L.A. Carnage

It was exactly 30 days ago and counting when I nearly sickened myself by, within the span of two weeks, consuming three expertly seared, bloody delicious slabs of medium rare filet mignon, an equally red marinated skirt steak and an In-N-Out burger -- secret spread, grilled onions and all. Indeed, it was all beef, all the time that really signaled my farewell to meat and poultry last month in honor of my yearly non-denominational Lenten sacrifice.
And it is beef that now -- three-quarters of the way through with this 40-day pescetarianism -- I am lusting after with pure envy. Oh, don't get me wrong. I would inhale chicken, turkey, pork chops, bacon, pancetta, Vienna-freaking-sausage this instant if it wouldn't, in fact, make my ears ring with that which shalt not be spoken aloud, even in my psyche's worst nightmares: "You are CLANG! a quitter CLANG!, lacking CLANG! in both resolve and commit-CLANG!-tal!" OK, OK, I get it.So I'll soldier on with my utterly mercury-laden diet of fish sticks, tuna melts, fried eggs and cheese for another 10 or so days. But be ye warned: The end is in sight. And more than poultry's versatility or the entire category's chewy texture, heft and solidity, I am specifically craving that juicy, oozing, dripping, scarlet goodness known only to beef.And when the clock strikes midnight on Easter Sunday, I will have my beef. And I will continue having my beef for days and days after, just to end this drasted challenge like it started. Please join me, while I drool:

Soot Bull Gim 2, Koreatown -- Rare, thinly sliced brisket dunked in salty sesame oil and shoved with a few leaves of lettuce inside a slippery thin rice paper wrapper. Marinated short ribs. Bulgogi topped with charcoal-grilled kimchi.

25 Degrees, Hollywood -- A thick ground sirloin patty dripping to the tune of medium rare and melty gruyere. Strewn with strings of savory caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms before being capped and dipped on each bite into a creamy garlic aioli.

R.H. Garden or Miscellaneous Hong-Kong-style 24/7 Cafe, Rowland Heights -- Sizzling beef udon noodles. Sizzling beef. Udon noodles. Enough said.

Restaurant Week Comes to L.A. Jan. 27

I think I've died and gone to heaven. I've been to restaurant weeks in New York and Miami, but I've never seen it in L.A. I will be starving myself dutifully over the next week in anticipation of the big event, which goes from Jan. 27 to Feb. 1, and Feb. 3 to Feb. 8.

What is Restaurant Week, you ask? Oh, Angelenos, get yourself some culture. The gist is that high-end restaurants offer a three-course menu (appetizer, entree, dessert) for a set price. L.A. Restaurant Week has its own take on it, offering two price levels for different types of restaurants: $15 (deluxe) or $22 (premier) for lunch; $25 or $34 for dinner. Either way you go, they're all great prices.

See a list of participating restaurants, then book a reservation (quick!) on OpenTable or by calling the restaurant directly.

By the way, my goal is to have a restaurant week meal every day over the course of the event. So pick a date and book me before someone else does! Some must-hits for me? Ruth's Chris, Katsuya, Sushi Roku, the Palm...


Update 3/01/08:
Ruth's Chris - Best deal of the week.
Cobras y Matadors - Well-flavored and great for sharing.
Dakota - Food good but not good enough, disappointing, drafty.
Luna Park - Cute and comfortable-yet-hipster ambiance, with big portions.
Ruth's Chris - So good I went back again.

The Best Restaurants in L.A. for...

I love dining out. I can't get enough; there's just too much good food out there to be preparing my own meals every night. Here are some of the best of my best.

IMHO, The Best Restaurant in L.A. for...

...happy hour is a tie between Gyu-Kaku and The Original Cha Cha Cha in West Hollywood

...all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue is Manna in Koreatown, though I have a mind to try out Soot Bul Gui Rim 2 after some great Yelp reviews

...ramen is Daikokuya in Little Tokyo (photo by Yelper Dave K.)

...gourmet burgers is 25 Degrees at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood

...California-style sandwiches is a tie between the turkey pesto panini at Aroma Cafe in Studio City and the pressed chicken, bacon and brie at Joan's on Third by the Beverley Center

...late-night drunk food is BCD Tofu House in Koreatown

...pancakes is Bloom's lemon ricotta variety in mid-city

...affordable, quality sushi combo plates is Katsu-Ya in Studio City

...waffles is Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in Hollywood

...seafood soup is the zuppa del golfo at Ago Restaurant in West Hollywood

...French-pressed coffee is Eight-18 in Toluca Lake

...Indian food is Lal Mirch in Studio City

...unknown Italian food is Tino's Restaurant in North Hollywood/Valley Village

...tuna melts (with a steaming bowl of so-so chicken noodle soup) is Doughboys in Hollywood

...potato balls and Cuban cortaditos is Porto's Bakery in Burbank and Glendale

...unaffected French bistro fare is Cafe Flore in Beverly Hills

...slightly affected, affordable French bistro fare is Bistro Provence in Burbank

...legit Filipino food is Salo-Salo Grill in Artesia (so

...tacos is the taco truck parked on the south side of the Target parking lot in North Hollywood

...garlic is Zankou Chicken in Little Armenia (East Hollywood)

Wondering about where to get the best of any other food genres? Let me know -- I'm sure I'd have an opinion. Or, if not, I will gladly visit a sampling of restaurants to form one. Especially if you're footing the bill.not L.A., but this one is tried-and-true good. I've heard the Glendale location isn't great.