERE ...At least fifteen of them; but you go into the restroom to take the post-Tommy's chowfest face shower? Air dryer!!! Only in L.A...); but if you ask for "extra chili BOWL-STYLE", they turn the burger that already has enough chili in it to render a small nation defenseless on it's side, and ladle a HEAP of that greasy heaven into the "bowl", and plunge a spork into the mess. Much more doable. |
Come on, I'd crush burgers at In N'Out before I'd destroy burgers at Carl's Jr any day, and I love Carl's Jr. Yes, there's a doctor's office clinicality to the interior; but I don't see a lot of bicycles out back, so I think we're safe from the Mormon thing. I don't see a lot of Brothers working there though. Hmmm... I had my first Double-Double back in '78, so I know it's not about the lawyers, because we just laughed at guys that said they were going to sue us back then and beat them up some more. I was a big Tommy's guy, and didn't think the In N'Out was a big deal either at the time. The only thing different from today was the fries. They were shoestring. Better for a rabid case of the munchies, IMHO. The shakes have never been spectacular, and I know this is heresy; but I never thought their lemonade was that good either. ...But saying In N'Out isn't good is like saying a great bagel shop that gets all the fundamentals just right is just OK because they don't do anything "different". What's different is the integrity of the essence. (Hey, since this thread has been hijacked so many times---Lebanese food?---and speaking of bagels, what about Jewish delis? I always liked Mort's in Pacific Palisades; but Shep's on Pico was good, and Art's in 90210 was pretty good too. Weby's on Ventura is gone :( Brisket and pastrami, add swiss and cole slaw with Russian dressing on an onion roll...OK, enough of that) Even my beloved Carl's Jr has gone to a freaking microwave, and that stuff that's supposed to pass for eggs (Ya, In N'Out, breakfast would be nice. Bacon seasons the grill very nicely), so keeping your integrity for more than thirty years speaks volumes to a company's sense of vision. Even the afore mentioned Mc D's was a lot better when they used to throw stuff away all the time, and everybody knows it. Make it fresh. Keep it for 10 minutes. Throw it away if no one shows up to buy it. God I love America! |
No fan of In & Out. On a travel stop verses Mickey D's they win out (unless you want breakfast). Commendable for "no freezers", but little else there to get excited about. As another poster mentioned, it's the condiments that add what taste those burgers do have. No juicy medium rare, no taste of the grill, no thickness to the patty. A cabal of attorneys have deemed those qualities risky food service practices - better to overcook food than risk one food borne illness lawsuit. I'd rather pay a little more for a thick, grilled, juicy (not steamed off on a flat-top) indulge in saturated fat. Going inside an In & Out I feel like I'm visiting people at a tabernacle with that squeaky clean image. All they need are the Mormon pamphlets on the counter to firm up the experience. |
This best burger OP has gone off the rails, but that's cool by me since catering, F&B, fine dining, hotels, etc. were my life for thirty + years. Following up on the sushi posts ,my late wife and I used to rent in Calabasas and we really dug Shibuya over by the post office. Very special, no shortcuts taken sauces/dips/salads and of course their fish. This was back in the mid-1990's. I haven't been back to that area in ages, but an old acquaintance in L.A. tells me that most every place I loved has gotten pricey since my stay. |
My favorites in Houston, like you I travel a lot for work, and I would put Houston right at the top along with San Fran (all No Cal really) and New York for food towns. There's a lot of disposible income in Houston due to low cost of living and lots of big business (energy, medical, technology, banking) and it's too hot to be outside for about 8 months, so everyone goes out to eat!! Top Tier Restaurants: Brennans DeMarco Nino's Cafe Annie Mark's on Westhiemer (my fav) Churrascos L'Combe D'Or Steak Houses: Pappas Brothers Vic and Anthony's TexMex or Mexican: Lupe Tortillas Goode Co Taqeuria Pappasitos (Little Pappsitos on Kirby is my fav) El Tiempo Ninfas (only the original on Navigation) Seafood: Goode Co Seafood Pappadeaux Vietnamese: Nit Noi Mediterrainian: Niko Niko's Ya Ya Mary's There are lots of great Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants around town, we have huge immigrant populations from those countries. I usually just go along with my buddies to their mom and pop favorites where you need to speak the languages, and eat what they order for me at those spots. If you ever have interest in those, I can get recommendations on those too. Come now before the heat starts back up next month!! |
