📍 Added in January: Fry me some crispy, juicy, well-seasoned chicken, give it to me for breakfast, and serve it at a local diner that frequently cameos in blockbuster movies: This is Los Angeles. This spot is en route to Hollywood from LAX and is a local favorite. The bright-red booths and portraits over the counter give this classic diner that Hollywood vibe, but I come here for the chicken. It’s one of my favorites in all of Los Angeles.

📍 Added in January: A true Angeleno will tell anyone visiting Los Angeles to avoid Hollywood—it’s not worth it! But when I find myself in Tinseltown, I head to this little Thai street-food spot. It’s the express version of the restaurant a few doors down, with ready-to-go hot dishes of your choosing. I go for the moo hong (braised pork belly in soy sauce), spicy green curry, and a boiled egg in tamarind sauce. The flavors here are as big as Hollywood’s personalities.

📍 Added in January: A Filipino client and respected surgeon always brought me the most delicious Filipino empanadas. They were fluffy, soft, and sweet, with generous meaty fillings. After years of my asking, he finally took me to this chain supermarket. Seeing how surprised I was, he told me, if you want good Filipino food, look near the hospitals. I think about that whenever I come back to enjoy the incredible selection of ready Filipino food here; he was right—at least, about this place. 

📍 Added in January: If you know me through my food, you know I love comfort food and tacos, and no place in L.A. blends both better than this Southern-style gem. I was introduced to chef Alisa Reynolds when she started making “Tacos Negros”; her creative approach to Southern comfort food has caught the attention of many food critics. Her shrimp and grits are divine, and the whiskey reduction alongside the catfish is perfection. But you know me: I come for those six hour–braised oxtail tacos.

📍 Added in January: Growing up, Mexicans argued that burritos were American. That’s likely because they’d never visited northern states like Zacatecas, where I’m from. There, burritos are very Mexican, made with fresh flour tortillas and a stew filling. (Perhaps it’s the enormous size of U.S. burritos that makes them seem American?) When I need that slender, more straightforward, delicious burrito of Zacatecas, I come here and get the birria, a bean-and-cheese, and half a dozen others.

You know my love for street food. So imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon a new sign in Eagle Rock that promised “Lebanese Street Food” at A la Beirut. Mom, dad, son, and daughters work together to take grandma’s marinades and dad’s sandwich techniques and create toasted vessels of new flavors in either a pita wrap or a flaky French baguette. The beef or chicken shawarma is magnificent, but go for the beef tongue with garlic spread and pickles—it’s a sprightly bite.

For a flavor rush of psychedelic proportions, the tikka masala at this South Bay strip mall will have you forgetting your woes—your full concentration will be on slowly tackling this vigorous dish. Order fresh garlic naan to dip into the rich, sweet, and spicy sauce as you eat or to use as a swab to comfort your taste buds between spoonfuls. If there’s room, finish off this roller coaster of flavor with a samosa served with a sweet and tangy sauce.

All Time has become a favorite spot for a lunch date with my lady: It has class and comfort without being presumptuous or showy. The chef’s offerings always seem to include a touch of genuine L.A. while feeling fresh, healthy, and filling. I’ve enjoyed tender carnitas tacos on blue corn tortillas, crispy rice breakfast bowls, and a Good Ass Salad that’s very popular. This little gem keeps it fresh with a changing menu, adding some excitement each time I return.

Do I like cheeseburgers? Yes. Do I like cheeseburgers with a chunky 10 ounces of dry-aged beef cooked to a meat snob’s standards, a puffy sesame seed bun, American cheese, and a humble sauce that enhances but doesn’t overpower the burger flavor? Of course. Ask for the DH (the dry-aged patty); you can get it in different styles, but the Amboy is the best introduction. I would expect nothing less from The Burger Show’s Alvin Cailan, a true burger intellectual.

I’m always hesitant to recommend legendary places because how have you never heard of Arturo’s puffy tacos? It’s one of Texas’ most unique tacos, and you can find it here in our backyard. The freshly made tortilla is thrown in a deep fryer, puffing up like a balloon, creating a crispy shell. You can get it with ground beef, lettuce, cheese, and chunky tomato salsa, but try the chunky beef guisado or tender bits of asada. It’s a unique experience worth a trip across town.