1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. & Canada Before You Die (93 page)

Everything Old Is New Again

Los Angeles, California

L.A.’s motto is “Out with the old, in with the new”—except when it comes to Tinseltown dining establishments, where historical character commands respect and patronage. Scandia, Chasen’s, and the Brown Derby are no
longer, but Musso & Frank Grill remains. This wood-paneled, red-leather-booth icon is one of the town’s oldest joints, a Hollywood hot spot that has been the place to get classic steakhouse fare and Ketel One martinis since 1919—served by waiters who just might have been working on opening day. Industry types and lookers-on order from a defiantly retro menu: grilled calves’ liver, shrimp Louis salad, corned beef and cabbage, and 11 different kinds of potatoes.

Older still, the casual, sawdust-on-the-floors Philippe the Original claims to have invented the French Dip sandwich in 1908. Regardless of the assertion’s validity, this landmark order-at-the-counter joint surely perfected the art, with delicious thinly sliced beef (pork, ham, turkey, and lamb are options) sandwiched in a halved french roll and accompanied by a savory dipping sauce of meat juices. Breakfast’s cinnamon-dipped french toast gives you a reason to return.

In the Fairfax area, experience L.A.’s diversity at the vibrant Farmers Market, the city’s favorite outdoor dining bazaar. A landmark since the Depression, the charming and weathered maze of stalls, shops, grocers, and casual alfresco eating spots lures longtime locals and fresh-faced celebrities alike. Favorites include pumpkin pancakes at forever-hip Kokomo’s, classic pies at Dupar’s, fresh seafood creations at the Gumbo Pot, and caffeine at Bob’s Donuts, an aspiring-screenwriter haunt. Nearby, Pink’s hot dog shack has been serving perfect dogs for nearly as long. Paul and Betty Pink opened it in 1939 and you can still order a hot dog drowned in Betty’s secret chili sauce—it’s one of 24 on the menu. But today the parking lot is filled with Jaguars and Mercedeses, and there’s almost always a line.

This is a town that takes its sushi very seriously. From small neighborhood restaurants that serve fish so fresh it’s practically flopping on the plate, to chic hot spots frequented by a glamorous crowd, sushi joints here are abundant. The most famous shrine to raw seafood belongs to superchef Nobu Matsuhisa, who has outposts across the country. His longtime restaurant Matsuhisa featured a menu that was a master’s manifesto of exquisite sushi and innovative cooked dishes served in an unremarkable venue. Recently,
Chef Matsuhisa moved his restaurant a few blocks south to a spot that was previously home to famed French restaurant L’Orangerie. Now called Nobu Matsuhisa, the chef’s menu continues to be delicious and groundbreaking, and the restaurant will no doubt remain a must-stop on the foodie circuit. Less expensive and larger, but rightly popular, is the always busy Sushi Gen. If you crave celebrity sightings with your spicy tuna roll, head to Sushi Roku, where the paparazzi line up outside to catch the likes of Paris or Lindsay.

M
USSO
& F
RANK
G
RILL
: Tel 323-467-5123.
Cost:
dinner $50.
P
HILIPPE THE
O
RIGINAL
: Tel 213-628-3781;
www.phillipes.com
.
Cost:
lunch $8.
F
ARMERS
M
ARKET
: Tel 323-933-9211;
www.farmersmarketla.com
.
P
INK’S
: Tel 323-931-4223;
www.pinkshollywood.com
.
Cost:
lunch $5.
N
OBU
M
ATSUHISA
: Beverly Hills. Tel 310-659-9639;
www.nobumatsuhisa.com
.
Cost:
dinner $75.
S
USHI
G
EN
: Tel 213-617-0552.
Cost:
dinner $40.
S
USHI
R
OKU
: Tel 323-655-6767;
www.sushiroku.com
.
Cost:
dinner $60.

From Holes in the Wall to the High Life

Los Angeles, California

Thanks to the unique combination of beach, city, celebrities, and micro-communities from virtually every nationality in the world, L.A. has everything a great food town needs, from four-star dining rooms
to holes in the wall to all the options inbetween.

Book a coveted table at downtown’s Patina, where outstanding French-inspired cuisine is overseen by celebrity chef Joachim Splichal. Like many top toques, Splichal has myriad restaurants, but this is his flagship, moved from West Hollywood a few years back to a more modern locale in the midst of the Music Center (see p. 819), a cluster of theaters that makes a deliciously cultural evening a breeze.

At Campanile, chef-owner Mark Peel is highly regarded for his deep respect for seasonal cooking, and the Tuscan-style space itself (including an actual bell tower from which it takes its name) was originally built for Charlie Chaplin in 1928. Campanile is romantic and dreamy, and yet so unintimidating that local families make it a regular stop for Sunday brunch. Thursday evenings are a local favorite—it’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich Night, featuring a deliciously memorable melted cheese medley. Such success wouldn’t be possible without the collaboration and inspiration of his wife and partner, Nancy Silverton, who also runs the now legendary La Brea Bakery next door.

Newer, but already a staple with the discerning dining set, Lucques (the name of the chef’s favorite French olive, pronounced “Luke”) is a chic brick-walled space. The eclectic menu is small, often the unpredictable result of what 30-something chef Suzanne Goin, formerly of Campanile, found at the farmers market that morning, but her magic never fails to wow her L.A. devotees.

