Where Can I Find Good Pupusas Near La Brea and Wilshire?

I have a craving for pupusas and I live in the La Brea/Wilshire area. Although I will drive a couple miles.

Any restaurant recommendation, high or low, are most appreciated.

thanks,
Nick

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

Downtown L.A. - Dinner Ideas?

I agree. Patina can do no wrong. Their black truffle risotto is out of this world good. And the ambience is really the best in L.A. Disney Hall is so gorgeous and the restaurant is very quiet and beautiful. One of the few places in L.A. where you feel like you should be dressed up.

I will also recommend for an experience with not as good food, but great ambience, I also enjoy Pacific Dining Car. It's overpriced and you can get better steaks elsewhere, but it's a real old timey, fun place to eat.

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

Downtown L.A. - Dinner Ideas?

I second Water Grill. Also, if you have the money, Patina is pretty incredible. It also has a weirdly cheap lunch (given it's stature as one of L.A.'s best restaurants.)

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

My Favorite Roast Chicken...

Let me know if you enjoy!

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

My Favorite Roast Chicken...

... finally gets a write-up.

http://www.calendarlive.com/dining/cl-wk-dine28dec28,0,2610793.story?coll=cl-dining

Le Petit Jardin's chicken is really something to admire. Crispy and juicy and incredibly flavorful. Easily the best in the city. I don't generally like white meat but I have to eat the entire thing. In addition, their burgers and bread pudding are awesome. And it's BYOW, which makes the bill very cheap.

If you go or have been, let me know what you think,

Nick

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

Best Hummus in L.A.

Elat Market prepackaged super spicy hummus is the best hummus I think I've ever had. Elat Market's on Pico just East of Robertson.

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

Buggy Whip > or = to Taylors Steakhouse?

I also really, really wanted to like the Buggy Whip. Unfortunately, it's both really and not good. For their prices, you might as well go to Ruths Chris and have an actual good steak experience. The ambience is fun, but not worth the expense.

I'd say if you want a discount steak, Taylor's is the place to go.

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

memphis

I just went to the Hollywood Memphis. The atmosphere was cool -- the house is a really neat space. Having said that, the food was average to gross. The seared tuna was ice cold in the center. The famed popcorn shrimp were slightly better than something you'd find at Long John Silver's. My "spicy" fried catfish was crunchy, but not spicy at all.

I'm glad I checked it out because the house is nice. I might go back for a drink, but not for the food. It's too bad the food isn't better given the surroundings.

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

In Chicago for One Night

My wife, my sister-in-law, her husband and me are are all going to be in Chicago for one night (next Saturday night). We're from LA, they're from NYC. We want to go somewhere that's fancy but not necessarily break the bank fancy (ie. We've ruled out Charlie Trotter's.)

Can any Chowhounders out there recommend something appropriate? I know it's a kind of general request, but any ideas would be most appreciated.

I guess to limit the area, we're going to be staying in the Park Hyatt and we'd prefer to not have to drive/take a cab too far from that area.

thanks,
Nick

NickSt in Chicago Area

Korean BBQ

Soot Bull Jeep was pretty great. We ordered the beef which was nice and spicy. We also ordered the beef rib which was good, but I prefered just the plain beef.

One word of caution: we also ordered eel which I wouldn't necessarily do again. It could be that I'm not an eel fan (unless it's served as sushi) or that eel isn't best served grilled.

If I go again, I think I'd go with beef and chicken or pork.

NickSt in Los Angeles Area

Fiore yogurt in Little Tokyo (Pinkberry?!)

I drove by Pinkberry for the first time and the line was around the block, not to mention there wasn't a parking spot for miles. So my wife and I skipped it, thinking we would never get to try this mysterious frozen yogurt delicacy.

Then, off your recommendation, we went to Fiore today. I had the green tea with raspberries and my wife had the plain with white chocolate chips. It was delicious. Thank you very much for the rec.

As a side note, we went across the plaza the bakery (I forgot the name of it, but it's right across from Fiore) and ate a taco doughnut -- also, great. Basically a sweetish doughnut-y roll filled with beef and vegetables, slightly similar to char su bao. Really good.

thanks again for the Fiore rec. I'm definitely going back.

NickSt in Los Angeles Area