The Spot: Best vegetarian
This is one of the only local restaurants that can use the words “World Famous” in their advertising and have a credible claim to the distinction. The Spot has been a place of pilgrimage since 1977 and is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in greater Los Angeles.
Thai Dishes: Best Thai
Thai Dishes building with the steeply peaked roof by the post office on PCH is one of the more arresting pieces of architecture on the highway. It’s as close an approximation to a Thai home as local building codes will allow.
Benihana: Best teppanyaki
The award for teppanyaki goes to the restaurant that brought it to America. Teppanyaki – literally, food cooked on an iron grill – was invented in the 1940’s but wasn’t very popular among Japanese.
W’s China Bistro: Best Asian fusion
Though W’s China Bistro has a name that leads you to expect tradition, the menu has much more going on — not only Chinese dishes, but Thai, Peruvian, and some items that fuse multiple traditions.
Mediterraneo: Best tapas
The restaurant that pioneered Spanish tapas in the South Bay is still serving them, both in their traditional form and modern variants. Any resident of Madrid would immediately recognize much of what is served here.
Bull Pen: Best steak under $30
If a film producer was looking for a local place that looks like a classic steakhouse, the Bull Pen would be their first choice. This is the kind of establishment others try to mimic, one that looks a lot like their original location, which opened in the 1940’s.
Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar: Best Steak over $30
When a chain operation in an office building is the overwhelming favorite steak option in an area with many competitors it means they’re doing something extraordinarily well.
Bottle Inn: Best Romantic, best wine list
Although almost everything else in our culture has changed in the last four decades, our definition of a romantic space hasn’t. The Bottle Inn in Hermosa was a place for an intimate meal when it opened in 1974, and though there have been only a few refurbishments since.
Hot’s Kitchen: Best Foie Gras
Hot’s Kitchen is all about creative food, served in an energetic environment along with craft beers.
Comedy and Magic Club: Best comedy club
From the start, Mike Lacey understood comedians needed to be respected. That’s the reason why young comics such as Jay Leno, Kevin Nealon, Jerry Seinfeld, Garry Shandling, Jimmy Brogan keep coming back to his club.
Dominique’s Kitchen: Best French
Dominique Theval makes French food as if it is the most exciting cuisine in the world because to him it is.
Mickey’s: Best Deli
Most delis cultivate the impression of being a neighborhood institution, some going so far as to refer to their sandwich as “famous” on the day they open. Mickey’s doesn’t have to do that.
Tomboy’s: Best Chili
Here’s the pro tip – it’s not on the Tomboy’s menu, but they’ll make a chili size topped with cheese and onions. It’s the best way to enjoy the chili here, which is mild but flavorful.
Palmilla Cocina y Tequila: Mexican over $20
Whether you’re enjoying Palmilla’s ceviches, Carne Tampiquena perfumed by a wood fire, or one of their regional specialties, it’s a gourmet experience.
Java Man: Best coffee house (independent)
Java Man is a great place to hang out or people watch while fortifying yourself with freshly roasted espresso or Americano and nibbling some bakery treats or some oatmeal with all the add-ins.
Hook & Plow: Best farm-to-table
Hook and Plow was an immediate hit when they opened last year because they take the farm-to-table philosophy to heart.