Character and other Los Angeles, CA Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: La Golondrina

Olvera Street, across from Union Station, is somewhat of a failed tourist attraction for LA. Herein lies its charm. A narrow, bricked street, closed to vehicles and packed with knick knacks, Olvera St.(or El Pueblo de Los Angeles) is a fun and earnest stop on a trip through the city.

La Golondrina, nestled in the eastern half, is the oldest Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles. The food is a notch above standard Mexican fare, and the turn of the century dining room will whisk you away. The front patio affords people-watching and scavenging birds.

Favorite Dish: "Chile Relleno de Jaiba" (crab stuffed poblano chile in walnut sauce) is delicious.

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Theme: Mexican
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Address: Olvera Street
Directions: Olvera Street, near Cesar Chavez, and across from Union Station, downtown.

Restaurant Name: Pete's Cafe

Part of the vanguard Downtown Renaissance, Pete's Cafe is a faithful replica of turn of the century watering holes. The 1906 mosaic tile was inlaid in the design(same as I have in my bathroom), and the rich mahogany bar screams "L.A. Confidential". The restaurant survives on lunch traffic and local loft dwellers - the two are co-dependent, in fact. A late night menu is unusual for this neighborhood and the crowd tracks trendy. What's truly great is the number of locals hanging in the bar area. If you sit at the bar, be ready for somebody to strike up a conversation. Where else can you get invited to a porn release party? Yes, I went.

Favorite Dish: They are famous for their Macaroni and Cheese, and for good reason. But, I'm obsessed with the nachos. I'm a bit of a nachos obsessed lunatic, and Pete's gets top marks. Add in cheap beer on draft and....I'M MOVING DOWNTOWN!!

Seriously.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 213.617.1000
Address: 400 S. Main St. Los Angeles
Directions: Corner of 4th and Main. Fourth runs South from Figueroa. Reach Fig, downtown, and then follow 4th to Pete's . Right hand side, far corner. Easily spotted.
Website: www.petescafe.com

Restaurant Name: Spago

The legendary Spago. Quirky, expensive, and impeccably run.

Working with Spago in the wine biz, I've had the pleasure of eating here, several times, free of charge. If you don't have the same connections, then bust out the cash.

The ambiance of the restaurant is dated, reflecting its "eighties" heyday, and the food can be great one day, and just "fine" the next. And, at these prices, you'll want "great".

That said, the service is excellent, and it is the quintessential "California Cuisine" experience.

It's no secret the prices are skyhigh to keep the bistro from becoming a tourist haunt. And it's worked.

Favorite Dish: The beet salad is excellent, and though the pizza is famous, I've never been blown away. How bout a black truffle omelette?

And how about sitting at the bar and having a salad and glass of champagne? The wine list is amazing, and you'll feel it less in the pocket.

If seeking a celeb sighting, this is not the best dining choice, as it's not the hippest spot in town...though I did wait at the valet stand next to Sean Connery.

And you can see the valet from the bar ;)

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Theme: American
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 310/385-0880
Address: 176 North Canon Drive
Directions: Cross Street Wilshire In Beverly Hills
Website: www.wolfgangpuck.com

Restaurant Name: Sharky's

Sharky's is a small local chain that does outstanding Fresh-Mex(which is basically Mexican cuisine cleaned up for a California diner). There are other, more visible chains, but Sharky's stands out. All the food is organic, for one thing, and the quality is simply superiour. The dining room is basically a "take away" affair and lunch can be incredibly busy - especially when the curb is lined with fire trucks and police vehicles. You know a restaurant is good when its frequented by the police - good rule of thumb.

Favorite Dish: My fave is the Chicken Quesadilla. It's huge, delicious, NOT greasy and is served with their lime-sprinkled chips. The best salsa, in my opinion, is the salsa verde - so check it out. OH, and Sharky's is cheaper than the other chains. If I'm looking for a light bite, I get a chicken taco...which is served with the same chips and comes to a grand total of $3.24, tax included. You can't beat it.

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Theme: Mexican
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 323.461.7881
Address: 1716 N. Cahuenga at Hollywood Blvd.
Directions: Central Hollywood, near the Boulevard and across from the Greyhound station.
Website: www.sharkys.com

Restaurant Name: Red Corner Asia

So, strangely Communist name apart...

Red Corner Asia is a Thai Town favorite that attracts both Thai locals and hipsters on a budget. But, that's not the whole story...the food is excellent, inexpensive and the service is prompt and attentive. A couple can dine here, easily, for twenty bucks.

This is a true LA experience. Why? A highly rated Thai bistro located in a former laundromat at the back of a mini mall, populated by Thai families, Latino kids, and rocker wannabees: That's Gloss Angeles incarnate.

Not bad for a former laundromat, eh?

Favorite Dish: The Curry is quite good, but I'd go for chicken next time, rather than the duck I've had before. At "medium spicy", my nose was running. Fair warning.

Oh, and the Thai Iced Tea was dead on.

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 323.466.6RCA
Address: 5267 Hollywood Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90027-4912
Directions: Hollywood Blvd, one block East of Western. Cross street: Hobart. The restaurant is the large, free standing store at the rear of the mini mall.
Website: www.redcornerasia.com

Restaurant Name: Sidewalk Cafe

The Sidewalk Cafe is one of the few sit down joints on the Venice Beach boardwalk, and, as such, there is often a wait for a table. Trust me: the wait has nothing to do with the food. Sidewalk is passable, so long as you stick to the basics: Breakfast, burgers, etc. To consider nachos or fajitas is to seriously push your luck. That said, service is decent, and the prices are low. Where's the problem?

