Jaybo, that would be the Nook? |
Luke: Incredible gumbo
Schipo: I work out five days a week. So my heart is at the right pace. |
D Mob: The Nickel Dinner is incredible. I also like their bacon doughnuts. |
Azaud: Apple Pan is great. So was the original Pie And Burger in Pasadena. Nice tip on Le Grande Orange. Joe's Cable Car in SF also grinds their meat to order. |
Macdaddy: no worries on the rap comments. I live 10 minutes from there. My pleasure. |
If you are doing the food tour of LA, I think my fav old school restaurant is Phillipes The Original. Lamb and beef dips are delish. My car can go there on autopilot.
Up North, I love Joe's Cable Car in SF, The Squeeze in Sacramento, and Lunchbox Lab in Seattle. Back Yard Burger in Little Rock also rocks my world. |
I'll scatter your ashes but who keeps your rig? |
My next 5, outside of Cali, that nobody has shouted out yet:
Burger Bar, Roy UT
Casper and Runyon's Nook, Minneapolis
Johnson's, Siler City, NC
Triple XXX, West Lafayette, Indiana
Txikito, NYC
This is a public service anouncement. |
D Mob,I helped create the Pharmaka Gallery across the street from the Nickel in 2004. Along with Bert Green, we were the pioneers in starting Gallery Row. They have a wonderful art walk once a month. 20 galleries plus the Museum of Contemporary Art. 5,000 people attend. Usually the second Thursday of each month. Recommend it to all Angel residents. |
We lost our art space after 5 years due to a change of owners in the Million Dollar Hotel. Closed in September; was on the NW corner of 5th and Main. U2 played on the rooftop of a store on 7th and Main in 1987. I lived in a loft in 4th and Main. Saw that show--was amazing--you can see me on the street in the video for Where the Streets Have No Name. Bert Green Fine Art and Pharmaka started the airwalk in 2004 when it was real dicey. Now--hipster central. |
Byegolly. Yeah, that was a good one. He has a new inexpensive sausage joint on Abbott Kinney. Speaking of that side of town, I also liked Cora's Coffee Shop in San Mo. They made a pretty tasty burger a la the tradition of the Apple Pan and Pie and Burger.
Macdad: Christian's Totem in Houston rocks. Nice selection of toppings. BTW: Your Top 5 has been "googled" and now appears in the organic search line, right below yelp, when you type in Top 5 Burgers Houston. |
Dmob
Mozambique: The Durban-style curry is the thing to get. Trust me. |
Dusty
Hard to get excited about burgers in NYC when they carry NYC real estate prices. Pizza, yes, burgers, no. The Shake Shack is a joke; most burger joints in the city charge 7 to 10 dollars for what routinely sells for 2 to 4 in the rest of the country. Only the Corner Bistro has a worthy burger and it is a 45 minute wait on a good day. Just my opinion. |
Perfect burger: Soft bun, freshly baked. Crisp lettuce. Grilled sweet onions. Fresh meat: nice fat content. Perfectly grilled. Simple seasoning. Gooey real cheese. Freshly made condiments. Pickles with snap. |
Macdad
In LA, you should check out Father's Office in Santa Monica?Brentwood. A small bar on 1018 Montana Ave. The owner, who is Korean, hand grinds the beef.
If you head into the OC, you should check out TK Burger in Costa Mesa and the Crow Bar in Corona Del Mar. For good and original Mexican, I can recommend La Sirena in Laguna Beach. Email me if you make it South. Would love to join you. |
The Hat: Sanchez, QB of the NY Jets, eats at the Hat all the time. His parents live around the corner. I live 5 minutes away. BTW: The original restaurant is in Pasadena, and another one is in Glendora. I actually love the one in Glendora on Old Route 66. |
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. |
What I have not found in LA is killer pizza and BBQ. Any recommendations? Gonna check out Phillips. |
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. |
D Mob, maybe you can join us. My parents lived very near your girlfriend for many years. Eva's is great. But my favorites at the moment are Sapphire and La Sirena Grill in Laguna. |
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? |
Mac Dad: impressive list to make a dent into. D Mob: shoot me an email and we can personally connect. Would love to meet up. |
Byegolly, probably so, but Phillipes the Original still has 25 cent coffee and In-an-Out will cost you a five spot. |
Byegolly: I like the cheese and grilled onion residue off the wrapper of a double double. :) |
Just did the Wineburger the Original in Old Phoenix. Amazing. |
Oinkster rocks. Down the street is Mambo Cafe for Cuban Pulled Pork Lechon. Highly recommend it. |
Haven Gastropub in the City of Orange just opened and has an awesome one--juicy meat with St Angur cheese, roasted red peppers and wild argula. Very good and memorable. |
Macdad:
There are some incredible places in Newport. The Crow Bar in Corona Del Mar is a wonderful restaurant with world class bar food/American Comfort. It is on 2325 E. Coast Highway. Anjin is a combo Japanese/Korean steakhouse. 3033 Bristol in Costa Mesa; two blocks South of South Coast Plaza. You self-grill meat on small bbq's. Catalina Fish Kitchen on 670 W. 17th St in Costa mesa is hipster central. Great fresh fish. Daimon's Japanese on 16232 PCH in Huntington Beach has more eye candy per capita than any other restaurant. |
Macdad: also love Ikko for sushi. Right around the corner from Anjin. Also love Javiers for their mole. El Matador in Costa Mesa is a great mid-scale Mexican Restaurant and Taco Mesa is a great taco stand. I love their tacos calamari and tacos al pastor.
