ESSENTIAL RESTAURANTS: THE BEST PLACES TO EAT AND DRINK IN LOS ANGELES

New Angeleno (taste the modern cuisine of Los Angeles) - Destroyer, Baroo, Here's Looking at You

Argentine - Mercado Buenos Aires (Van Nuys, Granada Hills, Northridge), Carlitos Gardel (Argentine local told me that this was the best in LA)

Australian - EP & LP (Asian Fusion via Melbourne), Paramount Coffee Project

Bagels - Yeastie Boys , Belle's Bagels

Bakery - Proof Bakery, Twenty40, Chaumont, Clark Street Bread, Renaud's, Gjusta, Lodge Bread

Barbecue - Bludso's Bar & Que, Maple Block Meat Co., Boneyard Bistro 

Beer - Brewster's Beererie, Southland Beer, Boneyard Bistro, The Dough Room, Mikkeller Bar, Surly Goat, Library Alehouse, Beachwood Barbecue, Highland Park Brewery, Monkish Brewing Co.

Breakfast - Hungry Fox (best chicken and waffles), Sqirl, More Than Waffles, Blu Jam Cafe (French toast), Du-Par's (pancakes), Ci-Ci's (variety of pancakes), Nat's Early Bite (housemade honey bran muffins)

Breakfast Burrito - Cofax, Athenian Grill

Burrito - Burritos La Palma, Poquito Mas (shrimp San Felipe burrito)

(Mexican) Breakfast - Carrillo's Tortilleria (get the mole tamale! get a table full of breakfast foods to share!)

Cake - Mastro's (buttercake), Sweet Lady Jane mixed berry cake, Helena Wirth Cakes ube cake (ube cake is the best I've tasted in LA), Mey Fung (Chinese-Tres Leches cake), Milk (blue velvet cake), SusieCakes

Charcuterie - Bestia (This is the only item I would eat there. A bit overrated IMHO)

Cookies - Proof Bakery, Cookie Good

(Most Underrated) Chefs - Chef Philip Pretty at Restauration LB, Chef Danny Godinez at Maestro, Chef Aaron Robins at Boneyard Bistro and SOCA

Cannoli - Eagle Rock Italian Deli, Factory Kitchen, Caverreta's

Chinese - San Gabriel Valley (Just go and take your pick. Look for the most crowded places!) Lunasia Dimsum House, Kang Kang Food Court (sheng jian bao), King Hua, Elite Chinese Restaurant (dim sum), Newport Seafood, Mama Lu's, 101 Noodle Express

Clam Chowder - Paradise Cove, Horseless Carriage (Fridays only)

Cocktail Bars - Tiki Ti, The Varnish, The Woodley Proper, Birds & Bees, Melrose Umbrella Co. (where bartenders drink)

Coffee - The Boy & the Bear, G&B Coffee, gget, Dinosaur Coffee, Cognoscenti Coffee, Coffee Commissary

Columbian - Sazon Colombia

Croissant - Chaumont

Best. Donuts. Ever. - Sidecar Donuts, The Church Key 

Dim sum - Lunasia Chinese Cuisine (my favorite), Elite Restaurant (more exotic items), King Hua (luxury), A&W Seafood (the place to go for dim sum in the Valley)

Diner - The Horseless Carriage (lobster omelet, anyone?, get prime rib dinner and try the pie), Mary's Market (follow them on Instagram and see what I mean)

Empanadas - Johnny Pacific (nothing like this empanada... get the spinach and cheese)

Filipino - Lasa, LA Rose Cafe (get the tocino and cebuchon), Max's of Manila, Dollar Hits (an experience!), Lechon de Manila, Oi Asian Fusion

Fine Dining - Providence

Fish Tacos - Ricky's Fish Tacos, Best Fish Taco in Ensenada, Cheko El Rey del Sarandeado, Mariscos Chente, Coni'Seafood, Ensenada Fish Tacos (Sundays in the Farmers Market)

French - Cafe Beaujolais, Petit Trois

French Fries - The Bellwether

Fried Chicken - Wendill's Chicken House, Crawford's, Hotville Chicken & Chops, Pann's, Howlin' Rays, Free Range LA, Son of a Gun, Hungry Fox

Greek - Firehouse Restaurant (chicken gyro sandwich will change your life)

Guatamalan - Restaurante Amalia's, La Cevicheria, Puchica Bar & Grill, 

Hamburger - Bill's Hamburger, Apple Pan, Pie 'n Burger, The Back Abbey, Golden State, Shake Shack, In-N-Out, Connie 'N Teds

Hidden Gem - Mary's Market

Ice Cream - Grom, Wanderlust Creamery, CVT Soft Serve, Magpies Softserve

Indian - India's Sweets & Spices (Canoga Park), Badmaash

Israeli - Tel Aviv Grill

Italian - Pasta Sisters, Angelini Osteria (insider's pick as the best Italian in the city), Officine BRERA (risotto), Factory Kitchen (handkerchief pasta), Angelini ALIMENTARI (life changing porchetta sandwich)

