Not ranked. Not sponsored. Not a listicle. These are the ten places in Los Angeles that Mel would go back to on a Tuesday for no reason. That's the whole criteria.
"The kind of Italian restaurant that makes you want to move to Italy and also never leave Venice. Warm, loud, and the pasta will make you emotional."
Whatever pasta they're running that night. Don't overthink it.
"Trust Me sushi at a price that doesn't require a second mortgage. The warm rice, the clean fish, the ritual of it. A perfect meal every single time."
Trust Me. Just the Trust Me.
"Anyone who doesn't have In-N-Out in their top 10 is lying to themselves. Animal style. 3am. Parking lot. This is peak human civilization."
Double Double Animal Style, fries well done
"Counter seating, one chef, no menu, no choices. Just trust and fish. The most intimate meal you can have with your clothes on."
The whole omakase. That's the point.
"Loud, chaotic, the pasta is genuinely great and the charcuterie will make you question every deli you've ever been to. The reservation is a war crime to get but worth every refresh."
Rigatoni with pork sugo, any of the cured meats
"The al pastor is carved off a trompo and handed to you on a corn tortilla at 2am. This is what food is for. This is why we are alive."
Al pastor taco, double meat, pineapple
"Handrolls eaten immediately at the counter, warm rice, perfect nori. The simplest, most satisfying thing you can do with $30 in this city."
Uni, blue crab, toro — in that order
"Evan Funke makes pasta in a glass room so you can watch him do it while you eat it. Either the most pretentious or most honest thing in LA. I've decided it's honest."
Whatever handmade pasta the server tells you to order. Listen to them.
"The kind of place that makes you feel like you're somewhere else entirely. Warm, beautiful, and the food tastes like someone actually cared about making it."
Ask the server. They know.
"The OG Venice institution. The pizza, the vegetables, the whole vibe. Sitting on that patio on a warm evening is one of the great pleasures of living in this city."
Any of the pizzas, the roasted vegetables, whatever seasonal thing they're running
"This list will change. Everything changes. That's the whole point of eating."
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