Tribute to Burger Stands Week On What's To Eat LA: Molly's Charbroiled Burger

1605 Vine St. (At Selma and Vine)
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323)462-8005
Mon-Fri 7AM-10PM
Sat 9AM-10PM
Sun Closed
CASH ONLY

Well it took me long enough to start this post. The joys of time management have turned into the curses of not enough time to do all that needs to be done. Now, let me preface this by saying that there are tons of "burger places", but few are stands. And, by "stands" I mean little hut like places that scream I ain't going nowhere anytime soon (unless I forget to pay the health inspectors off). These are places that have a food essence history on their grills that pay off with each burger or hot dog that's placed on it. We start off the week with Molly's Charbroiled Grill on Vine that's been there since 1929.

What can set apart one burger stand from another really? Good freaking meat, done well, that packs in loads of flavor. Molly's has probably changed hands more times than I don't know what, but from what older friends of mine have told me, the meat that they use has always remained the same. Thick and juicy and slightly tangy special sauce that really brings the onion on it to life. Not horribly drippy but trust me, that patty is a sponge of beefy goodness. Whatever you do...get it with onions. The onions on their burgers bring the entire thing to life.

Another item of note is their polish sausage (usually made of pork for you who might not know) . Now here's where I may throw some controversy out there. If Carney's were not around, this would be THE polish dog to beat. The dog itself is a testament to how a grill can add so much flavor to what's being cooked on it. The smokiness that gets inside of this dog is a bit of "wow". We're not talking burnt flavor were talking intense smokiness that invades the very crevices of it. It's about a 4 to 5 on the spiciness scale and is super meaty without any elasticity. A wonderful "street" dog that is good just about anytime of day especially when you wash it down with your favorite beer (or rootbeer ;) .

The stand itself is cozy with seating inside and outside the hut area. Though street parking can be hectic in Hollywood especially this close to the Pantages theatre and Hollywood Blvd. in general at least they're pretty fast and cheap to boot. If you've passed by this place and have wondered...wonder no more and go chow down on some goodness.

Refills: No, but discounted
Entree Price Range: Burgers are $2.75 to $4.60 and that killer Polish dog is $3.95

Yonni's

1714 N. Wilcox
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 962-1020
Mon-Fri 9AM-9PM
Sat-Sun 10AM-9PM

Yonni's was a great find for a couple of reasons. One, for the fact that it's so close to Hollywood Blvd where we catch lots of shows, from standup and improv at the IO, to small theatre such as the Paul Gleason theatre, [Inside] the Ford and some other random small theatres that pop up around the area. We just so happened to catch one such play that was lots of fun at [Inside] the Ford called "The Defenders" (basically a wild spoof on The Avengers show from the 60's) that evening. Two, is that for as many places as there are to eat on or close to Hollywood Blvd., most of them are just downright bad for you to the point of being a little scared to eat or too expensive. Yonni's is a safe haven from all of that. So if you're close to the Capitol Building end of Hollywood and you don't want to cripple your colon or are tired of sushi, here's a good (and good for you) place to go.

Looking like your small run of the mill coffee shop but with a little more love in it and a hint of Pari, Yonni's has a lot to offer in great simple flavors. Great coffee and tasty sanwiches are their specialty but they also have personal size pizzas that are awesome and pasta if you want something a little more hearty. Their burgers are somethign special as well as they have a bit more flavor and high quality ingredients to them than just your average everyday burger. Take the turkey burger which has barbeque sauce in it. The burger, the tomato, cheddar cheese, romaine lettuce and this super tasty sauce...some how it would seem that each item was picked to blend in harmony with each other. Top it off with their side salad with vinaigrette and you have a small way to break up the day and to save your stomach. They also have healthy breakfast items that will also help pop those tired eyes right open.



While parking is always an issue on Hollywood Blvd. I would say go here if you're already in the neighborhood or work near there. When I was inside of this place I was just reminded of just how the attention to details really steps up such a common thing as a cafe. Yonni's is a small place in a very big town and in perhaps the largest part of it...hopefully this underdog will stay afloat.

Free Drink Refills: Coffee is .50 for a refill and sadly soda by the can
Entree Price Range:$5 to $7

Date Place:Pink Pepper Thai Restaurant

1638 N. La Brea Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 461-2462
Open Everyday 11AM-11PM

I'm not going to sound over enthusiastic about another place or at least try not to in this post but I must say it...I haven't had a meal this good in a long time. I have never even noticed this place as many times as I've been up and down this little strip of La Brea in fact it's right by one of my other places I've written about (Sultani) and didn't even see it. Pink Pepper Thai is tucked away in the smallest area and shaded by much greenery on the edge of La Brea and Hollywood Blvd area.

It was great finding this place as my wife and I are always one the lookout for great restaurants since we meet up at Reality LA for their wednesday night meeting. So Celeste (the misses) googled that area for restaurants and found this fantastic find. I'm still flabberghasted that I hadn't noticed this place! Okay so onto the food...

We went in and were seated in a booth (which happened to be huge) and were treated very graciously by our hostess and waiter. We decided on a light dinner which turned out to be perfect for us. We started with the steamed dumplings which were flavorful and done with love. Our main which consisted of prawns in a light red curry coconut sauce (not too spicy at all but super flavorful) on top a bed of broccoli (some of the best broccoli as well as it was steamed but still crisp) with sides of white and brown rice. MAN IT WAS SOOOO GOOD! Okay I'm trying not to be too amped over this place but it was THAT good. I can hardly wait to go back there. For the grand finale we shared the Fried Bananas ala mode a dessert that was complex but simple in your mouth. If my mouth would have cried tears of joy and gratitude if it could have...in fact at one point I think I was reaching for reaching for a kleenex subconciously. Seriously I could go back for the dessert alone. Extraordinary!

While not the cheapest place, they have pretty decent prices and it is worth going there if you and someone else don't mind sharing a plate (which is pretty easy to do as the portions are generous). The decor is nouveau Thai hipster vibe and isn't the largest place (so give a call and check for for reservations if need be...especially on the weekend). They have indoor seating as well and a nice patio area if you feel like breathing in the lovely LA smog we've all grown to love and depend on. Fantastic service and fantastic food is what this place is all about. Oh and don't worry about parking they have free 2 hour parking(w/their validation I should add) in the structure right behind the restaurant. Seriously people, try this place...but bring tissues for your mouth.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range:$8 to $13 (share a plate and grab an appetizer and dessert though cause it's soooo worth it!)