Where Did My LA Restaurants Go?

You can take me out of LA, but you can't take the LA out of me. Although I’ve lived in the Bay Area for 36 straight years (and a few years running before that) I still consider myself a Southern Californian. Northern Cal? Do you know the difference between being a citizen and being a resident? A long-term resident is all I'll admit to.

I miss every aspect of living in LA except the traffic. I especially miss the restaurant scene, which has changed drastically throughout the decades. So much so, that I’d be lying if I said I was still on-top of it. Try as I might to review each year’s Los Angeles Magazine’s Restaurant issue, not living in the area precludes one's ability to stay in the know. As I’ve returned to my home town as a visitor, I try to hang on to the restaurants and dining experience of yesteryear, with scant success. Changes occur to well-run restaurants, some have been sold but retain the original name, recipes have changes, and some have simply shut their doors. Several are still around; they tend to fall under the category of LA iconic, recognizable to any genuine Southern California restaurant buff.

Therefore, I’ve compiled a list of the 15 LA Restaurants I miss the most, in no particular order.

Musso & Frank Grill (Hollywood)

This Hollywood institution will celebrate their 100^th anniversary in business next year. The main room is right out of central casting; some days Musso’s resembles a movie studio commissary given the recognizable faces throughout the room. While not star struck, I can't recall a time being at Musso's and not seeing at least one LA celeb dining there. The neighborhood isn’t what it used to be, but the place is still top notch. A classic place with character!

Pacific Dining Car (Los Angeles)

Forget all the clubby chain steak houses lining the LA gastronomic landscape. Everyone’s been to Palm, Morton’s, Ruth's Chris, but if you can say you’ve been to the PDC, then you’ve dined on the best steaks in LA. This place has maintained credibility in the crowded LA meat game for decades. Opened in 1921, and has been operating 24/7 since 1979. Not too many places of this caliber are open 24 hours. Their Santa Monica location, open since 1990, is also 24/7

Formosa Café (Hollywood)

Classic and colorful, this is where you took visitors to experience an authentic old Hollywood-style joint. Housed partially in a hollowed-out trolley car, the Formosa Café served locals from 1925 till it closed for renovations in 2016. Plans are to re-open sometime in the near future. The café was not only a magnet for Hollywood’s royalty in the day, but the mobster community also. A colorful place to be sure, and I hope their impending reopening is a success because this place oozes the real Hollywood.

Joseph’s Café (Hollywood)

This tiny hole-in-the-wall, one block up and one block over from the fabled corner of Hollywood and Vine, served “mom made it” Greek classics to a steady stream of regulars on a first name basis with Joseph and his whole family. Working in Hollywood at the time, I probably ate breakfast there 3 times a week.  For lunch, the Moussaka was a work of art! Unrecognizable today, the name and address remains, but Joseph's  is now Moroccan-themed and has been converted into a nightclub.

Stromboli’s (Sherman Oaks)

This one has been closed for decades, and their demise was easily predictable as the restaurant produced the most consistently poor and rude service one could ever imagine. Poor service be damned though, the food was that good. This is one of only two restaurants in my life that I’ve returned to countless times while ignoring the impertinent service. The service, or lack thereof, was always reflected in the tip. Stromboli’s walls were covered with cartoonish murals of Mount Vesuvius and other visions of Italy, with plastic vines crawling to the ceiling, interspersed with empty Chianti bottles. Still, one could not go wrong with anything on the menu. The kitchen produced big time and consistently; the front of the house not so, although the poor service was definitely consistent. Still, we returned time after time as it was literally walking distance from our home, situated right next to the grand La Reina Theater, which is now a quasi-mini mall.

Zigs (Woodland Hills)

Zig’s was all about Burgers and Salads, and my memory was that most items on their menu could be ordered in 3 distinct sizes. Not a fast-food outlet, their room was actually well-appointed and definitely gave the feel of dining out in a decent place. Think Old Las Vegas. Try as I might, they would never divulge their salad dressing recipe to me, but think the richest, thickest ranch-style dressing with a healthy dose of garlic, and several seasonings that I couldn’t quite decipher in the mix. Was in LA a few weeks ago and drove by their location praying they were still there. Alas, not.

Mario’s (Westwood)

With the enviable position of being in the middle of Westwood Village, this outstanding Italian joint could satisfy your taste buds with everything from perfect pizzas to Osso Bucco, and everything in between. Typically very crowded on weekends, especially with the UCLA crowd, it was never a bother to wait 60-75 minutes for a table. Once seated you wouldn’t be rushed, and you wouldn’t forget your meal. Sadly, no longer open.

