Small Town Eatin'

Green Leaves is the cheap, humble, crunchy, veggie-friendly alternative to… pretty much anything else in walking distance. The service? Preternaturally friendly. The level of pretension? I've seen bus-station grills with less thought-out interior design. The prices? Hovering around diner-level. A menu that's not branded, but rather expanded--everything from "Rock and Roll Noodles" (they're wide as a freeway) to previously undiscovered pancakes and other unique breakfast-for-whichever-time-you-come-through options. (I'm into the tropical pancakes.) If you have to spend over seven bones on lunch, you're bad at math. Green Leaves is young, and still finding its way. If you're a strict vegan, tell the waiter (and also the cook, if you can) before you order--as long as you're not an unapologetic assache, they'll keep the cheese off you. Whatever else it's got, it's got the drop on anyone else in Los Feliz who wants to play "recession-friendly." If you're from a small town, it's like a trip home without the stomach ache.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

Treasure This Place

Spicy BBQ features great food in a low-key LA mini-mall setting. The northern-Thai dishes here are really off the hook. I can not recommend the Northern Thai Egg Noodles (Khao soi) enough! The other dishes I have tried so far from the northern-Thai section of the menu include the spicy jackfruit, the pork dip and the pork salad and they are all really good too. Jonathan Gold mentions the pork patties in his review and I will have to try those next time I eat there. There is no keeping me away from this place which I honestly consider a neighborhood treasure. The dining area is small; a lot of people come by to pick up their to-go orders too.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

Why Elliot Why?

Stephen Paul "Elliot" Smith wrote some painful, painful music. Nothing in his catalogue can be heard passively--to listen to Smith's records is to behold and absorb the hopeless agony that, uh, his characters felt. Smith grew up in the South and made his name in the Pacific Northwest, but he died in LA. Supposedly from self-inflicted a stab wound to his chest. Which is a tad suspicious. Aren't there martial artists that spend their whole lives learning to do something like that? No one is quite sure what really happened, and Silverlake has not gotten over Smith's death--he's still the Smokey Robinson of the protracted breakup. This swirly mural, which was featured on the cover of his 2000 LP Figure 8, has become a living shrine, with flowers and graffiti. Figure 8 includes the song "Easy Way Out," which is, going-on nine years after Smith's early exit, still confusing as all hell.

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Landmarks • Los Feliz

Public Art, LA Style

Vermonica is an example of why it's great to be alive, to have internet access, and to work at NFT. I took this shot when we were in LA of these seemingly random streetlamps in a Rite-Aid parking lot on the corner of Vermont & Santa Monica Boulevard; we then ran a photo contest to see who'd be the first person to correctly identify what it was. The result? Dozens of responses within an hour, correctly identifying it as Sheila Klein's urban "sculpture" from 1993. Anyone have any night shots they want to upload of this? We'll send anyone who has a good one a free NFT-LA guide!

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Landmarks • Los Feliz

B for Best

Sapp Coffee Shop is my favorite Thai restaurant in LA--this place is the ultimate dive with great food. I remember a while back I was going to host a dinner at Sapp and some well meaning person sent me an email informing me that Sapp had received a "C" grade from the County Health Department (I was convinced that said grade was due to the fact that the chef hung out in the kitchen wearing a bathrobe and curlers.) My belief is that, with the exception of sushi restaurants, the lower the grade the better the food.  The grade has since been bumped up to a "B" but the food here is still great. Sapp is known for two dishes: Thai Boat Noodles and Jade Noodles. When I'm coming down with a cold or flu I instantly eat Boat Noodles because no bacteria or virus can survive in a host along with Boat Noodles (long story).  But most of the time, since I'm a girly-girl, I order the Jade Noodles. Why? Because they are so pretty.

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Coffee • Los Feliz

Thanks to Steve

Showbiz polymath and Tonight Show creator Steve Allen helped build platforms for many of the 20th Century's great eccentrics, including Lenny Bruce, Jack Kerouac and Frank Zappa, exposing them to a national audience. He was also an avowed skeptic and secular humanist his namesake theater shares a building with the Center For Inquiry. If he was wrong about the afterlife, he must be proud of the cast of raisincakes that perform at the SAT. It boasts one of the most diverse and unpredictable schedules of film, music and comedy in Southern California. Recurring features include Friday night's "Drive-In" (showcasing campy horror flicks) and the Tomorrow Show (at midnight, separating Saturday and Sunday), a raw, messy and sporadically brilliant variety show. If the show drags on, the seats can get uncomfortable, but that's usually a worthwhile risk.

