California suggestions [Travel]

2012 Aug 20
Help me out here foodies...

Am looking for your suggestions for places to eat in/around
San Francisco, LA and the coast in between.

Dives, gourmet, food trucks, i want it ALL.

Anything you care to add re places to go/things to do would also be welcome.


2012 Aug 20
First off, here's my favorite place in LA: Musso and Frank Grill. www.mussoandfrankgrill.com/ It's an institution that's been around since 1919. Real old time menu and surly service from red coated professional waiters who are nearly as old as the restaurant are all part of the charm. Weekends are kind of touristy, with out of towners who want to see celebrities, but if you go early on say, a Tuesday night, your chances are better for stargazing, as many actors have early calls, and they don't seem to go out as much on weekends.

Also liked this spot for lunch, but it's been a few years since I've been there: thegrill.com

Again in Beverly Hills, the Polo Lounge is great for breakfast or for cocktails anytime. www.beverlyhillshotel.com

The farmer's market in LA is worth a visit, and there is a great coffee shop there called Dupar's. they have a few locations, but I liked the Farmer's market the best, followed by Sherman Oaks. du-pars.com/

Mrs. Knott's chicken dinners at Knott's Berry Farm is also cool for local roadfood. www.knotts.com I remember loving a rhubarb compote there, and of course the fried chicken and biscuits.

If you're going south of LA near Costa Mesa/OC Pinot Provence is one of my favorites and they do amazing house cured olives with lavender and is a great spot for breakfast. www.patinagroup.com There are other restaurants in the Patina group that are good bets as well, but Pinot Provence is my favorite.

Also in that neck of the woods is The Beach House thebeachhouse.com I used to enjoy breakfast and lunch there on a deck right on Laguna Beach, which was such a luxury in January. And I loved the grilled fresh local artichokes for lunch.

If you're driving out towards Palm Springs, stop at Hadleys. www.hadleyfruitorchards.com/ Have a fresh date milkshake.

I haven't driven much between LA and San Francisco, but my most memorable meals in San Francisco were at MASA's. Pretty amazing food, but it's a tough reservation, so book far ahead. masasrestaurant.com/

Also in SF is the Betelnut, masasrestaurant.com/. A great place with a boisterous atmosphere and an open kitchen. Love what they do with green beans here.

There are also a couple of fast food places worth a visit. You will hear lots of talk about Inn n out burger, but I find them just meh. Burgers are very personal, and my personal favorite in California is Fatburger. They are everywhere, but the closest one you'll find to Ottawa is a lone outpost in Detroit. I also crave Rubio's fish tacos. Baja fish tacos are everywhere in California, but Rubio's does a great job for fast food made with fresh ingredients.

I have a lot more places in the La Jolla, Rancho Mirage, San Diego area so let me know if you are heading that far south.

re: attractions, not sure what time of year you are going, but if it's near Christmas i.e. American Thanksgiving or later, you should add two things to your list: The Crystal Cathedral not far from Anaheim is a modern mega church that does a Christmas Spectacular that is pretty amazing whether you are into the Christmas story or not. The space is a soaring glass pyramid, and for several weeks they run a christmas pageant that has amazing choirs, live animals including horses and camels, blazing heraldic trumpets and angels flying overhead. Not just floating, but zooming overhead a la cirque du soleil. You would also need reservations for that. And disneyland at Christmas is also pretty wild. You can get tickets to special christmas parties after hours and they make it snow in the streets and you can wander around looking at "over the top" hollywood/griswold style christmas decor, sip hot chocolate and eat christmas cookies. They redo "It's a small world" in a christmas theme just for a few weeks, and don't forget that if you're a coaster freak, Disneyland has the matterhorn, which is of historic importance and not repeated at the other Disney parks. I am a total coaster freak, so if you're into that, let me know and I have a few others I can recommend in the LA area.

There are tons of other places to eat that are worthwile in southern california, but these are my personal favorites. Would love to hear what others have to say.


2012 Aug 20
french laundry..is a no brainer.
Chez panisse
Michael mina's restaurants
chris consentinos Incanto

In n' out burger

2012 Aug 28
in LA
Versailles Cuban Restaurant | versailles
www.versaillescuban.com/

Lots and lots of other options, sushi, korean, mexican.

In SF good suggestions above, plus to for some mission burritos, and try not to miss Mission Chinese food.

SF is probably the best food city in NA.

2012 Aug 28
Beer-wise, the Tornado in San Francisco is one of the most famous beer bars in the world. Rotten service and they don't suffer (beer) fools, but it's where you find the good stuff.
www.toronado.com/

Also, Russian River if you head a bit past San Francisco to Santa Rosa.

