Diner Week: The Fountain Coffee Room...hidden for a reason

(Inside the Beverly Hills Hotel)
9641 Sunset Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90209
(310)276-2251
Everyday 7AM-7PM

To finish up this week, I'll be posting about a place that I have visited many times and have always wanted to write about. The Fountain Coffee Room at the Beverly Hills Hotel is a place that will remain as long as the Beverly Hills Hotel is around. It is also a place that some would describe as "where the locals go". Now, the locals in that neck of the woods are, as some may put it, "well to do". Do not let this discourage you. The food may be on the pricier side but rest assured it is food that is better than average by a good amount AND it's a small price to pay for some who love to eat amongst the stars... who eat here all the time. I have yet to show up and not see at least some actor, model or musician hanging out and chatting about. In fact, can you spot the actor in this picture above? He's there I promise.

First let me get to the nitty gritty. Their silver dollar pancakes are the junk. They don't play around when it comes to these hot cakes. They are some of the most consistent pancakes I've ever had in my life, and somehow I don't really know what makes them magical. They're fluffy and yet have some weight to them. I'd be hard pressed to find better batter to go with the syrup they serve it up with. By the way, the sausage in the background is veal sausage. Can you say, "Oh My"?

A classic breakfast that I enjoy treating myself to is hash and eggs. But, when I really want to treat myself to this dish I come here. Their hash is out of this world. Most people's hash is on the saltier side and lacks a tremendous amount of character or something that you can walk away remembering as special. Their's defies normalcy. It could pretty much be put between two pieces of bread and eaten straight up. The spices are a mystery to my palate, but if you're looking for something kick butt you should give this a whirl.

Small menu things to mention. The coffee is awesome, they have their own signature blend, and they always make sure you're getting the good part of the pot. "How" you might ask? They thow out the last quarter of each pot. The eggs with salmon caviar are an acquired taste but are great if you feel like waking up to fish. And, the shakes are classic, some of the best in town. You know how in Pulp Fiction they talk about the "Figh-dolla shake"? Well, their's is $5.50 and worth the extra 5o cents.

Parking is at your discretion. You can either feel rich and go the valet route, or you can just park on the streets surrounding the hotel which are 2 hour parking spots (not metered). When you go in the hotel's main entrance it's to your right and down the stairway. The Fountain Coffee Room will be right at the end of the small flight of steps. It's hidden from the prying eyes of most of LA, and the residents (that's right, people LIVE there) who usually go there love it that way.

This week has been fun. We've looked into a small window of diner culture in LA that has hopefully reminded many of you that the diner age has yet to completely be faded away by the trendy "impress me" attitude of LA.

PS. Apparently, I'm not the only one wanting to talk about diner love in LA. Here's this weeks article from Jonathan Gold on Du Par's.

Free Refills: No, get the coffee which IS because it's a mighty fine cup o' joe
Entree Price Ranges: breakfast plates start at $8.50 and can hit $22 if you get extravagant, for the 2 of us we put out about $35 or a little more + tip

Kitchen 24...better diner food needs better diner service

1608 N. Cahunega Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323)465-2424
Open 24 hours 7 days a week

As anyone who's ever read this blog for some length of time knows, I have natural affinity for diners, having grown up in a world of diners in the New England area. Recently there's been a lot of talk about a new 24/7 diner in Hollywood called Kitchen 24, so obviously it wasn't long before I was in there to get my own take on the place.

With the attitude of diner cuisine "reinterpreted" as their standard of operation, I think they've put an appropriate spin on it that's new while remaining old.

Even the lighting fits the bill (though I shutter to think how much they weigh).

Above you see the K24 Tuna Burger. If Ahi is your thing, you'll like it. Nothing strikingly new about it, but very tasty nonetheless.

This is the "Bartender's Banquet", for the undecided at your table. The waffle was tasty and crispy enough, though the bacon and egg wrap with sprouts, sour cream and salsa was definitely the highlight.

Here lies the Caheunga Chop Salad with a myriad of ingredients: grilled chicken/tofu (your choice), tomatoes, bacon, feta, apples, cucumbers, kalamata olives and sweet apple cider vinaigrette. While it sounded all over the place, it turned to be a great signature salad that I think Celeste will get next time we make it back there.

