Los Angeles - LA - suggestions for food!

Hey guys!

I was advised to come to these threads for questions about this specific city, so I'll be posting the same thing in each city's forum lol ;) I'm travelling on my first business trip to US from Europe, and I've decided to extend it a bit.

I'll be in Los Angeles from 15th to 18th July. I'm interested in what food should I try and where? :)

I'll be visiting famous places as there's not enough time to see much more I guess. Also, is it possible to walk to most of the stuff in LA? I'll be staying in a hotel 5 min from Hollywood blvd. Because I heard about infamous public transport.

Appreciate any tips guys! Really looking forward seeing US for the first time.

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Best gourmet food in LA. (http://www.originaltommys.com/)




I'll be visiting famous places as there's not enough time to see much more I guess. Also, is it possible to walk to most of the stuff in LA? I'll be staying in a hotel 5 min from Hollywood blvd. Because I heard about infamous public transport.



LOL... That has to be the funniest thing I have read in years.

"LA" is one of the biggest and most spread out cities in the world.

You really need a car if you want to see much of LA.

Walking in LA (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_UpLtGEWoY)

Haha, that's not really what I meant, sorry. I'm staying in Hollywood, so what I meant was is it possible to go around there to see some famous stuff, then get to Downtown by transport and walk around there (same for the beach probably).

Haha, that's not really what I meant, sorry. I'm staying in Hollywood, so what I meant was is it possible to go around there to see some famous stuff, then get to Downtown by transport and walk around there (same for the beach probably).

Hehe. While that question about walking did also make me laugh, I think it's a valid question. If you're not weak and frail, you can walk around downtown and see a lot. It'll be a lot of walking, but it is doable. I've done it.

You can also walk around the beach area (Santa Monica and Venice) once you manage to get there, but again, some walking. Just keep in mind that all this walking will reduce the amount of stuff you can see.

A car may be handy though because it's not really that expensive, and you can save yourself a lot of walking.

Dear OP,

Your question shows remarkable ignorance about L.A.--not that we don't love tourists :D.

The City is huge--your question is kinda like asking where to eat in London or Paris--only L.A. is waaay bigger than either one.

And, you WILL need a car. While L.A. has an extensive transit system it is not practical for short term tourist things. Just takes too long to get from one tourist thing to the next.

Since you have clarified that you will be in Hollywood area I would be sure to visit the Farmer's Market (hasn't been a farmer's market for fifty years but does have lots of interesting restaurants and stores). It is next to the Grove shopping center and is at Third and Fairfax. I like the Gumbo Pot (Cajun food). LA. County Museum of Art is close to the Farmer's Market (but not really a good walk--close in L.A. is measured by car time) and LACMA is well worth a visit as are the famous Tar Pits which are in the same park as LACMA.

As for downtown, skip it. Not really very interesting for the tourist. I'd go to Universal City instead and also hit Santa Monica Third Street Promenade (Third and Wilshire--note that Third St. in Santa Monica in not the Third St. in L.A. and they are many miles apart).

What is considered cheap in a LA to rent a car for 3 days? I've searched on Advantage.com, cheapest is $160 for 3 days.

Also, one serious question - is the insurance, that will cover everything, included in the price or not? Because it doesn't say anywhere. What is usually the case? And if now, how much it might be?

Any other things we really better know before renting a car in LA?

Thanks guys!

It's doubtful that any rental agency will offer "insurance" as part of the base rate. You legally have insurance from the rental company for liability, but not collision reimbursement. That could add another $20 a day (rates are all over the place, so YMMV). Another thing to look at is whether you have a credit card that will include collision reimbursement automatically.

As to rates, try Fox Rent a Car or Midway Car Rental (or possibly Hotwire/Priceline). Both of the mentioned firms are well established and generally much cheaper than the big companies. Google the agency names and the word coupon together, and you might find some additional discount codes:

http://www.foxrentacar.com/

http://www.midwaycarrental.com/location/los_angeles_airport.aspx

You don't say exactly what you want to see in "Hollywood" (a collective term for many, at times used to describe a vast area that includes adjoining areas of Los Angeles) but want to know if you can walk there. If you just mean sites along Hollywood Boulevard, sure. The "Walk of Fame" and Grulman's etc., can be done on foot, and pretty much exhausted (unless you take tours, such as at the Kodak Theatre, etc.) in a couple of hours. But many things people associate with Hollywood aren't there. The best studio tours are perhaps Warner Brothers, in Burbank, and Sony (formerly MGM) in Culver City. Former can at least be reached from Hollywood by Metro and bus. Universal Studios is more theme park than studio tour, I believe, but is fairly eacily reachable by subway and short shuttle bus ride. Paramount Studios is in Hollywood itself (I have not been).

