Over the past several months, I’ve been snapping pictures of food with the intention of writing about it on this blog. Now it’s December 31st, and I have a small backlog of meals to share. Rather than generate a post for each one, I’m just going to dump the photos here.
Long story short: all this food was good, and if you find yourself in LA, be sure to try these restaurants out.
Israeli pita bagel from Bibi’s Bakery and Café on Pico Blvd. Loved all the sesame, but it doesn’t compare to a real bagel.
The eggs benedict at Square One Dining in Los Feliz continues the restaurant’s streak of churning out AMAZING breakfast food. And yes, I realize this photo is upside down. And no, I don’t know why.
Also worth getting at Square One is a dish that’s only available as a special (but is frequently on the chalkboard nevertheless): a breakfast flatbread with bacon lardons and a fried egg. I will go out on a limb and say this is Square One’s best breakfast dish outside of their notorious French toast.
A blurry picture of the French Toast, for reference. Best in the city.
For a more high end breakfast, the eggs Benedict at Jar are nothing short of amazing.
The homemade sticky bun is also pretty absurd.
In other bready news, the pizza at Mozza continues to be totally delicious (this is the fennel sausage, panna, red onion, and scallion offering — still my favorite).
More dimly lit pizza porn.
The chicken liver bruschetta continues to be a must-have starter.
In fish news, the live sea urchin at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market is a thing of beauty. Still squirming long after it’s been sliced in half, this so-fresh-it-makes-you-weep delicacy is well worth the $8.50.
The roe is impossibly sweet. Some of you might find this vile. The rest of you know that this is heaven in a spiky ball.
Of course, I still live for the fried oysters at Malibu Seafood. The best in town.
And it’s hard to beat the dollar oysters at Delphine on Monday nights.
Dollar shrimp too.
The oyster po’boy at Little Doms should never be left out of this discussion.
Although, when it comes to sandwiches, I’m still a slave to the Godmother at Bay Cities Deli.
I’m proud to report that the tacos at Guisados live up to the hype. Amazing stuff here.
Meanwhile, the Comida taco stand is gone at the Yamashiro Farmer’s Market. In its place is a Mediterranean place that serves up flatbread tacos of sorts. Not as good as Comida, but definitely better than most of the other food vendors.
When it comes to cheap tacos, it’s hard to deny El Siete Mares in Silver Lake. This humble stand serves up fish tacos and ceviche, often for only $1 if you show up on the right day. May favorite, however, is the shrimp dorado taco. Heaven in a deep-fried bite.
It may seem unconventional, but Bludso’s BBQ on La Brea offers up a mean taco. It’s their breakfast taco, which incidentally is their only breakfast item. Served with either brisket or pulled pork, this piping hot taco (I burned my mouth) is shockingly awesome. Perfect for those 10 AM kickoff times in football season (which is incidentally exactly when I purchased it).
Do not overlook Bludso’s Bloody Mary (I think called the Bludso Mary). It features a pork tip garnish. ‘Nuff said.
And then there are the ribs. Tender, falling off the bone — all that good stuff. Totally excellent. Also worth mentioning is the brightly flavored cole slaw. The mac and cheese, however, is on the more forgettable side.
For a more unconventional breakfast, 24 hour stalwart Hodori in Koreatown is a solid choice. The restaurant doesn’t necessarily provide a breakfast menu, but an order of daeji bulgogi (pork, basically), kimchi fried rice, and a kimchi pancake works surprisingly well in the AM. Just look at my friend Marcos. He seems happy.
In other Asian food news, the latest outpost of Din Tai Fung opened in Glendale, CA recently. The soup dumplings were of course tasty, but it was this humble stack of cucumbers that stole the show.
And when it comes to Asian desserts, this may rank as a new favorite of mine: Taiwanese shaved snow-ice at Class 302. The layers of ice and frozen milk combine to make a silky texture that’s unlike anything I’ve had. I was a big fan of the green tea variety, seen here.
But I also greatly enjoyed a strange coffee/Oreo concoction. These things are huge. Be sure to share.
Bibi’s Bakery and Café
8928 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 246-1788
Square One Dining
4854 Fountain Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 661-1109
squareonedining.com
Jar
8225 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-6566
thejar.com
Pizzeria Mozza
641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 297-0101
pizzeriamozza.com
Hollywood Farmer’s Market
6605 Hollywood Blvd
Ste 220
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 463-3171
farmernet.com
Malibu Seafood
25653 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA 90265
(310) 456-3430
malibuseafood.com
Delphine
6250 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 798-1355
restaurantdelphine.com
Little Dom’s
2128 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 661-0055
littledoms.com
Bay Cities Deli
1517 Lincoln Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-8279
baycitiesitaliandeli.com
Guisados
2100 E Cesar Chavez Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90033
(323) 264-7201
guisados.co
Yamashiro Farmer’s Market
1999 N Sycamore Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90068
(323) 466-5125
YamashiroHollywood.com
El Siete Mares
3131 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 665-0865
Bludso’s Bar & Cue
609 N La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 931-2583
barandque.com
Hodori
1001 S Vermont Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 383-3554
myhodori.com
Din Tai Fung
177 Caruso Ave
Glendale, CA 91210
(818) 551-5561
dintaifungusa.com
Class 302
1015 S Nogales St
Ste 125
Rowland Heights, CA 91748
(626) 965-5809