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The Eating Page
Updated March 1, 1999
SEE OUR WORLDWIDE TOP 5 RESTAURANTS HERE
WHERE TO EAT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA?
We love to eat! And this area has thousands of good places to go. Rather than try to list every restaurant in L.A., we will list those which we like ourselves and represent a good value for you.
| Downtown/Central Los Angeles | Long Beach area | San Fernando/Simi Valley
| San Gabriel Valley
| Orange County | Inland Empire |
- Downtown/Central Los Angeles
CASA BIANCA
1650 Colorado Bl., Eagle Rock. This quirky, little italian restaurant is only open for dinner starting at 4:00pm and don't think about coming here on Sunday or Monday because they are closed. But if you want the absolute best pizza in L.A., find some time to get over here when they're open. Although other italian food is served here (and very good too!), pizza is the star...and has been since 1955. Be sure to get some sausage on it (unless you don't eat meat) because they make their own, mouth-watering sausage from scratch daily. Although our opinion may be considered biased as to the best pizza in L.A., other sources including the L.A. Times & the Daily News have also named this little hole-in-the-wall as their best too. It's really that good! Very reasonable prices, no reservations (you may wait awhile on a Friday or Saturday night). You can call ahead for take out. Take the 134 Freeway to the Figueroa exit. Turn right on Colorado Bl. Casa Bianca will be on your left. (213) 256-9617
It's disputed with one other downtown restaurant, but most people agree Phillipe's is the inventor of that great lunchtime staple, the french dip sandwich. Served on flaky & crusty rolls, these sandwiched are the main reason to visit. The only problem is that you'll want another one right after you finish it. Beyond that Phillipe's is a true L.A. legend. It hasn't changed much over the 90 years it's been around. Diners still sit at long communal tables with sawdust strewn on the floor. Wooden booths are available upstairs & down for those who want more privacy.
Order are placed at a long deli counter with one of the very efficient & professional order takers. Your order is assembled on the spot and a tray placed down for your money...order takers are not to touch it to stay clean (it also gives them a handy tip tray. The french dip sandwiches, which come with your choice of beef, lamb, pork, ham, or turkey, range in price from $3.75 to $4.05. There is also a very extensive menu of other items. The breakfast & wine list here are also particularly good.
No trip to L.A. is complete without a meal here. Phillipe's is located at 1001 N. Alameda Street in downtown Los Angeles. It is one block north of Union Station and Olvera Street. Take half a day & visit all three while you're here. (213) 628-3781
- Long Beach area
L' OPERA
Located on the corner of Pine Ave. & 1st Street (in Pine Square) in downtown Long Beach. This very good, and very inventive Italian restaurant is the place to go in Long Beach for a nice dress-up dinner. Beautifully decorated with very professional service. On the expensive side but worth it. No kid's menu but some entres can be ordered in half portions. Take Interstate 710 south to the Broadway exit in Long Beach. Go south to Pine Ave. and turn right. Valet parking in front or structure parking in rear. Hint: the tip for the valet would probably work out to less that the pay lot, unless you go see a movie afterward at the nearby AMC theater which validates. Adult entrees (a la carte) run $12.95 - 25.95. (310) 491-0066
- San Fernando/Simi Valley
LA FONTANA
Located at 933 N. Brand Bl., Glendale. La Fontana means "The Fountain" and you will see two of them here. The menu is inventive italian and very good. The restaurant itself has a bit of a New York flair to it down to the tape-deck backed lounge singer/piano player. The food here is very good and filling. Adult dinners run $12.95 - 25.95. (818) 247-6256
- San Gabriel Valley
BECKHAM PLACE
Located 77 West Walnut Ave., at Fair Oaks, in Pasadena. Step into the warm coziness of and English cottage on the northwest edge of Pasadena's Old Town. Luckily the food doesn't live up to the reputation of English cooking...it's actually very good. Portions are generous and geared to meat & potatoes knd of appetites. The dining areas are warm & cozy but not cramped. The only misstep here is the bosomy wench costumes of the waitresses...but I can't compain too much about that! Full dinners run $12-$25. (626) 796-3399
