Hollywood – Page 2 – The Unvegan

8/10/2010 Reviews Los Angeles

Getting Upscale at Pizzeria Mozza

Pizzeria Mozza (not Matzah) is one of those restaurants in LA that just kind of nags at you until you realize you just kind of have to go. For starters, the head chef is some guy from the Food Network or Top Chef or something like that. Then, because of that, you have to get a reservation at least 30 days in advance, so you really have to want to go this place and know your schedule for the next 30 days. Just such a time came up recently when the parents were in town (and I knew more than 30 days ahead), so off to Pizzeria Mozza we went to see what it was all about.

Bacon Hollywood Italian Los Angeles Meat Pizza Pizzeria Mozza Restaurants

7/15/2010 Reviews Los Angeles

One Flimsy Tortilla at Dos Burritos

On my way to see In the Heights (I’m cultured!) at LA’s Pantages Theater, I had no time to eat any food. I also had no idea what kind of food even existed on that part of town. The Hollywood Strip is quite the foreign territory for me. After parking at a failed meter (score), I whipped out my Urban Spoon to see what it would show me. After sifting through a couple of dead ends, I found Dos Burritos and walked in to see what it could offer me.

Beef Burritos Dos Burritos Hollywood Los Angeles Meat Mexican Pantages Theater Restaurants

2/16/2010 Reviews Los Angeles

Tasting Anger at the Avocado Grill (CLOSED)

Larchmont in Hollywood is a delightful little street that is a nice change from what you would typically consider Holywood to be. There are some great restaurants and shops that usually treat me pretty well. My most recent visit to that street, however, only led me to a meal of disappointment. This came at the hands of the Avocado Grill, a pretty simple Mexican place that reminded me a bit of places like Qdoba.

Avocado Grill Breakfast Burritos Hollywood Larchmont Los Angeles Mexican Restaurants

1/22/2010 Reviews Los Angeles

A Pretty Happy Hour at Capitol City (CLOSED)

Some bars are known for their food, some bars don’t have any food (losers) and some bars happen to have food, but aren’t exactly known for it. Capitol City, a semi-new sports bar in Hollywood is one of the latter. Nonetheless, there was a football game to be watched and it happened to fall during happy hour, so Capitol City became my dinner and drinks destination for the night.

First off, their happy hour is pretty badass by the looks. It includes some pretty decent beers, including Blue Moon for four bucks, which is as good as you’re gonna get in Hollywood. Drinks aside, they have some great-looking $5 appetizers, so after downing a couple Blue Moons, I decided to order their wings.

Bar Food Bars Buffalo Wings Capitol City Chicken Football Hollywood Los Angeles Meat Wings

8/14/2009 Reviews Los Angeles

Pizza the Hollywood Way at Village Pizzeria

It's like half of my pizza is dead. — It’s like half of my pizza is dead.

Village Pizzeria in Hollywood is LA’s version of New York pizza. Located on Larchmont Street, it isn’t really a Hollywood-style place at all, which is pretty comforting to someone like me who doesn’t work in the entertainment industry. To test the place out, I went with a friend of mine.

Since we were unable to compromise on a pizza that we both liked, we decided to go halfsies. I got my half in the pepperoni style, while she agreed to the pepperonis, but also ordered a disturbing fungus called mushrooms. Unnecessarily worried, I also ordered some garlic rolls in the expectation that the pizza wouldn’t be enough food for me.

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8/10/2009 Reviews Los Angeles

Finally, Some Indian Food at Gate of India

Ok, yes I know I sort of reviewed some Indian food last week from Tara’s, but that was really Himalayan. So when I went to Gate of India in Hollywood, it was essentially my first time getting some full-on Indian food since moving to LA.

A buddy of mine took me to the place because it was the best Indian he had yet found in LA. Although he is Jewish, I took his work for it. Gate of India isn’t exactly what you would imagine for a place in Hollywood. It’s in a nondescript little row of shops on a street corner. The interior conveys a sense of a banquet hall more than an ethnic restaurant, but fortunately the prices weren’t so painful, with just about everything on the menu coming in under 10 bucks.

According to my research, somewhere between 20-40% of the population of India are vegetarian. This would be enough to frighten away many meat eaters from Indian restaurants, but not me. That means the majority is still of the meat-eating persuasion. The menu at Gate of India reflected this, because while a majority of the food was meat-laden, there was still a pretty extensive vegetarian section.

California Chicken Curry Gate of India Hollywood Indian Lamb Los Angeles Meat Restaurants Vindaloo

3/6/2009 Reviews Los Angeles

Csardas Hungarian Restaurant (CLOSED)

Paprikash is dish best served without a pretty little pepper — Paprikash is dish best served without a fancy little pepper.

As we walked into Csardas around 7:30, we quickly realized we were the only patrons. It boggled my mind how a restaurant could be empty during peak times and still be in business, so I was a little worried about how the food would be.

Having grown up around Hungarian food, I scrutinized the menu, only to find a lack of cherry soup. I asked our waitress (who had an indistinguishable accent that most certainly was not Hungarian) and she told me they actually had the soup. That was a close call, but they passed the first test. To go with the soup, we ordered the Hungarian Appetizer Plate, which was said to come with home smoked sausage, winter salami, korozott (a sort of cheese spread) & liver mousse. All of these fit in perfectly to my unvegan diet. On top of that, I ordered Chicken Paprikash for my main dish.

Csardas Hungarian Restaurant Food Hollywood Hungarian Los Angeles Magyar Meat Paprikash Restaurants

12/19/2008 Reviews Los Angeles

Pink’s

Pink’s is one of those places that you have to experience in Hollywood. It has been around since 1939 and is a staple. If you live in LA, you know what Pink’s is. If you visit LA, there’s a good chance you’re going to drive by Pink’s and be intrigued by the constant line emanating from the place. With that said, it took me over a year in LA to finally stop and see what it had to offer.

When I arrived, the line didn’t seem too long, but it wound and wound for a good 20 minutes until I finally made it to the counter. Along the way, I stared at the menu on the wall that should have had a disclaimer reading: “Do not eat if you are pregnant, have a history of heart conditions or are on a pacemaker.” In other words, just about everything looked amazing to an unvegan.

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