If you could only eat at 3 SoCal restaurants for the rest of your life, what would they be?
By Gab Chabrán,
1 days ago
Sonoratown, now with multiple locations across the L.A. region, is one place our readers wouldn't mind spending the rest of their days eating at. (Brian Feinzimer)
See it as a thought experiment.
Among the thousands of restaurants in L.A. and O.C., which three would you pick to eat at for the rest of your life?
That doesn't necessarily mean the "best" restaurants — because could you really stomach eating in the fanciest restaurants for the rest of your life? (Be honest.)
It means the ones that, time after time, deliver just what you need. The ones that make you smile when you think of going there. The ones that have some kind of ineffable SoCal spirit that fills you up in body and soul. The ones you may never get sick of (well, a lifetime is a long time, but go with us).
It's a difficult choice, we know. But when a recent Reddit post posed the question, we figured it was a sneaky way to get some insight into your gastronomic true loves.
As for my three ... well, I mulled it over endlessly, and I confess it seems to change daily. But currently, I'd say these:
Mariscos Jalisco in Boyle Heights
Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock
Nick's Deli in Seal Beach
I chose Marisocs Jalisco because I can never get enough of their crispy shrimp tacos, dorados, and ceviches. Casa Bianca for the eggplant, sausage pizza, and antipasti salad for a great dinner, and Nick's Deli for their breakfast burritos. I could see myself munching happily on each of these for the rest of my days.
I'd love to hear your choices. Email me at gchabran@scpr.org or hit me up at @gabchabran on social media.
To get things going, I posed the question to my social media followers. There were some surprising choices — and also names that kept coming up. See what you think:
Teriyaki Bistro in Uptown Whittier
Tam O’Shanter in Los Feliz
Mijares in Pasadena
-Elizabeth Sanchez, Whittier
Chi Spacca on Melrose
Sadaf/Taste of Tehran in Westwood
Dan's Super Subs in Woodland Hills
-Joon Gozarkhah, Sherman Oaks
Amigos in Pasadena
Pizzanista in the Arts District
Golden Deli in San Gabriel
-Jessie Nicely, Pasadena
Baco Mercat in DTLA (RIP)
Musso and Frank in Hollywood
Estrella’s taco trucks in Highland Park
-Emily Rosen, Highland Park
Found Oyster in East Hollywood
Found Oyster in East Hollywood
Found Oyster in East Hollywood
-Sterling Reed, Long Beach
Highland Park Brewery in Highland Park and Chinatown
Bacetti in Echo Park
Quarters Korean BBQ in Koreatown
-Mega Couch- Edwards, Los Angeles
4th Horseman in Long Beach
In-N-Out (various locations)
Awesome Sushi in Long Beach
-Chad Keller, Long Beach
Juanita’s on Olvera Street
Dal Rae in Pico Rivera
Noriega Hotel in Bakersfield (the original one, not the new one)
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