In real estate it’s all about location, and in film it’s about set design and look. As a real estate and film industry town, LA boasts some great food spots whose settings happen to also be beautifully designed, cool or off-beat.
Eat in a yellow train car in the middle of Sunset Blvd. without the annoyance of getting motion sickness. Since 1968, Carney’s has been serving up hot dogs and hamburgers grilled to greasy perfection. And of course there are also those few Mexican and Thai dishes that seem a little weirdly placed on the menu.
If these walls could talk…but they don’t need to, as the setting of this famed luxury hotel restaurant says it all with cool breezes of style. Sit outside facing columned walkways. Enjoy your almond crusted halibut that much more, knowing that you’re on the site where Clark Gable and Jean Harlow cemented their secret romance.
Like the romantic name implies, this restaurant is like a natural oasis in the middle of busy urban Silver Lake. Designers Dana Holister and Keith Greco wanted the scene to be playful but relaxing. The lush garden atmosphere is just that. Fantasize that you’re in the Mediterranean as you feast on pumpkin ravioli with sage, and lamb stew with apricots and couscous.
If you find architecture as succulent as steak, you’ll want to check out what celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and master architect Richard Meier can do when they put their heads together. Swank, modern and minimalist, the restaurant is an ode to fluid contemporary design. Puck puts his culinary mark on red meat classics like Porterhouse steak, New York sirloin and Filet Mignon.
Sink your body into a pile of pillows and your teeth into lamb and other Moroccan dishes. Tiled décor sets the mysterious, exotic tone for a long (usually several courses) dining excursion. Belly dancers add to the festive far-from-LA mood. The best part is eating upscale casual renditions of Moroccan favorites like B’Stilla (flaky pastry shell with chicken, almonds, eggs and spices) with your bare hands.
Where’s the fire? In the oven and at the fire station in which this cool Silver Lake adjacent restaurant sits. Edendale is located on the site of Fire Station #56 which dates back to 1924. The original truck bay doors still stand. The American and Continental fares are equally classic including one of their house specialties, meatloaf. The Mixville bar in the back is a popular weekend destination for East Siders.
This charming rustic hideaway of a restaurant was originally rumored to have been the mountain retreat of famed radio evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson in the ‘30s. Today, it’s a Topanga Canyon staple known for its upscale healthy California menu. The Inn is romantically placed in the middle of a forest, and popular with the bridal shower crowd. Organic farm-fresh meat is also an option alongside delicious vegetarian dishes.
Bob's Big Boy may be a chain but there is nothing generic about their Toluca Lake location. Gearheads and classic car buffs from near and far meet at Bob's at 4211 W. Riverside Dr. to show off their wheels, talk shop and share fries. The famed statue, the souped up hot rods, these are happy days!
An evening at Nic’s is like walking onto the set of a kitsch ‘60s movie like
Casino Royale. The whimsical décor is coupled with serious martinis of every stripe and flavor. And where else could you find a Dean Martin shrine? The Rat Packer visited this establishment and so they honor him by placing a Martini at his old seat every night. If you visit their Vodbox vodka tasting room they’ll dress you in a fake fur jacket and Russian hat…stylish!
Eating and drinking with your head (literally) in the clouds has never been so fun. One of two LA Standard Hotel bar restaurants (the other in Hollywood), this cocktail and food spot is less about people-watching and more about the nice view of the Downtown skyline from the rooftop. The menu includes tasty basics—everything from spaghetti to roasted chicken and Ahi Tuna entrees.