Favorite Dish: Nearly all of the dining room is outside, so if you sit near the boardwalk, you'll have plenty of entertainment. What's interesting about this joint is that the bar draws as many locals as tourists. If you have the opportunity, I suggest you sit at the bar and take in the local scene. Some of the b*tchinest roller skaters that I'd admired just an hour ago rolled up to the bar and pulled some pints. Music was jammin', game was playin, skaters be dancin' and I said, "daggummit, I'm buying the bar a round!". Then I remembered I was poor and went back to my soggy french fries.

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Theme: American
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 310.399.5547
Address: 1401 Ocean Front Walk
Directions: the boardwalk and Horizon Blvd. Can't miss it!
Website: www.thesidewalkcafe.com

Restaurant Name: Grand Central Market

You could rack Grand Central Market, just as easily, under "Local Customs" or "Off the Beaten Path".

City boosters would love to have Grand Central Market be a tourist's "must see", but, conversely, it plays host to throngs of locals - Latino day shoppers on Broadway, and Downtown politicos, alike.

The Market is a quieter version of Barcelona's "La Boqueria", but is remarkably similar. Produce stands and butchers stand side by side along sawdust strewn aisles, while nearby stools beckon casual diners to the counter. There's Mexican food(naturally), as well as sushi and burger stands.

This 85 yr. old landmark certainly is fun, and a logical pit stop for lunch on a Downtown visit. And, what's best? With the influx of Downtown residents of the loft boom, the market grows busier and more relevant each and every day.

Thank heavens.

Favorite Dish: Cop a squat at any food counter and enjoy.

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Theme: Local
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (213) 624-2378
Address: 317 S. Broadway, Downtown LA
Directions: Between South Hill and South Broadway, near 4th St. Angels Flight rises across the street from the Hill entrance.
Website: www.grandcentralsquare.com

Restaurant Name: Firefly Bistro

Just a stone's throw from the Gold Line Metro, Firefly Bistro is a good bet on the way to/from Pasadena.

This little historic district of South Pasadena is thriving, now, but Firefly was one of the first to give this sleepy hamlet a go, back in the day. And, it's still going.

The entire dining room is outside, under a tent(heated during winter) and draws mostly a local clientele with its unique cuisine...I'd say it bridges Mediterranean and Southern U.S. in its influences.

On its best days, Firefly has turned out some of the most stunning meals I've had in LA(and I'm a big old snob), but it is family owned and has its off days, as well. That said, even on a bad day, this chef-driven bistro kicks the living shizzle out of many LA legends.

Favorite Dish: This may sound nuts, but anything with duck. They kill it.

On Thursday nights, a farmer's market is set up outside the bistro's front door. As such, from 5-8pm, the restaurant does a tapas menu focused on the ingredients available on the sidewalk. It's cheap and packed. Chaos, actually. See if you can reserve ahead of time, and if you want a quieter table, ask for the front terrace.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 626.441.2443.
Address: 1009 El Centro St. South Pasadena 91030
Directions: Metro Gold Line to "Mission" station. Also, 110 Freeway to Orange Grove Blvd. Right at light. Left at next light. Right at next. Diagonally across.
Website: www.eatatfirefly.com

Restaurant Name: Pink's Hot Dogs

Pink's is a Los Angeles legend.

I think it's a scam.

Whoever would wait in an hour-length line for a hot dog, gets what they deserve.

Frankly, it's just a very trendy thing to do...to get a Pink's dog...and then brag about it to all your friends, afterwards, and regale them with a tale of your wait and woe, and how, ultimately, it was worth it.

Oh really? Was it REALLY worth it?

Favorite Dish: I did the Pink thing way back in the day...don't even eat red meat, but figured I had to see what all the fuss is about.

The Emperor has no clothes, my friends.

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Theme: Street Vendor
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: (323) 931-4223
Address: 711 North La Brea Avenue
Directions: La Brea near the corner of Melrose Ave.
Website: http://www.pinkshollywood.com/

Restaurant Name: Ortolan

Ortolan is spectacular; truly one of the best dinners of my life.

One of the few Michelin rated restaurants in Los Angeles, Ortolan excels in service, cuisine, and attention to detail. We sat in the skylit herb garden(where kitchen seasonings are grown, on premise) and began with a sommelier-selected half-bottle of wine. We were treated to complimentary "soup" served in playful test tubes(more refined than you might expect) before moving on to appetizers and entrees.

Christophe Eme, chef and co-owner(with partner, actress Jeri Ryan) helms his own kitchen since the closing of the legendary "L'Orangerie" that is lauded on other pages, here.

A destination restaurant, Ortolan's days may be numbered. "Flash" is the game in LA, and the flavor of the month, regardless of its excellence, quickly become's replaced by the next "celeb/chef owned" venture. So, get here while you can.

Favorite Dish: I began with hamachi and enjoyed a "rabbit saddle" with autumn vegetables as my entree. Though I don't remember the exact make-up of these dishes, I have had the pleasure of eating in some of America's finest restaurants, and Ortolan ranks near the top.

For two people, the bill came to $250, including tip. I have had far inferior meals in this price range. I didn't even blink.

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Theme: French
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 323.653.3300
Address: 8338 W. 3rd Street Los Angeles 90048
Directions: between Fairfax and La Cienega, south side of street
Website: www.ortolanrestaurant.com