PS: Father's Office has a newer sister restaurant in Culver City, which is about 30 minutes closer than the Santa Monica location to OC. While at the Dodgers, go to Phillipes The Original for French Dipped Beef Grinders. A LA tradition. |
DMob
Try La Sirena Grill in downtown Laguna on Mermaid Street. The best organic sourced Mexican food in the country. |
Macdaddy
I have lived here all 51 years. What keeps us out of Texas is 100 degree weather matched to 110% humidity and skeeters the size of Canadian geese.
In exchange, we can laugh at the beach culture foisted on the rest of the country by the Beach Boys and having a movie star as a gov-ner. Yes, there is always a double double grilled onions Animal Style in our golden future..... |
Macdaddy II
Our tans are as deep as your belt buckles are wide.... |
Dmob: I am really liking the Haven Gastropub burger in Orange. Everything is right with that one. Check it out.
PS: I just had the most amazing lasagna at Santa Fe Imports on Santa Fe in Long Beach. Best red sauce pasta I have ever had, in an obscure joint frequented by cops and dock workers. Probably a 15 minute drive from your place. |
Bison Burger at Memphis Soul Cafe is great as well. At the Lab Anti-Mall on Bristol and Randolph. |
BTW, you can request that they season the meat at In-N-Out. |
Azaud.
Love Matt's. Also love the Portage Bay and Lola in Seattle. Two best breakfasts I have ever had. |
Dmob
Thanks for the tip. Did not know this restaurant and will visit it, as I adore New Awlins food. Check out Memphis Soul Food at Randolph and Bristol in Costa Mesa. Really good gumbo. |
Tvad and Samhar
You have to have an insiders knowledge to have them make stuff up "off the menu". 3X Animal style will slay fatburger. |
Tvad. I agree that Fatburger has great meat and bun. The condiment side is a little different than In-n-Out. The former favors 1000 Island where Fatburger has mayo, mustard and ketchup to order. I find that aspect a little more like McDonalds on the taste spectrum. The taste under those circumstances is a little marginalized (especially when mayo is thrown into the mix) and the if ordered with cheese, it is rarely melted into the patty. I think In-N-Out does a better job with the cheese/grilled onions combo.
I think that Fatburger has the best chocolate malts, made from real ice cream, one of the best I have tasted. In N Out's is super sweet where Fatburger's one is very balanced. |
I remember eating Fatburger at the one up by the Beverly Center. No longer there. |
DMob
For Angelenos:
Fab in Reseda makes incredible variations of any style of dog. Worth the drive. They are moving to a new location, so be sure to ping Yelp. Chicago-style, Detroit Conies, NJ Red Devils, AZ Sonorans--you name it--they can make it. They have the best mustard pickle relish I have ever had.
Let's Be Frank is a taco wagon that parks at the old Helm Bakery building in Culver City. One of the best LA street dogs.
In Chicago, I can like Hot Dougs. Amazing fries cooked in duck fat.
In NY, Bark in Brooklyn is effing amazing. Everything is made from scratch on premises. |
Macdad
I want some grilled chicken Faujitas for Lupe Tortillas, with a side of chips and cheese dip. There, we are equal. :) |
Mac Dad.
Abe's Blue Fin is the sushi place next to Javier's.
Anjin is the best Korean BBQ in the OC.
I like Ikko for sushi.
The Crow Bar in Corona Del Mar is consistently great as well for gastropub faire.
My death-bed meal: beef enchiladas smothered in guacamole from Maria's in Glendora. |
Azaud
There are four really good Mexican restaurants in Highland Park. I can highly recommend Antojitos Chilangos, El Huarache, Le Abeja and Metro Balderas.
Here on Orange County, I can recommend Carnitas Los Reyes,, Taco Mesa (calamari!), Tacos Jaliscq, Taqueria El Granjenal, Taqueria Mexico, Taqueria Morelos and Tom's Tacos. |
Macdad: just had the chicken fried chicken at Dot Coffee Shop. Amazingly good, smothered and covered. |
Yes Phaelon, I was probably wrong for starting this thread. But there again, it is now one of the top ranked. |
Macdad
Love that place. I also love Joe Boston's in Chicago for Italian Beef and the Gibson Brothers in Santa Maria style tri-tip.
Concerning Houston, I love Dot's Coffeeshop for their chicken fried. Amazingly good. |
Agree with Brent's. Super great hand cut lox. |
Best Sandwiches:
Italian: NYC: Bar Stuzzichini, Defontes, Porchetta, Terroir, Torrisi
Chicago: Birchwood Kitchen, Joe Bostons
SF: Cane Rosso, Ironside, Orson, Sandbox Bakery, The Refuge
LA: Phillipes, Santa Fe Importers, Langers, Bay City, Claros, D' Elia's (Best bread ever)
LV: Snacks
Philly: Chinks, Dalessandros, Jim's Steaks, John's Roast Pork
New Orleans: Domilise's, Mothers |
Azaud: 4 million air miles. Everyone in my family thought Up In The Air was my life story. |