Now this particular item is their Cinnamon Roll French Toast. Sounds amazing right? To their shame, it was the weak link of the table. And really, how can you mess up something with that much fat and sugar? I'll tell you... the rolls themselves seem like their day old pastries they were trying not to waste, they should have been sliced thinner, and should have actually been dipped it in egg(I'm still wondering if that step was somehow left out).

But beyond that blaring mistake lies the best plate on the table (at least in my opinion), their open faced meatball sandwich... which they've chosen to name "The Big Baller".... aaaaaahhh LA. The meatballs were sweet savory, the focaccia just toasty enough, the provolone a great choice, and the sauce was great... thin enough to move but chunky enough to grab on to everything else. This ones a feather for their cap.

H-O-W-E-V-E-R... though a great meal was enjoyed, and everyone around us was pretty much wowed by their food... every customer was a wallflower to the wait/hostess staff who seemed to be making efforts, amongst each other, to get laid. If you're a manager of the restaurant, and your reading this... please... please... please do something. It's the one big thing bringing you down. It took 15 minutes to get a coffee refill for my wife after getting up, finding our waiter, asking a bus boy, then finding our waiter again. Thankfully... the coffee was very good.

SO, if you're up late and want food that's actually good, hit this place up... OR if you're very low maintenance and don't care about refills, then you'll be fine. Otherwise prepare to be persistent as we will prepare to be persistent the next time we go to see if their staff's any better. If they are, the next time you read this post, it'll be updated.

Refills: Yes. (if you can get them)
Prices: Breakfast $5-$15, Lunch $6-$12, Dinner(served 5pm-2am) $10-$15

Love for the "101 Coffee Shop"

6145 Franklin Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 467-1175
Everyday 7AM-2:45AM

Haha...the 101. A place of legend for the Hollywood scenesters. Aside from feeling like you've stepped back in time (you'd swear you'd walked into a late 60's or early 70's diner) this diner is nothing short of one of THE best places to get together for food. You may ask why just a place to get together? Because you can spend some serious time there and not even realize it. It's just a fun place to be. The food is awesome. Enough said about that. You're like, "All of it"? Yes, all of it is good...DARN good. I can say that with some degree of authority as I've had a lot of their food in the past. It's a diner with a higher edge of class to the cooking. Some of you may discount it as a grease spoon but it is a far cry from that. Rather it's more like a chef at a nice restaurant just lost his job cause the restaurant got closed and then got hired here. So he's making amazingly good food but dumbing it down for people like us so that we don't suspect him and his feelings don't get hurt cause we're wondering what he's doing here making our breakfast.



Food looks good doesn't it? Well it is. And the prices are pretty good as well. You know when you go to a nice restaurant and the waiters and waitresses are all models or actors? This is no exception except that most of these people don't seem like they want to be either a model or and actor. It's a hangout and point of inspiration for art...

That's right. In the first line of the song he's referencing this very same place. How do I know? He doesn't live very far from the 101 and comes here.

Famous people come here all the time as well and what's great is they don't get bothered here. You just see them and realize wow...I always wondered where they went when they eat normal food. Just to mention last time I went there I saw Fred Durst and his girl. Hopefully he's less of a turd cause he treated a friend of mine very badly while she was working at a radio station here in LA. But I digress.

Excellent food, great atmosphere, open super late, parking is the only sometimes bummer (small parking lot) but there's street parking if you don't mind walking a little which I assume most of you don't considering the fact that if you eat like me you know you should be walking off more than your share of food.

While inside the 101 I was inspired to just film stuff so here's the menu for your perusal. You're like "did he just film the menu?"...yes I did:

Also I thought to share a little bit of me. An illusion for the masses after a meal fit for well maybe not a king but maybe a jester in the Hollywood scene. (Someone remind me to close the aperture more next time.)

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range:$7 to $13 (those $13 plates are super rare though)

PS. It's a a very short walk from the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre where you can catch some of LA's funniest doing comedy.

Diner Week: CJ's Cafe...feeling the love after church

5501 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 936-3216
Mon-Sat 6:30 AM-6 PM
Sun 7AM-5PM

Here is a where we take a detour from the big, buff, American style diners of Diner Week. CJ's Cafe is a shining example of how Mexican culture has melted into the diner genre in SoCal, making it something practically American by it's own standards...after all, America by nature is just one big melting pot of cultures that have slowly started to "gray" into each other.

