swimfin's Profile
Hard question: Sushi meal under 30 bucks per person??? Where would you go?
you posters are too westside-centric. great sushi @ tori yen in beautiful downtown sunland - tujunga. worth the trip. say hello to mama. and the 30 per person should be eminently doable.
Pasadena and Arcadia Help
Probably late to the party, and my reco is off the beaten track, but Tori Yen in Tujunga, about 15 miles east of Pasadena. Excellent sushi and related, and Mariko (call her Mama) is the proprietor and she's the best. She will take good care of you! It's in a strip mall and easy to miss, south side of Foothill Blvd. Highly recommended! Take the 210 west exit Lowell, Goggle it from there.
LOOKING FOR OLD SCHOOL STEAK AND SEAFOOD NEAR WATER BETWEEN LA & LAGUNA
Try The Arches, John Wayne's old hangout. They moved from their original Pacific Coast Highway location, but they are still in Newport Beach. Pretty sure they will match your requirements.
www.thearchesrestaurant.com/
What are your favorite dives and cheap eats WORTH THE DRIVE?
Don't take Tito's off your list. Just stick with the tacos and the bean and cheese burritos, and of course the salsa (red and green both necessary).
Need Super Bowl Chili...now that Chili My Soul is gone
Was a semi-frequent patron of CMS. Decent stuff. Chili John's, IMHO, was sub par - got take out and by the time I got home, say 20 minutes later, an inch of grease had formed on the top of the container. Could not bring myself to eat it. Just saying.
-----
Chili John's
2018 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506
Private dining room option in Pasadena?
what about the banquet room at griffith park golf?
Chili in Glendale
Chili John's more than a tad heavy on the grease. Flavor good, but grease too much.
-----
Chili John's
2018 W Burbank Blvd, Burbank, CA 91506
Tito's Tacos
All- someone said it should be Tito's Burritos - agree whole heartedly. I don't ever order tacos. It's the bean and cheese burrito. Lots of red sauce and the potent green sauce. No badness in the beans. Mystery meat = no way. Been going for 30 - plus years, since I lived down the street (Washington) in Mar Vista while in grad school. Too hot to eat at first, take a big chip and use it as a seal at the bottom of the burrito, liberal applications of red and green. Comfort food. Tip - go to the inside order window. Faster. Feliz Cinco de Mayo!
MOST OUTSTANDING BURRITOS IN LOS ANGELES AREA
Rick's in Pasadena on Walnut. Combo Hot. Get extra sauce on the side. Good stuff.
Best "Huevos Rancheros" in Los Angeles...?
Tortas Mexico in the wilds of Tujunga. Also try Huevos Mexicana. Or the breakfast omelette (forget the name).
In Town For U2 in Pasadena...Breakfast Suggestions?
Update - they open pretty early -
www.wolfeburgers.com
-----
Wolfe Burgers
46 N Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101
In Town For U2 in Pasadena...Breakfast Suggestions?
Wolfe Burgers on Lake North of Colorado. Not sure what time they open.
Any, I mean any good restaurants in Burbank?
Trimtab,
All due respect, the Chili at Chili John's is three parts grease and one part chili (yes, I am exaggerating). Took some take out and all the grease floated to the top by the time I got it home. Regusting!
Any, I mean any good restaurants in Burbank?
Second the Bistro Provence reco. Also Prosecco not far from the studios. Really good pasta and good service.
Tito's Tacos -- What up with this place?
Skip the tacos, agree with other posters, not that good. I stopped ordering them after the first one or two times. The comfort food: bean and cheese burrito with some red and some green sauce avaIlable on the side (used to be free years ago - no more). Pick a large chip and install it under the end of the burrito (in your paws) to prevent leakage. Apply red salsa liberally, green salsa more sparingly. Enjoy. Been doing it for 35 years. I go there every time I'm within 10 miles. And it hasn't changed a bit. Last time I was there it was the same cashier from 35 years ago, but I see from the posts here that he may have been replaced. Hope he's OK.