Italian Deli - Cavaretta's, Domingo's, Cricca's

Japanese - Raku, Morinoya, Otafuku Noodle House, Torihei, Musha

Jewish Deli - Greenblatt's, Nate 'n Al Delicatessen, Langer's Deli

Korean - Park's BBQ, Jun Won, Kang Ho-dong Baekjeong, Ham Ji Park (pork ribs), Oo Kook (for AYCE), Genwa Korean BBQ, Beverly Soon Tofu

Modern Mediterranean - Mizlala 

Modern Mexican Restaurant - Anepalco French-Mexican dinner menu (wow!), also sister restaurant Maestro (Pasadena)

Mexican Hidden Gem - Puertos del Pacifico (secret menu, fine dining in a dive, BYOB), Carrillos Tortilleria (breakfast!)

Mexican Food Truck - Guerilla Tacos, Leo's Tacos, Mariscos Jalisco, Taqueria La Guadalupana, Los Originales Tacos Arabes de Puebla, Angelica's Cemitas Originales

Mexican Fast Casual - Sonoratown, Loqui, Mi Ranchito

Mexican in a Parking Lot - Tire Shop Taqueria

Mexican Barbacoa - Aqui es Texcoco

Mexican Carnitas - Adobo Taco Grill, Carnitas Loya, not much of a Momo's fan.

Mexican Ice Cream and Paletas - La Michoacana  (San Fernando)

Molecular Gastronomy - The Bazaar

Panaderia - Tlaxcala Bakery 

Patty Melt - The Bellwether

Persian - Taste of Tehran, Dizin Persian Cuisine, Raffi's Place (Armenian/Persian)

Peruvian - Incomparable Peruvian Cuisine, Chio's, Kotosh, Pollo a la Brasa, Listo el Pollo

Pie - The Pie Hole, Honeybird

Pizza - 786 Degrees Pizzeria, DeSano's, Prova Pizzeria, Stella Barra Pizzeria

Poke (ugh!) - Jus' Poke

Portuguese - Nata's Pastries

Ramen - Men-Oh Tokushima Ramen, Tsujita, Ramen Tatsunoya, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka, Tentenyu Ramen

(Cry worthy) Rotisserie Chicken - Pollo a la Brasa, Listo el Pollo

Steak - Ruth's Chris

(Crave Worthy) Sandwich - Petit Trois (off menu jambon sandwich for lunch only), Proof Bakery, Domingo's, Cavaretta's, Cricca's , Nomad Truck

Seafood - The Jolly Oyster, Connie & Ted's, Hungry Cat, Water Grill, Cape Seafood & Provisions, HC Seafood, Redondo Beach Pier restaurants such as Quality Seafood and Korean seafood/live crab restaurants.

Spanish - Racion, BCN, La Española Meats

Sushi - Sushi Spot, Mori Sushi, Sushi Iki, Go's Mart

(I Love) Tacos - Puertos del Pacifico, Chori-Man, Tacos Tamix (al pastor), Leo's Tacos (al pastor), Mariscos Jaliscos (shrimp hard shell tacos), Taqueria La Guadalupana (all), Tire Shop Taqueria, Ricky's Fish Tacos, Loqui (chicken tacos), Guisados (taco sampler or quesadilla taco!), Taco Maria (lunch only), Cheko El Rey Del Sarandeado (marlin tacos), Coni'Seafood, Mariscos Chente, Tacos Quetzalcoatl (vegetarian), Carnitas Loya, Adobo Taco Grill (best carnitas in LA), Guerrilla Tacos, Sonoratown, Arturo's Puffy Tacos, Aqui es Texcoco, Petty Cash Taqueria (chef Oso's octopus taco from Tijuana), Mi Ranchito Veracruz Tamaleria, Mexicali Taco & Co., Tacos Arabes de Puebla, Los Cinco Puntos, Doty's Tacos, Chichen Itza, Metro Balderas

Taquitos - Cielito Lindo (a plate of taquitos with green sauce is a must if you are in the area)

Tasting Menu - Scratch Bar, Le Comptoir

Tea - Funnel Mill, Conservatory For Coffee, Tea & Cocoa

Tempura - Hannosuke, Tempura Endo (super luxe)

Thai - Sri Siam (get the crispy rice salad! get the pork ribs! shrimp paste fried rice!), Sapp Coffee Shop (boat noodles, jade noodles), Wat Thai Temple (street food festival every weekend), Kim Thai Food (papaya salad), Bua Siam (fried shredded catfish and papaya salad, dynamite wings, weekend only housemade Thai sausage), Chai Tung, Isaan Station (papaya salad with red egg), Krua Thai (general's noodles, pad thai), Pai (mango and sticky rice)

Vegan - Vinh Loi Tofu, Veggie Grill, VeStation, Araya's Place, by CHLOE
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Venezuelan - Coffee for Breakfast (arepas!)

Vietnamese - Golden Deli, Song Phat, Pho 45

Wine - Augustine Wine Bar, Covell