Though the picture here shows a tamer time, don't let that fool you. This small cafe has become the equivalent of a 3rd Street brunch spot on Sundays. This happens to be one of THE after church go to spots in the Pico district. Plenty of seating and a fast staff help things from being too nightmarish thankfully.

They offer some pretty unique breakfast plates, i.e. my "Deli omelette" filled with pastrami and cheese. The pastrami was extra lean, not too salty and made me wonder why I this isn't a standard at other places. The hash potatoes are notches above the rest. I do believe that they grill the onions ahead of time and then mix them with the potatoes giving them a flavor packed punch. Most other places just mix them in right away with out cooking them first.

As stated before, their Mexican breakfast plates, such as this Huevos Rancheros plate, really shine. Eggs were done perfectly over medium, the Ranchero sauce was packed with chili flavor though not spicy and didn't compete in any way with the side of chorizo that came with it. I kid you not I'd give this plate at least an 8 on taste. Speaking of which, the chorizo that they serve up is DYNAMITE. I could eat this kind of chorizo with any plate for breakfast. On a side note, be sure to try there tortas which are a showpiece for the ingredients they use.

Parking is a whiz with street AND rear parking. They have a great staff and a well varied menu that should satiate most anyone's morning needs. Their loyal following shows up right when they open, and why shouldn't they...they've got the right formula going on there.

Free Drink Refills:Yes
Entree Price Ranges: Breakfast is $5 to $8, lunch is $4 to $7, and dinner is $7 to $10

Diner Week: Maria's Cafe (The Big Lebowski in me)

4645 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323)938-7031
Mon-Sat 7AM-9PM
Sun 8AM-9PM

Today's entry may be somewhat debatable for many people who read this, but I would have to argue for it. Yes, it is attached to a bowling alley, but I look at that as a plus, not a negative. Maria's Cafe has a special place for those people who grew up going out to bowl with their family and still get together with friends to do so. That being said, it is this very fact that brings the "Big Lebowski" out in me. Did they ever eat at the bowling alley in The Big Lebowski? No but just cause it wasn't there doesn't mean "The Dude" didn't do it.

You'll find the classic coffee shop counter here with the regulars filling it up early each morning to talk and "mentally prepare" for the daily grind. And, the girls there treat everyone like you'd expect on an episode of Cheers, which always makes for the pleasant meal.

While I will say that the coffee can be inconsistent (ask for it when it's fresh if you can) I can say that the breakfast plates are A-1 classic diner food. Breakfast is served all day (yet another good sign of "diner-ship"). One specific exception that's stand out above the rest are their pancakes. And to be even more specific, their blueberry pancakes. Fluffy and flavorful but not so sweet that it's like kid's cereal or overpowers the batter. Good stuff indeed.

Breakfast staples like bacon and eggs won't win any awards in how they look but the flavor is right on and not dripping with grease.

One of the cheap (read under $4) plates that they had this particular morning had grits, bacon, and eggs. It was great, like a home cooked meal could be great when you're waking up. Nice crisp bacon, ever so slightly "al-dente" grits and eggs once again...done the way eggs should be done.

Though I don't have picture of it, they also have some pretty amazing things on their menu. It wouldn't be LA without some typical Mexican fare on the menu, but what Ox Tails or salmon croquettes with sides like okra and mustard greens. They even have yams which may I say is one of my all time favorites vegetables...I could easily have it with just about any meal.

This place is a hang out for so many locals it's remarkable. You will ALWAYS find people eating in here and chatting it up with the super friendly waitresses. I once again won't say that this place is going to win any awards, but it's serves it's purpose in LA by being one of the decent ones left, and for that I salute them.

For those who have never seen "The Big Lebowski"...WHY THE HECK HAVEN'T YOU?! It's only like one of the most prolific cult classics to come around in the past 20 years.