2012 Aug 29
Lefty O'Douls in San Fran, a great old timey dump!
Lots of restaurants in North Beach, esp Italian.
I prefered Sonoma to Napa, if you go into wine country.
For French Laundry, make a reservation NOW, they're booked MONTHS in advance.
Animal in LA, assuming you're not a herbivore.

2012 Aug 29
Where ever you go - make sure and try a plate of BBQ Tri-Tip at anyplace in LA and surrounding areas. Its everywhere and a great cut of meat !!

2012 Aug 29
Seconding Versailles as per @sourdough -- you can't go wrong with the garlic chicken and a side of black beans.

If you don't mind camp, finger licking good times are to be had at Killer Shrimp (killershrimp.com): southern-style bbq shrimp with a spicy-good sauce and bread to sop it up (hint: use the bib)

2012 Aug 30
osolomeal,

Lots of good food in California.

In San Francisco, I like the Ferry Building by Embarcadero and the Golden Gate brige which have a lot of nice stands and stores. I like a chocolate shop there, the cheese store, gelato and Slanted Door.

www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

There is a farmers market on Saturday and smaller ones on Tuesday and Thursdays.
www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

Another thing I like is a bit touristy but good is go to fisherman's wharf for steamed crab and clam chowder. Also get some sourdough bread at Boudin at the Wharf and/or a burger in InandOut Burger.

If you have time, walk up Coit tower, great view of the city.

If you have not been before Pebble beach with its 17 mile drive and the Pointe Lobos State Reserve and Monterey with its wharf, cannery row and Aquarium are worth a stop. If you find the restaurants at Pebble Beach Resort too expansive, a drink would work. Another place with a great view for drinks (heard the food has gone a tad downhill recently) is Hyatt Highlands Inn in Carmel. I loved breakfast on the patio with a view of the ocean when I stayed there several times and they have binoculars available if you want more detailed views.

There are some vineyards around central valley if you want to stop and do some winery tours.

Polo Lounge was a lot of fun when I went there for lunch before so I second blubarry's recommendation.

When are you going and how long are you going for? I have some other suggestions in southern California but they may not be on route since they are in long beach, newport beach, etc.




2012 Oct 11
Just following up post trip...

And holy crap California is a foodie paradise. I went in armed with the upthread suggestions, TripAdvisor and the Food Network and still stumbled upon totally random places that turned out great great food.

KEN V, i take back almost 75% of every time i've ever argued with you about food being better down south.

There are still places right here in O-ttown i'd put up against even the best of where we ate (notably Art-is-in, Shore Club, Corazon du Mais, Ceylonta...) but for sheer volume of pure variety of awesome on a plate San Fran almost beat Mtl and LA probably did and everywhere else just wowed and wowed.

Thusly...

re FRENCH LAUNDRY - I got a reservation, no problem. Because it's closing. I hate to assume anything, but spending that level of dollars for food prepped by people sending out their CVs was offputting, so reluctantly we cancelled, but we did mow down in serious foodie fashion elsewhere every night. Also lunch and breakfast.

@bluberry - Consumed many many fish tacos in many places and they were uniformly great. Btw there's a Fatburger in Edmonton.

@sourdough/Johanna - Versailles was good altho i give the edge to the one in Miami.

@JDK - you were right about the tri-tip. So very, very right.

@FT - the Embarcadero was a treat. Way way better than its initial impression tourist-trappings. I could have eaten there every day.

Thanx all for your input.

2012 Oct 12
Fatburger in Canada is run by a Western Canada family restaurant chain called "Rickies". I think they are expanding the Fatburger chain rather rapidly in Canada

fatburgercanada.com/

Call now if you are interested in a franchise for Ottawa!

2012 Oct 12
@sourdough/Johanna - Versailles was good altho i give the edge to the one in Miami.

OSM, agreed, I too give the edge to the one in Miami.

2012 Oct 15
There is a little place called Sally's in SF on the pier. They have a marvellous fishwich with cilantro cole slaw. $5 and to die for.

Enjoy while sitting on a nearby bench listening to some musicians.

Some other spots in SF: Cha Cha Cha; Escape from New York (Pizza - another 5$ meal); Asia SF (it's a drag show thing, but the food is wonderful!)

Check out Harry Denton's starlight room (for cocktails and a caramel and sea salt cone); Bourbon and Branch (interesting and has some original cocktails);

Monterey: Henry's bbq.

2012 Oct 16
@schnicken - Cha Cha Cha may have been the bestest latin food i have ever had that wasn't tacos. We practically stumbled across the place, grabbed the last empty table and watched in awe at the lineups that followed while we mowed down. The food was amazing.

2012 Oct 18
Glad you had a good trip OSM. SF has some great places to eat :D

I had thought Embarcadero / ferry building was a bit touristy initially until I found out a lot of my friends in SF goes there, especially for the farmers market.