Parade day in L.A. is not brunch — it’s cardio and church in Dodger blue. Downtown turns into a sea of jerseys and homemade signs, and you’re expected to scream “LET’S GO DODGERS” at a moving bus full of millionaires before 11 a.m. You cannot do that on caffeine alone. You need real fuel, and you need it in parade radius: Downtown, Chinatown, Echo Park, Boyle Heights, Westlake. From Wake & Late’s breakfast burrito-that-could-legally-be-a-weapon to Langer’s pastrami monarchy to 117-year-old French dips at Philippe’s, these are the 10 spots that will keep you upright, joyous, and only slightly feral on local news.

No matrix, no badges—just a Westside survival kit. From sun-up plates at Saby’s to passenger-seat picnics from beethovenmarket and bread worship at lodgebread, this Mar Vista/Del Rey swing is ten places I actually eat, text about too much, and dream about at red lights.

Between Coldwater and Woodman, Ventura Boulevard hums with the kind of culinary confidence that doesn’t need to shout. Strip malls bloom like bougainvillea, dry cleaners wear mid-century ghosts, and the shawarma still sizzles at midnight. This is the Valley’s golden stretch—where Thai tacos meet Burgundy pours, and ten restaurants prove that the 818 has quietly become L.A.’s best dinner reservation.

South LA has always cooked with soul—counters, patios, and market stalls turned into places you bring your people. This guest-minded guide skips the clipboards and heads straight to where the neighborhood tastes like itself: Holbox’s market-stall magic, Alta’s Sunday-dinner comfort, Creole classics at Harold & Belle’s, curbside burgers at Hawkins, and more. Order like you mean it, tip like you want the lights to stay on, and let West Adams, Historic South Central, Jefferson Park, Inglewood, and Baldwin Hills feed you.

The South Bay feeds you the way a good friend does—generously, without fuss, and with just enough sparkle to make you grin on the drive home. From raw bars that feel like a kiss of the Atlantic, to pho that resets your whole day, to KBBQ that turns a grill into a campfire, these ten spots are proof that the South Bay isn’t just a place to eat—it’s a place to exhale.

Alhambra isn’t just another suburb east of Los Angeles—it’s the beating heart of the San Gabriel Valley’s dining scene. From kaya toast mornings at Ipoh Kopitiam to peppercorn-heavy nights at Sichuan Impression, this list captures ten restaurants that prove eating here isn’t just about food—it’s about memory, culture, and pure joy.

Italian food in LA is basically intimacy in carb form — messy, indulgent, sometimes transformative, sometimes just fine. In this edition: Cento, the fling that got too real; Met Him at a Bar, the setup that turned out to be more real estate than romance; and Antico Nuovo, the chic dining room that proves forever doesn’t have to be dazzling to last.

Mediterranean food in LA is its own emotional terrain — smoky, herb-heavy, sometimes chaotic, always tangled with memory. In Volume Eight of F**, Chuck, Marry,* I confess my situationship with Kismet, the setup-gone-sideways that is Carmel, and the steady brilliance of Mizlala — the kind of love you don’t see coming until it changes your standards forever.

Pizza in LA isn’t just food — it’s intimacy, ego, regret, and sometimes revelation. In Volume Seven of F**, Chuck, Marry,* I confess my messy fling with Apollonia’s, the cafeteria crush that is Chill Since 93, and the quiet brilliance of Pizzeria Sei — the one I’d happily marry.

By now, you know the drill: this isn’t a Yelp review, it’s not a ranking, and it’s definitely not objective. This is a confessional love letter to LA restaurants — messy flings, failed engagements, and the one true love that keeps raising my standards. Jon & Vinny’s is the chaos text you always answer, Badmaash is the heartbreak that made me question my politics, and Bavel? That’s the one I marry, faithfully and without regret.

Volume Five of my LA dining saga: the Westside fling at American Beauty, a sunset mirage I’m gracefully chucking at Nobu Malibu, and vows whispered over oysters at Found. Smog, sea, PCH salt—and ABBA at the raw bar.

Volume Four of my LA dining series: the roster all-star Ronan gets the late-night text, Catch gets a graceful unfollow, and Lolo Wine Bar gets a ring. A first date turned birthday return, a wine-room ritual, and a farmers’ market meet-cute—proof that in Los Angeles, dinner can be destiny.

Los Angeles restaurants aren’t just where we eat — they’re where we flirt, spiral, and occasionally get emotionally ruined over a halibut collar. In Volume Three of F**, Chuck, Marry*, I revisit three spots that feel more like relationships than meals: Dudley Market (toxic, degrading, but hot), Gracias Madre (beautiful exterior, hollow core), and Lasita (the one you build a life with).

In a city where restaurants are more like romantic partners than places to eat, it's only fair to treat them accordingly. From the irresistible one-night-stand energy of The Tower Bar to the pretty-but-over-it vibes of Elephante, and the husband-worthy charm of Marvin, this is LA dining — relationship status included.

What do overpriced bagels, steakhouses with side-eye energy, and mole that changed my life have in common? They're all characters in this culinary situationship I call "Fuck, Chuck, Marry: My Favorite LA Restaurants (Pescatarian Edition)." This isn’t your average food guide – it’s a rom-com fever dream with oysters, heartbreak, and a side of deviled eggs. From Courage Bagels to Guelaguetza, here’s who I’d hit, who I’d quit, and who I’d give my last bite to.

Sawtelle doesn’t just feed LA—it animates it. From tsukemen that’ll ruin all other ramen to okonomiyaki layered like edible architecture, this West LA stretch is less a neighborhood and more a flavor conductor. With unapologetic spice, luxe pastry cases, open-grill yakitori, and omakase that whispers reverently, these 10 spots prove that Sawtelle is one of LA’s most magnetic eating corridors. It's not trendy—it’s timelessly delicious.

Culver City’s food scene punches way above its size. Within a few square miles — and some truly questionable city planning — you’ll find Michelin-starred artistry, wood-fired steakhouses, dosa perfection, and a deli that locals swear by. Here are the 10 restaurants that prove Culver City is one of LA’s most exciting places to eat right now.

In LA, dinner is rarely just dinner. Whether you're wearing a sheer top and manifesting a soft launch or sipping pét-nat in post-yoga activewear, this guide rounds up the hottest restaurants in the city, for when you're hungry, styled, and not in the mood to explain your situationship.

There’s no rubric, no ratings, and definitely no tweed blazer involved, just ten restaurants I love in Los Angeles. Some are refined, some are chaotic, all of them are deeply, sometimes unseriously, LA. From mole that changed my life to brunch that tests my patience (and wins), here’s where I eat when I’m not pretending to afford tasting menus.