While these restaurants can stand proudly with some of the finest in the country, some of the best tasting food for the best price can be found in small ethnic joints. There are over 80 different languages and dialects spoken in the county, and you can savor the flavor of their homelands within a 2-mile stretch of Hollywood Boulevard. The roasted chicken
with pungent garlic sauce at Middle Eastern–style Zankou is so addictive it’s been immortalized in a song by musician Beck. The Thai Food Court at Thailand Plaza is a hilarious and colorful palace of a food court, worthy as much for the scene (redolent of Bangkok) as for the food. The Hollywood neighborhood of Thai Town sits side by side with the area dubbed Little Armenia. Drop in to Sahag’s Basturma to try a sandwich made of the spicy Armenian cured meat (also called pasterma) that gives this grocery store its name and has kept the lines long since 1987.

P
ATINA
: Tel 213-972-3331;
www.patinagroup.com
.
Cost:
dinner $80.
C
AMPANILE
: Tel 323-938-1447;
www.campanilerestaurant.com
.
Cost:
dinner $60.
L
UCQUES
: Tel 323-655-6277;
www.lucques.com
.
Cost:
dinner $60.
Z
ANKOU
: Tel 323-665-7842.
Cost:
lunch $10.
T
HAI FOOD
C
OURT
: Tel 323-993-9000.
Cost:
lunch $15.
S
AHAG’S
B
ASTURMA
: Tel 323-661-5311.
Cost:
lunch $6.

Luxury Havens Where Everyone’s a Star

Los Angeles, California

Located in a ritzy, lush canyon just minutes from busy L.A. intersections, the Hotel Bel Air is one of the city’s finest and most exclusive temporary addresses. For over 50 years, the 12-acre refuge with its flowering native
and subtropical flora has been
the
spot for stars to seek respite and anonymity. It’s not just the no-camera policy and subtle service that keeps them coming. Everything about this place is quietly exquisite, while relaxed. Shaded pathways meander past swan-dotted ponds to hideaway Mission-style bungalows. Former guest Marilyn Monroe’s bungalow has been transformed into a state-of-the-art gym, and an 8,500-square-foot herb garden supplies fresh herbs for the sterling restaurant, which serves one of the best Sunday brunches in town; air-light lemon pancakes with fresh raspberries are a menu fixture.

John F. Kennedy, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Howard Hughes, and the Duke of Windsor were all once guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

The Beverly Hills Hotel is a friendly rival, even more venerable and flashy. Anchored at the corner of a sweeping curve of Sunset Boulevard since 1912, the towers of the “Pink Palace” grace the cover of the Eagles’ seminal
Hotel California
album. Though it’s no longer the shade of Pepto-Bismol pink depicted on the record, it’s still a standout, thanks to a $100 million renovation. This grand dame has everything a rich, fashionable traveler could wish for, from a showy pool scene complete with coveted cabanas to rooms and bungalows with butler service and walk-in closets, some boasting more square footage than the average home. The forever-popular Polo Lounge has long been the place where Old Hollywood makes and breaks its deals, while the hotel gardens brim with various palms and exotic blooms that smell of jasmine and bergamot.

Another famous historic favorite, the Chateau Marmont is set directly in the center of the Sunset Strip action. A gorgeous rambling and romantic venue built in 1927 and today run by hotelier Andre Balazs, it’s a reliable top pick for young celebrities who prefer the casual, incognito atmosphere and apartmentlike guest rooms. Secluded bungalows are even larger, each with furnishings and style straight out of a film noir flick. The place’s reputation for discretion even in the face of outrageous star behavior (such as Jim Morrison’s drunken saunter across its rooftop and John Belushi’s fatal overdose) hasn’t changed since the days studio boss Harry Cohn told William Holden and Glenn Ford, “If you must get into trouble, do it at the Marmont.”

H
OTEL
B
EL
A
IR
: Tel 800-648-4097 or 310-472-1211;
www.hotelbelair.com
.
Cost:
from $395.
B
EVERLY
H
ILLS
H
OTEL
: Tel 800-283-8885 or 310-276-2251;
www.thebeverlyhillshotel.com
.
Cost:
from $445.
C
HATEAU
M
ARMONT
: Hollywood. Tel 800-C
HATEAU
or 323-656-1010;
www.chateaumarmont.com
.
Cost:
from $335.

Culture Among the Stars

Los Angeles, California

Masterpiece of famed architect Richard Meier, the 110-acre, six-building Getty Center was 14 years and $1 billion in the making when it opened in 1997 as a modern Acropolis, perched atop a Santa Monica mountain
ridge, looking out over L.A. to the Pacific. Designed to house the ever-expanding Getty art collection and a library of more than one million books, the hilltop citadel is a work of art itself in gleaming off-white travertine marble and glass. Inside, soaring galleries rely heavily on natural light and are interspersed with courtyards, fountains, connecting walkways, and windows that frame views of the Robert Irwin–designed gardens and urban sprawl beyond. Van Gogh’s
Irises
and five Cézannes (including his
Still Life with Apples
) are the Getty’s magnets to the masses, offset by its esoteric specialty collections, from Renaissance to Impressionism and 18th-century European decorative arts.