Free Refills: Yes
Entree Price Ranges: Breakfast is $3.75 to $8, lunch is $5 to $8 and dinner is $6.25 to $11

Suehiro Cafe

337 E. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-9132
Sun-Thurs 11AM-1AM
Fri-Sat 11AM-3AM

When I first moved to LA from Pasadena and I lived in K-town with a good friend of mine by the name of Takeshi Nishimoto, a brilliant guitarist who taught me how to just love making music in the moment. We had many a night making music in our place and then grabbing food afterwards. As any of you know there aren't many places that are open super late (at least that have good food) in LA. I was fortunate that he knew of one such place in Downtown LA (on the edge of Little Tokyo) called Suehiro Cafe.

When I had no job and watched TV a good portion of the day as a kid, I would see this show that I still don't know the name of, but it was on KCET and it was like a diner version of Cheers except really cheesey and seemed as if the stars were all extras prior to doing this show. Somehow Suehiro's reminds me of that place. I would call it a family Japanese diner. There are 2 waitresses that are there that have been there since I started going there in 2000. One's a grandma type and the other is a sweet bubbly 20 something who is the picture of Japanese sweetness... just constantly adorably cute. Me and my wife come here and forget about what the rest of the world is like. It just has that effect on us. We've been blessed to find a place like that in LA.

The food is Japanese standard faire with an emphasis on noodle bowls and combination meals. The noodle bowls are yummy with very well balanced portions. I usually get the combination plate which has chicken teriyaki and tuna sashimi and comes with sliced pickle cucumber, potato salad(the odd man out but very tasty) and shredded cabbage salad which has a dressing that I wish I knew what it was cause it's so good and Celeste always has a hard time getting me to eat vegetables at home. I will also mention that it comes with a scoop of ice cream and I always get the pineapple cause it's so perfect for after the meal with whatever I've gotten. The tuna has always been very fresh and nice colored when I've gone here, and rest of the food is just good and consistent. This night we also got a Chicken Katsu Curry over rice which was huge (leftovers were great as well), Spam Onigiri and their Shumai which we almost always get. It was a blessed evening and I must admit that it's nights like last night that make me so happy I live in LA, where I can get good food and a great atmosphere.






One last little bit of advice is that the area is street parking only. Seeing as it it Little Tokyo area you shouldn't have to worry too much about scoring a parking spot and remember the LA insider advice that after 6pm loading zones are legal to park in(I promise you you won't get ticketed) and there are a fair amount of loading zones in that neck of the woods. I won't call this a date spot but it's a date spot that reminds me and Celeste of when we were just dating and life was like a sitcom with extras serving me food.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range: Noodle Bowls are $6.50 average, Over Rice plates are $7 average and the big combo dinners are about $12 to $14 average.

Fred 62

1850 N. Vermont Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323)667-0062
Always open

Fred 62 is a 50's style diner on a corner on Vermont in Los Feliz that has miles of persona to it. Oddly enough it feels likes what would appear in the future era in a Back to the Future movie when they go to a vintage diner in the future. Lots of charm. This is definitely one of those people watching spots with lots of stars showing up randomly, as well as just a bevvy of trendy people.

The food at Fred 62 is dare I say all around good. You can go there anytime of day and grab a great meal. Some may argue that they try to hard to be something. I heartily disagree with them. They seem to just "be". No overworking to be something. They give you great food and service is usually good even when they're packed. A big hi-five as well for the awesome coffee and amazing shakes.



I remember seeing Gourmet magazine say that they have some of the best pancakes in LA. So being that I'm not that huge a fan of pancakes I had to try them out. I was so not let down. Wow, so perfect in texture and flavor. A must have when you go if you're in the mood for breakfast.

The pancakes...so sinfully good. (Silver dollars do not come with the plate but were placed there by me for posterity.)

And here's there Super Rico Sandwich which by their own admission is a "better-battered tuna patty that consists of tuna salad stuffed with passilla chile, onion, jack and cheddar cheese with ice-berg lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo on a freshly toasted bun". An amazing take on a tuna melt type of sandwich. Incredibly tasty and the fries were perfect in texture and flavor. Two thumbs up as an afterschool special.

And here's there Wimpy burger which is a solidly good burger. Very flavorful (meaty tasting) and juicy but not bloody. I would say one of my top 5 restaurant burgers easily. It's interesting cause in essence it doesn't look like anything extraordinary but inside lies all the goodness one could desire from a burger. Downright tasty.