Bongo, I'd be happy to make the run wherever you've got free time hit dinner or lunch. For Sushi, we've got quite a few good places here in the Lomita/Torrance area due to the large Japanese population of Honda and Toyota executives from their Torrance/North America headquarters. For something different, try Kotosh in Lomita on PCH. They serve Peruvian Sushi - yes, the hybrid made famous by Nobu Matsuhisa. They've got traditional Japanese style sushi and an ungodly assortment of rolls. But, the Peruvian dishes seem to specialize in the sauces or marinades that accompany the fish/food. Many of them a flavorful variations of Yuzu and Ponzu sauces, but then they have this Special Spicy Mayonaise, Garlic, Lime and Soy Sauce that is served with several dishes like sushi and their fried rice - it is amazing. Their other Peruvian dishes like noodles, rice, seafood all very good. There are so many things on the menu, that it's best to go with 3-4 people so you get a wide variety of things to share. My favorite in LA used to be Sushi Sasabune on Sawtelle in Santa Monica, but they moved to a much larger location on Wilshire Blvd after 15 years and quality has gone down and price up, significantly. For good time, Terried Kitchen on Santa Monica Blvd, just west of the 405 fwy is my mainstay. Sushi is decent, but it's their grilled vegetables and Isakaya that help make it such a good meal. A couple can get out of there $50-70 and have a good meal. |
D Mob: Speaking of food, I love four sushi places in LA/OC: Sushi Gen in Little Tokyo (near the Nickel), Sushi Shibucho and Ikko (both in Costa Mesa) and Sen Nari in Gardena. Macdaddy and Vernneal: I travel to Houston often, as Conoco is a client, and I have just been exploring your town. I like Goode Company (pecan pie is crack cocaine), Hugos, Kenny and Ziggys, Lupe Tortilla and the new Straits at the Hotel Sorella. Want to try Demeris, Becks and the Lankford Grocery next trip in. Do you have any other favorites? |
On the price of pizza... A good college friend (w/ an MBA) opened Zeppy's Pizza a fairly successful pizza joint in Hermosa Beach on the Pier Walk. Zeppy's makes a deep dish pie that is dough intensive somewhat like a Chicago, but not as greasy/buttery (it is California, after all). He told me that it cost $0.25 per slice for him to make a large pizza even with lots of toppings. So, I have a real problem with $15-25 "designer personal pizzas" (9") being hustled around Los Angeles these days. 03-12-10: TvadTvad, there are a couple of Middle Eastern places I have wanted to hit in The Valley for a long time. One of my best friends is Armenian and his dad is kind of a Lebanese/Armenian food fanatic. I suggest they check out Mantee in Studio City because of Jonathan Gold's LA Weekly review and they loved it. Another one is The Hummus Bar & Grill in Tarazana on Ventura Blvd. But, the one I really want to hit is Itzik Hagadol Grill on Ventura Blvd, it is supposed to be the best of all the Valley ME joints. |
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D-Mob and Bong-o, I agree on the high end pizza being an oxymoron. I grew up in Chicago, where one of the few great foods was Pizza. I love Chicago, great town, but not the best food town in the US, especially in the low to mid price range. Anyway, Houston has the worst pizza in of anywhere I have ever been. Great food in general, huge diversity because of the huge foriengn population, but man, pizza here sucks. So we have gotte a few of those "High End" pizza places opening in very nice parts of town. I have a problem paying $40 for a pizza. Especially when I think of how you can walk into those little shops off the squares in Rome and get a great slice for about $2.50. Now that's pizza! I love NY pizza too, same type deal. Different than the stuff in Italy, and much different than the deep dish (can you say Gino's East) in Chicago, but equally as satisfying. BTW, my company's office in Cali is in Newport Beach, right off of MacArthur. Bongo I owe you at least lunch, but beer and dinner would be better, next time I am there, for my red card rant on the rap thread. I still think rap sucks though. |
