LA Dining

"It was a big moment today for the face of a famous restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles. At a special unveiling ceremony, the historic original facade of Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria was revealed for the first time since the 1950s. Today's uncovering represents a significant step forward for the ongoing restoration and modernization of the Cafeteria, which is under new ownership and will see not only a menu revamp, but find its interior space transformed for modern diners and drinkers. The facade, however, is not yet refurbished, as those looking forward to the big reveal were perhaps hoping--there's much work to be done! Last summer, new owner Andrew Meieran announced temporary weekly closures to accommodate some of the renovations. The cafeteria closed completely in September for an anticipated six-month stretch." - Anika from Bookmarklet

The Persian woman behind the counter speaking Spanish? ❤❤❤ I love our mishmash of cultures. - Anika from Bookmarklet

I wanted to go back and get more. Perfect. - Anika from Bookmarklet

it looks good, but you're brave. - edythe

I was so annoyed when I learned that Trimana was going to take over the restaurant at the Natural History Museum. I've always thought Trimana was bland food, like Panera...just boring. Anyway, we were hungry, so we went to eat. Let me just say how astounded I was by how our food looked. Then we bit into the fries and started singing praises. So, a bit over-priced, IMO, but tasty food. At a museum. AMAZING </huellhowser> - Anika from Bookmarklet

Okay, 5th time I've had kebabs in 2 weeks. I may have a problem. This may be sacrilege, but these Korean kebabs may be better than most yakitori in all of LA and cheaper, too. I have to remember to check if they have ground meat ones. Then I can be a little more fair about that assessment. - Anika from Bookmarklet

you're killing me - Que Sarah Sarah

The hamachi & sake are good. The ebi, better. But the best thing is the carrots. They're brined in something flavorful & spicy. - Anika from Android

"Sometimes you just get a hankering for fried chicken. That's what I took to the Hollywood Bowl recently when I was invited by some friends to see Dolly Parton. Though it may be best eaten in the great outdoors, luckily, we can also find some great fried chicken in restaurants that give special attention to the all-American dish." - Anika from Bookmarklet

ROSCOE'S?!?! Come on! If you want mud butt, then sure. But even Clifton's has better chicken. No Miss Peaches? Not a single Chinese restaurant? I think the author wasn't trying hard enough. - Anika

"The Korean BBQ Cook-Off brings the top Korean BBQ restaurants in Los Angeles to showcase their best BBQ dishes to the public. It is an annual event organized by Korean American Coalition (KAC) to promote Korean cuisine and culture to all communities in the greater Los Angeles area. This year all local chefs are invited to compete in the Korean BBQ Cook-Off." - Anika from Bookmarklet

Korean BBQ >>>> Picnic with friends. - Anika

Those are pretty good prices! - Soup in a TARDIS

"THE DISH: Jogasaki #4  THE CHEF: Yo Pratioto  THE TRUCK: Jogasaki Burrito  RICE The same vinegary-sweet sticky rice that bulks up your California roll fills the massive burrito. SOY PAPER The sesame-speckled sheets sometimes used for sushi are a touch too small for his “tortilla” wrap, which can make for a messy meal. SPICY TUNA Raw yellowfin tuna is ground with a mix of mayo, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and a chili-sesame oil. AVOCADO AND CUCUMBER “I cut the cucumber into big wedges. I really want people to have a feel of every single ingredient.” Two fat avocado slices add cool creaminess. BBQ EEL “We boil eel in a sweet sauce of soy, sake, sugar, and mirin, then roast the eel right before serving so you don’t feel the tiny bones.” SHRIMP TEMPURA “This part is easy. We have a fryer on the truck and  just mix up the tempura batter and fry the shrimp to order.”" - Anika from Bookmarklet

That's no burrito! It needs at least a flour tortilla and some beans or nato. - TINY REPTILIAN PYROMANIAC

"The controversy centers on a donkey that was painted pink as part of a Cinco de Mayo promotion. A promotional video opens with "No animals were harmed during the shooting of this film," but that hasn't stopped outrage from animal lovers. "These people are just plain sick, cruel, and have a seriously distorted view of what sells and what's supposedly funny. I hope they're called to answer for their sheer cruelty and ignorance," wrote Angelique Montague. "So Pink Taco decides to take down its Facebook and Twitter page to avoid the blowback from this incident. Sorry (Pink Taco), the animal rights crowd doesn't quite have the short-attention span you might be hoping for," wrote Roby Holland. One business owner in Orange County "liked" the page in order to defend the restaurant but has since pretty much given up. "I did want to voice my opinion, but then people started with the personal attacks," said Justin Henretta, who added some users threatened to boycott his business too." - Anika from Bookmarklet

