Pretty self explanatory. Next Tuesday, several of my classmates and I are going on a trip down to the Museum of Tolerance because 1: it’s interesting 2: our professor said it could get us out of a test. Win, win, right?
So, afterwards (this will be mid afternoon), we’d like to grab a bite. I know one classmate has his heart set on Dave and Buster’s, but the closest one I can find is in Orange County, so I think that’s out (unless everyone feels like an extra trip!). Oh, wait, there is one in Arcadia- that’s not too awful, but still a drive.
Do you guys have any suggestions for any great (mid-priced) restaurants in the area?
Also, we’ll be coming from Bakersfield and it seems that the 405 is unavoidable. We are trying to leave Bakersfield at 8, have a lot of time for coffee breaks and traffic, and arrive by like 11. According to MapQuest, we’ve got 18 miles on the 405. Is there any way around this that’ll be worth it? Or should I just brave the worst free way in the whole damned world for a little stop and go traffic fun?
Oh, and somewhere with alcohol is a plus. I wont be drinking (driving), but everyone else wants to.
Warning: Some of the restaurants I have not been to. All the others have sensational reviews. I will mention my favorites here:
Without booze:
Tommy’s has the best chiliburgers on the planet. Those heathens may not appreciate the grease laden Tommy’s chiliburger.
Apple Pan 10801 W Pico Blvd. Killer burgers, but no room to sit. It’s been around forever.
Oki Dog 860 N Fairfax Ave. Unbelievable pastrami and teriyaki vegetable burrito. A historical hang out for L.A. punk rockers.
Pink’s Famous Hot Dogs 711 N La Brea Ave World famous hot dogs.
With Booze:
Musso & Frank Grill 6667 Hollywood Blvd. Classic old school L.A. steak house.
Rodded 5623 Hollywood Blvd. Unbelievable Thai noodles. Get the beef noodle soup with everything.
Canter’s Fairfax Restaurant 419 N Fairfax Ave. Classic LA delicatessen. The waitresses aren’t as angry as they used to be. I’m pretty sure they sell at least wine and beer.
Most excellent! Thank you for the suggestions. We actually have (several) Tommy’s up here- in fact, the one in our mall has to have been there for at least 15 years now heh, so that’s out. I’m from Bakersfield, so we aren’t too out of the loop.
I’ll say it once: I don’t get Pink’s. I’ve been there a few times and each time it was an ok hot dog with chilli that tasted like it was packed full of filler. What am I missing? Am I ordering the wrong thing? Because everyone raves about that damned place.
And I’m definitely printing out your suggestions and running them by the group- thank you!
Good God, be careful about recommending Tommy’s! It’s a real gut-bomb. Delicious, though.
There’s also Cafe 50’s at 11623 Santa Monica Blvd. Great burgers and shakes.
The Farmers Market at the Grove at 3rd and Fairfax has lots of quirky little restaurants and food stands all crammed together.
Johnnie’s Pastrami at 4017 Sepulveda has great sandwiches. It’s not a typical deli pastrami sandwich, but something entirely original.
Tito’s Tacos at 11222 Washington Place is just around the corner from Johnnies. They put the meat in the tortilla before they fry it into the taco shape.
Just to respond to this particular question, I don’t know that it would be worth it for you to try to avoid the 405. Cross your fingers and hope for the best? Valley people could answer this better than I could, but I was under the impression that the 405 is only truly bad between the 101 and the 10, so you wouldn’t necessarily be miserable for the entire 18 miles, if at all given the time of day of your arrival. But I am partially speaking out of my ass about 405 traffic patterns, so hopefully someone else can correct me if I’m wrong.
Of the places on Darryl Lict’s list, Apple Pan ranks highest with me, but depending on how many of you there are, this might be near impossible to pull off. I don’t consider Musso & Frank to be mid-priced. Pochacco’s suggestion of Cafe 50s would also be good, but I don’t recall them being set up well to handle a large group.
There’s a Museum of Tolerance in LA? This seems a little odd. An Institute for the Study of Tolerance and Intolerance I could understand; calling the place a Museum seems to imply that tolerance is now considered unusual, a historical artifact to be carefully exhumed, studied, and preserved.
What historical events and areas does the museum cover?
Yeah, that’s what raised my eyebrows. I’ve never heard of the Museum of Tolerance. It sounds awfully South Park-esque. Like a parody of what conservatives think a liberal museum would be like. (Then again, am I thinking of Death Camp of Tolerance?)
It’s mostly about the Holocaust, though there are some exhibits on the KKK and modern day white supremicists. At least, there were when I was there. Which gosh, was years ago, shortly after it opened. It’s actually a very sobering experience.
The Museum of Tolerance focuses quite a bit on the Holocaust, if I remember correctly. It’s basically our Holocaust Museum, though it touches on other stuff. All the wee little Southern Californians go visit as children :). Seriously an amazing little visit.
And yes, it’s what the one in the South Park episode was modeled after!
Anywho, there will only be 7 of us, so it’s not like we’re a huge group. Does that change anyone’s opinions about any of the above places?
Thanks for all the responses!
EDIT: Curse you, Scout! CURSE YOU! (in a very tolerant way! )
There are ways to avoid it but I wouldn’t recommend trying them if its not part of your regular commute. You’re just as likely to discover that your clever shortcut is MORE backed up than the 405. For example, Sepulveda parallels the 405 through the pass and it’s sometimes possible to make better time on it, but only if you’re familiar with the local traffic patterns.
The 405 will not be that bad at that time, especially since you can use the carpool lane. If you can push your arrival time up to noon, it’ll be easy-peasy. It takes me about an hour and ten to get to UCLA from Lancaster as long as I am arriving no earlier than 11. That’s without the carpool lane and assuming there are no wrecks. Also, I think of the speed limit more as a guideline rather than a rule, so you may want to take that into consideration.
And I third the Apple Pan. Their burgers are awesome and their pecan pie is almost as good as mine. But finding seats for seven in there would be quite trying. Anyways, you should go there at least once, even if it isn’t on this particular trip.
I am, and I would, but even I’m not so cruel as to suggest they go that far out of their way for a meal (even an amazingly stupendous meal such as Roscoe’s would be).
It would be much better if Diosa would simply come to the Roscoe’s Dopefest.
Yeah, I laughed out loud the first time I saw it. The Holiday Inn is the perfect touch because that’s exactly the jams tend to be the worst. I expect the joke is lost on anyone who’s never driven in L.A. though.
Thanks. got it. Is Johnny’s Pastrami On Adams a poor imitation of the real thing? I wonder if it’s like Original Tommy’s and all its wanabee imitators.
)