Everyone always says it’s cheaper to cook than it is to eat out, but is it really? If you’re not eating mac and cheese, and trying to make something with fresh. tasty ingredients it’s not going to be cheap. From buying the seasoning, to the meat, to the sauce ingredients, to the vegetables, it adds up a lot quicker than one could imagine, and it’s not necessarily faster or easier.
I am by NO means encouraging people to eat fast food, but when you have the time it is important to know that sitting down and enjoying a good meal made for you can not only be enjoyable and tasty, but it also can be inexpensive.
If you want to know how to do this the answer is you need to know where to go and what to order. Luckily the LATimes just put together a great list of different types of restaurants in LA where you can get GREAT deals. Here are some of my fav’s…
Burgers, tacos and dogs
Bowery Burger at the Bowery, $9. Looking for a burger for less than $10 but also want to enjoy it in a sit-down situation with some stylish Hollywood atmosphere? The Bowery on Sunset Boulevard has a juicy, meaty sirloin burger served on a toasted English muffin (which makes for a nice, not-too-bready bun). You can sidle up to the bar or take a seat at the long banquette. Plus they’re open for lunch on weekdays as well as late into the night. For $1 more, you can get it with Gruyère, cheddar or blue cheese. The Bowery, 6268 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 465-3400; www.theboweryhollywood.com.
Trio of beef sliders at Brix@1601, $12. In the South Bay, chef Michael McDonald turns out a trio of perfect beef sliders. Made with a loosely formed patty, these baby burgers are embellished with caramelized onions and nutty molten Gruyère. Three of them lined up in a row, their buns glazed a deep gold, are adorable. And all they need is a glass or two of rouge from sommelier Caitlin Stansbury’s intelligent wine list. Brix@1601, 1601 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 175, Hermosa Beach, (310) 698-0740; www.brix1601.com.
Taco Adobe’s blackened mahi taco, $3. Stop in the middle of a hot afternoon and relax for a moment in this amusingly converted former IHOP, resplendent in pumpkin-orange paint with lavish curbside landscaping and inside, homey oilcloth-covered tables. The cooking is restrained, discreet even. Treat yourself to a mahi taco — lovely spiced fish, diced tomatoes and shredded cabbage drizzled with a touch of crema and a few crumbles of cojito and offered on two fragrant corn tortillas with a wedge of lime. Fresh, simple and sustaining. Taco Adobe Southwestern Grill, 1319 N. Main St., Santa Ana,(714) 543-2411.
Taco Loco #3’s taco de tripas, $1.25. How much happiness can you buy for $1.25? A whole lot, it turns out. At El Taco Loco #3, it’ll get you a handmade tortilla taco. There are all of the usual flavors: chewy carne asada and cabeza, crumbly chorizo, crusty carnitas, melting lengua . . . . But the star of the lineup is the tripas. Beef tripe is stewed until it is tender and richly flavored, then just before serving, it’s crisped on the griddle for a little crunch. Wrap it in a warm, puffy, freshly made corn tortilla and spoon on a bit of spiky fresh red chile salsa. Honestly, it’s better than half the foie gras dishes ever created. And you get to eat it in a veritable Sistine Chapel of taco-shop art. El Taco Loco #3, 1465 Magnolia Ave., Long Beach, (562) 437-6228.
Dollar Mondays at the Stand, $1. And then, how much can you buy for $1? On Monday nights, a buck buys you the Stand Dog — a beef hot dog served steamed or grilled — normally $3.50, with condiments such as mustard (yellow, deli or hot), ketchup, diced onions or tomatoes. Chips are 50 cents. If you want the Loaded Dog, that’s $2.50 (regularly $4.25 ) with toppings such as chili, grilled onions, sauerkraut, or cheddar, Swiss or blue cheese. 17000 Ventura Blvd., Encino, (818) 788-2700; 2000 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles ( Century City), (310) 785-0400; 1116 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles (Westwood Village), (310) 443-0400; 5780 Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, (818) 710-0400; www.thestandlink.com.
Organic veggie burger at Bouchees Bistro, $6. Bouchees Bistro does it all: customizable burgers, Sunday brunch, even local delivery. And while there’s no lack of choices of proteins from which to build a burger here (Angus sirloin, turkey tenderloin and ahi tuna are all excellent options), the restaurant’s organic veggie burger is the smart choice. The fresh-ground patty is a tasty mix of garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers and seasonal vegetables. Add your choice of toppings such as shiitake mushrooms and green peppercorn “dijonnaise.” Strapped for cash? Get it slider-size, a little $2.50 burger that’s gone in no more than a few bites. But even the full-size veggie burger doesn’t last much longer — it’s just that good. Bouchees Bistro, 515 Long Beach Blvd., Long Beach, (562) 951-8222; bouchees.com.
