Probably none, if going from DTLA to SaMo is a bit chore.
I do like Tar & Roses and Rustic Canyon though. I have had great and not so great dinners at Cassia and Michael’s (under Thompson).
Perhaps Dialogue?
Melisse was definitely worth it - but sadly it is not in operation any more.
on a Wednesday morning (as opposed to Saturday morning).
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Be sure to hit up Northern Thai Food Club on your visit here!!
(Purple Line to Western, Northbound Western bus, to Sunset)
I thought Cassia was worth the schlep for the unique charcuterie. Menu seemed like it might be possible to order a boring meal.
Key word: Was.
Towards the end, not so much.
Fritto Misto is essential in that it has zero corkage. The food itself is as meh as can be, and I say that as someone who has opened many a bottle at that place. Cha Cha Chicken is superior as a BYO destination.
Missing, to my eye (in addition to yogachik’s list):
- Rita’s Indian
- Birdie G’s
- Tacos Por Favor
- Takuma
- Massilia
- Stella Barra
A bit off topic, but… I haven’t heard of this place (or maybe heard and have forgotten). Please tell me more. 
Great list, bruins. What is Massilia?
The inclusion of Fritto Misto is baffling. Want a great restaurant where you can byob? Go to Courtyard Kitchen on Montana.
Having grown up in Santa Monica, I can understand why Fritto Misto was included in the “essentials” list, even though I agree the food is meh. It’s essential in the sense of having been a local standby for decades, in a city with not many places you can say that for.
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It used to be pretty great, and at the time, a good affordable Italian restaurant was not as common as now.
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The Eater blurb for Fritto Misto recommends it for family occasions, which I take to mean your elderly relatives won’t complain about it.
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Haha, that sounds about right. Growing up we used to go there every few weeks when my parents didn’t want to cook and had a bottle of wine to crack open. I remember their heavily sauced pastas fondly.
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Fritto misto isn’t that bad and they have big portions.
“isn’t that bad” is not how a restaurant lands on an “Essential” list. Still shaking my head over this bizarre list.
They certainly won’t complain about the food and it’s been YEARS since I’ve been, but the hard chairs, deafening acoustics (when full), and lack of a comfortable waiting area could be all be issues…
felt compelled to mention that on their most recent iteration, there are 18 essential chinese restaurants in the LA area and EIGHT of them are west of the 710.
conclusion: the word essential is clearly equivocal when used as an eater ‘list’ headline adjective.
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someone there read my post; a new headline now announces a revised list of “vibrant” vietnamese restaurants. hmm.
i am SO resisting the urge to say more.
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Verily, visually very vibrant Vietnamese… #TheAlliterationWillGetWorse
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Warrior: I appreciate the Eater lists. They introduce a wide variety of restaurants I wouldn’t otherwise have known about. I also think their lists have good diversity. For example, I was happy to see that they included the homey vegetarian restaurant Thien Tam in their list of 20 Vietnamese restaurants. It’s nice place to have a light lunch.
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