Bongo, My girlfriend grew up and still lives in Laguna up on the hill - Temple Hills Dr. So, I make it down that way fairly often. Have you tried Eva's(formerly Drew's) Jamaican on the south side of town. I haven't been in a long time, but I do remember it was as authentic, and good, as I've ever had in Southern California. Their jerk meats & Calaloo soup are out of this world. I seem to remember Mozambique being pretty good in it's prime, especially the chicken livers in Peri-peri sauce. Actually, Peri-Peri on anything is good. In Italy, where I have spent some time on sabbatical, you could buy a feshly made pizza for about $6 with real tomatoes from Naples and buffalo mozz. cheese. Simply made but choice tasty ingredients.Pavich's makes a classic "Margarita" just like in Italy and it is fantastic. But, most people will recommend the "Croatian". Half & Half would not be a bad way to go first time. |
T Mob and Tvad: Thanks guys. TM: I agree with you. In Italy, where I have spent some time on sabbatical, you could buy a feshly made pizza for about $6 with real tomatoes from Naples and buffalo mozz. cheese. Simply made but choice tasty ingredients. Hard to imagine that fetches $20 here. I travel to NYC every other week, so I am a little spoiled, by all the great slice joints--Emporio, Lazzos, La Pizza Fresca, L & M etc... Lots of cool Neopolitan style pizza places are spreading up--Keste is particularly hot--made it to #1 in New York Magazine after only being open four months. My favorite non-NY pizza places is Serious Pie in Seattle and A16 in SF. Have not taken the time to drive up to Mozza as I live in Laguna Beach and it would be a hour and half haul on a good day. San Pedro is a easy 45 minute shot so I will check your recommendation out. I have spent a fair amount of time in Santa Maria (Jockos), Austin (The Salt Lick) and Memphis (A & R) sampling some great Q. I especially like a website called www.choppedonion.com that covers all the great backroad barbecue joints in the South. Tasty-Q sounds like my kind of joint. Just never think to go up to South Central. |
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Bong-o, I'm not a big believer in this new high-end, designer, pizza fad that's overtaken LA. Like burgers, pizza is a food of the masses. It's one of the highest profit margin, and cheapest to make, items in all of restauranting. So, a $20 personal designer pizza that the size of an appetizer does nothing for me no matter how good it is. When I get a pie, I'm looking to my eat on. And yeah, I've been to Pizzaria Mozza and a few of the other new high-end places. They are good, but to tell the truth, none of them are any better than this little shack in Pedro - not from an ingredient and final taste POV, and certainly not from a value perspective: Pavich's Brick Oven Pizzeria (LA Times review) 2311 S. Alma St., (just north of 25th St, on Alma) San Pedro, (310) 519-1200 This is one of the great thin-crust pizza in Los Angeles. It is a true Mediterranean style pie, but from a Croatian perspective. A light, flakey, almost filo dough like crust with just the right amount of toasting to make it crackle and crunch. Quality toppings bursting with flavor. Terrific cheeses. Most of their pizzas are lightly topped, but they've lately begun to offering "everything but the kitchen sink" versions because that's what people are used to. (picture slideshow) And get this, their 18" premium pizza is........$18-20. That's right, a twenty spot, maybe even some change back. This sucker is a two or three meal affair, easy. And that's pigging out. Check the slideshow above. The only downside is that is take-out only. There is usually one or two fold-out tables out front during the day, if you are lucky. But, grab one and head down the street(Alma) 1 mile to a park with a 180 degree view of the entire coast from Malibu to Dana Point. |
03-11-10: BongofuryAs I mentioned above: J & J Burger Shack (barbecue) 5754 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles just East of Farifax & Adams Blvd. There are two separate parts to J & J, yet the same shack. One is a burger joint, the other is just barbecue. Their barbecue is pretty damned good. Their beef ribs a big and meaty, pork falls off the bone, brisket & chicken is good, and hot links rock. I also like all their side dishes. They do real wood smoking and it split logs are stacked high just outside the patio. Tasty Q Bar-B-Cue 2959 Crenshaw Blvd. (one block south of Jefferson) Los Angeles, CA 90016 Good BBQ & sides and great prices. BTW, bring your own turkey and they'll deep fry it for you while you eat. Somehow, it always end up being Phillips or J & J for me, depending on where I am in town at the time. |
D Mob, Tvad, Byegolly: great string so far. I have lived in LA for 51 years. My favorite hole in the wall places around town include Vince's Spaghetti in Ontario, a classic red sauce joint; Maria's in Glendora for guacamole smothered beef enchiladas; Donut Man in Glendora for strawberry doughnuts (always has at least six cop cars); Let's Be Frank for hot dogs at the Helm Building in Culver City; The Local Place in Gardena for Hawaiian style Kalbi Ribs; Din Tai Fung for dim sum in Arcadia; D'Elia's grinders in Riveside (best bread EVER); La Sirena in Laguna Beach for anything Mexican; and Memphis Soul House for gumbo in Costa Mesa. |