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Theaters-Performing Arts Centers • Los Feliz

Likable to a Fault

Everyone likes Cuba Libre. No one loves it. Everything is in place. It's a decked-out dining room. It makes you feel the way Olive Garden did when you were in Iowa, and five. The drink specials are a good value, particularly for this enviable strip of Los Feliz. And well crafted! (Last time I was there, a Fat Tire was three frogskins, and a "bitchslap" was free.) If you're here on a date, it's a classy joint, and you're a total crotch magnet. But something crucial is missing. I don't know what it is. Everyone is nice. Everything is nice. Nothing curls my hair. I'm putting this down, Cuba Libre, because you're relatively new. And your specialty is being a restaurant/bar. You know that world. I don't. But I know you've got a mission in that world. And I'm hoping that, if you read this in the right light, you'll realize that it's a love letter. I want you to find your mission. Because I want to see what happens when you go balls-to-the-wall at whatever it is that you're good at.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

Something for Everyone

I love El Cid. I really do. I was ready to punch in my cell number, instead of the 666 Silverlake digits that make the wall phone ring out during some virgin comic's first set, out of devotion and courtesy. Depending (roughly) on which night of the week it is, you get a very different place here. Some nights, it's standup, which, in the interest of full disclosure (and covert self-promotion...shhh!), is what sucked me in, and got me to the point where the waiter knows the first syllable of my first name. Some nights, it's flamenco or salsa dancing, and you're encouraged to clothesline your date. Some nights, it's serious ex-peer-uh-mental thee-eighter. Whenever, it's scene-y in a way that's comforting in eternally status-conscious LA; people show up here as a retreat from something else, something they didn't really want to do, because this is what they'd do in the dark--and they're usually cool, in a way you haven't seen cool recently. It's "under new management" as of late, so don't trust the posted schedule, like, at all.

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Nightlife , Restaurants • Los Feliz

Hangover Special: Goat Stew

Since the dollar has been devalued as of late, it's been said that the US is the "new" Mexico. On your next stay-cation get the taste and feel of Mexico at Tacos Delta in Silver Lake. What looks to be your average taco shack is actually a hidden gem. Well, it's not really that hidden anymore since Tacos Delta was written up in the LA Times a couple of years ago for having one of the best Mexican breakfasts in the city. Breakfast is not a bad way to go: you can get a big plate of chilaquiles con huevos for less than five bucks. On weekends they serve Birria (a roasted chile based goat stew which besides Menudo is one of Mexico's great cures for a hangover.) Once I asked a cheeky Brit if the Birria tasted funky and he replied, "It depends on how funky you like it, girl!" Hmm, food for thought.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

When Your Ride Craps Out

The first thing you need in this town is an ace mechanic. All things move toward their ends, and your ride will crap out, sooner or later. Save yourself the heartache of dealing with chain-shop wage slaves and shake the filthy, calloused paw of a professional. These lifers make their living from repeat customers--they're on the level or they’re homeless. If you want to take my humble advice, go with Jimmy, my man in Silverlake. For sure, he's eccentric, but Jimmy won’t make you think your ignorance of transmission blocks qualifies as a learning disability. (This sort of niche condescension is the calling card of the lazy, inept and pathological--whether it's a mechanic, a computer guy or a record-store clerk, run.) If things aren't perfect by the time you roll out, Jimmy's shake is as good as a warranty. If you fail an emissions test or hear a mysterious knock after getting your oil changed elsewhere, Jimmy will shake his head and stare at the engine at a certain tilt, and the problem will vanish. And his rates are competitive.