As promised there's a roundup for the Arcade Fire show last night at Rockinsider that I wrote. Show some love if you like what you read. The show was passionate and beautiful to sum it up in short words.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range: $7 to $11

Rae's Restaurant...workingman's breakfast to soothe the soul

2901 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310)828-7937
Daily 5:30AM-10:30PM

When I was growing up on the East Coast we had (and they still do for that matter) diners that served up food that was super inexpensive and packed with people who know that diners should never cost a lot. These people weren't cheap but they knew that there's no reason to throw away hard earned money. Rae's Restaurant has been around since 1958 and has seemingly stuck to being a diner of the old school. God bless them for it.

You won't see too many places like Rae's left in LA. They're around but you have to really look hard for them. Sure you could say Norm's is like it, but they don't have the magic like Rae's. The magic isn't in the orange cushioned booths or the long counter with it's monochromatic blue chairs. It's more like the place is just a living entity that houses all the good that people have brought in with them over the years.


While they do offer lunch and dinner as well, breakfast is really what diners are all about and this one is no different. The breakfasts here shine (not just from grease) and have prices that would stun LA. Here's a snapshot of their Hobo Breakfast that has a ham steak, 2 sausage, 2 bacon, 2 eggs and a 3 stack of hot cakes...and the staggering price? $6.25. If you think it looks good, it tastes even better. Their griddle is old and all the years of use have likely added to the killer taste of the meats and the consistency of the pancakes being what they are. It's a hearty breakfast for one or a lighter breakfast for 2 that will have you thinking about when's the next available time you want to go out for breakfast.

We grabbed some of their biscuits and gravy last time we went specifically cause I wanted to show you their simplistic and yet terrifying beauty. Behold. Oh and the price...$1.85.

Though we went for breakfast, we grabbed a shake, cause dang it...lactose intolerance is for wimps (and for people who can't smell). Their shakes are smoothe and tall with lots of chocolate but not on overkill thankfully (so many shakes are ruined tasting like melted chocolate syrup soup).

Their 2+2+2 (2 eggs, 2 bacon or sausage and 2 hot cakes) goes for $4.50. They have a Bacon Tid Bit Waffle that has bacon bits in it (fresh bacon bit from the grill...waste not want not I always say). Their lunch time burgers stack up well to most burger stands in LA. They are always packing people in, and though a line is never unusual to see, the turnaround is super fast. Heck, as far as diner's go, this is one place I'm proud to eat at.

Free Drink Refills: You bet
Entree Price Ranges: Breakfasts cost from $4 to $6.50, burger plates for lunch $3.25 to $6.25, dinner specials are $8 but they have steaks that only top out at $10.50 for filet mignon.

Diner Week: Wendy's Place...love from the other side of LAX

107 W. Grand Ave.
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310)322-3942
Tue-Fri 6AM-2PM
Sat-Sun 7AM-1PM
Mon Closed
CASH ONLY

Breakfast by LAX can pretty much suck all around. Unless you find the few gems that are tucked away within a few minutes distance by street from the airport. George's is one such place that comes to mind if you're coming from the North side the airport. But, if you're coming from the south side, THE go to place for breakfast is Wendy's Place in El Segundo.

I love this place! Loved by just about everyone in the neighborhood and even the surrounding neighborhoods (I had friends who live in Manhattan Beach that told me they love this place when I mentioned I would be writing about it). The walls are covered with Norman Rockwell painting puzzles and there's a sweet sense of a place that has somehow withstood the changing times.

The breakfasts they serve up are as All American as the Rockwells on the walls. As far as chicken fried steak and eggs are concerned, their's are one of my favorites in the Southland. I would honestly rank it in my top five. The breading is light, the meat very tender and the gravy is just the right consistency so that you don't feel like you just ate a brick. The hash browns have just a hint of meat flavor from the grill and the eggs seal the deal.

By reading the posts so far, can you tell we love pancakes? There's are no exception with these cakes being spongy but firm. Somehow they're able to stay together even with gobs of syrup (yes I have a sweet tooth).

