My L.A. Food Blog

When we decided to move to L.A. we expected to find lots of great food places.  This is the second largest metropolitan area in the country, plus it's on the Pacific Ocean, so we thought we would have little trouble satisfying our culinary needs.  But during our first year here we were disappointed.  We practically spent the first 6 months eating at Chipotle for lunch, and McCormick & Schmicks for dinner.  Don't get me wrong, those places are delicious, but they're chain restaurants.  By the end of the first year, I was convinced that L.A. just didn't have great local food.  But there was great food here, we just hadn't found it yet.  Over the past two years, we've acquired quite a list of favorites.  And now that I'm just 6 weeks away from leaving La-La-Land, I've become a little bit nostalgic, particularly about the food.  So for posterity's sake, I want to write down my favorites.  Start salivating, ya'll.

For lunch/brunch there was Cafe Marmalade, and their BLTA (A for avocado).  Marmalade is technically a chain because they have more than one location, but they are only in Southern California so I count them as local.  I've eaten at the Marmalade in El Segundo, Malibu, and Calabasas - I'm a fan.  We also dined at the downtown square in Culver City a lot where there was Daphne's (Greek fast food) and Kay-n-Dave's for California Mexican and a great margarita happy hour. 

As far as fresh fish, Malibu Seafood cannot be beat.  It's just a little seafood shack on the side of the Pacific Coast Highway, with an ocean view, picnic tables, and a BYOB policy.  The other amazing seafood place that also doubles as a celebrity hang-out, is Katsuya.  Hands down the best sushi I've ever tasted (get the crispy rice spicy tuna).  We'd also go to a tiny Italian bistro right on the water in Marina del Rey, called Sapori, for local seafood.  I partly like this place because it actually feels like Italy - the waitstaff is Italian, it's tiny and kind of dark, and they serve authentically Italian dishes (i.e. no spaghetti with meatballs) - but the food is great too.  I always ordered this delicious seafood medley linguini dish with clams, mussels, and shrimp in a white wine sauce.  

And I would be remiss if I did not mention some of our other favorite standards, such as Versailles for Cuban food; I crave the roasted chicken in garlic orange sauce; and Wood Ranch Bar-B-Q for the baby-back ribs, garlic rolls, and peanut coleslaw. 

So why did I write this out.  For one, after three years of law school my memory is shot and I needed a place to record my favorite L.A. restaurants.  And two, since the readers of this blog mainly include my family, it gives them a sneak-peak of what's in store during their visit out here for graduation.  Turns out, L.A. is a food town after all.