Must Eat: Plan Check Kitchen + Bar, Los Angeles

There's quite a bit of debate in LA regarding who has the "best burger".  J and I are fans of the famous father's office burger. We also enjoy the burger at Rustic Canyon and the options at Comme Ca.   However, recently, we came across a new favorite - the "Chefs Favorite Burger" -  at the hip new spot for "Modern American Comfort Food" on Sawtelle Blvd -  Plan Check.  

The "Chef's Favorite Burger" consists of "akaushi red wagyu beef, cheese two ways, bacon two ways, ketchup leather, sunny fried egg and hot sauce."- $12.  It is not for the faint of heart - as you can see from the photo above, this is quite a decadent burger.  If the above combinations do catch your fancy, they also offer the Plan Check Burger, and the Blueprint Burger.  The menu has a number of tasty snacks and apps, sides/salads and dishes to choose from. 

Must Eat: Thai Vegan, Santa Monica, CA

Tofu Satay

J and I enjoy Thai food, but have been having some trouble finding really good Thai on the Westside.  After reading rave reviews on yelp, we decided to give Thai Vegan a try.  It is a mom and pop little shop inside the Thai Teak store across from Urth Caffe. The atmosphere is unique and quite cozy - probably best to do take out, or go as a small group.  

Must Eat: Father's Office, Santa Monica, CA

This was one of the first places we ate at when we visited LA in May 2010 to search for an apartment in Santa Monica.  Now we are lucky that it is just a few blocks from home!  Father's office is a cozy bar on Montana with many beers on tap, a hipster vibe, and a yummy bar menu.  People rave that they make one of the best burgers in LA - It's one of mine for sure!

The Juicy Burger loaded with deliciousness.   However note - "No substitutions, Modifications, Alterations or Deletions" allowed!

 Shoestring Fries served with Aioli! 

Must Eat: Bru's Wiffle- A Waffle Joint, Santa Monica, CA

There is something so comforting about Fried Chicken and Waffles.  We've heard the hype about Roscoe's, and have been craving it for a while.  But we just couldn't quite muster up the motivation to venture east of the 405 for brunch this morning. 

Lucky for us - Bru's Wiffle is only a few blocks from home.  J and I both ordered fried chicken and waffles - I got the Festive Chicken which came with a Mango Salsa, and J got the original with a mix of sauces on the side (Gravy, Louisiana Hot Sauce and Ranch).  We both got our waffles with a piece of white meat and dark meat. The chicken was boneless, perfectly moist and juicy, and crispy on the outside. The portions were hearty and satisfying.

If you're looking for fried chicken and waffles on the West Side, we highly recommend this spot!

Bru's Wiffle

2408 Wilshire Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90403

310-453-2787

www.bruswiffle.com

Must Eat: Ramen Yamadaya Culver City

We love Ramen. It one of our favorite comfort foods. We got hooked on ramen at Momofuku noodle bar and Ippudo in NYC and have been searching for a good ramen spot in LA since we moved out here in 2010.  Granted, we'd probably have more luck if we drove down to Torrance, and we still need to make the pilgrimage out to Daikokuya downtown - but during the week, we just want to go somewhere convenient and close to home on the West Side.  We were pretty psyched when we found a new Ramen shop not to far in Culver City!

The tricky part is finding a place that doesn't put a ton of MSG in their broth. MSG gives me a headache and makes me dizzy - which kind of ruins the fun of eating.  True story - when I went to local favorite Santouka Ramen, the broth had so much MSG I almost passed out after eating it!  At Yamadaya, the broth was rich and flavorful and delicious - as far as I could tell either very little or no MSG!