You can get to downtown L.A. from Hollywood by subway. Need a bus to get to "the beach" (there are, of course, many beaches you could go to).

See www.metro.net for public transportation in L.A. County. Use the trip planner. If you rent a car be sure to confirm what parking fee would be at your hotel and wherever you will go.

I'll be in Los Angeles from 15th to 18th July. I'm interested in what food should I try and where? :)


Food truck? I haven't found a similar experience in Europe yet. Here's a recommendation http://kogibbq.com/, a little fusion of Mexican and Korean food for the American palette.

Haha, that's not really what I meant, sorry. I'm staying in Hollywood, so what I meant was is it possible to go around there to see some famous stuff, then get to Downtown by transport and walk around there (same for the beach probably).

Yes to all of the above. Which hotel are you staying at?

There are subway stations at Hollywood/Highland, Hollywood/Vine, and Hollywood/Western so you should be able to walk to one of the stations from your hotel. From there, it is a 10 minute ride to Downtown LA. From Downtown, you can transfer to other rail lines that takes you to different parts of the city.

To get to the beach, you'll have to take a bus but it's very simple; most of our buses runs in a straight line down 1 road only. And most east-west buses converge in Downtown Santa Monica by the beach.

This is the info you are seeking: http://www.metro.net/around/destination-guides ;)

Looking for a rental car I'd use a service like CarHire3000.com. The advantage is that you can get cares from the majors like Hertz and Avis. If you use a major credit card you generally do not need any thing extra from the rental agency in terms of insurance.

For the very short time you have getting a car is the best idea because getting around by public transportation is very slow. Also consider the cost of getting from LAX to your hotel and the car becomes more cost effective when you consider all the factors.

Where to eat depends on the experience you are looking for. Los Angeles has great Michelin starred restaurants, some of the best sushi outside of Tokyo, great Mexican, Korean, Chinese, Thai, Filipino, Persian, Russian and more given the city's incredible ethnic diversity. There are also old LA classic spots and new, hot trendy ones. Can you give us guidance on what you'd like to experience most?

While I only live maybe 15 minutes from Hollywood Boulevard, it's really the last place I'd consider going, or close to it. It's a mob-scene tourist area. It's a little like Times Square was 15 years ago. It's really not about LA at all - it's about tourists.

That said, if your hotel is there, there are at least three restaurants I can think of that are pretty good near there, and that are really the only reasons I ever go near that area:

Hungry Cat - great, great East-coast style seafood. Can't go wrong here.

Loteria Grill - Truly delicious Mexican food - try the deshebrada tacos. There's also a smaller location at the Farmer's Market, mentioned above.

25 Degrees - a hamburger place that's pretty solid.

As mentioned above, a car is a must here. And do your best to get far, far away from that neighborhood! Third and Fairfax is great and a good example of LA, as is Santa Monica promenade (more touristy), Venice (try Abbott Kinney as well as Muscle Beach for two very different sides of Venice), downtown, maybe even Westwood, Koreatown, Japantown, the parks, etc.

While I only live maybe 15 minutes from Hollywood Boulevard, it's really the last place I'd consider going, or close to it. It's a mob-scene tourist area. It's a little like Times Square was 15 years ago. It's really not about LA at all - it's about tourists.

That said, if your hotel is there, there are at least three restaurants I can think of that are pretty good near there, and that are really the only reasons I ever go near that area:

Hungry Cat - great, great East-coast style seafood. Can't go wrong here.

Loteria Grill - Truly delicious Mexican food - try the deshebrada tacos. There's also a smaller location at the Farmer's Market, mentioned above.

25 Degrees - a hamburger place that's pretty solid.

As mentioned above, a car is a must here. And do your best to get far, far away from that neighborhood! Third and Fairfax is great and a good example of LA, as is Santa Monica promenade (more touristy), Venice (try Abbott Kinney as well as Muscle Beach for two very different sides of Venice), downtown, maybe even Westwood, Koreatown, Japantown, the parks, etc.
Agree that there are some wonderful restaurants in Hollywood. Hungry Cat is great but there is also Musso and Frank Grill which is right on Hollywood Blvd and across from the Roosevelt Hotel. This is a landmark So Cal restaurant. Closed on Mon. Also in the Hollywood area is Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza, two of the most acclaimed restaurants in So Cal. At the Kodak Theatre, the Grill is good (although, not as good as the original in Beverly Hills).