Cocktails near La Canada
Second the Taylor's reco. Unless you're willing to go to Al Read's in Sunland, maybe 5 miles to the west. What about Dish? Right by Taylor's, never been, don't know about cocktails. Or drop down to Damon's in
Glendale on Brand, but I hear they've slipped in many ways.
Good luck.
Good pizza in Glendale/Montrose/La Crescenta?
Double Deal Pizza in Sunland/Tunga, Order it any way you want. Also Calzones and salads. 951 3241.
Pasadena Recs
Quick informal lunch=Wolfe Burger on Lake. Inside or enclosed patio or outside, menu with more than burgers, beer, informal. Park in the back. You'll be pleased.
Delicious in Newport?
Go to the pier. Turn right on the "boardwalk". Fancy hotel right there (with restaurant), can't remember the name. Mutt Lynch's a little further west. Behind you is Sharkey's, downscale I guess. And checkout the Arches, which I think moved, was a John Wayne hang. He lived on Lido Isle.
OR - heck with Newport, go a mile or two south to Balboa locations. You will like.
The Bloody to beat all Bloodies- in search of the best Bloody Mary
Keying on the large body of water criterion, and leaving metro LA, Sharkies on the Newport Beach pier Sunday mornings, make your own bloody bar. Bestest.
Tito's Tacos vs Henry's
If the ante is to be upped, Rick's Drive In on Walnut in Pasadena. Ultimate Gringo Mexican ( and burgers, etc. if you are so inclined). Spuderito - one of a kind,
malibu recommendations visiting from Toronto
Neptune's Net. At "County Line". On PCH! Who cares about the food!
Raw Carne Asada to BBQ
My Albertson's, of all places, has good/decent carne asada for the grill. Check out your local.
Lunch in Burbank near NBC
There's a Der Wienerschnitzel right across the street. They serve beer. 'Nuff said.
Old-School LA Recs?
Can't believe I'm first to rec these in your general area, unless I missed them in the string (by the way, a friend and I used to refer to this genre as "stiff drink, good steak" -
-but first, agree Dal Rae, but that's a hike from Silverlake, not sure good tradeoff for the drive. They have directions on their website, WAYYY down the 605.
-Smokehouse in Burbank : booths as red as can be. Cheesy piano entertainer(s) at happy hour, too loud for me.
-Damian's in Glendale - get stiff drinks, salads tossed at your table, and great steaks. Polynesian/Tiki vibe.
-Taylor's in La Canada recently remodeled
-Al Read's in Sunland, size of a postage stamp, across from a biker bar (don't be concerned, nice bikers), highly recommend. Forget the booth, if it's just you and huz sit at the bar and eat there. And enjoy.
Tito's Tacos vs Henry's
The more I think about this string and those about Tito's and Henry's in the past, the more I realize we are sort of violating the sanctity (too strong a word, I know) of the CHOW - these places really aren't about the food as much as they are about what they represent:
- Henry's has stuff you could get at Taco Bell in its 1970-ish incarnation. Gringo tacos, burritos, and importantly, taco burgers (remember the Bellburger?). Taco meat, bun, lettuce, tomato, hot sauce, cheese, and yes, mustard. It's a nostalgia thing for people who were there and who were not
-Similar for Tito's - yes the food is not exceptional in any way, but it's comfort food. I stay away from the mystery meat and order bean burritos with green and red salsa in copious quantities -shades of 1978 when I lived in walking distance.
And for someone in the string who was worried about the lines, I always counsel - go inside the doors on the right, the wait is ALWAYS shorter. Newbies don't usually know this and think they have to wait out front. Go sit out in the back to eat (now you're still outdoors) and listen to the SD fwy and the PA at the Volvo dealership.
My personal tip for bean and cheese burrito consuming is as follows: find the biggest chip they've given you, flat hopefully, and place it at the base of the burrito while you nosh - it will trap runaway beans.
Best to all.