LOS ANTOJITOS
134 E Colorado Bl., Monrovia. VERY authentic Mexican food is served at this little hole in the wall just off of Monrovia's Old Town Myrtle Avenue. Great tacos, burritos, etc. but try their chile rellenos, the chilequiles, and especially the menudo on weekends. Item prices run from $.99 for tacos to $6.75 for the shrimp platters. Take the 210 freeway east from Pasadena. Exit on Myrtle Ave. in Monrovia and head north, towards the mountains. Turn right on Colorado Bl. and go 1/2 block. (626) 359-2212
Corner of Raymond & Del Mar, Pasadena. Still one of the best brewpubs we've found (and believe me, we try as many as we can!), this very nice & friendly place offers at least 3 brewed-on-premises beers at any given time on tap. There are also hundreds of other beers available. What's all this beer drinking doing on a family page you ask? Well, CCB is also a very family-friendly restaurant serving great sandwiches, salads, & appetizer. We really like what they do with Lavosh here (think of a middle-eastern pizza). Kid's are always welcome (yes, they do have a kid's menu), sports are always on the TV, no one gets out of hand, and the beer is always cold & delicious. The webmaster recommends the Mt. Wilson Wheat Ale. If you're here in October, their Octoberfest party is a real humdinger. Entree's here range from $4.95 to $12.95. From downtown L.A. take the 110 (Pasadena) Freeway north to the end of the freeway. Continue north on Arroyo Parkway to Del Mar. Turn left on Del Mar and turn left again on Raymond Ave. CCB is on the southeast corner. (626) 577-5548
DOMENICO'S
Located on the corner of Huntington Dr. & Mayflower in Monrovia. Great Italian food and pizza prepared with vegetables & herbs from their own garden. The Bitonti family makes sure you feel right at home here. Adult entrees run $7.25 - $14.95, pizzas start at $6.95 for a small cheese pizza. Kid's menu available. (626) 357-7975
DON RAMON'S
Located at 6550 Irwindale Ave. There is no shortage of Mexican food in Southern California. Many restaurants in the area offer up fine cuisine. Ray Duran's place gets our nod because of the great friendly atmosphere and inventive menu. Diner's are greeted at the door by Gilbert, the restaurant's friendly maitre d'. The webmaster's favorite here is the Enchiladas Franciscos ($7.99)...2 chicken enchiladas covered with their special chocolate mole & sour cream served with rice & beans. A selections of kid's meals are available here for $2.50 and there's a long happy hour everyday. Sundays are for the champagne brunch ($11.95 for adults & $6.95 for kids). As a minor historical note, across the street is the rock quarry that Al Davis was going to move the Raiders too when he played the city of Irwindale against L.A. Take Interstate 210 east from Pasadena to Irwindale Ave. Don Ramon's is on the north side of the freeway. Raider "Stadium" is the rock quarry on the other side of the freeway from the Miller brewery. Adult entrees run $4.75 - 13.95. (626) 969-3374
THE HAT
- Valley Bl. & Garfield Ave., Alhambra
- 491 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena
- Rosemead B. & Broadway, Temple City
- Alosta Ave., & Grand Ave., Glendora
- 857 N. Central Ave., Upland
The best Pastrami in L.A.,...possibly the world? Operating over 40 years at it's original location in Alhambra, The Hat is pastrami mecca. Take a step back into time as you watch the open pit grill in action with it's shooting flames & heavenly aroma. Recently, The Hat has expanded into the other, more modern, locations listed above. but at all locations the food is still delicious. Along with the juicy pastrami dip sandwiches, winners here are beef dips, burgers, chili & wet fries, and their assorted deli style sandwiches. A tip here: a small order of fries is hardly enough for 1 person but a large order will feed a family of four! The Hat also has the biggest & best condiment bar you will ever see at a fast food restaurant. Indoor seating & drive through service is available at all locations except Alhambra. The prices here are on par with other fast food restaurants. The pastrami dip is $4.95.
