One thing I’m really good at is eating, and one thing I love to do is try different food places when I’m traveling. I kid you not, I made an entire list of about thirty food places to try in Los Angeles. I definitely didn’t make it to that many places in four short days, but the cafes and restaurants I did go to were awesome.
Lemonade LA
You may have seen Californians post this Lemonade cup on Instagram and wondered what the hype is all about. Lemonade LA is an a la carte cafeteria style place, with a variety of salads, meats, soups, and my favorite – truffle mac and cheese. There is also a case full of desserts that look amazing, but I didn’t try any of those. I decided to get one of their lemonades; they have a ton of flavors and I could imagine the restaurant being very crowded on a really hot summer’s day. I am now obsessed with their food, lemonade, and service – my bff, Sophie, and I were helped the second we walked in (we honestly didn’t know where to start!), and the workers allowed to sample nearly everything until we made a decision. Dear Florida, can you please take notes on this?!
Milk
Sophie and I went to Milk for dessert on the day that we spent shopping on Melrose Avenue. You might have also seen pictures of the infamous macaron ice cream sandwich (the outer part looks and tastes like a macaron so we’ll just call it that, okay?) on Instagram. Not only does the ice cream sandwich look good, but when I ate it, I felt like I was floating on clouds. Vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate and coconut shavings? You get the best of not both, but all three worlds! They had some pretty interesting flavors, but I’m glad that I went with the coconut. And according to Sophie, their milkshakes are amazing – I would hope so 😉
Urth Caffe
The moment we approached Urth Caffe, I knew it was going to be great. There was a line almost reaching the street, and my dad always says that’s a sign that the place has good food. I was hangry yet excited. Looking at the menu (as well as the baked goods display that was practically shoved in my face while approaching the register), I found myself wishing I had three stomachs so I could order three different lunch items. I ended up going with a half chicken curry salad with a hot chai latte (since I was feeling under the weather thanks to the lack of humidity and my allergies). I’m not trying to be dramatic, but the chai tea latte at Urth is the best store-made chai latte I have ever had. And look at that cute latte art in my cup! The salad was great as well, but what really stole the show was Urth’s oatmeal cookie. I have a history of bad memories with mistaking oatmeal cookies for chocolate cookies as a child, but this oatmeal cookie completely erased any negative thought I’ve ever had about an oatmeal cookie, and that was with just one bite. Dear Florida, please just take notes on this whole entire blog post.
In-N-Out Burger
I’m just throwing this in here, because it wouldn’t have been a complete trip to California without trying In-N-Out. (Just kidding, I’ve been to LA twice before this and managed to avoid it.) Burgers usually aren’t my jam, but I decided to try an ‘Animal Style’ burger and fries. ‘Animal Style’ just means that you’ll have your burger come with the standard toppings, plus grilled onions and extra spread. Let me tell you, that spread, whatever it is, is what fast food dreams are made of. Sorry, Wendy’s. And if you don’t eat meat, you should at least go for the fries. In-N-Out’s fries are probably my favorite fast food french fries. You can see the employees prepare them from fresh potatoes in the back, and you get more of a potato-y taste from them. (Dear Florida, you know the drill…)
California Donuts
Thanks to California Donuts, I can kick my Dunkin Donuts munchkin addiction. Drake dedicated an entire album to this place. (After trying California Donuts,) Nothing Was The Same. It’s a 24-Hour donut shop in K-Town and it’s always poppin’. I honestly could’ve gotten an entire dozen special donuts for myself, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, but I needed to leave room in my stomach for all the other good food I would be trying during my trip. I got the panda/Oreo donut, M&M donut, Lucky Charms donut, and Samoa/Girl Scout Cookie donut. Not only are the donuts cute, but I loved all of them equally. To be honest, I don’t even like Lucky Charms that much, but I could eat a cereal donut from California Donuts every day of the week for breakfast if I had to.
Casa Linda Mexican Grill
Okay, so this wasn’t actually on my list, but tacos (in general) were, so this works. Sophie and I wanted something to eat that wouldn’t take too long to make at a place that had a lot of indoor seating, and we stumbled upon Casa Linda while walking down Abbot Kinney in Venice, CA. Abbot Kinney is a very quirky street and I’m pretty sure that if I were opening a business, I would want it to be on that street. I ordered three chicken mole tacos and it came with some chips, all for just under $6. Not bad. The tacos were pretty good, but take that with a grain of salt, as all of my previous taco experiences stem from Tijuana Flats and homemade tacos. Everything inside the tortilla tasted really fresh, and the salsa bar was lovely as well. I would probably just check out a taco food truck next time, but if you’re hungry and in the area, Casa Linda is a winner!
Although I only knocked out a small fraction of my list, I loved every single bite of it. The food is more expensive than what I’m used to at home, but it’s worth it. Everything just tastes fresher, or maybe I’m under some type of Los Angeles spell. Have you been to any of these places? What do ya think? Leave me a comment!
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