Mimi’s Cafe: A Local Favorite

Known for dependable meals at great prices, Mimi’s Café is the place to go for your everyday comfort food—soups, salads, sandwiches, hearty entrees (meatloaf, pot roast, etc.) and more. Founded in 1978, this local chain is known by their custom-constructed buildings, which resemble French country cottages, as well as their excellent hospitality. Starting out in Anaheim, California, there are now Mimi’s in 28 states. Regulars all rave about the carrot raisin bread, served in the free breadbasket that starts your meal. You can ask for nothing but that in the basket and they’ll gladly give it to you. The food is competent if not extraordinary, with the usual mix of breakfast, lunch, and dinner favorites. The service is also polite and respectful, making Mimi’s one of the few restaurants in town that doesn’t seem like they’re trying to rush you through your meal.

Mimi’s Café
15436 E. Whittier Boulevard
Whittier, CA 90603
(562) 947-0339
www.mimiscafe.com

Kings Kabab: Mediterranean Feast

Treat yourself to a Mediterranean feast fit for royalty at this friendly little café. Diners say there’s a lot to love about the chicken shawarma, lentil soup, and kebabs, those savory standbys of the region. The creamy hummus gets raves, too, as do the falafel and dolmas. The combo plates are heaping platters with enough food to sate the biggest appetite, or to take home for another meal. And at $9 to $14, they’re a deal that’s easy on the budget. Nothing fancy here, just your basic mom and pop café with good food and friendly service. Kings Kebab is open Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., and Sundays from noon until 6 p.m.

Kings Kebab
8204 Sunland Boulevard
Sun Valley, CA 91352
(818) 504-0300

The Stinking Rose: Smell the Roses

Forget about your breath and immerse yourself in everything garlic at the Stinking Rose, where the great-tasting bulb is king. The name refers to the alternative moniker for garlic, which reportedly dates back to ancient Greece. Start your meal with the Bagna Calda, roasted garlic, olive oil, and anchovies served in an iron skillet and spread on warm, homemade focaccia bread. Entrees include whole dungeness crab roasted in garlic sauce. Also on the menu are a variety of garlic prepared meats, poultry, pizzas, and pastas. Save room for dessert, because you just have to try the garlic ice cream! Whimsical décor and a friendly staff make this a great dining experience.

The Stinking Rose
55 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
(310) 652-7673
www.thestinkingrose.com

Drago Centro: Italian Fare

Sleek modern décor, large light-filled windows, and a dazzling wine tower are only part of the reason to be impressed with Drago. Visit for lunch or dinner and sample the chef’s updated take on traditional Italian fare and you’ll see why the restaurant gets rave reviews. Papillote of Dover Sole, Butternut Squash Agnolotti, Lobster Carbonara, and NY Strip are good enough to leave you clamoring for more, but save room for the Toasted Bread Pudding drizzled with salted caramel cream. Three words describe it: to die for. Stop by the bar for the all-day happy hour, where you can partake of wine, beer, and cocktails for a mere $5 and grab a nosh from the tasty bar menu.

Drago Centro
525 S. Flower Street
Suite 120
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Neighborhood: Downtown
(213) 228-8998

Treat Yourself to a Famous Original Tommy’s Chili Cheese Burger

Original Tommy’s seems to satisfy a taste deeply embedded in our gastronomic genes.  For chili cheeseburgers and chili cheese fries, this is the place. Sure, there are also hot dogs and tamales on the menu.  But when you’re zoning into fast grilled pleasure with onions, oozing real cheese, tomatoes, pickles and chili, nothing else quite does the trick. The chili is abundant and amazing, unless you decline it. But many folks get extra.

Tommy’s “shack” has been at it since 1946. And this institution does it right—your food is ready as soon as you’ve finished paying for it, and you can eat casually at the stand-up counters, where realistic paper towel dispensers substitute for silly napkins. Plus, there are locations all over California, so no matter where you are in the Golden State, you can get your Original Tommy’s fix—see for yourself here.

