15 Ways To Eat Your Way Around Los Angeles

Los Angeles can be called a melting pot. You may also refer to it as a bowl of albondigas, pho or jjigae, because this city is as diverse as it is delicious. There are obviously far too many local haunts to list, so consider this an appetizer to getting started on your next mouth-watering excursion through the City of Angels. I hope you packed a bib.

If you ask someone who has been to Bestia for a review, you may have to wait a while as they stare into space and recall a better time when they weren't talking to you but were immersed in some of the best Italian food this town has to offer. We have you covered if this meal has you thinking of grander trips.

Philippe's takes the sandwich and whittles it down to its essentials. The originator of the French dipped sandwich, Philippe's has them lined up for slowly cooked beef, lamb and other meat that is dunked in au jus and delivered as is. You will want seconds, especially after dousing the meal in their signature hot mustard.

There are almost too many good things to devour at Porto's. The Cubano will have you making yummy sounds. Their potato balls are simple but incredibly addicting and their pastry selections will have you making dietary plea deals with yourself.

This downtown restaurant radiates flavor, texture and delight. Each item is a warm serving of whimsy you'll be talking about well into the next morning. The chicharron is particularly noteworthy, a succulent slab of all that is good in this world. Broken Spanish takes the familiar and makes it wondrous.

This city is filled with bakeries and coffee shops hawking grain bowls and avocado toast. Sqirl has changed the game. Their pesto rice bowl has the zest to wake you up and the sustenance to keep you going. And their French toast, appropriately crammed with jam, is reason enough to line up for 30 minutes as you wait with local hipsters to get your meal.

Tucked behind a facade that disingenuously proclaims Raffallo's Pizza sits one of the city's best restaurants, a spot that is prepared to take its denizens on a multi-course ride through the senses. Trois Mec isn't any easy meal. You have to work for it by jumping on its reservation system, which is like a virtual battle royale for those in the know.

Street food has been an L.A. staple since forever. Kogi Taco just so happened to take it to the next level, injecting the scene with a flavor that, in retrospect, could only explode in a place like L.A. Line up with other locals and tourists at myriad truck stops for this delectable marriage between Korean and Mexican fare.

Whoever said that you can't find decent pastrami on the west coast never sat down for a meal at Langer's. They never sank their teeth into this place's buttery, succulent pastrami. And they never had their mind blown that one of the best pastrami sandwiches they ever ate was made in L.A.

They put something in the bread at Santa Monica's Bay Cities. It could be the ocean air, the yeast or some type of flour. Hell, it could be a decades-old magical charm. Regardless, every last sandwich here is one of the best you will have. From their classic Godmother to a boring ol' turkey, you will crave this place the moment you leave.

If you're short on time and big on appetite there's no better place to start your journey than downtown's Grand Central Market. It's a cavalcade of cuisine, from ramen to pizza to Chinese to the ever popular Eggslut. There is something for everyone and a meal for every moment of the day.

Pizza can sometimes feel like it's all about the toppings. But it's the crust that makes the dish, and the pies they have at Pizzeria Mozza provide the kind of unforgettable crust you would expect from a Nancy Silverton establishment. If you want a more diverse menu, the neighboring Osteria Mozza is also a must try.

Hidden away off a residential street in East L.A. is one of the area's more beloved Mexican restaurants, El Tepeyac. The Hollenbeck, or the more daunting Manuel's Special, is a ridiculously large serving of slowly cooked meat, guacamole and beans lovingly tucked away in a tortilla. As a suggestion, the huevos rancheros are the best in town.

There are plenty of places around town that cater to vegans. Animal is not that establishment. No this is the place you go to when you have a hankering for every last part of the pig or another delicious farm animal. From veal tongue to a classic tomahawk chop, every dish a soul-satisfying exploration of masterful cooking.

If you want to schedule an early nap, The Pantry is the place to start the day. The pancakes are huge and the ham steaks gigantic. And everything, obviously, is sublime. Sadly, the poor coffee doesn't stand a chance against the wonderful food coma you will enjoy.

Guisados is the final word on a correctly crafted taco, built passionately on handmade tortillas. Each taco starts as a masterfully and slowly cooked braise, guaranteeing tender and juicy meat in each bite. There is a caveat. Some of these tacos will send you screaming down the street from the heat. You've been warned.