Angelenos are nothing if not devoted to their cravings. They regularly battle long lines, grueling traffic and stiff competition for reservations at some of the best dining spots in Los Angeles – all to secure a few scrumptious sips and bites.
Why the devotion? Because LA residents have known for ages what the rest of the country has only realized recently: LA is a top-notch food metropolis, on par with old-school foodie favorites like New York City and Chicago. Grazing the city’s foodie delights is one of LA’s top experiences.
You’ll soon discover that the city’s cuisine is innovative, multicultural, rooted in the area’s history, and accessible – assuming you’re willing to wait in those lines! Here, life-changing culinary experiences are just as likely to happen at no-frills food stands as in fine-dining restaurants.
Now on to those culinary moments! Here are the best things to eat and drink in LA right now – and the best places to find them…
Chicken and lemon pancakes at Marelle (Santa Monica)
Riffing on the sweet-and-savory combo of chicken and waffles – one of the traditional foods of Los Angeles thanks to legendary joints such as Roscoe’s – Marelle added scrumptious lemon ricotta pancakes topped with crispy Jidori chicken and sweet roasted peppers to its breakfast and brunch menus.
This outpost for California cuisine is set in the recently opened oceanfront Sandbourne Santa Monica hotel. Grab a table with pool and beach views and wash down your pancakes with the tequila-and-bubbles tang of a La Vie en Rosé cocktail, which comes with a pair of rose-colored sunglasses.
How to get it: For weekend brunch, make a reservation online at least a few days in advance. Walk-ins on weekdays should be no problem.
Superfood smoothies at Erewhon (multiple locations)
Health food grocer Erewhon started a smoothie craze in LA that shows no sign of slowing down. Fruit-first concoctions mixed with premium ingredients such as blue spirulina and collagen powder have customers shelling out upwards of $20 per drink.
For a more moderate price of $11, go for the Regenerada Smoothie 2.0, which is packed with protein because of its star ingredient, Mikuna Chocho – a superfood grown only in the Andes Mountains. Even if the Regenerada drink falls off the menu, you can still add Mikuna Chocho to any other smoothie.
How to get it: Avoid a wait at the smoothie…
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