Go where I tell you and eat what I say.
Looking at my calendar, I see I've been to quite a few spots in the last month - some for the first time, and some the umpteenth, some for the food only, but most for the beer too. In reverse order: The Oinkster (Eagle Rock), Kings Row Gastropub & Congregation Ale House (Pasadena), Ernie's Mexican Restaurant (North Hollywood & Eagle Rock), Simmzy's (Manhattan Beach), Little Dom's (Los Feliz), The Playground (Santa Ana in Orange County), Hollywood Tavern, Steingarten, Eagle Rock Brewery, Bottega Louie, Street, Village Idiot & Blue Palms (LA). *Hollywood or LA? See bottom of post for some boring local geographical factoids.
The Oinkster (www.theoinkster.com): Rotisserie chicken dipped in garlic aioli + fresh local beer on tap = pure goodness.
Kings Row Gastropub (www.kingsrowpub.com): Their (not actually a) poutine may not have the requisite fresh squeaky cheese curds to warrant the name, but it's truly delicious, so get it anyway! Speaking of squeaking, their bubble & squeak (below) was a delightful surprise, and the El Segundo Brewing Citra Pale Ale was the perfect accompaniment.
Congregation Ale House (www.congregationalehouse.com) makes their own bread & pastries and it shows. My turkey burger & apple tart were remarkable!
My favorite Mexican-English American woman introduced me to Ernie's Mexican Restaurant (www.erniesnoho.com) and I became an instant fan! Yummy chicken chimichangas and fresh guac... not to be confused with fresh avocado or guacamole sauce; and not to be confused with any other Ernie's location because they are very, very different. Standard beers for a Mexican restaurant, which is to say you go there for the food.
Simmzy's in Manhattan Beach (www.simmzys.com) has too many good things to mention (tap list, food, consistently superior bartender service), so start with an omelette & beer brunch followed by a walk along "The Strand" (ocean promenade). If you're not a fan of waiting your turn, go to a less awesome spot.
Little Dom's (www.littledoms.com) was one of my first loves in LA, mostly for brunch (this is not a beer spot). Scrambled eggs bruschetta, blueberry ricotta pancakes, arugula parmesan salad... the list goes on. PS: If you see an actor there, try not to be one of those LA-holes that gawks, points or tweets their location.
The Playground (www.playgrounddtsa.com) was a first visit for me and I think they have a really good thing going (service, bottle list, food), so they should listen to their customers and cut back on the fricking salt already!
Village Idiot (www.villageidiotla.com) is one of my faves for at-bar-mosphere, and they always have a few good taps & food options. The chef is as flexible as concrete though; if you order soup or something spicy you will not get bread or a roll or a bun, even if you beg to pay for it! It throws off the inventory?! What?! (If this has changed, let me know...)
As for Blue Palms Brewhouse (www.bluepalmsbrewhouse.com) and Eagle Rock Brewery (www.eaglerockbrewery.com), me love you long time (since the beginning, in fact). Excellent beer and even excellenter people behind the bar. BP regulars love the truffle burger and ERB regulars love the food trucks. I unconditionally love both these kids. Happy 3rd birthday celebration this Saturday, ERB!
*Boring local geographical factoids
For the non-local readers (and some of the local ones too), regional references of Los Angeles can be confusing. Hollywood is not a city; it is a district within the City of Los Angeles, within Los Angeles County. Los Feliz is a neighborhood within the district of Hollywood. North Hollywood is a city, separate from the district of Hollywood and the City of Los Angeles. Eagle Rock is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles. Like North Hollywood, Pasadena and Manhattan Beach are also cities within Los Angeles County.
Getting this sorted out when I moved to LA reminded me of moving to Vancouver... Vancouver BC, not Vancouver WA (near Portland OR). Americans call it "Vancouver Canada", which would be similar to referencing Denver Colorado as "Denver USA," which neither Canadians nor Americans do (even when they don't know which state Denver's in). I digress. There is Vancouver and the West End and West Vancouver and North Vancouver - each are distinct cities except for the West End which is a neighbourhood of Vancouver (not to be confused with the spelling of neighborhood in Vancouver WA). That is all.
