It’s been forever since I lived in LA, but I still long for some of the food. One of my friends asked for some food recs, so I’m recording them here:
Amandine: go and get the french toast, and then get anything else that sounds good. It’s my absolute favorite french toast in the known universe, which is a strong compliment. Every pastry I had was good; I remember the coffee being good, but that was before I lived in Seattle, so that’s harder to say.
Bay Cities Italian Deli: it’s a big deli that also makes sandwiches; you can go in and take a number, or just order online like a sane person. Lines that can sometimes put paseo to shame. the sandwiches are incredible. (I always got the godmother, I think?)
Abbot Kinney Pizza: they do a bunch of awesome pizzas with a bagel crust, and it’s fantastic. If you can, go to the one in venice (they usually have more pizza options on hand).
India Sweets & Spices: another not-fancy-but-delicious place, down in Culver City; it’s also primarily a grocery store that happens to sell amazing food. (vegetarian)
Pita Pockets: this one is up in the Valley, so if you’re not already headed that way, may be further than you want to go. But holy cow, the laffa wraps are out of this world. They also have amazing hummus, and I drool thinking about their falafel laffa wrap with hummus.
C&O Trattoria: this is a fantastic place to go if you’re looking for a MASSIVE amount of fresh garlic rolls and pasta. It’s tasty, but maybe not the best pasta in the universe, with self-service wine at the table. If you’re going with a bunch of friends, this one’s hard to beat, and you can take a nice walk on the beach in Venice after.
Pinkberry: this is the place that made tart yogurt famous; I don’t know if it’s still up to its former glory, but it was reeeeeally good when it first came along.
Scoops: this used to only be waaaaaay over on the east side of LA, but is now apparently on the westside. One of the most amazing ice cream shops I’ve been to.
Susie Cakes: this was the first place I had a really, really amazing cupcake. Some of their cupcakes and cookies are out of this world, and others are just so-so. So take that one with a grain of … sugar?