Author
Andrew ZimmernAndrew Zimmern's Los Angeles
Andrew Zimmern is a two-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, food writer and teacher. The globe-trotting host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern recently led an expert panel of celebrity foodies to create the list of 100 nominees for the 2013 Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards. Now through April 30, 2013, the public is invited to vote for the Munchies here.
Find out some of Andrew Zimmern’s favorite places to eat and stay in Los Angeles.
Korean BBQ
LA’s Koreatown is one of the best places on earth to stuff yourself to the gills. I love the interactive nature of Korean-style ‘cue — your group sits at a big table with a charcoal grill centerpiece. The staff helps ensure meats, veggies and whatever else you order are cooked to perfection. And then there is the huge array of banchan, or sides, like kimchi and other delightful pickles. For something casual, you can’t beat Park's BBQ. Want to go a little fancier? Check out Genwa. Amazing food and impeccable service. Tangentially, if you happen upon the Kogi BBQ truck anywhere in the city, an order of Korean short rib tacos is a must.
Dan Tana's
This classic Italian steak joint oozes old Hollywood. Red and white checkered tablecloths, big leather booths, veal chops bigger than your face... It’s a total scene (they have a dish named in honor of George Clooney… a purported regular), and that’s a big part of what I love about [Dan Tana's].
Hanging at the Hotel
Shutters on the Beach, the Ritz Carlton, Beverly Wilshire… this city is filled with gorgeous, iconic hotels. I know it’s in poor traveler form to never want to leave the hotel grounds, but with such amazing 24-hour room service, fantastic pools, gorgeous lobby bars (not to mention a stunning al fresco brunch at Shutter’s), I sometimes wish I never had to check out, which says a lot considering how much I’m on the road.
Chateau Marmont
While we’re on hotels, you can’t beat the Chateau Marmont. The rooms might not be incredibly fancy or spacious, but that’s part of its charm. Even if you’re not staying there, grab a drink and a bite at their garden terrace. Night owls will love Bar Marmont for its craft cocktails, celeb clientele and maybe some willies-inducing ghost sightings.
Something Wolfgang Puck
Thirty years after opening Spago, Puck still has it. If you’re looking to try some of his famed food, your options are seemingly endless. A few I love: Chinois on Main, set on Santa Monica’s main drag, hasn’t changed much since opening in 1983, and I’m still delighted by it. Steak lovers must check out CUT. If Downtown LA is your thing, grab a bite (or just a drink) at WP24—a stunning space towering 24 stories above the city skyline. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the flagship Spago Beverly Hills, which Puck recently renovated.
Nobu Los Angeles
Breathtaking sushi, amazing people-watching, stellar service. If I had a money tree growing in my backyard, I’d eat [at Nobu] nightly.
Son of a Gun Restaurant
Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, the duo behind the popular meat-centric Animal (another one of my favorites), bring LA gourmands a piece of their Floridian roots with the seafood-studded menu at Son of a Gun. Exquisite raw dishes and the delicate lobster roll with lemon aioli and shrimp toast sandwich are the seafood stars of the menu, but I’d make a trip to the West Coast just for the fried chicken sandwich.
I love Michael Voltaggio’s ink. It’s a no-fuss kind of place; food freaks and grandmas will feel very welcome, but you'll want to leave the picky eaters in your family at home. Voltaggio draws from all of LA's diverse influences, creating what he calls "modern LA cuisine." You'll find a spicy Thai dish alongside a traditional American one (pigeon pastrami on rye) followed up by giant squid spaghetti with squash, hazelnut-ink pesto and piment d’espilette. Small plates are meant for sharing, so in one evening you can eat your way across the globe.
Jordan Kahn is a visionary, which makes Red Medicine one of the most outstanding restaurants in the country. Drawing inspiration from late night meals at Vietnamese restaurants, Kahn uses lots of fragrant, traditional ingredients like mint, cilantro, Thai chili and lime. However, Kahn’s reinterpretation of these dishes is simply stunning, almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
Pizzeria Mozza
I’m a pizza guy, and the pies Nancy Silverton sends out of her kitchen are amazing. Her Neapolitan-style creations are topped with all sorts of fresh, simple ingredients like speck, bufala mozzarella, olive tapenade and oregano… but I am a sucker for the classic Margherita.
