Recommend Stuff in Silverlake Please

March 16, 2007 4:40 PM

Recommend some stuff for me in Silverlake (Los Angeles)

I just moved to Silverlake from the westside and I need some various things to replace things I used to have over there. I now live a few blocks south of Sunset Junction.

Italian restaurant: pls. recommend a good one. Bonus points if they deliver. Michelangelo's came highly recommended off the net- I have had better Italian meals out of a mircowave.

Indian restaurant: again, delivery would be nice. I tried one ('Agora cafe?") based on net advice and again, was thoroughly unimpressed.

Mexican restaurant: yes, I know there are 100s, and I have had fairly good luck with Las Glorias on Silverlake blvd. But I'm looking for a little more of a sitdown place. And I'm a vegetarian (eat fish), so some of the places on this side of town are a little too authentic for me, in that they serve only meat, meat and meat.

French bakery/cafe: Used to love the Champagne chain on the westside, don't think they have one over here. Any equivalents?

Coffee house: someplace quiet and friendly where they don't mind me sitting with my laptop for a while. I have been to Casbah- too crowded and staff was rude.

Haircut place: Looking for a decent men's haircut, a few steps above Supercuts. Don't mind paying in the $20 area.

Answers to any or all are appreciated! Also, feel free to throw in anything else random, cool, or tasty in Silverlake I might like.

posted by drjimmy11 to food & drink (16 comments total)

Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock has the most insanely good pizza. A relatively far drive.

Mexican: Too many to name, most I dont even know the name. Tacos Delta has good fish tacos. El Cholo's good for sitting down (fancier, not strictly in silver lake). You're also close by to some excellent taco stands, including taco zone off alvarado and sunset (the burrito king there is pretty good too, nothing to rave about). allegria's another good sit down place.

Indian: Tantric? Tantra? It's real close to where you are. Sort of a modern, fusion take on Indian, and expensive. If you want classic, like a lip smacking vindaloo, I opt for some of the low-key places in Hollywood.

dont sleep on the pupusas on echo park and sunset. across from the walgreens.

Haircuts: Rudys on Sunset.

Italian: No fucking clue.

Coffee house: again, a nice cute one is on alvarado, right off sunset, forget the name (its purple on the outside). they have jazz there some nights, pretty decent atmosphere. there's the coffee table on rowena, good lunch, maybe some coffee.

hollywood's (and west h.) got some nice coffee spots.

you got some good ribs if you take sunset all the way down to where it turns into cesar chavez. kings ribs, me thinks.

the brite spot is a nice diner spot, broad selection. some greek specialties.
posted by phaedon at 5:07 PM on March 16, 2007

It's been a few years but my family used to like a place in either Silverlake or Los Feliz called Mexico City. I'm also a fish-eating vegetarian and I always found something good there. It's not super-authentic, it's a little spendier than a lot of the Mexican places you find around LA, and the decorations are very cool.
posted by crinklebat at 5:09 PM on March 16, 2007

Tacos Delta is right at the end of my street, been meaning to get up there! thanks!
posted by drjimmy11 at 5:13 PM on March 16, 2007

blimey. im waiting for some pizza and no one else is responding so..

good bars (nearby, in no particular order): the shortstop (great for pre-baseball pabst), the little joy (hipster alert), the rustic inn, the drawing room, the good luck bar, the silverlake lounge, the echo (excellent music), spaceland (excellent music), the derby, hm...

thai food: leela thai, good sit in, good take-out.

downtown's got some great spots. one of the perks of living in SL is having quick access to little tokyo and the rest.
posted by phaedon at 6:01 PM on March 16, 2007

I'm not big on Italian so I can't help you too much there. What was your favorite Italian haunt on the west side? There are so many different types of restaurants, something to compare to might help.

Indian: Avoid Tantra. I went there once, and while it's very chic and pretty, it was wildly overpriced and not very good. I can't think of any place directly in Silverlake, but Gate of India in Hollywood is excellent. I'm not sure what street it's on, when I worked in Hollywood I used to order from there, it's somewhere near Sunset & Vine.

