In LA for Rose Bowl

[BigD Foodie]

In LA for the Rose Bowl; Jan. 3-6. I'm from Dallas and have never been to LA. Staying in Santa Monica and will have a car. I need one dinner recommendation (italian or eclectic, nice) for thursday and one wednesday post-game (ie later and casual). For lunches, I want a burger from one of those famous places people argue about, and maybe Mexican (ie not tex-mex). Breakfast I like good basic menu and/or mexican. Also interested in good dim sum if it's recommended. Thanks for your help.

[dfunghi]

Since you have a car and are staying on the west-side:

Dinner, La Terzza or Lucques, for after game. Thursday try Guelegtza ( sp) for low down meal. It is mexican about as far from tex-mex you can get.

Breakfast in Santa Monica is all over the map. Any of the hotels by the beach offer high quality high cost breakfast with linen's etc. For more down home coffee shop try Firehouse on Main st. or Almandine Bakery on Wilshire. Other popular places are Snug Harbor, Callahans.

BTW santa Monica to Rose Bowl will take you an hour or so so be prepared. If you want to leave early and stop for some real authentic East LA Tacos stop in Highland Park on your way to RB. If interested let me know I can give easy to find great places 5 minutes of HWY

[rjwong]

I second Guelaguetza, the one on Olympic Blvd. in Koreatown.

I also second La Terza on 3rd. St. & Orlando, just east of the Beverly Center. Gino Angelini is arguably the best Italian chef in LA.

As for dim sum, CBS or Empress Pavilion in downtown LA's Chinatown. I usually go to CBS for take-out orders, Empress Pavilion for the full dim sum experience. Both places are your more traditional dim sum restaurants. The San Gabriel Valley (Monterey Park, Alhambra, Rosemead, etc.) has more cutting edge dim sum places.

As for burgers, there's In-N-Out burgers, the original Tommy's on Beverly Blvd. & Rampart, & Fatburgers.

As for the Wed. post-game or post-mortem (hopefully the former), I enjoy the Thai restaurant, Saladang in Pasadena.

[saulbass]

For Thursday dinner go for Angelini Oesteria on Beverly (in my opinion a step up from La Terza)

For breakfast i enjoy Bread and Poridge on Wilshire at 24th.

[dfunghi]

Saul some say Angelini is slightly more refined than La Terzza however I have not found that. Gino oversees both kitchens and LA Terzza has much more room for large parties or if you like to stretch while you eat. Angelini has a more NYC / ROME feel to it as far as the hustle and bustle and sometimes people like that. Just MHO

Burgers you can either go the Fat Burger / Tommy's / In-Out route or the other great LA burger argument Beechwood / Fathers Office / Standard / Counter. The first 2 are above the rest by hands and feet and many argue over which is the better with F.O. being the usual winner. The other 2 just have great meaty burgers well made. Now I am guessing in TX finding a well made meaty burger is no harder than say a Starbucks in Santa Monica. What you may not have is the Gourmet type of Fathers Office ( in Santa Monica) or the typical ( greasy) cal burger of in-out or fatburger I am not a huge fan of Tommys . I would suggest Fatburger 2X2 w/ egg (animal style?) for breakfast and in-out for late night snack. They both have decent shakes and fries but nothing to write home about. Fatburger "on the char" BTW. All of this well pale in comparison to a plate of smokey links, tender, meaty ribs, charred brisket all smothered an a hot, vinegary bbq sauce with ranch beans and slaw. The kind I lived on in Houston my two years there.

[rjwong]

I need one dinner recommendation (italian or eclectic, nice) for thursday ...

←

BigD, how would YOU define "eclectic," food-wise, of course?

formal? casual? retro? modern? quiet? rowdy? ethnic? vegan? fusion? $? $$$$?

Just let us know what you want or don't want.

[BigD Foodie]

I need one dinner recommendation (italian or eclectic, nice) for thursday ...

←

BigD, how would YOU define "eclectic," food-wise, of course?

formal? casual? retro? modern? quiet? rowdy? ethnic? vegan? fusion? $? $$$$?

Just let us know what you want or don't want.

←

Great question and I probably can't really narrow it down too much. I'm looking for a great LA experience in food. I'm not on a budget, but I don't care to spend money for its own sake. I prefer casual/nice with atmosphere to formal and quiet. I don't care to go to a place where people go looking for stars. A wine list that's not a rip-off. I guess what I meant by "eclectic" was a California-style American or fusion cuisine that you get in LA but not Dallas, whether retro or modern. As far as specific ethnic foods we like that we'd consider for dinner, in no particular order I'd say Italian, Thai, Chinese, Indian, Spanish, maybe French. I hope that helps some.

And by the way you guys have already been very helpful.

Edited December 28, 2005 by BigD Foodie (log)

[rjwong]

Here are a couple of links that you can look through:

Los Angeles Times Food Section Digest

Food in Venice

That's Venice, California, south of Santa Monica, dude.

As for eclectic, try Beacon in Culver City. If you click on the "Food in Venice" link, there is a link to a thread about Beacon. Kazuto Matsusaka is the "Master of Fusion," as per the LA Times article. And there's Joe's in Venice.

You'll have better opportunities for Chinese when you're over in Pasadena than in Santa Monica & the Westside, because downtown LA & the San Gabriel Valley has the best Chinese places in Southern California, overall.

[LarsTheo]

You should also visit the Third Street Promenade, where there are quite a few Italian restaurants, although I prefer Monsoon Cafe Monsoon, near Arizona Street.

For pizza, try Abbot's Pizza on Abbot Kinney in Venice, or Alejo Presto Trattoria on Lincoln at Washington in Marina Del Rey - very casual and no wine (but you can buy some at the 7-11 next door).