coco's bakery restaurant

poached eggs w/mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach

layered upon english muffins

type of food: american diner

price: $~15

atmosphere: like any other american diner, coco's is lax and comfortable. the interior is a bit dated, but clean. the staff is courteous and nice. nothing too spectacular about the diner compared to other diners out there. parking is usually plenty at each location, so no need to worry.

rating: 6.5 out of 10. there isn't anything special about this place compared to other diners. the food came out in a timely fashion and was served in good, hearty portions. the food itself was well-made and comforting. the selection of food was wide and appetizing. all in all, a nice place to stop by for some regular diner food either early in the morning or late at night.

for various locations:

http://www.cocosbakery.com/locations.php?state=ca

the golden state

the burger with sweet potato wedges

look at that stack up. mm mm.

type of food: burgers, hot dogs, salads..ect.

price: $~15

atmosphere: located near the grove, the place is a hidden gem within all the hustle and bustle that is LA. the service is polite and helpful. no need to dress up or anything; casual setting. parking might be a hard to come by-- street parking with some metered along fairfax-- but isn't too horrible. the place is worth walking a few blocks for--trust me. regular burger joint with the addition of the hip, LA customers and tidy interior.

rating: 9 out of 10. i'm not the biggest burger fan, but this burger was by far one of the best burgers i've ever eaten in my life. the meat was so juicy (i get mine medium- well done, too!), the glazed applewood bacon works wonders for the tongue's taste buds, and the arugula provides just the perfect hint of freshness and crunch. the potato wedges were soft and sweet, just the way i like my fries done. overall, a great place to stop by for a tasty burger; definitely need to try this place if you're in the LA area and have a liking for a great burger.

426 N Fairfax Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036

school food blooming roll

cute placemats

variety of different kinds of rolls

dduk-bok-gee (spicy rice cakes)

a close-up

type of food: korean street food

price: $~10

atmosphere: the place is typical korean cute with white&pink decor, a playful chandelier, comfy seating and modern styling. the place is situated in a new plaza that is about almost done. there's free parking available and the place is on the third floor. it's a really cute place to go with some girlfriends for a light lunch.

rating: 7.5 out of 10. the food was good and tasty. yes, a little overpriced for "street food," but what do you expect from a cute, korean place in k-town? this is no hodori. the rolls were fun to eat especially because of their various fillings. some had anchovies, others had fish eggs-- i know, i know. sounds a bit fishy (ha-ha) and questionable, but really yummy! the dduk-bok-gee was a perfect mix of spicy and sweet. they were also sized perfectly with the rice cake part of the dish being a nice bite size. the service was great: all men servers (he he he), attentive, and the food came out quickly. this isn't a place to go to for some gourmet korean food, but it is a nice environment to eat some familiar dishes at with a few friends.

621 S Western Ave #301

Los angeles, CA 900059

0005

mikawaya

gelato

mochi/pastries

strawberry&green tea swirl ice cream; various mochi and pastries.

type of food: desserts: mochi, gelta, japanese pastries

price: $~5

atmosphere: the place seems like your typical japanese pastries shop-- settled in Little Tokyo, tacky christmas lights hanging, and filled with flavored mochi. it's a nice pit stop to make when in the area, craving something sweet and yummy or just for some dessert after dinner in the area. there is metered street parking available and a parking structure that validates up to a hour free with $10 purchase (enter on alameda).

rating: 9 out of 10. the mochi and gelato were excellent. pretty authentic japanese desserts made well. only reason i jibbed a point was the fact that that was exactly what this place was-- authentic japanese dessert place; there isn't much else different about this place than the next japanese pastries joint. just mochi, pastries and gelato.

333 S Alameda St.

Los Angeles, CA 90013

the downbeat cafe

lox

quiche

prosciutto&melon

interior seating

wall art

type of food: american/brunch/sandwiches

price: $10-15

atmosphere: my friends and i passed by this place numerous times, while driving on alvarado, and always have said that we would dine here; so we did. the hipster/trendy little place is...cool. the interior decor and wall art screams hipster/80s/cool kids. the people who visit tend to be from the area-silverlake/echo park. we felt a little out of place (3 korean girls don't mix too well with the artsy fartsy crowd), but oddly comfortable. the workers are friendly and nice. the place is a nice place to stop by to have a simple lunch or sip of coffee at. parking can be an issue at certain times (metered street parking on alvarado), but most of the time shouldn't be-- there's also free parking at the library next door.

rating: 7 out of 10. the place was fun and casual, but the food wasn't all that great. it was mediocore. they didn't have anything on the menu that was original nor did they have a vast number of items on their menu. however, still a nice neighborhood cafe to try out.

1202 N Alvarado St.

Los Angeles, CA 90026

favorite place restaurant

really cute interior

rosemary lemonade

bread, olives, butter

pea soup

tomato salad

summer delight

from russia with love

my husband's favorite

type of food: sandwiches, tea room

price: $0-15

atmosphere: tucked into a little corner right across the street from the CPK on wilson and brand is one of MY favorite places. the place is known to be a tea room, but sandwiches are its specialty. the place is cutecutecute and have really hospitable staff. the place is a really nice surprise and treat in glendale. great place to go with the girlfriends for a get together. parking is plentiful with metered parking structure right behind the restaurant.

rating: 8 out of 10. the sandwiches were great. the complimentary soup and tomato salad were yummy and homemade. overall, the place was really sweet and cute. the food was good, but not DELICIOUS. worth a try!

115 West Wilson

Glendale, CA 91203

bottega louie

the way they present the bread is so cute&rustic

bread&butter

arugula salad

napoli pizza

fettuccine belmondo

great decor

cupcakes&macarons

my goodies.

chocolate&vanilla eclairs

lavender macron

type of food: desserts, pizza, modern european

price: $0-25 (depending on what main dish you get at the actual restaurant part of store)

atmosphere: situated in the midst of the fashion&toy&jewelry districts is this big jem-- and i say "big," because this space is unusually a huge amount of square footage for downtown LA. The decor is modern european with marble slabbed everywhere from the walls to floors and gold accents used all around. the place is plain CHIC. the people are locals who live in the area. the place is great for a casual lunch, pastry/dessert run or just to have coffee/tea. parking is tight with street parking (metered)-- it IS downtown LA...what else would you expect?

rating: 10 out of 10. the place is worth all the fuss over parking-- hands down. i came back to this place three days in a row just for more goodies. the actual food is GREAT and priced pretty moderately considering the area and decor. the pastries&desserts are to DIE for. you must go if you have a sweet tooth like i do. everything is moderately priced and made to PERFECTION. they do have a market breakfast-- haven't tried it, but have heard good things. a must go!!!

700 S Grand Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90017