Every Restaurant That LA Needs Immediately

Los Angeles has seen an inflow of pop out - of - town restaurants setting up shop recently : the Shake Shack invasion has begin , Andy Ricker ’s Pok Pok now graces us with its innovational Thai dishes , and fellow Portlandians Salt & Straw and Blue Star Donuts both have multiple LA spots to shell through killer frappe cream and donuts . That ’s not all : you may gorge on that Canadian - best-loved godsend & fries thanks to Smoke ’s Poutinerie , and soon we can have a Nashville hot chicken experience when Howlin ' Ray ’s opens . But there are sight of places that still have n’t made the trip westward that we ’d love to see open here – and though we ’d love , say , a Commander ’s Palace , we ’re talking about concepts that are either a ) already chains or b ) well replicable . C’m on guys , what ’re you waiting for ?

Primanti Bros.

Pittsburgh , PA ( & other locations)This legendary sandwich workshop , with locations in Pennsylvania and four other east - of - the - Mississippi country , is the home of one of the most ingenious sandwiches know to adult male . Instead of serve kid and coleslaw on the side , these guys stuff them in with the meat and cheese between two piece of Italian bread – sorta like Fat Sal ’s , but , uh , mode more fabled . This perfect on - the - go repast would be great for LA ’s on - the - go aliveness , whether at noon or ( even better ! ) midnight .

Any of the Momofukus

New York , NYSince opening his Noodle Bar in 2004 , chef ( and former Phish - head ! ! ) David Chang has created a Momofuku conglomerate built out of porc belly buns and ramen bowls that are as wonderful to eat as they are to look at . He has also effortlessly expanded from the Micromeria juliana to the sweet with the much - adored Milk Bar ( where you could find Cereal Milk Crack Pie and natal day bar ball ) . Chang has over a dozen restaurants now , even one in Sydney , Australia , and when he was recently in LA for aLucky Peachevent , he full poetic over our ethnic nutrient scene . Dude : get here and add to it . Now .

Mission Chinese

San Francisco , CA and New York , NYMission is one of those restaurants that seems like it ’s a work of fabrication . A chef , ego - taught in Chinese cookery , opens a Chinese eatery in a ravel - down takeaway shopfront and wander up with a James Beard Award . However , it ’s all true . Danny Bowien is the man behind such incredibly imaginative and implausibly delightful dishes as kung pao pastrami and a mapo tofu burrito , and while Mission now has a place in New York City , Bowien so far has resisted the temptation of make believe the shorter trip down the I-5 to Los Angeles . C’m on .

Frank Pepe’s

New Haven , CT ( & other locations)Pizza has long been a point of contention in Los Angeles . Are there any pizzerias here that are as good as those in New York or Chicago ? Often misplace in this debate is another pizza style : New Haven . The don of New Haven pizza is Frank Pepe ’s and its most illustrious creation is the white clam pizza . This combo of clams , Pecorino Romano cheese , a little garlic , and other flavouring is so good that you wo n’t lack the traditional tomato sauce and mozzarella . get it on as " apizza , " this Neapolitan Proto-Indo European is admire for its very thin crust that ’s made crisp and ever - so - slightly charred in a ember oven ; it ’s not just honorable enough for CT – it ’s got locations all over the Northeast , include one just northwards of NYC .

Slappy Cakes

Portland , OR ( & other ; ocations)The conception at this Portland-/Maui-/Asian - base restaurant is simple , delicious , and would totally travel : pancakes you make at your table . You pick a batter flavor and your " fixin ’s , " then cook them on a griddle in the middle of your table . You make them how you want them , and you do n’t have to clean up . Want some protein ? How about a side of chicken - fried bacon ? It ’s a neat place for syndicate or friends to have sport , plus suffer a bar earns it bonus points .

Federal Donuts

Philadelphia , PASure , Los Angeles has electrocute chicken and waffle ( thank you , Roscoe ’s ) but it does n’t have a deep-fried chicken - and - sinker eatery . Especially not a position serving up one - of - a - variety donuts ( Indian Ceylon cinnamon tree , anyone ? ) and luscious , doubly - fry , Korean - stylus electrocute chicken created by James Beard Award - make headway chef Michael Solomonov . Add in the custom - blended coffee tree and you get a culinary trifecta that would be unequaled in LA – and prosperous to export here .

Cochon Butcher

New Orleans , LA and Nashville , TNAn expert fuckup shop , a killer sandwich spot , and a lauded bistro wine legal profession . You might be lucky to find two of these under the same roof , but it ’s rare to get all three . That is on the dot what you discover at Cochon Butcher . This carnivore paradise start in New Orleans and now has a Nashville outstation too , where it transforms its small - farm - source , house - made meats into memorable creations , with fare stars include white boudin sausage , a muffaletta , and an all - pork burger called " Le Pig Mac . "

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Michael Berick is a freelance writer living in Los Angeles who writes about medicine , food , and locomotion . He was bear in Ohio but ca n’t call up of any hometown restaurants he ’d like to see in Southern California . you could find him onTwitterandInstragram .