Entrees at appetizer prices
Updated Italian comfort food entrees at Murano Restaurant, Bar & Lounge, $12. Every Tuesday, Murano’s new chef, Joe Anguiano, formerly of Providence and New York’s Montrachet, fashions a changing nostalgic menu of entrees at appetizer prices. Examples: house-made linguine and Kobe beef meatballs in a melted cherry tomato sauce; house-made penne with spicy Italian sausage, onions and peppers; balsamic marinated portobello and eggplant panini with Laura Chenel goat cheese, roasted peppers and grilled onions (and more). Murano Restaurant, Bar and Lounge, 9010 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; (310) 246-9118; www.murano9010.com.
Homey European dinners at Sabina’s, $5.75. Nourishment-per-nickel, this is one of the best deals in town, though it is quirky in a very un-Californian way. Which is to say a generous plate of tiny, crisp cornichons is the vegetable portion of your meal. It’s a Romanian thing. As are the terrific chicken schnitzel and an incredible meatball soup that will convert lovers of albondigas to less-familiar Eastern European flavors such as paprika. Pick from beef or chicken stew with mushrooms, paprika chicken or beef with dumplings, stuffed cabbage or bell pepper and a few schnitzels. Your $5.75 buys the named dish, maybe a side of potatoes, salad, a basket of bread and that plate of pickles. Bring your own wine and this no-frills cafe will pour it into plastic tumblers. And expect to take home half your meal, because you may want to save room for crepes ($1.75). But arrive before 7 p.m; shortly thereafter, the couple who serve and cook are busy doing the dishes. Sabina’s European Restaurant, 1253 Vine St., Los Angeles, (323) 469-9522.
Treats for two
Tower of hors d’oeuvres (for two) at Anisette, $30. Maybe the soaring tower of hors d’oeuvres is trying to reach the high ceiling at chef-partner Alain Giraud’s Santa Monica brasserie. It’s three levels of sliced breads, charcuterie (dried sausages and house-made terrine accompanied by olives, cornichons and a pot of mustard), nicely ripe cheeses, and a plate of exquisite vegetables fresh from the farmers market (peas, baby carrots, pearl onions), dressed á la grecque. At $15 per person, it makes a grand goûter (afternoon snack). Anisette, 225 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 395-3200; www.anisettebrasserie.com.
Afghan dumpling dinner for two at Chopan Kebab House, about $20. We’d drive across town for the impossibly seductive flavors of this budget feast that includes an order of ashak (leek dumplings) or their meat-filled cousins, manti. Both platters of dumplings come topped with a rich yogurt sauce swirled with saffron-infused oil and sprinkled with dried mint. Pair either generous $11.95 plate with a $6.95 order of bulani, a thin crusted, spice-infused potato-leek turnover that’s a big as the tabletop, with cilantro chutney for dipping. Chopan Kebab House, 8910 Reseda Blvd., Northridge, (818) 885-1616.
Everyday values
Golden beet and baked goat cheese salad at Little Flower Candy Co. Cafe, $10.50. It’s a tiny, tiny cafe but the salad is HUGE, the greens are pristine, the beets — at least a pound of them — are farmers-market sweet. And they use a well-selected Spanish goat cheese that tastes like a million dollars even before it’s seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper. Little Flower Candy Co. Cafe, 1424 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 304-4800; littleflowercandyco.com.
Bun bo Hue at Quan Hy, $7.50. It may seem that Vietnamese cuisine is dominated by its northern dishes such as pho, but among the country’s many noodle soups, it’s bun bo Hue (from the central city of Hue) that offers the most flavor. Quan Hy’s bun bo Hue helped canonize the dish a few years ago, and it’s still a standard for those looking for a mild introduction to the soup: chubby rice noodles twirled together with nearly every cut of pork and beef and lighted up by a broth powered by a heavy helping of red chile. Quan Hy, 9727 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, (714) 775-7179.
Lunch specials
Nepalese or Tibetan set lunch menu at Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine, $4.99. Go vegetarian at this neighborhood spot for the best deal (or add chicken or lamb). The Nepalese version is served in a metal sectional plate, something tasty in each nook: a vegetable curry, steamed rice, dal, raita, salad, pickle — plus a basket of freshly made nan. The Tibetan set lunch is a generous plate of steamed vegetable momo (dumplings). Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine, 10855 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 836-9696.
Big and Fancy without the Cost
Three-course menu at Tracht’s, $30. ChefSuzanne Tracht of Tracht’s in Long Beach (at the Renaissance Hotel) offers an incentive to come in for dinner on a quieter night: Sunday through Wednesdays from 6 to 10 p.m. there’s a three-course tasting menu for $30. To sweeten the deal further, the restaurant offers 25% off a bottle of wine and complimentary valet parking. Tracht is the chef behind Jar in Los Angeles, and at this, her second restaurant, she’s got a stylish patio outside, right on Ocean Boulevard. You can’t quite see the water, but you can certainly feel the marine breeze. Tracht’s, 111 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, (562) 499-2533; www.trachts.com.