Bangkok West (Sherman Oaks)

Los Angeles has the largest Thai community in North America. There are easily several dozen Thai restaurants in the Valley alone, not to mention the rest of the city.  When I lived in LA it was my duty to sample every single one, and I made a valiant, though unsuccessful attempt to try them all. Of those that I did sample, and there were many, Bangkok West on Ventura Blvd. was hands-down the best. Our romanticized perfect evening back then began at Bangkok West with their Chicken with Mint & Chili’s, and ended at home with green M&M's, adult libations, and a soak in the hot tub. That was "the life" back in the day, and come to think of it, it works today. It appears Bangkok West closed in Sherman Oaks, but another Bangkok West is in Santa Monica. Related? Not certain, but certainly worth a try on my next visit.

Hamburger Hamlet (Various Locations)

Most Angelinos over the age of 50 will know this place pretty well. Don’t let the name “Hamburger” in the title fool you, the Hamlets were really nice places. Typically in finer LA neighborhoods, the Hamlet’s had full bars and a colorful and quite often celebrity clientele. The food was always great, the menu was gigantic, and whether you had a signature burger or lobster bisque, you’d be in culinary heaven. Although LA-based, they had a few in the Chicago and Washington D.C. areas. I was a regular at the Sherman Oaks, Westwood, and Hollywood outposts, among many.

Langer’s Deli (Los Angeles)

Los Angeles is a city of great deli’s and this one, at the corner of 7^th and Alvarado, is on par with them all. Odd neighborhood for a Jewish deli, but they’ve been there since the late 20s and have seen two complete gentrification's of their general area over the past nearly 100 years. Best pastrami in the city!

The Pantry (Downtown)

Another place nearly 100 years old, they existed long before the neighborhood exploded with Staples Center and LA Live. Lore has it that the Pantry closed only for one day of their existence, and that was for FDR’s funeral in 1945. Portions have to be seen to be believed; the largest appetites will be challenged. Available 24 hours a day!

Philippe The Original (Downtown)

French dip sandwiches served in a room that looks like it’s right out of a post-WWII Works poster. If you’re anywhere in the vicinity of downtown and it’s the lunch hour, head directly to Philippe’s. Like the Pantry and Musso & Frank, this is a Los Angeles institution, with a capital “I.” I highly recommend the Ham Dip.

Little Joe’s (Downtown)

This was a popular pre-Dodgers game hangout. My grandfather would take me there; from my young eyes it appeared to be a gangster hangout, and I convinced myself that, at the very least, my grandfather was a mob associate (I still believe this today). He was taken care of very well there, which means I was too. Food was spectacular, consistent through the years, and I know by my grandfather’s patronage the bar must’ve been pretty special too. The owner had tie clasps made in the image of the Little Joe's logo to give out to favored clientele. I still have my grandfather's today.

La Masia (West Hollywood)

This was my absolute favorite “event” restaurant in all of LA, but sadly it closed. Set in a beautiful room on Santa Monica Blvd, La Masia served Spanish cuisine from the Castilian region of the country. I’ll never forget the Pollo Ala Gitana, a dish so good it was worthy of tears. No Spanish restaurant I’ve been to since, and I've experienced many, can hold a candle to this place.

Monty's (Various Locations)

Monty's, specifically the Westwood location, holds so many memories for me. Back in the day, not a better cut of Prime Rib in the entire city! Remember taking a date there before a Led Zeppelin concert at the Forum. When the server approached and asked for our drink order, I didn't dare an attempt at ordering alcohol as I was barely 18 and looked all of 15. My date, however, went for it, requesting a strawberry daiquiri. I recall thinking how embarrassed she'll be when her ID was requested, but the server merely glanced at it, handed it back to her, and proceeded to place our order. Thinking we were roughly the same age, I asked her where she got her bogus drivers license. She laughed, looked at me strangely, and asked my age. I responded 18; she informed me she was 23. The dinner and concert were both spectacular, but that was our last date. I did, however, continued seeing Monty's on a fairly regular basis.

Honorable Mentions
Mort's (Tarzana), Chuck's Steak House (Various Locations), The Fiasco (Marina Del Rey), Hungry Tiger (Various Locations), Nickodell (Hollywood), Corkscrew (Brentwood), Original Thai Bar-B-Que (Tarzana), Jan's (Los Angeles), Lucy's El Adobe (Hollywood), The Saloon (Beverly Hills), The Smoke House (Burbank), Harry's Bar (Century City), Chao Praya (Hollywood), Veracruz (Los Angeles), Junior's (Westwood).

I would love to hear about your favorite LA haunts that may or may not still be around. Drop me a comment!