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Shopping • Los Feliz

Former Taco Bell

It's housed in what looks like an old Taco Bell building. Its bathrooms are reminiscent of the worst gas stations in Los Angeles, around the back and to the rear. Why then is their food so good? I have visited Thai Town, located on the outskirts of Hollywood, many, many times before, but have never felt the urge to place my behind on one of the small diner-like tables inside Thai BBQ. However, thanks to my desire to inform the public of the best (and worst) places to frequent in Los Angeles I gave this one a try, and much to my surprise certain dishes outshone their peers. Try the seafood soup or, as the name of the restaurant would imply, anything BBQ. Particularly, the BBQ spareribs, which were so tender the meat was falling off the bone. See their website for the multiple locations, scattered mostly throughout Los Angeles County. Not sure which one is actually the original, as they all carry the same name.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

Bike Your Own Way

The Hel-Mel neighborhood (Melrose and Heliotrope) may well be the center of bicycle culture in Los Angeles. The recent enlargement of the Orange 20 bike shop has made this even more so. Owned by two people from the Bicycle Kitchen (Jim and TJ), Orange 20 is a full service bike shop that specializes in fixed gear bikes. (In case you hadn't noticed, fixies are all the rage these days. All the city kids have a Bianci Pista.) Orange 20 does not exclude the world of gears--I just bought a new 6-speed wheel here. The bike bags and bikes tend to be higher-end and more expensive. I'm just grateful they don't have those cookie-cutter aluminum bikes that are so impossible to avoid these days! After price comparison of stuff like wheels and tires and handlebar tape, their prices do seem competitive and fair. The only drawback: this place is something of a scene. Mostly it's a matter of showing up at the right time--it tends to be a lot easier to get service when there aren't 15 cool kids hanging in the shop. But when I do finally establish contact with a staff member, they are very helpful and friendly.

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Shopping • Los Feliz

Tip Well; Eat Happy

The canopy over the outside eating area proudly proclaims it "The Best Noodles in Town." This is of course hard to prove, though I would advise you not to argue with them, as they do have some angry waiters. Upon a recent visit there I witnessed one of the waitresses throwing change at a man who apparently didn't tip well. Admittedly, I did not witness the whole event and so he may very well have deserved a good pelting on his back with a few nickels and dimes. I can attest to three simple facts. The food is well priced, it tastes good and I will promise to always tip well. Remember to bring plenty of cash as they do not accept cards and the waiters apparently do not accept change.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

Sweet, Savory, Tasty

Guatemalteca is the best. The food here is affordable and tasty and healthy. It is a little confusing to order: I still haven't figured out what some of the menu items are. The pan de chile (veggie and bean stuffed fried green chile sandwich) and pan de pollo (tomato-base shredded chicken sandwich) and la comida carne guisada (beef stew) are the old standbys. The platano breakfast is really great too. I am fascinated by the pan de chow mein but haven't had it yet. The food is tasty but not really that spicy at all. It must be remarked upon that the bread they make is a great complement to whatever you order (it is included with las comidas). Not all the servers speak English so if can't speak Spanish you may be passed-over until someone can take your order. They also have a bakery and a little store. The new Santa Monica branch (near the subway stop) is bigger and more accessible. I am so happy to see that they have invested in this new outlet!

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Shopping • Los Feliz

Swinealicious

Judging by the fact that it's located in the old Thai Palms space (and thus still has a built-in stage for budding Thai Elvises and Karen Carpenters) one might think that Thai Patio is a "safe" Thai restaurant: a lack of chiles, pigs' blood, and offal; food that is "clean" and lacks the "funk" of things that Americans normally don't eat; or vats of the ubiquitous Pad Thai, which in Thailand is the equivalent of Wonder Bread. While Thai Patio does have such safe items on the menu, and a Thai Elvis, it also has some pretty unique dishes that even impress this jaded Angeleno's palate. In other words, there is something for everyone at Thai Patio. If you lean towards the swinealicious, I highly recommend the crispy pork salad: deep fried pork belly served with raw onions, tomatoes, and cilantro in a wonderful sweet and spicy dressing. This dish is good enough to be found on any upscale restaurant's tasting menu at triple the price. I do have to warn you though that if you are allergic to MSG the cooks can have a heavy hand with it; after my last meal there I was living la vida migraine.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