HERE TODAY, GONE TAMALES
Delicious Mexican fast food is served here daily. Their tamales are very good as is everthing else on the menu. Ambiance is at a minimum and location is another cookie-cutter strip mall...but come here for the food! It's really good. Nothing on the menu over $5. Located at 450 N. Azusa Ave. in Covina. Take the 10 (San Bernadino) Freeway east from L.A. to the Azusa Ave. offramp. Go north to Rowland Ave. Here Today, Gone Tamales is located in the shopping center on the right at the intersection with Rowland, next to Shaw Carpet Center. (626) 332-9812
Locations throughout the region, call (800) 786-1000 for the location nearest you. The ONLY fast food chain you'll ever see here, In 'n Out is a Southern California classic. The first of the chain's restaurants is still in operation in the original building in Baldwin Park (take Interstate 10 east to Fransiquito Ave., about 15 miles east of downtown L.A. on the north side of freeway). The Double-Double is the best cheeseburger you'll ever get at any fast-food chain. Made with only fresh ingredients, never frozen, and cooked to order every time. The shakes here are also excellent. Employees here are usually very good at their service, perhaps because In 'n Out has one of the fast food industry's highest pay scales and great career options for line workers. The fries here are the only complaint...ok, but nothing to write home about. Also a great source for SoCal souvenirs...you'll be the envy of all your friends back home in your In 'n Out T-shirt! Everything on the menu is way under $5.00, kid's meals are also available.
Located in Monrovia at 5th Ave. & Huntington Drive, next to the 210 freeway. Yes, this is a part of a big corporation (Brinker Inc.) that also includes the Chili's chain with locations throughout the country, but darn it...it's just so good! Sort of a lower-budget (but not cheap!) version of La Opera (see Long Beach above). Great expertly prepared unique Italian dishes like Farfalle a la sugio....bow tie pasta with prosciutto, chicken & cream sauce...and veal to die for. A jug of wine is placed on the table...help yourself and tell the waiter how much you've had for the honor-system bill...and opera singers abound. Make a reservation 'cause this place gets packed! (626) 256-7969
MOFFETT'S FAMILY RESTAURANT & CHICKEN PIE SHOPPE
Located in Arcadia at 1409 S. Baldwin Ave., about 1/4 mile south of Santa Anita Racetrack. Moffett's is mostly a coffee shop but with some of the best comfort food you'll find. Chicken Pies are the specialty at this family owned & operated restaurant and start at around $3. We also recommend the grilled chicken salad with their homemade honey-mustard dressing and their beef melt sandwich. Nothing on the menu here is over $10 with most entrees in the $5-6 range. Free refills on soft drinks, and for you parents concerned with their kids eating, no french fries! Take the 210 Freeway east from Pasadena, exit Baldwin Ave. and turn right. About 1/2 mile ahead in the Sav-On shopping center at the corner of Baldwin & Naomi. (626) 447-4670
THE MONROVIAN FAMILY RESTAURANT
Located, like the name says, in Monrovia at the corner of Myrtle Ave.& Colorado Bl., about 1/4 mile north of the 210 freeway. The Monrovian is a good old fashioned coffee shop with decent food that has not made the list until now because of their attrocious lack of accessibility.
Well, as you can see they are now on the list due to a move to a new location 2 doors down from their old one. The owners have taken over an old Bank of America building and have renovated it from head to toe to produce a beautiful new place. We recommend the breakfasts and especially the gyro sandwiches. Prices are in the under $10 category.
SZECHUAN PALACE
Located in Duarte on Huntington Dr. at Bradbury Ave., halfway between Mountain Ave. & Buena Vista. Better visit this place quick! It's in one of those locations that the real estate agents do NOT mean when they say LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
This little hole-in-the-wall, directly across the street from the famous La Parisienne, serves some of the best Chinese food we've had. The hot 'n sour soup is the best we've had, beating out our previous favorite Imperial China of San Luis Obispo. Very good melt-in-your-mouth potstickers. The Szechuan chicken has a delicious nutty flavor that you just can't get enough of. The fried rice is only beaten by the delicous rice at Shogun in Pasadena. Other entres of note include the Mongolian beef and the orange chicken. We could have a great meal on the soup and potstickers alone!