I assumed the donkey was a "burrito" joke. EDIT: which makes it a pink burrito joke, I guess. - Spidra Webster

"Patina Restaurant Group is delighted to announce the opening of Ray's restaurant and Stark Bar at LACMA. Designed by famed architect Renzo Piano, the new restaurant is named after Ray Stark, the late film producer and former LACMA Trustee. Executive chef Kris Morningstar presides over the kitchen. The Mediterranean-inspired menu includes a host of dishes from the wood-burning oven and wood grill. A separate menu is served in the adjoining Stark Bar, and both locales offer seasonal cocktails, a California-centric wine list, and artisan beers and spirits. Ray's is open for lunch from 12–3 pm (Beginning March 5) and dinner from 5–10 pm every day except Wednesday. Stark Bar is open 11 am–11 pm every day except Wednesday." - Anika from Bookmarklet

"Hummus varieties include: Traditional, Sun-Dried Tomato, Roasted Red Pepper, Roasted Garlic, Artichoke Pesto, Jalapeno Cilantro, and Kalamata Olive. Please contact the restaurant for additional varieties that may be featured." - Anika from Bookmarklet

If we had a place here called Hummus House I would eat there everyday! - aden {Chickadee}

I know! I'm even more annoyed because I was just a mile away from it not too long ago and was starving. - Anika

It's in Lincoln Heights on Broadway. The food was good, though it took a while to get to us. Parking is scarce. Everything was pretty cheap and I think I'll be there a lot. - Anika

This is why I LOVE LA. This may seem odd to some, but you'll have to understand that the huge role Mexicans have played in Armenian restaurants here in LA. There are Armenian restaurants now owned/run by Mexicans. In many cases, when the owner wanted to retire, he chose not his kids, but who he thought would continue the restaurant in the same vein. - Anika from Bookmarklet

The only place where I can tell this failed was Eat-A-Pita. When the original owners sold it and the new owners let the cooks do what they want, it was a huge plate of YUCK. It didn't help that the atmosphere also changed. The used to be Middle Eastern music piped in, especially a lot of Lebanese and Egyptian pop, then all of a sudden it was corridos. Not exactly what you expect to hear when you're eating a kabob plate. - Anika

"Dinner $44* *Price excludes alcohol, tax and gratuity. Choice of Appetizers (For The Table) Chicory Salad, Pear, Goat Cheese & Date Purée Braised Octopus Carpaccio Choice of Entrees Braised Beef Cheeks Roasted Leg of Lamb Spotted Skate Wing Ricotta Cavatelli & Mushrooms Choice of Desserts (For The Table) Chocolate Coupe, Banana Sorbet & Malt Sabayon Butter Pecan Shortcake, Spiced Pear, Huckleberries & Cajeta Crème Fraîche" - Anika from Bookmarklet

Our next meetup may be this. I can't go. *whines* Some of it actually sounds good. Not the ricotta though. Mushroom ricotta always tastes dusty to me. - Anika

"Clifton's Brookdale cafeteria, a downtown Los Angeles landmark dating to the Great Depression, will be sold this week to a local developer who vows to preserve its comfort-food menu and kitschy charms. The sale of a 40-year lease to the building at Broadway and 7th Street marks the end of family operations of Clifton's cafeterias in Los Angeles dating to 1931. Developer and nightclub operator Andrew Meieran is expected to take over Wednesday. Terms of the lease were not disclosed, but Meieran will have full control of the four-story building and the cafeteria that has fed generations of Angelenos." - Anika from Bookmarklet

I haven't been in decades. My dad has fond memories of the various Clifton's locations. I'm glad it's still around. So many places get bulldozed. http://www.flickr.com/photos... - Spidra Webster