Seconding Rudy's on Sunset for haircuts. I've never been there, but I'm a girl with long hair and they're not for me. It looks so cool that I sometimes wish I could rock a buzz cut just so I could go there.

I believe the coffeehouse that phaedon is referring to is called The Downbeat Cafe. I really love that place. It's actually in Echo Park. I also really like the Silverlake Cafe (oh man, is that what it's called?) it's a cute little bakery/coffeehouse across from the dog park by the reservoir.

There are lots of cute little restaurants on Hyperion, which was difficult for me to find when I first moved from the westside to Silverlake. I particularly like Zen Sushi, they have some good bands there, too. And BURRITO KING, which is not to be missed. Get a bean, cheese, guac burrito. At 2:30 AM. You will praise the gods that you live in Los Angeles.

Casa Bianca is a drive, but the pizza is worth it bigtime. And if you're out eaglerock way, there is an amazing french restaurant called Café Beaujolais. Across the street they have a little bakery/coffee shop called Le Petit Beaujolais that you would probably love. ALso in Eaglerock there is Fatty's, another cafe that I really adore, and Auntie Em's, a cute little luncheonette with AWESOME cupcakes as big as your head. Sorry for so much eaglerock, I lived in Mt. Washington and miss it terribly!

Highland Park has an excellent Mexican restaurant: Villa Sombrero. Authentic, but they serve some excellent fish dishes and it's very charming in that SoCal way.

Some other silverlake restaurants I really like: Gingergrass and The Red Lion, which are both next to eachother. Gingergrass is a vietnamese restaurant/noodle house with super hipster charm, The Red Lion is likely WAY too meat and potatoes for you but it's very unique and they have excellent beer choices.

Oh, I almost forgot! The Coffee Table on Rowena. It's a pretty chill coffeehouse, and they also serve passable comfort food.

Another Mexican place (sorry, this is very stream-of-consciousness) is a chain, but I've had good luck there - Acapulco in Atwater. Also in Atwater there's a Giamela's - close to the Best Buy strip mall. They have AMAZING sandwiches there.
posted by pazazygeek at 6:14 PM on March 16, 2007

Italian: Palermos on Vermont. Great pizza, decent pastas.

Mexican: 7 mares on Sunset

French: La Belle Epoque on Hillhurst and Los Feliz (also a bakery)

Indian: NOT Electric Lotus. It is overpriced and crap.

Coffee house: Sabor Y Cultura on Hollywood just west of Western.

Breakfast: People like Millies but it's hella crowded so go early. I prefer Eatwell (in Glendale, not the Silverlake location).

Leela Thai is indeed a great place for Thai (although not as authentic).

Mexico city is alright, it's across the street from La Belle Epoque.
posted by inviolable at 6:24 PM on March 16, 2007

Coffee House: Silverlake Coffee Co. is my favorite local coffee house, I can camp out there for hours. There're outlets in the front patio for your laptop too. It's across the street from Rockaway Records, near the intersection of Silverlake Blvd. and Glendale Blvd.

Mexican: Costa Alegre, on Sunset Blvd., east of Alvarado, next to Taix French Restaurant.

Italian: DaGianinno's on Hyperion and Grifffith Park Blvd.

Los Feliz Village (Vermont between Los Feliz and Hollywood) has Electric Lotus (Indian) and Palermo's (Italian), park in the post office next to the House of Pies at night.
posted by lealynn at 6:29 PM on March 16, 2007

I, myself, just moved to eagle rock (okay, okay, technically its glendale, but its close enough) and will check out beaujolais as soon as i can. this neighborhood is way too cool, but i work in hollywood and dont get to hang :(
posted by phaedon at 6:38 PM on March 16, 2007

Silverlake Coffee Co.: great coffee, okay sandwiches. Free wireless, lots of seating. Nice and quiet, good music (turned down nice and low) and I've sat there from noon til night and no one bothers me.

