The To Do List (Restaurants)

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Another year, another To Do list of restaurants that I want to hit up sooner than later. This past year, Pijja Palace was by far my favorite new restaurant and I will definitely be eating there again. It might be my #3 favorite in LA now after Bavel and Bestia. I don’t expect any of the places on this list to crack my top three but they’re all interesting options in a city filled with fabulous feasting choices.

#1. dos besos (Pasadena): I always look at the menu before going to a restaurant and more often than not, I have an idea of what I want to try. When it comes to dos besos, there’s no question - I’m going to order their Paella del Mar.

#2. Pizzeria Sei (Pico-Robertson): When I moved to LA, the pizza was notoriously not good. It was so bad that places blamed the water and imported aqua from New York City in an attempt to make a better pie. Over the last two decades though, the pizza scene has exploded and the pizza desert is no more. One of the latest hyped pizza spots is Pizzeria Sei in… Mid City? I’m not sure what part of town Pico-Robertson is in but I know that I don’t get there often or ever but I’m going to make a special trip to check this place out.

#3. Sunday Gravy (Inglewood): Sunday Gravy is unique, not just because it’s an Italian restaurant owned/run by Iranians, but because it’s a place that is happy to be a local restaurant and thrive in its community rather than having an eye on expanding/franchising. I do have to admit to having a fairly basic palate and I don’t always appreciate the difference between great and good Italian food but I’d still like to make the trek to The Wood to try this spot out.

#4. Marlou (DTLA): Marlou (which also has a K-Town location) is yet another brick-and-mortar restaurant from former food truckers. And apparently, the chef is also known for appearing on one of Bravo’s Below Decks (Chef Marcos Spaziani.) I have more than enough Bravo in my life due to work but I’ll make room for a little more to try out this place that’s in walking distance to my apartment.

5. Antico Nuovo (Larchmont/Koreatown): I went to the original version of Chad Colby’s Antico when it opened in 2019 and it was pretty darn good. There were still some issues to deal with in service (they forgot one dish I ordered but the chef came out himself to apologize and offer some free ice cream) but I’m excited to see what the post-COVID rebrand is going to look like. Antico Nuovo is also supposedly a date spot so if I ever do decide to get back on that horse, Antico Nuovo might be a nice option. Then again, the food looks so good that maybe it’s better I not make a place where I’ll likely be scarfing down the food like an animal the place to make a first impression.

Honorable Mention: Chi Spacca (Hancock Park): Part of Nancy Silverton’s Mozzaplex, Chi Spacca is actually where Antico Nuovo’s Chad Colby rose to prominence. The only reason it’s Honorable Mention is that it’s been on my To Do list for years and I still have never made it out there so it feels almost like I’m setting myself up for failure if I keep it in the Top 5.

And so people don’t think LA has made me go all posh, with nothing but fancy sit-down restaurants on my list, there are also the burger options on my To Do list: The latest hyped burger spot Heavy Handed in Santa Monica, Burger She Wrote just opened a second location in Hollywood (the original is in Beverly Grove), Hi Ho Cheeseburger (various locations but I’ll probably hit up the Studio City one) because it was recommended by James Ferris, and For The Win. which is opening up a stand in Grand Central Market but I want to go to the Hollywood location since it’s the old Raffallo’s pizza on Franklin that I swore had to be a front for something because there was never anyone there. In fact, one time, I called for delivery and they said they were only serving at the restaurant so I walked down the hill (yes, I lived within walking distance but it was a very steep hill!) and went to the location and they told me they were only doing delivery.

Also, one final honorable mention is Secret Pizza. During quarantine, a guy decided to start making pizza, and he thought it was pretty good so he started offering to make pizzas for people, and now it’s being talked about as one of the best pizzas in Los Angeles. He had been cooking it out of his apartment the whole time but it seems like he’s found an actual spot to make his pies because the pick up spot (and it’s only available by pick up) is now on the Eastside.