We Are Sharing Our Very Own #Hipsterfoodie List of L.A.

 

Lifestyle magazine GQ just named Downtown Los Angeles the "New Capital of Cool" - due to the density of great new restaurants, lounges and bars! We could have told them so! Los Angeles is The Place To Be! We love our work because we often venture out to experience new places for research - such a hard job! 😎 We are happy to share our list of personal favorites.

  
Janet Elkins:

I have to say Eatalian. It is basically the EventWorks commissary as you find us here constantly. We love everything: the flatbread pizzas, the salads, the freshly made pasta. Eatalian is the hottest culinary secret in Gardena. It is Zagat rated and the food is excellent. We have taken clients who live part time in Italy. They swore it's the most authentic and best Italian food they have found in L.A. We also heard Italians rave about the espresso. You can't leave without a treat from the homemade gelato bar!
 

"Move over, Mario" say enthusiasts of this "fabulous" "diamond-in-the-rough" Gardena Italian, where the "thin-crust" pizzas, "fresh pastas" and "otherworldly" gelato "transport" you to Italy at "bargain prices"; an offshoot in Culver City offers similar fare plus coffee and pastries in an equally "industrial" space.
15500 South Broadway, Gardena, California 90248
Source: Zagat

Ted Bowers:

I actually have two favorites: Animal and ink.
My teenage son Teddy is a foodie and loves to cook. He watches Top Chef plus numerous other cooking shows and attempts any and everything that inspires him. He is responsible for turning me onto these restaurants. I’d pick Animal for the best food experience in a casual atmosphere. ink. provides a ‘fine dining’ experience in a fun open kitchen environment with an innovative menu.
 

Animal
Offering brunch and dinner, Animal offers upscale dining for the diverse and adventurous crowd. Owners and chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo teamed up to provide the area with an innovative and creative selection of dishes to satisfy the adventurous diner. Animal's supreme and extensive menu is tailored to the upscale meat eater. Unique carnivore-centric dishes feature veal tongue, chicken livers and more to push the boundaries of the traditional palate. The brunch menu offers impressive egg dishes and delectable pastries, among other savory options.
435 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

ink.
ink. is chef Michael Voltaggio’s first signature restaurant. Alluding to the idea of permanence, ink. endeavors to create an indelible impression with flavor profiles that are inspired by the myriad of cultures that make up the city of Los Angeles. Thusly, he describes the food at ink. as “modern los angeles cuisine” and aspires to create an experience that will repurpose the term “fine dining” for Angelenos.
8360 Melrose Avenue #101, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Source: opentable.com

Max Blum:
As we discussed our favorite restaurants in the office Max shouted out "Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock", Janet immediately beamed "Oh yes, that place is awesome and always packed".

Casa Bianca is a second generation Chicago-Italian family restaurant and an absolute local favorite.
  Of all the old-time neighborhood pizza parlors out there, one of them actually has to be the best. And 22 years after I first wrote about the place for The Times, I'm pretty sure that the Casa Bianca Pizza Pie — red-checked tablecloths, wedge salad and all — is still the one. The pizzas are thin-crusted and crazy-cut like the South Side Chicago bar pies on which founder Sam Martorana modeled them, paved with fried eggplant and sweetly spiced homemade sausage if you're sensible, and speckled on the bottom with enough carbony, bubbly burnt bits to make each bite slightly different from the last. This is a controversial choice among pizza freaks, but I stand by it.
1650 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock

Source: Jonathan Gold, most revered food writer in Los Angeles

  

Kate Brack:

I absolutely love Genghis Cohen for the awesome Chinese food and great live music. They do not use any MSG in their dishes. It's one of those long-term local favorites that has been attracting the music scene since its beginnings and it's home to many singer/songwriters who all love to play the intimate music room. Better hurry though. Ownership changed recently, and the new owners may implement changes.
 

A large restaurant with a full bar and live music, Genghis Cohen is a place to eat New York-style Szechwan food on white tablecloths in big, black booths. One of its best-known dishes is the thick, deep-fried New York-style egg rolls, but its large menu also includes things like sizzling rice soup, Mongolian beef and shrimp with lobster sauce. Since 1990, the cozy adjoining music room, which is decorated with red lanterns and seats 60 about people, has featured singer-songwriters.
740 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
Source: LA Weekly

Rebecca Fernandez Motus:

The Nice Guy! My husband recently spoiled me for my birthday and took me to this new celebrity hot spot in West Hollywood. It deserves the great reputation. Food and signature cocktails were excellent and the atmosphere is hard to beat. Nice Guy demands a reservation so plan ahead!

