I feel like that type of dining would do so well here but no one has been able to crack the code
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Cracker Barrel.
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Outdoor restaurants! For a city with almost perfect weather, there are too few places like Salazar (food sucks now unfortunately).
Given the amount of great seafood in the Santa Barbara channel (or in Baja for that matter) I’m always surprised that local seafood - spiny lobster, ridgebacks, kinki, rock crab etc - isn’t more prominent, whether in restaurants or markets. Supply issue?
Kinda shocked there’s not a Rory’s Place type restaurant here. Maybe that’s All Time, but I find that place corny and aggressively white if that makes sense. Is it an economic thing?
More Caribbean food would be nice. Spanish food too, though I think the format and economics make what’s so charming about eating in Spain hard here.
I don’t disagree. Are you not a fan of the Bestiaplex though? Family member worked for Solomonov so I’m biased.
Waffle House is the right answer lol.
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Shit you are right, I wish to recast my vote as Waffle House.
Although Bojangles as a close second.
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Man I regret not having Zahav or Laser Wolf.
It would never work here in So Cal but I really miss NYC deli’s. I cry at the late night options that are non-taco stand….Norms and Del? While you can walk into a deli in NYC and grab a good sandwich, snacks, bev, fresh fruit, etc.
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Try to Get to one of Dylan Ho’s ToriToreTory dinners in the mean time , heard he maybe cutting back in 2024
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Lol. One of the only redeeming reasons for my daughter going to school in Philadelphia. Her Place and the Vetri and Vernick restaurants aren’t bad either.
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Seems like we have a few on the way. Aitor coming back with Somni, Dave Beran trying to open a Dialogue replacement, Eater just did a write up on Jônt coming from DC, and isn’t Jose Andres working on something?
It seems financially impossible to do in LA, but some of my favorite places to eat are small little spots where a chef or two are just preparing whatever they want based on whatever arrived in the kitchen that day. No menu, just show up and eat (and drink).
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Oooh this 100%. Like midnight diner vibes. Small bar only kitchen that seats 8 people max and serves whatever the chef wants that day 
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Shoya in Lomita has similar ish vibes.
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White Castle
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Can we have cheap NY style breakfasts. Can’t do these $15 breakfast burritos no more.
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What does pp usually run for ttt?
Appetizing places like Russ n Daughters.
Bacon egg and cheese on rolls for <$5 @Ns1.
Neighborhood red sauce Italian places that aren’t on the higher end. Cosa Buona ish but with chicken rolls, shrimp parm,
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I thought we were already awash with red sauce joints… Donna’s, Spina, La Dolce Vita, not to mention old standbys like Guido’s, Peppone and Vito.
Haha not in the OC. I would consider those more high end. Was thinking along the lines of a place we grew up near - Fresh Meadows Pizzeria. Pizza place with a restaurant attached to it.
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Which seems so weird b/c we have SO MUCH great mid-level (or upper mid-level) stuff here. Although we had crappy Italian and pizza for so long, so… Where’s the Evan Funke or Travis Lett for Spanish food???
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Don’t want to be the “Actually” guy but actually…Midnight Diner cooks whatever you want as long as he has the ingredients or if you bring him the ingredients. But i could go for a place that the chef just cooks whatever he wants and people just eat what he serves.
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I’m so with you on the ramen. I was so excited when Nagi opened here, only to find out they weren’t serving their niboshi/sardine-based broth, only pork! I could’ve sworn the location I went to in Shinjuku only had niboshi.
I really appreciate Iki for their shio and shoyu although their tonkotsu is one of the better ones, too.
re: yakitori - Is yakitori-ya still open? That’s prob the closest to higher end omakase we had.
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Place Yuu on Sawtelle (circa early 2000s) was that place. These days, Gozen Bistro does a nihonryori tasting menu which kinda resembles an izakaya omakase.
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