Looking for a rental car I'd use a service like CarHire3000.com...

Los Angeles has great Michelin starred restaurants...

If you're not bothered about quality of car, www.699rentacar.com has some incredibly cheap cars. Only potential issue is they don't have a stand at LAX so you'd have to pick it up from their venue on Fairfax.

[pedant hat one] Michelin last did a book for LA in 2009, so technically there are no LA restaurants with stars. [pedant hat off]. That aside, LA really does have one of the most vibrant food scenes in the world, mostly, as JeremyS1973 says because of the ethic diversity. Unlike, say, London or New York (and obviously, Paris), there isn't such a devotion to French/Modern European fare.

A few personal favourites:

Animal (http://animalrestaurant.com/) on Fairfax if something like "foie gras, biscuit, maple sausage gravy" gets your taste buds going. Its sister restaurant Son of a Gun (http://sonofagunrestaurant.com/) is equally good.

Bazaar (www.thebazaar.com) for innovation/tapas

Le Petit Four (www.lepetitfour.net) for that little bit of St Tropez

Madeo (www.madeoristorante.com) for its old school charm and one of the best Vitello Milanese you'll ever eat

And of course Pinks (www.pinkshollywood.com) because everyone has to at least once...

Also while you're in LA, the OC Fair is on (2011 slogan: 'Let's Eat'). If you want to see/sample the cause of US obesity (deep-fried butter, chocolate bacon etc) then it's worth a trip.

I will jump on this :)

What is considered cheap in a LA to rent a car for 3 days? I've searched on Advantage.com, cheapest is $160 for 3 days.

Also, one serious question - is the insurance, that will cover everything, included in the price or not? Because it doesn't say anywhere. What is usually the case? And if now, how much it might be?

Had some old friends from the UK stay with me for weeks a few years ago. They rented a car from some agency in London for a good price which included liability insurance--something not usually included if you arrange rental in US, but a very good idea. Perhaps you can find something similar.

I have also seen the rental agents at LAX hustling foreign tourists who have these insurance included deals already booked to buy the rental company's high cost and entirely unneeded liability insurance.

I disagree with the advice about to go to
Fox to rent. They do not have a good rep, IMHO.

Price depends on the days you want to rent. Starting Thursday at noon through noon Monday you can often get really low weekend rates.

If you belong to Costco in your home country check their travel service for good rental deals in the US. Also check expedia and hotwire

For only 3 days, I don't recommend renting a car unless you enjoy being stuck in heavy traffic with aggressive drivers. Here's what I would do:

Day 1: see Hollywood and downtown. Hollywood Walk of Fame, Chinese Theater, wax museum etc. are all easily walkable. Take subway to Union Station and see Olvera Street (mission and market).

Day 2: take bus to either Venice Beach or Santa Monica. Explore the pier, restaurants, street performers, bars at night.

Day 3: you'll probably be a bit tired by then, so pick a museum or garden to relax. LACMA is a short bus ride from Hollywood. The Getty Center will probably require a car.

Thanks people! I'm a bit hesitant on renting the car now though. cbn42, thanks a great advice, thanks!

By the way, I'm a big Friends fan, do you know if Warner Bros studio tour covers the Friends' set and how long is the whole thing?

Yeah - if you're driving, I can't say enough about three restaurants just mentioned: Mozza (any variety), Animal, and Son of a Gun. Three of my favorites.

I'd add into that list Red Medicine, which is a bit unusual to some, but creative and delicious.

Much more expensive, but also great, is The Bazaar, a bit further in that direction.

(edit - looks like The Bazaar was also mentioned, so I'll just second it)

Thanks people! I'm a bit hesitant on renting the car now though. cbn42, thanks a great advice, thanks!

By the way, I'm a big Friends fan, do you know if Warner Bros studio tour covers the Friends' set and how long is the whole thing?

There are a couple of WB tours, either 2.5 hours or 5, depending on which one you want.

Not sure if the Friends set is still there, but if you're a big fan the Paley Center has a recreation of Central Perk http://www.paleycenter.org/p-television-out-of-the-box as well as bits from other TV shows. If you're in Beverly Hills (which may be worth a trip depending on your idea of fun) it's worth a look.

Renting a car here is pretty easy - roads are decently marked, and every restaurant has valet parking. It might not be too cheap, but it's not like you're driving in Bangkok or anything.