Think Rat Pack Vibes: The Nice Guy's aesthetic pays homage to a decadent era of Mafia bars and restaurants, where the owners and their friends could enjoy an evening together. Upon entry the vintage marble and brass bar greets you. Its size, scale and shape invite guests to a unique social experience, encouraging conversation and camaraderie. The booths along the exterior wall command intimacy, while the larger booths flanking the room stimulate a party atmosphere throughout the night. A small, sultry performance area has been incorporated in the classic lounge setting.

Their Best Dish is Universal: The Nice Guy is known for specialty pizzas and the famous Nice Guy burger—the menu, curated by H.wood Group's Food & Beverage Specialist Adam Koral, is a modern take on light Italian dishes. (And happily, there are choices for vegan and meat eaters). The burger has become the most popular item on the menu: Chef John-Carlos Kuramoto specially prepares a sandwich brimming with maple glazed bacon, arugula, caramelized onion and house-made American cheese.

What You Should Drink: The Chairman, which is served in a flask and named after Frank Sinatra, is made up of Gentleman Whiskey, Aperol, cacao, salted Cola reduction, and cider vinegar.

Not Just A Pretty Space: The space uses an abundance of organic materials and custom cedar wall with a ceiling design that emphasizes residential architecture. Also featured: Black American walnut flooring and custom inlaid carpets, as well as classic lighting fixtures that were hand-sourced from cities across the country to add additional warmth and comfort to the space. 401 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. Phone:(310) 360-9500
Source: Nicole Adlman and Sara Kitnick, E!

  
Brynne Peña:

I love several Downtown restaurants but Café Gratitude tops my list. The menu consists of locally sourced, sustainably grown vegan dishes. But Gratitude takes its mission further. This is their Mission Statement:
We strive to create a menu and environment that supports health and sustainability for both our community and the planet. We practice business through a term we call “Sacred Commerce”, where we provide inspired service, honest and transparent communication, and express gratitude for the richness of our lives.
I know, many of you are now thinking: 'oh those Californians' but Chef Dreux Ellis actually spent 8 years in Italy, undertaking a traditional European apprenticeship, learning in several 5-star hotels and under two Michelin-starred chefs. That level of commitment to excellence is noticeable in the whole operation. Food and service are always outstanding and you can feel really good about being a customer.

The Arts District locale is the third for Los Angeles, with other hip Cafe Gratitude outposts in Larchmont and on Venice’s Rose Avenue.

Holding some sunny real estate at the ground floor level of the massive (and much-discussed) new One Santa Fe mixed-use community, Cafe Gratitude looks to angle in on the all-important wholesome food market that’s booming downtown. The menu is, of course, entirely plant-based and organic, with a lean towards lighter lunch fare and easygoing main dishes.

Executive chef Dreux Ellis unleashes a broad menu of dinner-specific dishes that change with the seasons, and will roll them out to the sister locations accordingly. Don’t forget about their chef-curated juice cleanse option, too.

As for the space itself, expect a clean, wood-accented room with lots of gleaming white and faux rustic touches, like painted exposed brick and brass railings. A set of corner shelves leave room for quick service to-go items, while seating inside is a mix of communal tables, a long run of two-tops and larger booths, plus wraparound seating at the bar. One Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles
Source: L.A. Eater

  

Kristen Rensch:

Oh where to start? We have so many great choices. I second Brynne's opinion on Café Gratitude and I highly recommend Dreux Ellis' Mexican restaurant in West Hollywood. Gracias Madre applies the same culinary philosophy to Mexican cuisine as Gratitude - and they do serve tequila! It's located on the hip, designer-centric stretch of Melrose Avenue so you are sure to also encounter a very eclectic Hollywood crowd and quite a few celebrities.  I love to sit outside whenever possible. The courtyard patio is chic and lovely with olive trees, abundant candles and stringer lights overhead. Our mission is to celebrate and serve the presence of the mother which resides above us, within our hearts, within the earth, and in all those who nurture us. We serve cuisine inspired by the kitchens of Mexico sourced from locally grown organic ingredients. Welcome to a seat at love’s table.