Prices are moderate with most entres running between $4 and $6. An order of 6 potstickers is $3.88. There is a small but very nice dining room but most utilize this spot for take out. Service is very good and friendly. The chef is top notch and all food is cooked when ordered, no heating trays.
The next 2 places are for you teriyaki bowl & burger lovers. Mr. & Mrs. Webmaster cannot agree on which is best so both are listed here for you to choose with pros & cons:
SPIKE'S TERIYAKI BOWL
2 locations: 1530 S San Gabriel Blvd, San Gabriel and on the corner of Azusa Ave. & San Bernadino Rd. in Covina. Excellent teriyaki bowls in your choice of beef, chicken, veggie, or combo. Also great burgers in many variations with such toppings available as teriyaki sauce (of course), avocado, and more. Extremely reasonable...i.e. cheap! Both locations also have drive-thru windows. San Gabriel location: take Interstate 10 east to San Gabriel Bl. Head north. Spike's is just past the intersection with Valley Bl. Covina location: take Interstate 10 east to Azusa Ave. and head north. Spike's is on the southeast corner of the intersection with San Bernadino Road. Everthing on the menu is under $5.00.
YAKI'S
2 locations: 464 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia and 2901 Honolulu Ave, La Crescenta (we've only been to the Monrovia location). La Crescenta is open 7 days a week and Monrovia is closed on Sundays. Again, excellent teriyaki bowls in your choice of beef, chicken, veggie, or combo. Also great burgers in many variations with such toppings available as teriyaki sauce (of course), avocado, and more. As is Spike's, it's cheap! What sets Yaki's apart from Spike's is friendlier service (Harry in Monrovia is great!) and a very large selection of original sandwiches such as their Chick 'n Bun and their Bulldog (only 75 cents!). Our favorites on the menu are the bowls, the Chick'n Bun, the Pastrami Burger and anything with their Bravo sauce. Another bonus is that their Yaki sauce is low cal & fat free! For Monrovia, take Interstate 210 east to Myrtle Ave. exit. Go north to Huntington Dr. and turn left. Yaki's will be on your left after 4 blocks in the Lucky's shopping center. Everything on the menu is under $5.00.
- Orange County
BJ'S CHICAGO GRILL & BREWERY
Another new location: 400 E. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. (also has a brewery on premises)
5258 E 2nd St, Long Beach, Brea Mall (Imperial Highway west of the 57 freeway), and locations throughout Orange County, La Jolla, Westwood, Boulder, CO., Oregon, Washington, & Maui. Great Chicago style pizza, salads, sandwiches, pasta, & burgers. New menu misses some of the old favorites, but still one of the best food values at the beach. Part of a larger chain, this is just our favorite location. Adult entrees run $4.95 - $12.95, kid's menu available. (310) 439-8181
We just visited the newer Brea location of BJ's at 600 Brea Mall Drive (at the outer perifery of the parking lot by Sear's) at the location of the former Magnolia's Peach restaurant. This BJ's is huge and also sports a full bar, a steak & grill menu, and a microbrewery (which brews the BJ's branded beer for the rest of the chain's locations).
One thing we noticed here and at the other 2 BJ's locations we've been too (besides here & Long Beach we tried the very excellent location in Maui while on vacation) is that the food is equally good at all locations. A Sweet Pig pizza in Brea tastes just the same & as good as one in Long Beach or Hawaii. This location does have an expanded menu with steaks, chops, prime rib, etc. that Long Beach does not.
