Restaurants you dearly miss (LA)

Caffe Angeli in Los Angeles. On Melrose Avenue. By the fabulous Evan Kleiman.
Weiner Factory Sherman Oaks
Note, I both worked at and was a customer of the above.

Monty’s Steakhouse Encino ~ one of the rare places my dad an I connected. His favorite.

Scandia West Hollywood/Sunset Strip Our regular waiter was Robert {Of course, it could have been Robert as well} and every birthday and special occasion in my life was celebrated there. I was a VIP there because I was the reason we came time after time and the restaurant understood and treated me as a VIP at 14 years old. I remember one time, I decided to ‘take’ my parents to Scandia for their anniversary. My Dad asked me if I had enough money and I said I had $68.00! When Robert presented the bill, it was $66.50 with a very generous tip to Robert. Amazing that it came out to almost exactly how much I had. The next time I looked at prices and the meal was about $200. How did they know?

Twin Dragon on Pico Blvd. Jimmy’s original. This was our Sunday and Christmas dinner spot for years.

Benson Fong’s Far East Terrace ranked second for Chinese, but I was under 10 in the Far East Terrace days. I would go for a paper-wrapped chicken in a hot second.

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Man Fook Low in Downtown. My parents used to take me there for dim sum when I was a child. That was where I learned to use chopsticks.

Campanile, specifically the Thursday sandwich nights.

Tacos Punta Cabras, although I’m enamored of Josh Gil’s current restaurant, Mirame.

Sushi Central. The food was delicious and I was happy to patronize a restaurant that didn’t serve blue fin tuna due to overfishing.

Sawtelle Kitchen. The food was tasty and reasonably priced.

Gagniers. The food was delicious and the owners were lovely people.

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My cousins loved this place. We looked down on their choice, but why I am not sure. My mother looked down on everybody, especially her family. My dad looked down on others when he was sober enough to look.

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Nice memories. Twin Dragon still slinging pupu platters and scorpion bowls.

Sometimes things come back to life too. We enjoyed tail o the pup again today with the kids. It was gone for a few decades. Hurry Curry back too. Japanese cutlet curry action.

I miss St Nicks bar. Triple size chilled stoli for $4. Them days are over.

Homegirl Cafe

Spike’s Teriyaki Bowl

Gerlach’s Grill

Pacific Dining Car

The Golden State

Broken Spanish

Trois Mec

Hungry Cat

Jimmy sold the Pico location to open Twin Dragon in the Valley. That did not work out so he invested in a large seafood/banquet place in Chinatown. That was even more of a problem as he and his kitchen crew were able to communicate due to language. Last I heard, he got out and was living large in Santa Barbara. Nicest guy in the world.

There was a gangland murder there in the 70s. Hard to find information on that.

Sorta odd source of info but it’s got some details.

My brother still goes to the pico iteration. They love it.

Gotta also give a shout out to New Moon and Paul’s Kitchen which, I think, are still there.

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I haven’t eaten at New Moon or Paul’s Kitchen.

My go to Chinese restaurants these days are Tasty Noodle House on Sawtelle and Elite in Monterey Park for dim sum.

I used to sell them wine. On order day, the family meal was extra large and the wine salesmen were invited to sit down to a complimentary late breakfast. If you had downtown, you could not call on accounts at lunch as that was when they were busy, so this bit of civilization was appreciated.

Not to be confused with Paul’s Duck Press.

Greenblatt’s. For both the brisket (that the counterman assured us was made downstairs) and the good selection of wine by the glass – and speaking for only ourselves, washing down a warm tongue sandwich on good rye with a decent vinous adult beverage was an occasion to be savored – there and only there.

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Nobody makes that matzoball soup so dense with actual chicken and veggies anymore in town despite all the delis. I also miss the sliced dark meat turkey and the thanksgiving plate incl drumstick. It was a great spot before or after the laugh factory. Maybe someone will bring it back to life. But kinda too unique to get hopes up.

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Bistro LQ - We lived in San Diego at that time and according to Chef Laurent we were still the most regular guests there with many, many fantastic tasting menus and wine pairings(and tons of “special” foie gras dishes.)

Tar Pit - Great bar close to Bistro LQ and often
a late night stop after the tasting menus - great cocktails.

Hatfield’s - Another great place for tasting menus especially the old location

Hungry Cat - relaxing seafood place for lunch and dinner

A couple prominent patrons apparently stepped in to keep Nate ‘n’ Als running, but Greenblatt’s had a different clientele.

Indeed. I understood that the rich founders kids of Nate n als still owned the bazzillion dollar building and that their stress was a problem of their own making. But I like Nate n als and glad it’s still there.

So much old Hollywood history at greenblatts. F Scott Fitzgerald last meal was reportedly a Hershey bar. Would love for a triumphant return. Maybe now Langers is the best deli in town but it’s a one trick pony albeit a good trick. Nate n als has a claim.

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Raku
Beverly Soon Tofu
Dong Il Jang
Koo Koo Roo Chicken

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Dean Sin World

restaurant quality soup dumplings, available frozen in a big ol’ plastic bag.

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This!! Their year-round late hours were also welcomed for all those times you couldn’t get to sleep because you were sick and kept coughing.

I miss Greenblatt’s so much, hopefully someone steps-in to resurrect it…

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That place was so good! Isn’t / wasn’t there an affiliation with the Mama Lu chain, though? The XLB are very, very similar…