The idea of Gracias Madre was first conceived while visiting the families of our employees in Mexico. We wanted to do both; offer organic Mexican food to the communities we serve as well as honor the mothers who work tirelessly in the kitchens of Mexico and often live without their husbands and children while they work side by side with us in California. Inspired by some of the recipes of these families and the love of their mothers, Gracias Madre serves organic, farm fresh, locally sourced food, full of flavor and love with a menu spearheaded by Executive Chef Chandra Gilbert and agave-based cocktail program by Beverage Director Jason Eisner.
8905 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Source: OpenTable 

  

Christie Teller:

One of the advantages of my extensive business travels is the chance to explore the culinary scene in many cities. Los Angeles offers such a vast variety that it is always a pleasure to try new places. I love the beach and recently discovered Gjelina on Abbott Kinney Blvd in Venice. Since we are on the subject of GQ: they named it the “Coolest Block in America” in 2012. Gjelina offers a modern, light take on American cuisine. It gets credit for originating the communal, rustic, aesthetically pleasing, vegetable-heavy dining concept; a trend that has since spread globally. The wood-paneled room is cozy, the lighting warm and soothing and the food extraordinary.

It may not evoke the old, funky Venice that so many of the neighborhood’s residents loudly mourn. But if you’re a fan of the newer, shinier Venice, the one with beautiful, stylish people and upscale boutiques and food that skews more California-chic than hippie-dippy, there’s really no better place to revel than Gjelina, a perpetually packed, convivial restaurant on Abbot Kinney. The back patio is one of L.A.’s greatest places to eat, bursting with sun-dappled, ivy-walled, brick-paved charm. The huge menu, of charcuterie, creative veggie dishes, small plates and pizzas, is a fantastic example of the joys of Euro-California cookery. You can get a slow-cooked lamb neck with preserved orange, chili and mint, or a pizza with wild nettles and Fresno chiles, and wash it all down with a bottle of Cahors, or perhaps a Portuguese field blend from Douro. The waits are long and you may well be eating elbow-to-elbow with strangers at a communal table, but the payoff is still quite grand.
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice

Source: Besha Rodell/ LA Weekly

Alisa Walsh:

We can't leave our readers without informing them about Bestia!
It's part of the Sprout restaurant group that comprises the most acclaimed new restaurants in Los Angeles. Bestia has made every Top Restaurant list and has received wide acclaim.
It is No 12 on Jonathan Gold's 101 Best Restaurants. You have to experience it!
 

Leaping flames, natural wines, a thicket of curing meats — that is Bestia. Decibel levels edge into the 90s; it is the noisiest restaurant in Los Angeles. It is also one of the most popular. Is a week from Tuesday at 5 good for you? But out of the chaos, the roar and the sea of White Negronis comes Ori Menashe's focused, masculine Italian cooking that has been so influential here in the last few years: rustic, slightly underdone pasta tossed with braised lamb and sharp goat cheese, or sea urchin and bottarga; slow-roasted lamb necks; or pizzas with fennel pollen and Menashe's version of the chile-red Calabrian sausage 'nduja. (The local 'nduja craze started here.) Also, it occasionally seems as if there are fig leaves in everything, including the ice cream. Genevieve Gergis' desserts are becoming more and more assured. Wars have been fought over lesser treasures than her butterscotch-coconut tart.
2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Source: Jonathan Gold - The Gold List.

We had a lot of fun discussing our favorites in the office this past week. We have a lot more recommendations up our sleeve! The fun thing about food in Los Angeles really is the range. We are such an international community that we can find any cuisine in the area. The most creative chefs combine those influences to create something totally new, innovative and surprising. And that marvel may be served from a food truck, like celebrity chef Wes Avila's Guerrilla Tacos truck, No 13 on the Gold List.

However, the best Mexican/Central American cuisine, in our modest opinion, happens right here at EventWorks when Mario from Mexico and Edwin and Wilber from Guatemala get together at the barbecue!

Wishing you a great week!

Janet