This is a much noisier location, more like a sports bar than a quiet restaurant. The BJ's branded beer can be ordered in 5 oz tasters, 4 for $3.50 and 6 for $4.50, to sample on. I liked the BJ's Blonde ale and the PM Porter was good. The porter is also very dark and very strong. The Jeremiah's Red was a bit too strong for me and the hefeweizen was just undrinkable...it tasted like an alchohol-based medicine.
Still, it's one of the best restaurants you'll find anywhere for the price. BJ's consistently delivers good food and fun at very reasonable prices.
EL TORITO GRILL
Fashion Island Mall, Newport Beach and other locations throughout Orange County & the South Bay. Not to be confused with El Torito Mexican Restaurants (although they are the same company), El Torito Grill is a more Southwestern flavored restaurant with some very good choices on the menu such as blue corn duck tamales, the Santa Fe torte, and freshly made flour tortillas for table finger food. The prices are also very reasonable for such a nice place. Be sure to check out their wide ranging collection of tequilas. Take Interstate 405 south to Jamboree Road. Head west, Fashion Island Mall is just off the intersection with Pacific Coast Highway. El Torito Grill is in the parking lot on the west side of the mall right by the Cheesecake Factory. Adult entrees run $7.95 - 15.95. Kid's menu available.
- Inland Empire
HOMESTYLE CAFE
2902 E Old Brookside Road, Guasti, CA. Breakfast and lunch are served here...huge, heaping portions of it. We've only been here for breakfast, so we can't comment on lunch. Prices run from $1.60 to $7.00. For that you'll get a meal that can easily feed 2 or 3 people. Heaping mounds of eggs, bacon, potatoes, biscuits and gravy and more. That $1.60 meal? It's a pancake that's (absolutely no exaggeration here) 12" across and an inch thick. It's all good too. It's also served in a country home style building in the old & magnificent village of Guasti. Take the 10 (San Bernadino) freeway east from L.A. about 40 miles to the Archibald exit. Turn right (towards Ontario Airport) and Old Brookside Road will be the first left (it's a dirt road). Follow the signs to the cafe. (909) 380-0355 This can also be combined with a trip to the J. Fillipi Winery, which is just around the corner. See the Wineries page for more info.
8318 Foothill Bl., Rancho Cucamonga, CA. The Mrs. & I recently discovered this spot when we went there for our anniversary. This place is no newcomer, though. It's been around for 150 years! Well, better late than never. We had a truly delicious meal here in this giant, wooden lodge style building. We started off with salads...she had the garden salad with balsamic dressing and I had the Sycamore salad (two types of lettuce, walnuts, guevre cheese) with a rasberry vinagarette dressing...and continued into dinner with angel hair pasta with shrimp and a delicious steak Dianne. Desert was a chocolate & reasberry topped cheesecake. We left happy & full. It doesn't come cheap, though. Expect to pay at least $50 for dinner for two...not including your wine. Click on the link above to see their history and menu. (909) 982-1104
OUR TOP 5 RESTAURANTS WORLDWIDE
The Mrs. & I had dinner the other night at L' Opera in Long Beach. What a marvelous place. Anyway, it got us thinking...is this one of the best restaurants we've ever been too? Would it make our top 5? And just what is our top 5 anyway? So we came up with our favorite 5 restaurants in the world (that we've had the pleasure of visiting) to share with you, our visitors. Without any further ado, here they are:
- El Set - Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
- The Ruins - Ocho Rios, Jamaica
- L'Opera - Long Beach, California
- Capp's Corner - San Francisco, California
- That's Italian - Kernville, California
This is the only dissagreement on the list. Mrs. Web has it as number one, I have it as number two. It's a minor squabble as El Set is simply one of the world's best. You get absolutely delicious food here. My favorite is the Selva Negra, a filet mignon in a champagne mushroom sauce, and the Mrs. prefers the Molcajete Tlaloc, a wild combination of chicken, pork, onions, pepper, all in the melted cheese broth served in a stone grinding bowl.
The food's only part of the package here, though. Great service is matched by the most outstanding sunset view we've ever seen in a restaurant (see picture above). El Set is set into terraces carved out of the hillside jungle pointing due west for an unforgettable sunset view...it actually inspires applause!
