Classic Food Favorites in Los Angeles

If you plan to visit me in Los Angeles, I can guarantee at least one of these places will be among our culinary stops. Sometimes I am a creature of habit. I find a place I like and go to in a lot, but when I moved to LA I had a whole new world to explore. Los Angeles is a food Mecca. Anything you are craving can be yours. Friends introduced me to a couple of these places, but I used to power of Google to discover the rest.

Halloween decor from Sprinkles

My number one favorite place to eat in Los Angeles is Sprinkles. Okay so this isn’t really an eatery, but it is my number one guilty pleasure. If you know anything about me, you know I am a slight cupcake fanatic. There is something about a small cake that makes you feel less guilty about eating dessert. On my one trip home to Oklahoma, I carried on a dozen Sprinkles cupcakes for my family. I couldn’t wait to share my favorite treat with my mom, who will tell you what she thinks about a cake. When even my mom was won over by Sprinkles, I knew I had found a real gem. My favorites are usually its seasonal/holiday specials. Every few weeks, Sprinkles features a special combination of cake and frosting that is only available for a limited time. The most recent was a homage to St. Patty’s Day- a dark chocolate cupcake adorned with Baileys Irish Crème frosting. I could list around another 10 favorites, but I will narrow it down to the company’s most popular- the Red Velvet. If you remotely like chocolate or sweets, you will love this cupcake. It is the right about of sweet with a hint of cocoa powder and the tang of the cream cheese frosting. After perusing the shops down Rodeo Drive, Sprinkles is the perfect sweet indulgence. 

Veggie burger with provolone cheese, tomato & corn relish

After you have satisfied your sweet tooth with some cupcakes, why not head over to The Counter. This restaurant specializes in create your own burger. Even if you are not a vegetarian, you should try the veggie burger. It is literally the best veggie burger I have ever had, and it is also vegan. What truly makes The Counter unique is its customized burger concept. After selecting your patty type, you are faced with the daunting task of selecting your own cheese, toppings and sauce. While the menu directs you to select the cheese first, I like to start at the sauce and go from there. When selecting your sauce, the main choice you need to make is if you are going for a sweet or savory burger. After choosing your sauce, you are faced with narrowing down toppings to only four out of around 30 unless you want to pay a little more. As we come back full circle, you can finally select your cheese as the topper to your burger creation. The perfect pairing to your burger creation is a creamy, classic shake.

Red Velvet pancake

If you aren’t too full from the previous day, The Griddle is the perfect place to start your day. I have been to The Griddle four times, and I have tried something new each time. It is best known for its pancakes the size of a medium pizza. The flavors vary from classics such as chocolate chip and blueberry to the more unusual raspberry lemon curd and red velvet topped with a swirl of cream cheese icing. There is also French toast and waffles in the sweet category, but you are not out of luck if you are craving a more savory breakfast. From five different types of eggs benedict to any number of omelets, the standouts for me are the huevos rancheros. I love huevos rancheros, and it can be done a thousand different ways. The Griddle pairs its dish with chicken tequila sausage for a surprising side. The Griddle will leave you with leftovers for at least the next morning if not a couple more.

These three LA restaurants are classics of the area. Look forward to another post featuring some of my more unusual finds around Los Angeles. Hope this excites anyone who is planning to visit me, or gives ideas to other locals.