Thread: Official: Best Socal Restaraunts

I want to start a list of the best so-cal restaraunts. Not sure if someone has made a thread like this, but i couldnt find one. Post up one or a list of any (fancy, chill, a hole in the wall, Cafe, Hookah lounge etc..) It will become helpful to anybody who is hungry and cant decide what / where to eat..
Lets get it started..

One of my fav Philly / Wing spots..
Hoagies & Wings
14552 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Another good Philly spot..
Yummy Philly Cheese Steak & Flame Grilled Chicken
Neighborhood: Van Nuys
6348 Van Nuys Blvd

Has some of the best mexican food.. (make sure to try the Torta and Cheese tacos)
Taqueria El Tapatio
1266 S Glendale Ave
Glendale, CA 91205

Slightly different then above but I would suggest my regular spots:

XIV

Katsuya (Studio City for quick in and out, Brentwood for Cougar watching, Hollywood for a good time, Glendale never.)

Bazaar

Mozza Oseteria & the Pizzeria

Velvet Margarita

Casa Vega

8oz Burger Bar

Laurel Tavern

To many more to list. To lazy to do the addresses but thankfully there is google.

In N Out..

mexican - el taurino (near hoover and olympic) - their hot sauce is out of this world!
pizza - king of ny pizzeria (on 3rd and western)
pricier pizza - pizzeria mozza or jones bar
burgers - burger bar (on melrose, just east of fairfax) or fathers office (in culver city)
chinese - yang chow (chinatown, near broadway and alpine)
pricier chinese - mr chows (near rodeo)
tapas - the bazaar @ the sls or cobras and matadors (beverly and curson)
sushi - sushiya (sunset plaza)
steaks - the palm (hollywood and downtown locations)
korean - chosun bbq (1 block west of western on olympic)
crab - crustaceans (in beverly hills)
soul food - baby blues (in venice)
chicken wings - kyochon chicken (in ktown) - trust me, koreans know how to do chicken wings right!

trying to think of what else i like, but i guess i could add more later on. hope this helps.

Persian food:

Raffi's Place - Glendale
Darband - Woodland Hills
Caspian - OC
Darya - West LA / Santa Monica
Sholeh/Flame - Westwood + Beverly Hills
4 Fasl - Agoura
Alborz - Del Mar
Bandar - downtown San Diego / Gaslamp

Hookah (only referring to Hookah, not the food, etc.):

The Spot - Encino
Habibi's / Gypsy - Westwood
Zinio's - Westwood (mostly locals, good hookah)
Dahab - West LA
Hookah Lounge - Glendale
Gitanes / Cafe O - Burbank
Hidden Cafe - OC
Med Cafe - downtown San Diego
Fumari - downtown San Diego / Gaslamp

I should mention that there are more than I've listed all over L.A. But for one reason or another, you wouldn't want to dine / smoke there.

Father's Office on Montana Ave.

The Counter in Westwood.

Tommy's on Olympic under the 405.

Can you tell I like burgers??

Big Mike's in Hermosa for sandwiches.


But my fav restaurant in LA is Mastro's.

Marche Moderne - Costa Mesa (In the South Coast Plaza "Penthouse") Beleive it or not !

Zankou chicken, Gitana, & Castaway are some places I enjoyed.

Originally Posted by ZAMIRZ

Hookah:

The Spot - Encino
Habibi's / Gypsy - Westwood
Zinio's - Westwood (mostly locals, good hookah)
Dahab - West LA
Hookah Lounge - Glendale
Gitanes / Cafe O - Burbank
Hidden Cafe - OC
Med Cafe - downtown San Diego
Fumari - downtown San Diego / Gaslamp

I should mention that there are more than I've listed all over L.A. But for one reason or another, you wouldn't want to dine / smoke there.

The Spot is one of my fav hookah spots so far..
Gitanas and Cafe O arent bad, not a big fan of their food tho
Hookah lounge has okay hookahs. havent really tried the food

Some more hookah spots..

Kaffe Rouge , on ventura blvd.
Oceans Restaurant, Woodland hills, devonshire st

Originally Posted by deuce818

The Spot is one of my fav hookah spots so far..
Gitanas and Cafe O arent bad, not a big fan of their food tho
Hookah lounge has okay hookahs. havent really tried the food

Some more hookah spots..

Kaffe Rouge , on ventura blvd.
Oceans Restaurant, Woodland hills, devonshire st

I'm gonna edit my original post to say that I'm only referring to the hookah at the places under "Hookah", but the food at The Spot is pretty good. Although, they do tend to let their meat sit in tenderizer a bit too long.

Gitanas and Cafe O food is crap for sure. Their hookahs aren't great either, but their situated in a great area and you can have dinner closeby and drop in for hookah and a tea. Or during the day you can shop and then drop in afterward for hookah and tea.

Hookah Lounge is the only place I feel comfortable going in Glendale for hookah. Everywhere else I get stared down by local Armos who don't recognize me, which is uncomfortable. Most of my friends who live in Glendale also seem to feel the same way. But I'd really like to find a better place to go / take girls in that area.

I haven't tried Kaffe Rouge, but heard the crowd is really hit or miss, although the hookah and food is on the good side. Some of my girl friends said it's pretty good on weeknights, but Friday/Saturday there are lots of greaseballs and sleezy guys.

Oceans used to be a lot better when it first opened. The owner used to work for Zahla restaurant in N. Hollywood then he opened up Oceans. But, last time couple times I went, I felt like the crowd had definitely declined and our service was lacking. The hookah is usually pretty good though.

Still, The Spot is THE BEST all-around hookah place in L.A. by far IMHO. The food is good, the hookah is excellent, the crowd is excellent, plenty of parking, fantastic service and management and very little drama. I'm there twice a week on average.