Los Angeles Food
With its concentration of film and television studios and their fetishisation of the body beautiful, you could be forgiven for thinking that food was something of a taboo in Los Angeles. This isn't quite the case, however, as while you may still risk social exclusion for eating bread in the public view, there is a wealth of truly world class restaurants dishing up exquisite dishes, albeit often catering to the latest diet and fattest wallet.
LA is quite rightly regarded as the culinary capital of the West Coast, with the creativity of the nearby film stars clearly rubbing off on local chefs, who are known for creating some of the world's most exciting dishes. LA's position as a multi-cultural melting pot has also exerted a positive influence on its cuisine, with visitors able to sample a diverse range of dishes, with a particular influence from the Pacific clearly evident.
Wolfgang Puck is perhaps the most notable celebrity chef on the circuit, although in a city that makes it living out of discovering new talent, there is always some newer and more exciting worth checking out. Puck is based at the Spago Beverly Hills, regarded as one of the celebrity haunts to be seen at, making advance booking essential. The dishes are a blend of quintessential Californian cooking, infused with Puck's Austrian heritage.
Budget travellers, however, may struggle to stretch to some of Puck's dishes, but, this being a city where those who have made it are still out-numbered by those still waiting (tables), there is also an extremely good selection of low priced or more modest eateries.
The Pantry has been attracting locals for some 75 years now, catering for an encouraging mix of hipsters and struggling nobodies, as well as the odd tourist. The place is refreshingly pretension free for an LA haunt, with visitors advised to leave the calorie counter at home, grab a seat at the Formica counter and dig into omelettes, steaks, pork chops and other artery-clogging fare. What's more, the Pantry is open 24 hours day, proving that its LA, not New York, is the city that never sleeps.
KoKoMO is also a good budget option, dishing up hearty grub in arty surroundings. Art Deco and Formica provide the backdrop for its famously large breakfasts, which are a great choice for those hoping to push through the day with a minimum spend on food. Those who need their celeb fix just as much as their caffeine, will also be glad to hear that it's close to the CBS studios.
Clifton's Cafeteria is another good choice for cheap eats. Founded in 1931 by a Salvation Army Officer, the restaurant has a tradition of feeding those that cannot fork out for LA's more expensive options. The signature "grub" cooked up during the Great Depression is still a menu staple, while its enchanted chapel decor, complete with fake plastic trees, squirrels and deer, make it a more unusual choice for an extremely good value meal.
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Eating and Drinking