No Sex and the Diner

If you moved to Los Angeles to follow the Swingers dream, you're bound to end up at this 24-hour diner at some point (probably around 4 am), so you may as well be ready. The dim lighting goes easy on drunken eyeballs. The servers are breathing monuments to the capital-A "Alternative" mid-'90s, with fishnets on the girls and ironic aphorisms on the guys ("Homosexuals are gay"--it's funny because it's true, people). Please keep in mind that they are human. Most of them are quite nice. They probably don't want to sleep with you tonight. The food isn't "overpriced," exactly--it's market-priced for the neighborhood, which tells you a lot about the neighborhood. The $5 Fat Tire doesn't quite erase the pain of paying $8 for a souped-up McGriddle with no sides, but you're not going to remember this, anyway. If you're driving, don't drink coffee. Just pass out on a doorstep nearby. It'll make a good blog post.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

The Happy Art of Coffee

Your mileage may vary. I took an immediate shine to this place when asked "for here or to go?" In most LA coffeeshops I've tried, even if I specify "for here," I get my diesel in a paper cup, which somehow doesn't seem dignified (I've had a hard life. Give me a cup of coffee I can chip a tooth on, you sullen hipster bastard). Then a few of my sources complained that for-here mugs are a once-in-a-while thing. Not a big deal. If you really need a break from your sedentary gamer roommate, you'll find the place cozy enough, and it's open late. The lights are bright in here, probably because most of the patrons are drizzling brilliance on their Macbooks and only look sexy by accident. With a name like Psychobabble, the mud could be a lot stronger. If you're a smoker, you'll want to outside, in view of the Vermont party parade, because nothing's hotter than suicide on the installment plan.

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Coffee • Los Feliz

No Edible Flesh For You

The Vegan Spot opened its doors recently in Silverlake, just up the street from Sunset Junction. The building used to be Cordone's Deli, and the owners have kept the feel of the deli, just, you know, without the meat. The deli counter is filled with delicious looking salads and antipastos and the fake meats come in hefty looking hunks that are shaved on a deli slicer before being generously piled on the sandwiches. I’m definitely a sucker for comfort foods turned veggie, especially since it seems every other vegan restaurant in LA is Thai. I had the "Turkey Dinner" sandwich recently, and it was honestly amazing. It's basically sliced tofurkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce on this really awesome focaccia with fresh cole slaw. The only drawback I noticed is that they seem to run out of some of their ingredients later in the day, but I say give them a couple months to work all the kinks out and this will be a neighborhood staple.

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Restaurants • Los Feliz

What Hippies Intended

For more than 30 years, health nuts have been flocking to Nature Mart in Los Feliz. This grocery isn't huge, but it's packed to the brim with a huge selection of health foods and produce. Uncle Eddie's vegan peanut butter chocolate chip cookies are a personal favorite, and they've got every imaginable kind of fake meat product. It's not all veggie though, but I'm sure that all of the meat they sell came from animals who probably eat better and sleep in nicer beds than I do. The fruits and vegetables are awesome. This time of year they've got huge ripe papayas, which are not easy to come by. They've got a fair smattering of personal care items and more vitamins than I even knew existed. ut for those with a sweet tooth they've got a candy aisle that includes organic jelly beans (really?). What's really refreshing about it is that it's not ridiculously expensive.

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Shopping • Los Feliz

Painted Ladies

Local legends surround this place. Troubled gadabout Courtney Love made her entertainment-biz debut dancing here (True). Fever-dream director David Lynch came here to write, and used it as the basis for the club scenes in Blue Velvet. (Unverified, but believable). It's not exactly a strip club, but it's not the typical 4 AM dive, either. A rotating cast of women take the stage and dance suggestively in fanciful costumes, which they sometimes partially remove, but there's no nudity as such. It's also less predictable than most straight-up strip joints. The clientele is more eclectic, festive and gregarious. Even the guys up front, the hard-tipping superfans, don't look like they're at work. The dancers boast a range of styles and quirks, skew more SuicideGirls than Hustler, and more often gyrate to Echo and the Bunnymen or "A Day In the Life" than 2 Live Crew and Warrant. If you've always wanted to see a relatively attractive young woman in a spacesuit pole-dancing to "Space Oddity," this is the place to be.

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Landmarks , Nightlife • Los Feliz