Los Angeles, CA

LOS ANGELES, CA

Bottega Louie: ($$$)

Located on the ground floor of a majestic high rise, Bottega Louie beautifully mixes classic and modern. The huge windows and high ceilings paired with all white walls and white marble floors juxtaposed with adorned vintage tables creates a glamorous yet still home-y feel. Not to mention the INCREDIBLE food. The front of the restaurant houses a bakery filled with legendary French macaroons and other pastries. The bakery also has grab and go options like sandwiches and salads. While these options are great, coming in for a meal is a must. There are great breakfast options like the farmer’s market breakfast and smoked salmon benedict.  For dinner, the portobello mushroom fries, calamari, arugula pizza, and lasagna Bolognese are absolutely divine. For the food you get and the experience you have, the prices are very reasonable.  After eating here once, you will definitely be hooked.

 

Bay Cities: ($)

This legendary Italian deli is a Santa Monica institution. The bread is unreal and make the most delicious sandwiches. The most famous sandwich is the Godmother filled with Italian meets and veggies. A delicious vegetarian option is the caprese sandwich. “The works”, a blend of Italian peppers and herbs, either mild or spicy, can be added to any sandwich. The hot food is also delicious—offering eggplant parmesan, meatballs and pastas. Looking for special Italian ingredients? Bay Cities offers a great selection of imported Italian groceries and wines so that you can make your own authentic dishes. There will be a long line for a sandwich but it will definitely be worth it and the friendly and funny staff behind the counter will entertain you along the way.

Komasa: ($$)

This tiny charming sushi bar in Little Tokyo district is the perfect place to come on a date or with a few friends. The fish is unbelievably fresh and the staff is very sweet. Sit at the bar and the sushi chefs will take great care of you and give you little treats on the house along the way. The prices are also very reasonable. At Komasa you’ll find better sushi than the “famous” sushi places in LA like Katsuya or Geisha House, and at way better prices. Any of the nigiri sushi is awesome simply because its so fresh, and the spicy yellowtail hand roll is delicious. After eating at Komasa, have a blast exploring the charming and newly renovated Little Tokyo district of downtown LA.