Cafes/Bars/Pubs
Los Angeles's sunny weather allows for outdoor cafe dining almost year round. Farmer's markets and the Shopping Village in downtown LA offer elegant cafes with lots of street appeal. The Original Pantry Cafe is open 24 hours with classic American cooking downtown. Dick's Coffee Company in South Central offers frequent performances of live music with its cool cafe environment. The oldest blues club in LA, Babe & Ricky's, is also in South Central and continues to be popular after 80 years in business. The House of Blues is another popular venue with live jazz, southern cooking, and a gospel brunch.
Bars in LA range from dingy dives to ultra-modern settings for hipsters. Liquor laws require bars to stop serving at 2AM which is strictly adhered to. Some bars don't close at 2, but they may not serve alcohol or risk fines and closure. Alcohol may also only be bought and consumed by those 21 and older which will be checked frequently.
Restaurants
Los Angeles's restaurant selection is as expansive as the variety of cuisines it offers. Among its 20,000 dining establishments, there are as many fast food spots as exclusive gourmet restaurants. Ethnic specialties from nearly every country in the world can be found in Los Angeles. Fresh seafood and beef, as well as produce from the nearby agricultural regions, are served in most of the city's restaurants.
For dining downtown the Water Grill, Pacific Dining Car, Yang Chow Restaurant, and Phillipe's the Original offer some some classic LA dining at reasonable prices. For some Hollywood eats along with the glamour check out Musso & Frank Grill, the oldest restaurant in Hollywood that has served William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway. In West Hollywood lies the home of the Vanity Fair Oscar party and another good chance of at least dining like a celebrity at Morton's.
Westwood Village has a collection of restaurants that offer a thriving night life. Its shopping, dining, and entertainment center in Hollywood is designed to mirror a 1916 classic movie set. The five-story, open-air complex, called Hollywood and Highland, includes the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, more than 60 specialty shops, public art exhibitions, six movie screens, restaurants, nightclubs, and the famous Kodak Theatre.
For dining on the more casual side there is legendary Pink's! This hot dog stand has been family owned since 1939 and has such unusual offerings as a free parking lot attendant, numerous pictures of the movie stars that frequent it, and the classic Pink's Chili Dog. Another beloved fast food establishment is In-N-Out, a family owned restaurant which prides itself on the variations of its simple menu you can find on-line as well as the slogan it lives by, "Give customers the freshest, highest quality foods you can buy and provide them with friendly service in a sparkling clean environment".
The site www.dinela.com/ offers featured dining of the week and dining events all over Los Angeles.
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