Here's Looking at You - Los Angeles

We had an iffy start. For starters, they're out of both things I wanted to try, the biscuit & gravy AND the coconut waffle. 

What do you do when you're denied the most promising things on the menu? Leave? Try all the other stuff? 

We stayed. With no regrets. I would have liked to have my gravy and eat it, but there's plenty of other pleasures to be had. The Zucchini Bread, for one, is a starter that doesn't need to end. The bread is moist, and just lightly sweetened, a nice veggie backdrop to highlight a creamy ricotta but a sweet swirl of honey honey and nutty pumpkin seed. 

The Smoked White Fish is a fishy-fresh and refreshing, a beautifully balanced spread complemented by crisp lettuce, a green tomato fresh and delicious enough to make a tomato-hater eat multiple slice, and slivers of red onion and paper-thin radish really ramp up the sweetness of the fish.

The Shakshuka Verde probably isn't for everyone, but it's a personal preference, like green salsa or red. No matter what you prefer, the eggs are just perfect, and the cotija softens the sharper edges of the verde.

A side of Hash Browns is an excuse to slather on their hot sauce, which may or may not have addictive properties. 

The Ham Steak is serious. It's a full 20 ounces, bone and all, a cross-section of a juicy leg. The maple glaze sweetens the deal, and the burnt mustard is a genius flavor-adder to cut through the fat. The char adds something extra. 

I like it! I really like it! Here's Looking at You makes a unique genre of food that I can only describe as "Los Angeles". The menu pulls from several cuisines, from the middle eastern shakshuka with a Latin verde spin to an all-American ham-and-hash-brown breakfast, to a white fish spread akin to deli lox on a bagel. Here's looking at the best part of Los Angeles, diversity on a plate, for a brunch both beautiful and delicious. 

Grimaldi's Pizzeria UPDATE - El Segundo

A better experience this time around, though I do wish it was easier to get things to go. (Nothing wrong with their take-out - I just live too far away.)

Starting with a Bruschetta Trio, love the fresh, classic tomato & basil - there's something about tomatoes in olive oil... Roasted red pepper brightens a creamy ricotta, and the marinated artichoke has a slightly sour finish, the kind that makes you want a little more of where that came from.

We kept it simple with a White Pizza. Their marinara sauce is fantastic, but wow, nothing beats the stretchy ropes of mozzarella they pack onto this pie. The meatballs are moist, and the Italian sausage is full of spices, and our mushrooms add some texture and juice. 

Keep it simple. They'll nickel and dime you for special orders and pizza modifications, but if you just order whatever is one the menu or put a couple toppings on a base, you can't go wrong. Pricier than many, but you get what you pay for with most. Pay a little extra at Grimald's. IMHO, it's the best pizza in the South Bay so far.

Izakaya Hachi UPDATE - Torrance

No matter how many hot new restaurants pop up in LA, I'll always be hot for Hachi...

Hotter than a skillet of sizzling Butter Corn. Yes, it's that simple, just corn with a lot of butter. Simple but so fresh and freaking delicious. 

There's a mini bowl of Beef Tendon Curry among the specials, and it's time to try something new. A hot bowl of goopy comfort, the curry drips between each grain of steaming white rice. 

Jidori Chicken Wings have soaked in a sweet soy-type sauce with a smattering of sesame. 

Another special, not to be missed. Anago sea eel in sweet and fluffy layers of moist, soupy Tamago. We asked the server how it was, and her eyes went wide like a moment of ecstasy. And yes, it really was that good. 

Let the Kobe Beef "Yakiniku" Salad be your cold shower. The beef is melty and thin, and it's like a delightful wrap for the shredded cabbage beneath, a combination rich yet refreshing.

No trip to Izakaya Hachi is complete without their classics. The Beef Tongue is that same medium-rare, melt-in-your-mouth heaven that saturates all the senses.

A Grilled Onigiri with plum is almost as good as the spicy cod, but I could probably eat just one of every rice ball and still leave perfectly satisfied. 

They don't a lot of meat on skewers like the other izakayas I frequent, but the one they make is perfect. That Jidori Chicken Meatball "Tsukune" is impossible juice-dripping tender, and it's a guilty pleasure even for those who aren't the biggest fans of meatball. 

I doubt Michelin even bothered with the South Bay, and for me, that's a pretty sore subject. The Torrance izakayas are the heart and soul of this city, and they're so much better than both the beach cities and Little Tokyo combined. There is not a single dish at Izakaya Hachi that I wouldn't describe as exquisite, and there is not a single moment here I don't enjoy. Sorry food critics, if you haven't tried the Torrance izakayas, you haven't got a clue about good LA food. 

Bumsan - Los Angeles

This has to be one of the most Instagrammable cones in LA. 

Phallic, organic ice cream swirls a sweet matcha and creamy milk with a dusting of oreo powder in an iridescent cone. I usually hate cake cones, but theirs has less of the styrofoam persuasion than most. 

I wish I had paired my colors better, but that teal blue was so pretty. I'll have to try one of those giant cereal cones next time, and I'll be back for the taro milk tea. You can't go wrong at Bumsan, and it's worth a drive to K-town, parking nightmare and all, just to grab a cone or a cup. 

Ramen Josui - Torrance

I never thought I’d see a ramen restaurant drive the most steadfast man to stray. There is no man more faithful to Umenoya than Elias, but even a full patient load on a weekend didn't stop him from piling us into his car to for a 20-minute drive. 

Josui's Spicy Miso is the world's only answer to the fat-globule broth and ropy noodles of Umenoya, and it's the only other place he'll go. I see his point. Josui's broth is thick with pasty miso, elevated by a burst of fire, and the savor-flavor runs quite deep. The chashu is on the softer side, and the melting butter makes the miso go that much farther.

A side of Karaage is a hearty sharing plate. The breading is crisp and lightens with a squeeze of lemon. The bowls are a more manageable size at Josui so you do have some space for sides if the craving strikes. 

Just the Josui Ramen Bowl will do for me. The broth is more like a soup and less viscous than miso, and it's probably the most balanced bowl I've had to date. Chicken lightens the pork, and that perfect splash of fish funk is what turns a fan into an addict.