It never fails, if I get a trip toward the west coast I pass through Los Angeles. For those that don’t know, I was born and raised just east of LA in a town called Fontana. The locals call it Fontucky, because so many mid-westerners moved there during the 2 world wars for work. You should read about the history, very interesting.

LA has so much to offer and the weather is usually great. I enjoy going to many places starting with Olvera Street in downtown LA or getting an Umami Burger on La Brea Ave. I also like to head out toward Malibu and have breakfast at the Rock Store or keeping it simple and getting some BBQ in Sherman Oaks at Cecil’s.

But my all time favorite place in LA must be The Bridge at Hotel Roosevelt!

My latest trip will begin on Jan 14th and last for a week, through the 21st. This time there will be some new adventures for the hungry traveler.

First I’m flying into Burbank for the first time and I’m excited to check out the airport of the stars! Why Burbank? Two reasons, 1 it is close to my friend Steven Pershing and 2, I have to make a side trip to Las Vega and flying from Burbank is the best option. I’m equally excited about this trip because my niece Tesla will be turning 21 and I’ll get to visit her on that special day!

On this trip I’ll make the normal stops to the shops on Robertson Blvd and with sadness, will miss stopping by Lisa Kline, where I loved getting my infamous shirts. I’ll hit the Comedy Store for a set or two of up and coming comics and I’ll be on the search for the latest trendy food options that LA has to offer.

While in Las Vegas I plan to see the Pawn Stars pawn shop, which was featured Saturday morning on the Today Show and that should be fun.

Drop me a note on my contact page if you have suggestions, I’m always interested in word-of-mouth recommendations.

There are so many places to see in Los Angeles and I often travel using the rail system and depart from historic Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Directly across the street from Union Station is Olvera Street, a pedestrian walk way with shops and restaurants a plenty.

If you are traveling by train through or to Los Angeles, make sure you give yourself an extra hour or so to take a stroll through this historic street.

GQ's Burger of the Year

GQ’s food writer recently named LA’s Umami Burger the 2010 burger of the year.  I love burgers so off to LA I went to give this a try.

There are three Umami Burger restaurants in LA but I wanted the original at 850 South La Brea Ave.  True to LA culture, even burger joints offer valet parking and at only $2.50 that’s a bargain.

LA has a habit of making celebrities of restaurants, if you’ve seen the lines outside of Pinks, a hot dog stand, you’ll know what I mean.  Umami Burger is on the same path to stardom so expect a long wait because this is a very small restaurant.

A True Mexican Coke

On the menu are more than just the signature Umami Burger and if you go with a few friends order a couple different burgers and share.  Get the sweet potato fries and a mexican coke that’s made with sugar not corn syrup. The Umami Burger comes with a cheese crisp, grilled mushrooms, caramelized onions, and their home made ketchup that is more like a flavored tomato paste.

The burgers here are cooked rare to medium rare so if you are squeamish about pink meat, ask for your burger to be well done.  The bread used as a bun is a real treat and even though the burger looks big, it won’t fill you up like a 5-Guys burger.

This is a good burger joint, unique, and stylish.  Go there for the experience and enjoy the food.

The Hungry Traveler

The second part of my west coast adventure started at SEA-TAC where I was upgraded to 1st class on my flight to LAX.  Let me give a huge shout-out to Alaska Airlines.   Alaska Airlines must put their employees through the Trader Joe’s training program because they are so pleasant and enthusiastic.  I travel a lot and when possible, I like to fly on Alaska Airlines because of 2 things.  (1) If you check in early and it’s available, you can normally upgrade to 1st class for a small fee; and (2) even if you are not in 1st class you are treated very well by polite and helpful employees.   Alaska Airlines did not pay for this endorsement, but hey, if they want to sponsor some of my trips, contact me!

The flight down from Seattle was perfect, it started with a Vodka Tonic (one of my favorites) and I had a grilled portabella mushroom, tomato, basil sandwich on a perfect bun that was warm and chewy inside with just a bit of crunch on the outside.  A side of rice with mixed vegetables and the little extra dark chocolate dessert was sweet and delicate.  A perfect meal for a 2 hour flight.

Landing at LAX was quick and getting to the curb for a pickup by my normal PershMan transport was seamless.  I immediately headed out to the 405 where I was met with a parking lot full of cars and it took about 2 hours to make a trip that would normally be 30 minutes.  If you drive in LA, you just get used to the traffic.  For dinner that evening I settled on a trendy little place called Townhouse, which is located at the Sherman Oaks Galleria.  Decent food but bad service.  Go for a drink and some appetizers and leave it at that.

