Boom! Another 48 Hours In… This time, it’s Los Angeles, that dreamy, sunny, magic land just barely hanging on to the bottom half of California. Don’t miss our other posts in this series!
The future’s so bright, I’ve gotta wear shades…
Techie by day, cocktail connoisseur by night, Ron Dollete of Lush Angeles is definitely Mr. LA to me. He took on this assignment with great aplomb, detailing his ideal food/drink tour through Los Angeles… in 48 hours.
First, you head north past Los Angeles’ Hasidic Jewish neighborhood and onto the posh boutique-lined Beverly Boulevard for a bite at Petty Cash, an upscale taqueria. The walls look like an enormous Digital Retna mural, and the bar is stocked with scores of agave spirits, many of which you’ve never seen before. You see the trompo and decide to order tacos al pastor to go with your Paloma.
It’s a little loud there, but you’re excited for a boisterous evening. It’s still early so you head over to Los Feliz and manage to score a seat right in front of Marty and Elayne at The Dresden. Speakeasies are dead in Los Angeles, but you know this already, and now the city is all about having a good time in a party-like atmosphere. Shining examples of this are spots like Good Times At Davey Wayne’s, whose decor is reminiscent of an awesome house party, as well as Honeycut and their light up dance floor in the discotheque. Tonight, you’re keeping it old school and you sing along as Marty serenades another patron on her birthday, while marveling at how well Elayne can still play the flute.
It’s around midnight now, and you realize that the tacos from earlier aren’t going to help you with all the martinis you just drank. You leave The Dresden, head down Hollywood Blvd, and go to Thai Town (which is a surreal sentence when you stop and think about it). Ruen Pair is a late night spot popular with club kids, food nerds, and service industry alike. The noodles hit the spot, and you feel like maybe grabbing one more drink before calling it a night.
You walk over to Harvard & Stone, and just as you get in, a band is finishing up their set and a DJ is spinning some fun soul tunes. At the front bar, they’re pouring craft cocktails for some, party shots for others. You opt for a bottle of beer and make your way to the back for a bit of people-watching. You walk past the R&D bar in the back and onto the smoking patio, finish your beer. It’s getting late and everyone around you is talking about heading over to Jumbo’s Clown Room, but you think better of it and head back to the hotel.
By morning, you’ve got a slight head-ache, nothing too bad, but you could definitely use some breakfast. You head to the westside, and enjoy a leisurely breakfast at Huckleberry Cafe. While sipping on coffee at Intelligentsia, you plot your return ride to Santa Monica and opt to take Main Street instead of the beach boardwalk. It’s a bit less touristy, but still quite busy with local traffic.
Not too far from the studio lots in Culver City is the Helms Bakery District, and while you’re not actually shopping for high-design furniture, you decide to stop by the Father’s Office location there for a burger and a beer. Their original location in Santa Monica was much smaller and cozier, and you prefer the wide open patio here while you enjoy your late lunch.
It’s your last night in Los Angeles and you want to go out in style. You go past the line at Wurstkuche, and instead opt to have dinner at Bestia. You treat yourself to long dinner in a beautiful room sipping on delicious drinks. Better take it easy tonight; you have a flight to catch tomorrow.
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Ron Dollete is a food and drink nerd living in Los Angeles. You can find him on Twitter at @lushangeles, among other accounts.
*Photo credit: Ron Dollete