Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [147]
Pete’s Café & Bar (Map; 213-617-1000; 400 S Main St; mains lunch $10-17, dinner $11-27; 11:30am-2am) The late-night hotspot in the Old Bank District, Pete’s has a classic interior and is alive with loft dwellers, politicos, journos and artists. The menu is modern American feel-good food, including a mean burger doused in fontina and tomato aioli. Come on, be extra bad and get a side of killer blue-cheese fries. Food’s served till closing time.
R23 (Map; 213-687-7178; 923 E 2nd St; mains lunch $9-13, dinner $12-30; 11:30am-2pm Mon-Fri, 5:30-10pm Mon-Sat; ) In an unlikely spot deep in the industrial heart of the Arts District, R23 is an avant-garde sushi parlor housed in a former railroad loading dock with exposed brick walls, and is decorated with Frank Gehry–designed cardboard chairs and oversized paintings of nudes. Regulars rave about the lobster tempura, the Dungeness-crab salad and the scallion-stuffed duck breast.
Tiara Café (Map; 213-623-3663; 127 E 9th St, Downtown; sandwiches $8-11, mains $14-16; 11:30am-3pm; ) Pretty in pink and with a high ceiling, this Fashion District lunch spot feeds designers, sales clerks and frenzied bargain hunters with healthy, organic fare that can be calibrated to meet vegan and vegetarian needs. The salads are fresh and abundant and the sandwiches are custom-made. Carbo-phobes should try the rice paper–wrapped versions.
For a progressive spin on sushi and vibrant Asian fare, try Zip Fusion (Map; 213-680-3770; 744 E 3rd St; mains $10-17; 11:30am-2:30pm Mon-Fri, 5-10:30pm Sun-Wed, 5-11:30pm Thu-Sat). Click here for details.
TOP END
Water Grill (Map; 213-891-0900; 544 S Grand Ave; mains $24-54, 11:30am-9:30pm Mon-Fri, 5-9:30pm Sat, 4:30-8:30pm Sun; ) Only the brisk ocean breeze is missing from this classic seafood restaurant popular with Downtown power-suits and salt-and-pepper-haired couples grateful for the dim lighting. The quality is consistently high, the selection mind-boggling, the service impeccable and the preparation inspired. Start out with a fruit-of-the-sea platter, move on to the sumac-coated barramundi and definitely leave room for the signature chocolate bread pudding.
Patina (Map; 213-972-3331; 141 S Grand Ave, Walt Disney Concert Hall; mains lunch $18-26, dinner $34-44; 11:30am-1:30pm Mon-Fri, 5-11pm daily, to 9:30pm on nonperformance days; ) Chef Joachim Splichal is everywhere these days, but this handsome restaurant at the Walt Disney Concert Hall remains his flagship. The Euro-Cal fare – Berkshire pork, Scottish salmon, lamb rib eye – is a great fusion of substance and style without taking any unnecessary flights of fancy.
Westlake & Koreatown
Langer’s (Map; 213-483-8050; 704 S Alvarado St, Westlake; pastrami sandwiches $11, mains $5-20; 8am-4pm Mon-Sat; ) Generations of smoked-meat lovers have flocked to this old-school Jewish deli famous for its juicy hot pastrami sandwiches (No 19 with coleslaw and Swiss cheese is the best seller) and fresh chopped liver. The Metro Red Line subway station is right outside.
Mama’s Hot Tamales Café (Map; 13-487-4300; 2122 W 7th St, Westlake; tamales $2.75, mains $6-10; 11am-3.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3:30pm Sat & Sun; ) Tamales (a stuffed cornmeal patty) of the world unite at this cheerful nosh spot right by MacArthur Park. Try chicken-potato tamales from Oaxaca, spicy beef tamales from Acapulco or spinach-mushroom tamales from Peru. They’re so good, you’ll want to pick some up for later in the attached mercado (market).
Papa Cristo’s (off Map; 323-737-2970; 2771 W Pico Blvd; mains $6-16; 9am-8pm Tue-Sat, 9am-4pm Sun; ) You’ll kick up your heels like Zorba himself after filling your tummy with Greek soul food at this frenzied bistro in