Thai: Suriyo on Santa Monica, south of sunset. It's great and delivers.

Italian: Hard Times Pizza. Michelangelo's is awful (which is a shame since I can walk to it)

Mexican: El Mares (fish taco...mmmmm.)

French: La Belle Epoque is good.

Other restaurants: Gingergrass has great Vietnamese food and the price is right. It fills up quick but the wait is never too long.

Frog Leap Cafe is a cool joint.

Anyway, welcome to the neighborhood.
posted by ryecatcher at 6:38 PM on March 16, 2007

Leela's pretty good, but I'm in love love love with Rambutan for Thai..

For a fancy-ish French place, there's Cafe Stella. Getting a bit expensive, but the wine list and ambience is great.
posted by drpynchon at 7:47 PM on March 16, 2007

lotta good answers, thanks everyone!

for the record, my favorite Italian is Campignola on Westwood Blvd. I also like New India Grill right down the block. So anything comparable would be awesome!
posted by drjimmy11 at 8:05 PM on March 16, 2007

Coffeehouse: The Coffee Table on Rowena (just east of Hyperion). Specialty coffees and a good vibe. I also like Psychobabble in Los Feliz Village; they have free wifi and the people-watching there is excellent.

Other restaurants: I'll second the Ginger Grass and Red Lion recommendations, and I enjoy going to Good as well (it's in the Sunset Junction area on Sunset, and if you're a beer drinker you'll like it). I looooove Los Feliz and it's very close to Silver Lake (I'm in Franklin Hills and regularly walk to both Hyperion and Vermont), and there are plenty of great joints there... I'm into Fred's 62 right now.

Also, if you haven't yet been to Skylight Books (also in Los Feliz, on Vermont), go.
posted by the_bone at 8:52 PM on March 16, 2007

Phaedon -

Check out Fatty's in Eagle Rock. It's outstanding.
posted by ryecatcher at 9:02 PM on March 16, 2007

You're always going to get different opinions on restaurants, but here's my $.02:

Indian: I've heard Tantra on Sunset is good, but I've never been. Electric Lotus on Vermont is Americanized Indian: big portions but not good quality. I love Paru's Indian Vegetarian on Sunset (just past Normandie). It's a hole-in-the-wall place but the food is great and it has a fun outdoor courtyard.

Mexican: Mexico City on Hillhurst is very, very mediocre. I would take Chevy's over Mexico City, seriously. I like Alegria on Sunset near Sunset Junction, but this is one Chowhounds argue over for days.

French: A few people recommended La Belle Epoque on Hillhurst. Unfortunately, it's actually closed now. Figaro on Vermont is a nice French sidewalk cafe, a little overpriced but the food is good. A fave with local celebrities.

Italian: I don't think Palermo's is very good Italian, although I do like the pizza. In general it's bland pasta and sauce from cans...but the portions are big. I do like Il Capriccio on Vermont for Italian, and they have a second location for wood-fired pizza opening on Hollywood "very soon."

I have to give an unsolicited recommendation for the Cheese Store at Sunset Junction. Go in and gorge on samples, then buy some delicious cheese and bread. YUM.

...and finally, I'm a girl and I get my haircut at Rudy's on Sunset. I really like it...it's $20ish for a short boy cut and the atmosphere is good, friendly stylists, I highly recommend it.

It's a great neighborhood. Enjoy!
posted by Bella Sebastian at 9:38 PM on March 16, 2007

ryecatcher -
I will, thanks. I was just at the Chalet last week, looked across the street, and asked my friend, "Fatty's, what the hell is that?" Then we went to Casa Bianca and got our heads blown by the sausage, eggplant and garlic pizza.
posted by phaedon at 11:26 PM on March 16, 2007

The Cheese Store - Sunset at Hyperion.
posted by ApathyGirl at 12:25 AM on March 17, 2007