7 Delicious Things to Eat in Hollywood

Welcome to a new series about the best dishes to eat in various neighborhoods across Los Angeles. We’re heading to Hollywood, a city where grit, glamour, and good eating come together in brilliant fashion. While the neighborhood is more famous for its star power than its culinary prowess, insiders know just where to find a great meal. From vegan creme brulee to grilled lamb riblets, here now are Eater editors’ favorites in the neighborhood.

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Grilled lamb riblets at Gwen

Gwen is one of Hollywood’s criminally underrated restaurants. It’s grown up, gorgeous, and offers fine dining levels of service. The bar is also a great happy hour place, especially with a cocktail and a plate of grilled lamb riblets. Gwen has morphed a number of times, from a prix-fixe tasting menu situation to a full a la carte menu with a focus on meat — it’s no wonder considering the butcher shop at the front of the restaurant is one of the city’s best. Back to the ribs, they’re perfect for nibbling with a drink and dunking into a leek-ash yogurt. The spices and wood-fire on the riblets tame any potential funk from the lamb, and with the abundance of fat, each bite requires almost no chewing — they’re that tender. 6600 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. —Matthew Kang

Phuket-style crab curry at Luv2Eat Thai Bistro

When Luv2Eat’s staff brings the Phuket-style crab curry to the table, it’s impossible to focus on anything else. The aromatic scent is instantly noticeable, while the blue crab meat makes itself known. As one of Luv2Eat’s most popular specialties, the dish is a testament to owners Noree Pla and Fern Kaewtathip passion and commitment to sharing the flavors of Phuket. Here’s the kicker — the kick. The curry packs ample heat. Just order some Thai iced tea or coffee to help counter the incredible spice. 6660 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. —Mona Holmes

Chicken liver bruschette at Pizzeria Mozza

When it comes to chicken bits, it’s always been gizzards over livers for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t until tasting Pizzeria Mozza’s chicken liver bruschette nearly a decade ago that my tune totally changed. To say that these were life-changing livers would be an understatement. In Nancy Silverton’s kitchen, the livers’ distinct metallic hum is punctuated with capers, parsley, and guanciale. Coarsely chopped and neatly mounded atop toast rounds, the livers never fail to set the perfect tone for the rest of the Mozza meal. 641 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles. —Cathy Chaplin

Tomahawk at APL

Adam Perry Lang’s APL steakhouse and brasserie has more than a few things going for it. Not only is Lang widely regarded as something of a maestro with meat, the Hollywood restaurant staff even upkeeps a subterranean bespoke dry-aging room where APL gets all of its cuts from. That includes the $132 tomahawk, a massive slab of bone-on beef that’s been aged for roughly half a year, imbuing the meat with earthiness, funk, and loads and loads of flavor. It’s a massive effort (both the steak and its creation), but one that Lang takes exceptionally personal — hence the initials as a name. Find Lang in the kitchen most nights, expo’ing orders and making sure every steak, big and small, comes out just so. 1680 Vine St., Los Angeles. —Farley Elliott

Pub burger at The Bowery

In a neighborhood filled with changes and chains, Bowery remains a staple bar and restaurant right in the thick of Hollywood. The laid-back New York City-inspired spot works a cozy menu of hearty basics, including their infamous pub burger, presented as a thick and juicy patty on a housemade English muffin. In a land of smash patties and 1,000 Island sauce, this burger remains a classic, particular on busy, packed-in weekend nights when the lowkey bar draws a distinctly local clientele. 6268 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. —Farley Elliott

Pork belly banh mi at Banh Oui

The hefty pork belly banh mi at Banh Oui comes out of a tiny strip mall restaurant just along Hollywood’s Cahuenga corridor. The area is a relentlessly difficult place to run a restaurant, let alone a not-necessarily-cheap sandwich shop. Boasting thick slices of well-seared pork belly, and a solid smear of pate, this banh mi straddles the line between gut-busting office lunch and just-enough-vegetables-to-feel-full, which is a dilemma that many Angelenos deal with on a regular basis. Yes, you will feel full after eating this banh mi, but you also won’t want to take a nap afterwards. 1552 North Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles. —Matthew Kang

Crème brûlée at Doomie’s Home Cookin’

Even though there’s plenty of plant-based newcomers popping up throughout Los Angeles, Doomie’s has a solid decade of preparing comfort vegan food under its belt, including a new location in Culver City. There isn’t an animal product in sight, which is why it’s baffling that the vegan crème brûlée tastes so fantastic. What’s typically a dessert filled with eggs and heavy cream is substituted with ingredients that make for a less-heavy and more flavorful sweet. It’s hard to think of a better way to end a meal of meatless chicken, burgers, and tacos. 1253 Vine St. # 9, Los Angeles. —Mona Holmes

• Eight Delicious Things to Eat in LA’s Chinatown [ELA]
• Six Delicious Things to Eat in Venice [ELA]