My Top 5 Favorite LA Restaurants
Although my husband and I love trying new places to eat, we have a Top 5 that neither of us will ever say no to on a given night. These are the places we usually go for "date night" because they're special to us and we've been going since we've been dating (over 5 years). As much as I am a makeup lover, I am a food lover. I can't say Im an "eater" or "experimenter" because I am kind of particular with my food, so we will cancel out the word: foodie. However, my husband? He will eat and try anything that crawls, fly's or swims. With that said, we like to go to restaurants that offer versatility.
Mr Chow
This place was one of our first dates (I think the 2nd if I am not mistaken). Till this day, I had never eaten Chinese food like that, ever. So the story is, Mr. Chow was the son of a very famous Oprah singer back in the days. He came from a wealthy family with very high end personal chefs. After the war, they fled the country and were left with nothing. When he came to America, he realized, they didn't have food like the food he used to it. Lo-behold, he decided to bring that flavor in himself. Not to bore you, but after hearing that, all made sense about his food. It really is the most gourmet Chinese food you've ever eaten. Its not cheap, but well worth the money. Its a small place with community seating, but so beautiful! Seriously, this place is a treat. If you haven't been, it's a must!
2. The Bazaar at the SLS
This restaurant is EVERYTHING! And when I say everything, I mean food, service & decor! The SLS itself has one of my favorite decors and this restaurant is a VIBE. It's really big and they have several seating areas with different decors. When you are done with dinner, you can walk over to the other side of the restaurant which is their dessert room. Finish off your night with some wine and delicious desserts. But let's not skip ahead, the food is one of the best foods, hands down. Once you've tried a Jose Andres restaurant, you know. Deliciousness aside, the presentation of the food is just beautiful. They have an open kitchen and you can see them creating the food and its just entertaining and so admirable. One of the managers of the restaurant had heard recently that my husband and I were huge fans and invited us over for a special night. We had a 22 course dinner! I mean, I got till 19 believe it or not. The experience, the service, everything is just perfection. If you haven't been, you are missing out.
3. Wally's
This restaurant used to be a liquor store, believe it or not. Now, you walk in on an average night and it is completely packed. David and I love this place for several reasons. 1. It is actually one of the very few restaurants that are open till 2am in LA. 2. We love the outdoor seating 3. The food is delicious. 4. Great ambiance! Sometimes, even if were not hungry, we will just head over there for some wine & cheese; our favorite thing to do. If you are a wine & cheese lover, this is your jam!
4. Katana
Katana is a robata grill, Japanese cuisine. We love the food here and how they have small portions so you get to have a little bit of everything and never leave a dish full. As most of you already know, I am not a seafood lover, so there is plenty bbq options for me. You will love this place if you want good food and a night out to just hang out and enjoy. Again, outdoors is our favorite, of course when the weather is good. Katana has been around for a long time and the fact that it still stands in LA, where restaurants are opening and closing left and right, you know its good!
5. Osteria Mamma
Our friend George introduced us to this place back and David and I were dating and we fell in love. Unlike the above four restaurants, this place is super homey and feels like you are at a restaurant in Italy. Delicious authentic Italian food, great service, great wine options and very family friendly. This is the type of restaurant we go to when were having Date Night wit Kat lol.
Bonus: Gracias Madre
Ok I decided to include this one in there for the Vegan food lovers. A friend of mine has celiac disease and is completely gluten free/vegan. On a night out, she suggested this Mexican restaurants and we didn't just love the place, but we were in shock. Not only is the food delicious, you cannot believe its vegan. The cauliflower tacos actually taste like chicken! The cashew dressing tastes like ranch! I mean ,it's insane what they do with vegan food these days. Healthy & delicious!