Parking is street parking. It's located in the "small towny" section of El Segundo that has a huge sign section showing the churches in the area (which were plenty). Somehow walking into this area you're taken back to a Mayberry like atmosphere complete with the the small diner that they call Wendy's to supply the right start for your All American day...or flight from LAX.

Free Refills: Yes. Oh and they have pretty decent coffee ;)
Entree Price Range: Breakfast $5 to $8 and lunch is $7 to $10

Going Away But Close: Old Country Coffee Shop

32019 Holiday Ln

Running Springs , CA 92382

(909)867-3100

Sun-Thurs 6AM-8:30PM

Fri-Sat 6AM-9PM

When I'm not writing for you guys, I'm typically going to or performing at a gig somewhere. I play bass for various recording artists. With that in mind, I go to places that take me out of LA...I know shocking isn't it? This last weekend I was performing with recording artist Evan Wickham up in Big Bear. Whenever I go up there I always make it a habit to stop into this quaint little place by the name of "Old Country Coffee Shop". While the name doesn't do much for me the food certainly does!

In LA it's darn near impossible to find a diner that is good and has prices that are like old-school cheap diner prices (we do have some though in LA which we'll be covering soon). This place delivers the goods when you want breakfast (served all day) or Mexican which is oh so tasty as well. Nothing extravagant on the menu but for breakfast is that really what you want to do first thing in the morning? The staff is always top notch, happy help that keep an eagle eye on your table and the food is a slice of home for you.

As you can see:

SUPER CHEAP(and yes that's for two people)!

Located just off the 18 on your way up to any of the Big Bear areas it's worth your while to hop in and return to what diners used to be...when we had them.

Free Drink Refills: Yes

Entree Price Range: $3 to $13

Let's do this...the 2007 roundup

Before I get into the listings I just wanted to say that some of the places on here I haven't posted about and there's reason for that (sometimes too lazy or just that it's not really appropriate for the sites standards).

This has been quite a year and I myself am suprised with how much I've written considering in school I was totally one of those people that used any possible ruse to make it appear I was writing more than I was (double spacing and thesauruses helped me through those hard times indeed).

With that being said:

Burger for 2007 goes to The Burger Stand I know that's highly controversial but check it out before you condemn me.

Best all around pub goes to Father's Office. Not a big shocker here really as I love his take on the American Pub concept though in second place would be The York.

Best all around coffee shop (read cafe) for 2007 goes to to King's Road Cafe. Killer coffee, excellent food, great place to see stars looking groggy eyed.

Best grease spoon diner goes to Rae's. Cheap (and I do mean cheap) healthy sized servings of breakfast standards.

Pizza. Ha. Here goes: NY style goes to Joe's Pizza (of Santa Monica) while I give the Los Angeles take on NY style to Damiano's. Pizza Couture I give to Pizza Mozza.

BBQ was a tough choice but i the end it came down to JR's BBQ and in a close second was Phillip's.

Going to mention a weird one cause I am still impressed with it...best nonfat iced chai latte goes to Groundworks Coffee. I figure I'd thrown that one in there for those specific lovers of chai.

Hot dog/polish dog goes to Carney's but right behind them for polish dog would have to be Molly's. Molly's has a pretty intense polish dog.

For Ethiopian, Merkato's is still kicking everyone else's butt.

Best hidden spot for sunday brunch on 3rd goes to Alfredo's. I send everyone there cause you can always get a seat and the food is pretty dynamite.

Philly Cheese steak spot goes to The Great Western Steak and Hoagie. I've been to a bunch and still this one reigns supreme.

Best way to blow a bucket o' cash...Sona. David really knows how to throw down when it comes artistic cuisine and for this you will pay dearly (especially with his Decouverte which never fails).

Best newcomer on the block goes to Osteria Mozza. I LOVE THIS PLACE.

Dessert spot goes to Susina's Bakery followed by MILK.

Still my favorite Italian spot rolls out to be Caffe Carrera...Armando has it all together when it comes to Sicilian home cooking but right behind it goes to Osteria Mozza.

Best 24 hour spot goes to Fred 62.

Personal best find for this year goes to Tara's Himalayan...food that is painfully good and "lock you up in an asylum" cheap.

Cuban spot still goes to Rincon Criollo in Culver City. I take everyone there.