A couple of others I remember from growing up in L.A. Fat Jack's The Great Grill They may still be around in name; but are shells of their former selves. BTW, The Original Tommy's was so popular in the Seventies that it spawned a bunch of ripoffs (Tommie's; Tomy's etc.), some of which were pretty good; but none of them got the chili right. Some did have that one topping that I deem, after grilled onions and sharp cheddar, to be indespensible to a good burger: Avocado! |
Here's a heads-up for you guys, for when you make burgers and steaks at home. Peter Luger's steak sauce is available online. This stuff makes all other steak sauces second fiddle, even pretty good ones like Virginia Gentleman. Everyone who's tried it so far agrees, there's nothing close. Another nice thing about it is that it has good synergy with John Henry's Pecan Rub, which is also a lot of fun. |
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Kobbler King 3622 West Jefferson Boulevard (& Crenshaw) Los Angeles, CA 90016-4206 (323) 731-9286 Absolutely rocks. LA Times(?) had an article 5 years ago or so on the 28 year old "kid" who owns this tiny shack. He personally handmakes his cobblers of all flavors depending on which fruit is in season. They are fantastic. He makes maybe a hundred or so a day and they all sell out by afternoon. But, they also do Chicken Fingers, Hot Wings, Shrimp Scampi, Jambalaya, Grilled Shrimp, Cajun Shrimp, Red Snapper, Catfish, Gumbo. Tasty Q Bar-B-Cue is right around the corner on Crenshaw. Good BBQ & sides and great prices. BTW, bring your own turkey and they'll deep fry it for you while you eat. While your are there, just keep going south on Crenshaw to The Cobbler Lady(3854 Crenshaw Boulevard). A different style from Kobbler King, but certainly as good. I've never tried anything but the deserts there, and they are pretty damn good. |
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03-09-10: SamharI loves me some grub! Actually, my girlfriend and I love finding Mom & Pop places that deliver basic, good food, at reasonable prices. It's kind of our hobby. I've never heard of Woodies, thanks for the tip - it's on my list now. As for burgers do you remember Fudruckers in Torrance and Woodies flame grilled in El Segundo both very good burgers!!I grew up just a few miles away in San Pedro. Great place for summer jobs in college, too bad it didn't survive until the Rolling hills plaza was redone. Don't think I've ever hit Woodies in El Segundo. I guess I should have mention Texas Lucy's in Torrance at Sepulveda & PV Drive. My dad used to take me there as a kid. He said they had the best burgers in the area, but now at 45 yrs old, I realize he was just going to look at the waitresses in lingerie and chaps with their boobs pushed up and butts hanging out.(btw, they seriously toned down the "uniforms" sometime in the last ~35 yrs) |
J & J Burger Shack (barbecue) 5754 West Adams Boulevard, Los Angeles just East of Farifax & Adams Blvd. Good location for barbecue. Burgers are good and huge, but their beef ribs great. Pork's good, too. I also like their side dishes. Wood-smoked. Phillips Barbecue 4307 Leimert Boulevard, Los Angeles Vernon & Crenshaw Blvd west of 110 fwy. They have three locations - Leimert Park, Crenshaw, and Inglewood. I've only been to the original in Leimert Park. I usually get the $50 or $100 mix platter for office parties. The drive in on Vernon might scare some that aren't used to that part of town, and it is kinda 'hood. But, everyone is nice once you get there and the food is damn good. Across the parking lot is a great Jamaican cafe - Ackee Bamboo. Terrific meat patties and the Jerk, Curries, and brown stews are as authentic as you are going to get in LA. They get the complex mix of spices just right so that the heat does not obscure all the individual flavors. I don't break a sweat until the meal is 80% finished. Be prepared for Island Time or CPT(colored people's time), as my grandmother and parents used to say, in getting your food. Some days it's quick, others can take a few minutes. but it is always worth he wait. Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken 2600 E Alondra Blvd Compton, CA 90221 also a brand new location in re-vitalized Culver City 9537 Culver Boulevard Culver City, CA 90232 I prefer the Compton location - cheaper, more bare-bones, and closer to my house. The new Culver City shop is bright, clean, and very professional looking. Chicken is fresh, juicy, and a great crust. Their biscuits are out of this world. |