This rainy weather makes us crave some serious indulgences, so it seemed like the perfect time to share over-the-top dishes from some of LA’s most popular eateries. This list is a mix of unique takes on tried and true comfort food classics and brand new inventions — but they all do the trick.
Pig ear Cheetos at The Church Key (West Hollywood)
Don’t cringe, this is one of the best bar snacks in history: the crispy shredded pig ears are sprinkled with cheddar powder and served with an avocado dip that is exactly what is sounds like and you won’t be able to stop eating them by the handful while you nurse a cocktail during the ‘tiki happy hour.’ (See photo above)
Bánh Mì Pizza at The Nice Guy (West Hollywood)
This wise-guy themed restaurant on LaCienega by the h.wood group has dimly lit booths, strong cocktails and chicken parmesan but they also serve a duck bánh mì pizza. Chef John-Carlos Kuramoto — last seen at Michael’s in Santa Monica — cures and cooks duck legs for 12 hours into a confit then layers the meat along with fontina, shredded pickled carrots, Thai herbs, and sriracha for a shockingly light and thin crusted work of art.
Pan Fried Pommes Aligot at Cadet (Santa Monica)
Many mouth-watering dishes pop out of the wood-burning oven at this new rustic French hot spot from Chef Kris Tominga (The Hart and the Hunter) and Jeff Weinstein (Freddy Smalls). One of the most decadent is the layers of mashed potato in a mini-skillet that is a cross between a gooey fondue and a scallop spuds dish with a torched French cheese crust.
Bone Marrow Pie at Chi SPACCA (Hollywood)
If you love fatty bone marrow and pot pie crust, then this dish from Chi SPACCA is for you. If this sounds a little too rich for your palate, the bone marrow is actually placed in the middle of the pie made with beef cheeks, funghi, and cippolini, with a fork sticking out of the bone so you don’t have to indulge all at once — and there really isn't much difference between this method and spreading the fat bits on a crusty piece of bread, right
Chocolate Chicken at ChocoChicken (Downtown)
This crazy concept eatery located near The Staples Center is by Adam Fleishman of Umami Burger fame. This is not a mole dish but frying batter that is infused with a hint of chocolate. You can order the crunchy dark bird as a combo dish or piled high in a sandwich on a house-made roll. Be sure to add a side of white chocolate mash but you can probably skip the four sticks of chocolate option.
Fried Chicken Club at Pete’s (Downtown)
Warning: this mile high sandwich by Chef Josef Centeno (who gave us the baco flatbread and puffy taco), is definitely too big to fit in your mouth, so best to smash it down with both hands or deconstruct it before eating. What you will be able to taste is perfect fried chicken with additional layers of actual crispy thin chicken skin (or cracklin’), country ham, gobs of American cheese, and lettuce. If that doesn’t do it for you, try the mac-n-cheese stuffed croque madam.
Chili Cheese Naan at Badmaash (Downtown)
For something completely unexpected, this modern Indian gastropub concept serves traditional Indian dishes with a twist by father-son culinary duo Chef Pawan and Nakul Mahendro. You can order lamb vindaloo, saag peneer, and chicken tikka masala but we recommend diving into an order of the chili cheese naan, which is like an Indian quesadilla stuffed with hot chilies and aged American cheddar, served with yogurt raita — and don’t forget an imported Kingfisher Lager to wash it down.
Glazed Donut Breakfast Sandwich at Dunkin Donuts (Santa Monica)
When this donut chain relocated back to SoCal recently there were hour long lines
around the block for weeks. Too
long for a donut fix, but this guilty pleasure really works as a late night
grab and go when you’re tipsy or as a hangover breakfast pit stop. It’s your
typical fast food morning sandwich with a peppery fried egg and bacon but the
bun is actually a glazed donut.
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Photos by Carole Dixon and the restaurants listed