3 Foodie (and Family!) -Friendly LA Neighborhoods

Los Angeles earned its place long ago in the foodie world as one of the top destinations for delicious and innovative cuisine. The tradition continues with new restaurants and hot spots popping up almost daily. For the foodie family that plans its vacations around a city’s culinary options, LA certainly won’t disappoint. Check out these three neighborhoods for cutting-edge restaurants to satisfy your family’s discerning taste buds.

Sawtelle Japantown

If Asian fare suits your family’s fickle tastes, head to Sawtelle Boulevard. This trendy neighborhood in West Los Angeles is home to dozens of eateries serving out-of-this-world ramen at Tatsu and some seriously spicy ramen at Killer Noodle. Kimukatsu is famous for its 25-layer tonkatsu, a delicious dish made from layers of thinly sliced pork covered in panko crumbs and deep fried. Sushi Tsujita is so popular they had to open a second restaurant across the street, Tsujita Annex, specializing in thick noodles flavored with rich broths.

Not only is this a great neighborhood for exploring amazing eateries, but there are plenty of fun shops to visit in between meals such as Giant Robot, a fun little shop and art gallery specializing in Asian pop culture products. The whole family will enjoy sorting through the selection of T-shirts, gadgets, toys and more.

Ramen Bar, California. Photo: Mirror Images | Dreamstime.com

Culver City

In recent years, Culver City has made itself known on the foodie radar of Los Angeles. This increasingly trendy neighborhood has an impressive array of selections to choose from starting with Lunch — the restaurant, not the meal! Lunch serves up classic breakfast favorites to start your day like The Duke — a fried egg sandwich with avocado, bacon, cheese and some chipotle mayo. Come back later to build your own salad or sandwich or pick from fun choices like This Lil’ Piggy (ham and melted Swiss on a roll) or the Un-Brie-Lievable (turkey, brie, apple and honey mustard).

For dinner check out Lukshon for some flavorful Southeast Asian cuisine such as cold sesame noodles and the mouth-watering banana leaf grilled sturgeon prepared with green mango sambal, peanuts and banana. For pizza lovers, head over to Wildcraft for an artisan pizza or a little something to snack on like the charred Spanish octopus prepared with chermoula, roasted sunchokes and mustard greens.

Venice Beach

Venice Beach is a great way to experience LA — it’s got sun, sand, shopping and some really great places to grab a bite to eat. While it’s easy to spend a day walking up and down the beach shopping for souvenirs and snacking on slices of pizza, Venice has much more to offer if you venture off the tourist drag. Vegans will rejoice at Cafe Gratitude, which serves delicious, animal product-free meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Open-Hearted Pancakes (also gluten-free) are a tasty and hearty way to start the day.

Bull & Dragon, which markets itself as post-modern eco cuisine, offers up tantalizing creations based on availability of the freshest produce, meats and seafood. Produce is locally sourced from the restaurant’s farm and all meats and seafood are humanely procured, leaving the smallest possible footprint on the environment. Stop in for a meal that will leave your belly as happy as your conscience.