Another jungle restaurant set on Jamaica's northern coast. Situated on an outdoor patio at the base of a monstrous hundred-foot plus waterfall, this place has my vote for the most spectacular setting of any restaurant I've ever been too...more on that in a little bit, but first the food: mouth wateringly delicious. From steaks and chops, to seafood specialties, to local delicacies, it just can't be beat. Expert, attentive service.
Back to the setting, set among the ruins of a former plantation (hence the name), there is an intriguing story (literally) behind the waterfall. It seems back in the plantations heyday (over a hundred years ago) that the master of the plantation came home and caught his wife in an indelicate situation with a slave. To punish her, he had his wife and her lover sealed up in a grotto behind the waterfall where their remains remain among the ruins. This story combines with the beautiful surroundings to give the Ruins a hauntingly spectacular atmosphere. This combined with the great food & service make the Ruins my number one restaurant and the Mrs. rates it number two.
A local eatery makes the grade here. L'Opera just keeps getting better & better (see more info above in the listings). It's also getting more popular...reservations are really essential here. The food is the star at L'Opera, with some of the most inventive and mouth-watering Italian dishes you'll find. I seem to keep being drawn to the Panzarotti Alle Noci, a duck-filled kind of ravioli with a walnut champagne sauce. Also good here is the lasagna, the blue prawns, and the ahi. All served with an Italian flare. Try a spiritosa salad before dinner (radiccio, endive, spinach, fresh berries, melon with a light balsamic dressing) and after, save room for the best dessert in town. The Luna Piene, a white chocolate cheesecake with fresh berries, and the Sacchio Chocolate, a chocolate sack filled with delights are just two of the stars on the dessert menu. An extensive wine list completes the picture.
You have all of this in one of the state's most lovingly restored and beautiful dining rooms with expert professional servers (no "my name's Bill and I'll be your waiter tonight"). The kitchen's highly visible and fun to watch and the bar is very busy. Views of the Pine Square area and the Blue Line train also compete for your attention. Live opera singing completes the experience of this great restaurant. Not cheap by any means but well worth it for the experience.
As you can see, we love Italian food...three of our top 5 are Italian. That's what happens when you make the best cuisine on earth the right way & with pride and love. Capp's Corner, a humble little family-style joint in San Francisco's North Beach area excels in the last two ingredients. Good, basic Italian fare made right and with a lot of love and pride. The staff here treat every guest like a close member of the family and atmosphere just oozes out of every nook & corner of this festive and crowded spot.
My pick is the canneloni which, like everything else on the menu is served with soup, heaps of salad, the past of the day, and spumoni for dessert. Great food, great service and very reasonable prices.
Boy, what's a restaurant like this doing in a place like this? Known more for sunburned river runners, four wheelers, jet skiers, barbecues, & burgers than great food, Kernville is a great little funky spot in the southern Sierras that excels in outdoor fun. Despite this, one of the great Italian restaurants sits right there in little downtown Kernville, across from the barbecue joint, Cindy's Diner, and wedged in between a second-hand shop and a tavern. That's Italian serves some of the best Italian food you'll find anywhere.
When we try a new Italian restaurant, I rate it by how good it passes my Canneloni Test...first, if they try to even make canneloni (time-consuming to make & serve in a busy restaurant) that's one good point. To make it right is another...if it's delicious, I've found my place. That's Italian makes an excuisite canneloni with spinach, , ricotta chicken, ham & beef served with a tomato cream sauce. Also, the linguini & shrimp just melts in your mouth and web jr. swears by their ravioli (not an easy job to impress jr. with food). This is followed by an ever-changing dessert tray with the best dessert you'll find between L.A. & San Francisco...we can certainly vouch for their napoleons, the white chocolate cheesecake and their delicious chocolate cake.
Well, that's our top five. As always, feel free to drop us a line and give us your opinions, your top 5, or anything at all you'd like to add. We hope you enjoy your visit here.