Seven-course tasting menu at Chichen Itza, $35. On Saturday nights the changing special menu at this modern Yucatecan spot near MacArthur Park may start off with shrimp ceviche, then move to a citrus-jicama salad. Or try the dramatic brazo de reina (”arm of the queen”), an unusual tamale filled with egg and pumpkin seeds and sliced into spirals. There’s always a soup, a first course and two mains, possibly fillet of sole steamed in a banana leaf. For dessert, the homemade helado de coco, coconut ice cream, is swoon-worthy — especially when it sits on top of a slice of panatela cake (pound cake). Chichen Itza, 2501 W. 6th St.; L.A., (213) 380-0051; www.chichenitzarestaurant.com.
Old fashioned Sunday pot roast dinner at Tender Greens, $10. Braised in a red-wine mirepoix sauce, a fork-tender Coleman Farms beef short rib “roast” is served on a bed of Yukon gold mashed potatoes. A salad or vegetable comes alongside. Not discounted but a great bargain dessert are the burger-bun-sized strawberry-almond cookies topped with fresh strawberry icing for $1.50 each. Tender Greens, 9523 Culver Blvd., Culver City; (310) 842-8300; www.tendergreensfood.com.
Four course prix fixe menu at All’ Angelo, $39. The sophisticated West Hollywood Italian boîte may have a reputation as a special occasion place but Monday through Thursday, the everyday prix fixe offers two amazing choices for each menu category. A grilled octopus salad accented with bottarga and celery might start your meal followed by saffron-lamb lasagna, then a fish entrée or braised veal cheeks. Meyer lemon polenta pudding with sabayon sauce could end the meal sweetly. Wine is priced at $6 a glass when chosen from the restaurant’s six wines of the week. All’ Angelo, 7166 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 933-9540; www.allangelo.com.
Family parties
Mariachi nights at Casa Sanchez, about $15 to $20 per person. The Sanchez family has operated popular restaurants in the borderland between Culver City and Marina del Rey for years, so when their ground-up new restaurant opened earlier this year, it took about five minutes for word to get around that here was a place you could dress up and go out with the family to celebrate a birthday or anniversary without breaking the ATM machine. The spacious dining room features striking wall murals with portraits of mid-20th century Mexican film stars and singers, handsome booths and colonial-style tables and chairs and a stage where Mariachi Internacional Tapatio holds forth Thursdays through Sundays in sets from as early as 5 p.m. on Sundays. The food is festive Mexican (mushroom-stuffed sole served on cilantro with habanero pesto, for example) and entree prices top out at $25 (for rib-eye steak with sides) though most are in the $15 range. Of course, you could add $19 to your bill by ordering the Millionaire Margarita, but that’s another story. Casa Sanchez, 4500 S. Centinela Ave., Los Angeles, (310) 397-9999; www.casa-sanchez.com.
Weekend afternoon at Casa Don Rolando, about $10 per person. There’s live music here on Fridays but maybe the best time to come with the extended family is on a weekend at lunchtime. The cool tiled dining room with its plantation hacienda feeling is comfortable for lingering and gossiping, the food from chef Rolando Gonzalez (formerly of Madre’s in Pasadena) is refined versions of favorite Cuban dishes, and the lunch prices are terrific. Entrees such as a meaty, delicious chicken fricassee — chicken and potatoes braised in a raisin-olive wine sauce — are served with white rice and black beans and a choice of plantains, yuca or French fries (choose from three preparations of plantains and two of yuca). That Sunday midday dinner is $10. A roasted pork sandwich is $6. Or maybe just get a couple of the fabulous tamales, offered as appetizers at $4 each. Cuban coffee? Yes, indeedy. Café con leche is $4. Casa Don Rolando, 8755 Parthenia Place, North Hills, (818) 920-2272; www.casadonrolando.com.
Wine luxury within reach
The Palate markup, $18. At Palate, the new food and wine complex in Glendale, partner and wine director Steve Goldun knows that since there’s a wine shop on the premises — his wine shop — he’s obliged to keep his wine list prices within shouting distance of his retail prices. Well, his constraint is your gain. When you order off the list in the restaurant, you’re guaranteed that the price will never be more than $18 over the retail price next door. This can amount, really, to a modest corkage fee. The more you’re willing to spend, the more you’ll save: the Hitching Post “Highliner” Pinot Noir is a reasonable $55, for example, but the price of Krug Champagne comes in well beneath the stratosphere, at $150 — so find something to celebrate. Palate Food and Wine, 933 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, (818) 662-9463; www.palatefoodwine.com.
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1 Bookmarc // Sep 10, 2008 at 5:00 pm
How about the hidden costs of health care from eating out? (Restaurants are notorious for adding too much oil, salt, and sugar on their menu items.)
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