Hungry Traveler Grilled Chicken

The next day we opted to have a BBQ and several friends came over to enjoy the pool and some Jimmy Stewart BBQ!  I love to cook and I’ve been working the grill since I was about 10.  Sides of fresh vegetables and several margaritas made the evening fun, however, Rick Kunkler was there most of the evening and he made the conversations just flat out funny.  A big shout out to Rick for laughing at my almost funny jokes!

The Biker Breakfast

Before heading to the airport one last stop was in order, Rock Store, for a healthy breakfast.  This is a way, way, out of the way biker hang out that is probably one of the world’s most famous.   Granted it was a bit cheesy showing up in a black car, but hey, the Hungry Traveler needs to eat!  There is nothing more authentic than Rock Store for home style cooking like your grandmother makes.  Located on Mulholland highway between Malibu and Calabasas, go there and grab a bite to eat and watch out for bike riding celebs all day long.  Take it from me, it is better to show up on a bike otherwise drive down a bit and walk up.  For breakfast, order the “biker special”.

The Skyline View at the Roosevelt Hotel

Most people I know who have never been to LA don’t want to go.  That is like saying you hate the taste of Coffee but have never had a cup.  LA has so much to offer I encourage everyone to make the trek to LA LA Land and check it out.  Get a hotel somewhere on a Metro Line and get out and about and see the stars or the palm trees. 

On my most recent trip (Aug 20-25) I revisited places I had great culinary experiences in the past and one new one that I’d avoid in the future.   

My first stop was at Cecil’s California Ribs, which is a BBQ joint on Ventura Blvd in the Sherman Oaks section of LA.  For those of a certain age, Sherman Oaks is where the Brady Bunch lived and you still see houses like theirs.  Cecil’s offers a more healthy version of BBQ without the sloppy fat or saturated fried foods here (fries being the only necessary exception).  For example, I had the Beef Tip Tacos, which were medium slices of beef tenderloin with a smoky flavor paired with a chutney of tomatoes, onions, peppers, spices with lettuce and a few small tortillas.  It is one of those meals that if you are hungry you want more but after you finish, you are satisfied. 

Another stop on my trip took me to LA Live in downtown.  LA Live consists of several restaurants/clubs and is a great place to hang out if you are attending a conference at the LA Convention Center.  I went to the Conga Room one evening and unfortunately could not recommend this place.  Although I had a good time and got taught the Samba by a professional dancer from Miami as my guide, the food was difficult to eat, not much flavor, and just bad.  I love latin cuisine and had high hopes for this place, but Miami it is not so go to the ESPN Zone or Lucky Strike because you will have a consistently good meal that is editable.

Warm Olive Plate at The Bridge

My last stop took me to the famed Roosevelt Hotel where I’ve been on a few times and would recommend to anyone visiting Hollywood.  This hotel is a bit of a maze inside but joe public can walk right in, ask for directions to the pool, and head out to the typical Hollywood scene.  You may see models, rock stars, and actors (I saw Adam Goldberg on this visit) and the prices are reasonable.  Have a drink at the Tropicana Bar near the pool.  I recommend the Ginger Smash, 10 Cane Rum, Lime, Ginger, and a splash of Giner Ale.  It’s not a Dark and Stormy but it is good! 

Head up stairs to The Bridge for dinner.  The food and service will always exceed your expectations and is a wonderful place to see and be seen, which can be a lot of fun.  The warm plate of olives is a great value at $4.00 and is enough for 4-6 people, the toast topped with wild mushrooms will be unforgettable (3 pieces), and I enjoyed the prime rib, cooked perfectly with a bone marrow butter sauce. For wine I had a glass of the 1975 2007 Cabernet. This is not an expensive place to eat at just under $100.00 for three people and that included a few drinks however, the view is priceless!  Enjoy.

View from The Bridge at Hotel Roosevelt

I’m an LA kind of guy and love to visit family and friends as often as possible in LA.  The last trip I made my good friend Persh and I ended up in Century City where we ran into Terry Bradshaw just before going into Rock Sugar, a pan Asian restaurant that had just opened a few weeks prior to my visit last Summer.  I’m not certain if Terry Bradshaw had just finished eating there, but it looked that way.  This is a very elegant restaurant on the low to moderate priced level.  I love the decor of this place, the location is perfect with an outdoor mall and movie theater in the same location.  Because I was en-route to Sydney on this trip I even stopped by the Bose store and picked up some quiet comfort headphones for he second leg of my journey down under. 

I highly recommend the shaking beef, which has a very distinctive sweet yet savory flavor.  The mixed drinks from the bar are excellent, and the service was top notch.