Because every Angeleno loves to eat, even if he has to valet, we bring you Table Stakes: a series that answers man’s eternally recurring question (“Uh, what’s new?”), and recurs once every lunar cycle or so. Bon appétit.
The Fields
USC
You’re here for: Lunch or a quick dinner before a game.
You’re dining on: More delicious choices than you can wave an Apple Pay at. Among the nine booths, you’ll find C.J. Boyd’s fried chicken sandwiches with seasoned waffle fries, an elevated (and more humane) version of Chick-fil-A, Barbara Jean’s saucy soul food and Coni’ Seafood, aka the most delicious seafood tacos in the South Bay. And there’s booze, too.
3939 S Figueroa St (map)
Website
The Gables
Santa Monica
You’re here for: Breakfast meetings, brunch, a healthy lunch or pre-movie dinner
You’re dining on: In an area bloated with chain restaurants, The Gables is a welcome newcomer. You can tell a lot about a restaurant’s ability to deliver by how they make a salad, and the smoked trout nicoise hits all the high points: the dressing is light and brings out the fresh greens, the beans are crisp and verdant, the egg is buttery soft and deep yellow and the smoked trout rounds it all out. If you’re going heavier, the turkey meatball sub will set you back a few hours.
331 Wilshire Blvd. (map)
Website
Hasiba
Pico-Robertson
You’re here for: A healthy lunch that won’t taste like a healthy lunch
You’re dining on: Israeli food is the polar opposite of Jewish American food in every way but flavor. Where Jewish deli food is the stuff of clogged arteries, Israeli food is the stuff of Bar Refaeli. And Hasiba, the new joint from the Lodge Bread crew, gets it right, with creamy hummus decorated in earthy toppings like confit mushrooms and caramelized onions. And the pita is soft, warm and capable of withstanding a heavy load of all the above.
Kebbros (2 images)
Kebbros
Hollywood
You’re here for: Either a base layer for going out or a hangover cure for staying put
You’re dining on: A doner, which is a pita-style sandwich popular in the German street-food scene. But at Kebbros, the doners come with all organic meats and even a vegan option. Said meats are also sliced by a special robot to ensure a perfectly thin strip that’s dripping in its cooked juices. They also do a mean curry gravy fries.
1542 N. Cahuenga Blvd. (map)
Website
Gramercy
Santa Monica
You’re here for: A solid neighborhood gastropub.
You’re dining on: A grilled cheese. Seriously: Gramercy blends aged cheddar, mozzarella and parm, which gets only creamier and more pungent when mixed with the black garlic aioli. Throw in some tater tots, and then wash down some Lipitor with a mezcal mule.
2460 Wilshire Blvd. (map)
Website
This article was featured in the InsideHook LA newsletter. Sign up now for more from the Southland.