The Essential Restaurants in Los Angeles (Updated 8/1/22)
haArgentine - Mercado Buenos Aires for steak and eggs (Van Nuys, Granada Hills), Carlitos Gardel (an Argentine told me that this was the best Argentine restaurant in LA), Rincon Argentino (empanadas -- owner of Tortoni Caffe told me these are the best you can get in LA)
Breakfast Burrito - Cofax, Athenian Grill, Provisions Deli (in Orange County)
Burrito - Taqueria Mi Ranchito truck (California burrito), Burritos La Palma (La Puente, Smorgasburg every Sunday, Boyle Heights, Santa Ana), Poquito Mas (shrimp San Felipe burrito), Al & Bea's (bean and cheese burrito), La Azteca Tortilleria
(Mexican) Breakfast - Carrillo's Tortilleria (get the mole tamale! get a table full of breakfast foods to share!), the "cheffy" chilaquiles (Anepalco in OC) and chilaquiles cooked with love at Los Pinos Cafe in El Sereno (order his housemade tepache as well).
Charcuterie - Bestia (This is the only item I would eat there)
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), the Hungry Fox, Norm's, Du-Par's
Italian - Angelini Osteria (insider's pick as the best Italian in the city -- chef Ori Menashe (someone told me he stole their recipes) and created Bestia, Angelini ALIMENTARI (life changing porchetta sandwich), Pasta Sisters, Factory Kitchen (handkerchief pasta)
Thai - Chai Tung, Sri Siam (get the crispy rice salad! get the pork ribs! shrimp paste fried rice!), Rad Na Silom (Thai people me that this is the best rad na outside Thailand), Sapp Coffee Shop (boat noodles, jade noodles), Wat Thai Temple (street food festival every weekend),Lacha Somtum (papaya salad), Yai Restaurant (crispy pork and Chinese brocolli), Jitlada (a food critic/media favorite--I have been twice, but thought it was all too spicy and couldn't taste any other flavors for me), Luv2Eat Thai Bistro (the owners recommended their fried chicken when I ate there), Bua Siam (fried shredded catfish and papaya salad, dynamite wings, weekend only housemade Thai sausage), Bhan Kanom Thai (Thai desserts), Ruen Pair (a food critic and chef favorite, but I don't like their consistently rude service)