It was a strong month for eating out. Jared, Mike, and I all came through with some quality spots, with the lowest score of the month a reasonable 6.5. We’re only two months in, and us hungry boys are starting to hit our culinary stride.
Bon appétit.
1. Guisados – Hip taco spot (Jared’s Pick)
Location: 8935 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
$2.75 for meat tacos and $3.00 for fish tacos
Craigs Order: Tinga de pollo, chorizo, camarones, and my FAVORITE pescado: (Grilled white fish, served atop black beans. Topped with cabbage, avocado/ cilantro cream, chile arbol, and pico de gallo)
Total: $12
Jareds Order: Steak Picado, FAVORITE mole poblano: (Shredded chicken breast in a nutty Poblano style Mole. Served with sour cream, queso fresco, red onion and dried chile),, chicharron, chorizo quesadilla
Total: $11.50
Thoughts: If you’re a San Diego loc you’ll know what I mean when I say this is the closest thing to City Tacos that LA has to offer.
Craig & Jared’s score: 8.5/10
2. Commerson – Buzzy American bistro (Craig’s Pick)
Location: 788 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles CA 90036
Craig’s Order: Wild pacific white shrimp and chorizo burger with avocado, pepper jack, broccoli sprouts, spicy sauce $17
Deviled eggs with pimiento cheese, pickled mustard seed $6
Total: $23
Jared’s Order: Niman ranch cheeseburger with caramelized onion, tomato, cheddar, iceberg lettuce, S.O. sauce $16, and fries $6
Total: $22
Dessert: Blackberry Cassis Tart – browned butter almond filling, blackberry and cassis compote, vanilla ice cream $10
Thoughts: This place is perfect for a post-work drink and shared appetizer if you work at a place where you wear a suit. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I went in there wearing a t-shirt and a jacket and felt a tad underdressed. The food is 25% too expensive, but is also quite good. If you live in the Mid-Wilshire area and need a spot for a first date, I think we found a winner.
Craig & Jared’s Score: 8.5/10
3. Stevie’s Creole Cafe – Cajun/creole food (Craig’s Pick)
Location: 5545 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90019
Craig’s Order: Seafood Gumbo: Voted “best gumbo this side of New Orleans” by Jonathan Hold of the Los Angeles Times. Our famous file gumbo is prepared in a thick seafood stock with loads of crab, shrimp, chicken, and sausage over steamed rice with French bread. Side of cornbread muffin with home-made peach butter (cornbread was only 60 cents per muffin!).
Total: $14
Jared’s Order: Half Catfish/Half Shrimp Po’Boy w/ fries
Total: $16
Complimentary: Jalapeño Cucumber Lemonade
Thoughts: Thank god I left my car at a friend’s house one night and had to walk there the next morning, otherwise I would have never found this little darling. Stevie’s exceeded my expectations in every way. It’s affordable, has great service, an inviting ambience, and features top notch food from a relatively uncommon cuisine in the LA area. This is an order at the counter, take a seat and enjoy kind of place, perfect for a casual date, or a cultured munch sesh with the boys where you can explore an underrated style of cooking.
Craig & Jared’s Score: 9/10
STOUT – burgers and beer (Roommate Mike’s Pick)
Location: 1820 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 and Franklin (1 of 3 locations in LA)
Fun Fact: They are open until 4am everyday of the week.
Craig’s Order: The Morning After with a side of onion rings – Rosemary Bacon / Egg Over Easy / Aged Cheddar / Chipotle Ketchup
Drink: Red Chair – Deschutes / Bend, OR / Pale Ale (Nitro) / 6.2%
Total: $19
Jared’s Order: The Six Weeker with a side of fries – Brie / Fig Jam / Arugula / Caramelized Onions
Total: $17
Fries did not come with the burger
Nothing Complimentary
Thoughts: Stout is cool in theory. Specialty burger place with a ton of beers on tap in a modern industrial corner spot in Hollywood. But… it just doesn’t quite hit. I’d rather go to Stacked or The Golden State (on Fairfax). For the type of people they want to attract (mid/late twenties to early thirties young professionals) it doesn’t work hard enough to piqued my interest. There was no fun deal to compensate for the pricey burger a la carte, the wait staff felt just as apathetic as I was, and why were there not beer flights? I’m probably being too picky. I will say, the burger itself, was one of the better burgers I have had in a while, but that’s about it. And the sides were subpar at best. For a place that only offers burgers and salads, you’d think the sides would be a focal point. So I guess that’s sort of my point. For a place that specializes in burgers and beers, they don’t do a good enough of job at burger and beering.
P.S. Also I’m just going to say it. Ketchup does not go with onion rings. It should not be a side for onion rings. Give me some ranch or a damn aioli!
Craig and Jared’s Score: 6.5/10
BONUS RESTAURANT
5. Cassell’s Hamburgers (Specialty Craig Pick)
Location: 3600 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
Craig’s Order: Tuna salad sandwich on wheat, side of potato salad, apple pie with vanilla ice cream
Craig’s go-to order: Patty melt on rye with swiss, with sweet potato waffle fries and dulce de leche banana cream pie
Jared’s order: Classic cheeseburger with grilled onions w/ classic kennebec fries
Read my thoughts and see some pics: A Love Letter to Cassell’s Hamburgers
Hear our thoughts: Chew-001: A Food Podyssey
Craig & Jared’s Score: 9.5/10