Original Tommy’s Hamburgers
2575 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(626) 357-9201
www.originaltommys.com

Pantry Cafe: The Doors Are Always Open

Los Angeles is a town of night owls, so it’s no surprise that many restaurants are open all through the twilight hours. But few can boast a record like the Pantry Café—it’s been continuously open and serving customers, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, since 1924. That’s almost a century of food. This is a high-quality, classic diner boasting all of the American traditions; a huge menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner specialties, cooked to order and delivered to your table with a smile. Regulars love the atmosphere, which is crowded but convivial, and rave over the fluffy pancakes and tender rotisserie chicken. The current owner of the Pantry is former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan, who plans to keep the doors open and the streak going as long as he possibly can. One note: the Pantry Café takes cash only, so leave the plastic at home.

Pantry Café
877 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 972-9279
www.pantrycafe.com

The Bun Truck: Deliciously Driven

Need a bite, but no time to sit down in a restaurant? That’s where the Bun Truck comes in, with a great menu of Korean/Mediterranean food worthy of sating the most arduous appetite. It takes its name from the tasty Korean steamed buns they’ve become known for, pillowy bread stuffed with a variety of ingredients, like crispy fried pork, or grilled sirloin and veggies. Then there are the fries, potato slices sprinkled with garlic and rosemary and deep fried to a golden brown in duck fat. Why is the food so mind-blowingly good? Possibly because chef/owner James Seok is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. See their website for scheduled truck locations, or check their Twitter feed for the minute-by-minute scoop.

The Bun Truck
Los Angeles, CA
(424) 543-4778

Cicada: Northern Italian Cuisine

Located in a former men’s clothing store in the historic Oviatt Building downtown, Cicada is an Art Deco dream, with 30 foot gold ceilings, Lalique glass, lustrous wood surfaces and classic 1920s character that’s the perfect foil for their northern Italian menu. Dishes include Fettuccini with Filet Mignon, Lobster Linguini, and Smoked Chicken Ravioli, plus entrees like Grilled Dover Sole, Chicken Fricassee, and Filet Mignon. On Sunday nights, the restaurant throws an old style Hollywood dance party where you’re encouraged to dress up in your best tux and tails or flapper dress and hit the floor to cut the rug to a dance band or crooner. Whether you dress up and dance or just stop in to dine, you’re in for memorable experience.

Cicada Restaurant
617 S. Olive Street
Suite 911
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Church and State Bistro: Industrial Dining

Located in a former biscuit factory in downtown L.A.’s Arts District, the décor of Church and State is industrial, and the food is anything but. Diners want to go steady with their menu of tantalizing dishes, like the escargot nestled in puff pastry, the herbed goat cheese drenched in lavender honey, and the steak and frites fried in duck fat. Ditto for the cocktails, like the Cucumber Patch, with Russian vodka, mashed cucumber, lemon, grapefruit, and St. Germaine liqueur. Stop by on Sunday for their ‘Church on Sunday’ 5-course prix-fixe dinner for a paltry $39. Walking after dark in the sparsely populated industrial area is still a bit dicey, so unless you’re feeling intrepid, take advantage of the valet parking.

Church and State Bistro
1850 Industrial Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Neighborhood: Downtown
(213) 405-1434

Patina: Seasonal Fare

Shine up your Patina with a trip to this outstanding restaurant in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Radiant reviews are the norm when it comes to Master Chef Joachim Splichal’s ability to transform a mere meal into ambrosia. The menu continually changes to make use of the freshest seasonal ingredients, so try not to fall in love with one particular item, like the Butter Poached Lobster, the Butternut Squash Veloute, or the Warm Mango Cardamom Flan. Seasonal tasting menus, an impressive array of artisanal cheeses, a spectacular wine list and impeccable service make this a dining experience that will take up a prominent place in your epicurean memory bank.

Patina
141 S. Grand Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Neighborhood: Downtown
(213) 972-3331
 

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