"WHAT: Los Angeles’s Second Annual Korean BBQ Cook-off will showcase some of the best dishes by top Korean BBQ restaurants. Presented by the Korean American Coalition – Los Angeles, Councilmember Herb J. Wesson, Jr., and Councilmember Tom LaBonge on Saturday, August 7, 2010. WHEN: Saturday, August 7, 2010 from 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm - 2:00 pm – All-You-Can-Eat contest with mystery ingredient * - 3:30 pm – Soju Mix-Off, sponsored by Jinro and Sauce LA - 5:00 pm – Cook-Off competition - 6:15 pm – Awards ceremony WHERE: The event will take place on the upper parking lot of the 3600 Wilshire building, located at 3600 Wilshire Blvd. Between Kingsley Dr. and Harvard Blvd." - Anika from Bookmarklet

"Today's patrons are more health conscious and selective than ever before, yet, unwilling to give up the decadent, rich flavors and smooth, creamy textures characteristic of desserts they love. Penguins Partner's Inc. was established to meet the demands of this rapidly growing market segment by responding with its unique line of fat-free, sugar-free and dairy-free frozen dessert products. Including a variety of soft-serve and hard-packed frozen yogurt with over forty toppings from which to chose over fifty flavors of ice cream, power-packed juices and smoothies, and light, premium frozen tortes, cakes and pies. This outstanding selection provides a perfect lunch, snack or dessert for the modern consumer's lifestyle. Having targeted its market successfully, Penguin's has served over 100 million customers and is one of the best frozen dessert companies in the U.S.A." - Anika from Bookmarklet

wait..are these still around? I thought they all went out of business...i guess they are popular again...my friends used to work at one in San Diego. - Anna Lynn M.

"Hawkins House of Burgers has been an institution in the Watts neighborhood of Southeast Los Angeles for decades. The owner, Cynthia Hawkins, has a quick smile and the easy manner of an old friend, even if you've only known her for a few minutes. She's the youngest of the fourteen Hawkins kids and speaks with pride about her father, who came to Los Angeles from Arkansas in 1939 as a part of The Second Great Migration that brought Southern African Americans to Western urban centers. He first opened Hawkins as little more than a food stand, but the years and a growing reputation as one of the best burgers in town helped it expand into a larger, if still basic, restaurant. Lucky for me, when it comes to burgers, basic is often better." - Derrick from Bookmarklet

Gotdamn - Rodfather

"The best food is home cooking. No restaurant can begin to compete with the lavish attention and extraordinary dishes Armenians create in their kitchens. On Saturday, May 22nd, the public will have the opportunity to enjoy a food extravaganza featuring mouthwatering Armenian Food and Pastry prepared by community chefs. FOOD FAIR MENU * Beef Kebab Plate * Lamb Kebab Plate * Chicken Kebab Plate * Beef Luleh Plate * Lahmajoun * Piroshki - Meat or Potato * Kufta * Cheese Boreg * Sarma * Hummus " - Anika from Bookmarklet

Ahi Poke, Calamari & Salad. Not pictured because we inhaled it too fast, is the beef an shrimp we grilled. Also $1.50 Sapporo on draft. Yep. - Anika from Bookmarklet

Nice! - Katy S

yum! - imabonehead

"Alerted by Facebook, Twitter and plain old word of salivating mouth, foodies by the thousands descended Saturday on downtown Los Angeles for the "first annual" LA Street Food Fest." - Amani from Bookmarklet

I couldn't get in. Long line ... - Amani

"Grab food from dozens of the city’s most popular mobile food trucks including The Buttermilk Truck, Grilled Cheese Truck, Sweets Truck, Fresser’s, Frysmith, Slice Truck, Flying Pig, Fishlips, Komodo, a surprise celebrity chef pop-up, and many more" - Amani from Bookmarklet

"If the fires are burning high and you turn up at the right time of day, the barbecued beef brisket at Bludso's can be as good as barbecue gets — an impressionist painting of meat, a damp vapor you inhale so fast and so unconsciously that you barely remember you were eating meat at all. At Bludso's there is only bloodlust, smoke and salt, the need to pry the dripping brisket out of the heat-warped foam container, to feel the meat and the juice and the ribbons of fat slide down your throat like liquid, each slice generating the desire for the next, until the container is empty and you feel a bit like an anaconda that has unwisely decided to engulf a pangolin. At Bludso's, the only proper amount of meat is way, way too much." - Amani from Bookmarklet

Next time you make the trek , let me know and I'll meet up with you. - Amani