Top 3 letdowns for the year go to Tanzore (boring food with a notoriously bad wait staff), Dolce (I wanted to like this place but in the end it was just over priced food inside of a place that had much more class than quality) and Red Pearl Kitchen BUT I will say this about Red Pearl, is that they have a new chef that I haven't ate from and so I'm optimistic but I need to hear some good things before I shell out more money for some overpriced food in a fancy looking empty restaurant.

Hands down the worst experience in years go to La Belle Creole. Avoid it like the plague. Bad food, uphauling service and just made me and my wife feel like idiots for not leaving a lot sooner.

And that's all I'm writing on this matter. If you don't see a category on here it's because I might not have considered it worthy of a best from the places I've been to. I think I might be able to hit a couple of places this year still even in my current situation. So still keep an eye out for more from What's to Eat LA.

Oomasa...a Little Tokyo Gem

100 Japanese Village Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213)623-9048
Wed-Sat11:30AM-12:30AM
Sun 11:30AM-11:30PM
Mon 11:30AM-12:30AM
Tues Closed

If you'll notice, there aren't many sushi places on What's To Eat LA. Why do you ask? Well, to put it simply, I don't really know how to rate sushi. I mean I can tell what pleases me and obviously what makes me sick, but for the most part the true finesses and little touches that make sushi extraordinary are allusive to me. It's like drinking wine. I can drink and know it tastes good, but why it tastes better than others is something that seems barely tangible. I guess you have to have extremely fresh fish to examine first and then see how ones that aren't so fresh rate to it. When I've read other people articles and posts, the only thing people talk about is how well it's cut and freshness for the most part as if they're coneissures of those fine details of freshness. They must be better people than me and I commend them for it.

I, on the other hand, enjoy sushi quite a bit and have had my fair share of what I would consider very good sushi, so-so sushi and downright scary call the health department sushi. I would also say that I could try any piece of raw fish you throw at me as long as I know it hasn't been sitting out. In LA, there are a plethora of decent sushi places. I use the word "decent" loosely, and please understand that I state that word in a postive light and not a negative. To put it plainly, I would eat at them. Oomasa in Little Tokyo I would rate as higher than decent and a joy to visit when I'm in the Little Tokyo Village. I understand that most people might instantly respond with other places that far exceed Oomasa in the immediate vicinity, but I have yet to be let down here and that's why I'm writing about it.

The inside has a classic sushi bar feel to it except with the addition of booths that harken to a diner in the mid-west. The hustle and bustle is pretty non stop especially considering the constant clientele and the late hours they offer.

Here is their Pork Cutlet dinner combination plate. For $14.95 Celeste got more than she bargained for; a medium sized pork cutlet over salad, 7 pieces of sashimi, 1 tuna sushi, 1 sweet shrimp sushi, 2 big pieces of REAL california roll (ie-real crabmeat), pickled cucumbers, macaroni salad, orange slices, miso soup, a bowl of rice and one scoop of green tea ice cream. The pork was tender (most certainly brined by her opionion) but crispy on the outside with a great flavor of it's own and a sauce that was more savory than sweet, the sashimi was quite to her taste and generously given, and she essentially had to make herself to stop eating at a certain point because it was all so good and there was so much of it.

Here's a plate of their Chirashi Sushi (Chirashi means scattered and that's exactly what this is; a bowl of raw fish fish scattered over rice). All the fish tasted fresh and I must admit that this was the first time I had sushi like this as I'm usually just a sushi-by-the-bite kind of guy. I could do this almost every week. Though the food was a hefty amount (10 slices of fish), I found myself just stuffing it into my face bite after bite. It was really solid this time around and a pleasure to eat. 10 slices of fishes could run you modestly around $18 minimum (if you're lucky) but this plate will run you $16 which is a pretty decent deal.

Parking is available (and validated) at the adjacent lot to Little Tokyo as well as the surrounding streets for parking which, believe it or not, you can find pretty easily. Of course Little Tokyo is aimed at tourists, but don't let that stop many of you from coming on down and exploring. Many of the establishments there have been there for quite a while and with good reason. This place and a few others are quite the gems and cult favorites of downtown LA.

Free Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range: Lunch specials are $10 to $12 and sushi and sashimi plates will run you $15 to $20