This is topic Must See & Do in Los Angeles in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=004503

---

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 02-16-2006, 12:03 AM:
 
I will be in LA the last week of Feb. Culver city to be specific. What is on the must see or must do list?

This is a buisiness trip so I won't have an abundance of free time.
 

---

Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 02-16-2006, 12:36 AM:
 
Whatever you do, don't even think about driving anywhere between 3:30pm and 7:00pm! It can take hours to drive a few miles!
 

---

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 02-16-2006, 12:42 AM:
 
Get a double double from In-N-Out .

If you make it to Hollywood, see a movie at either: Grauman's Chinese, The El Capitan (yes, two direct articles are before the word "capitan"), Cineramadome or The Egyptian .
 

---

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-16-2006, 04:10 AM:
 
Go get your picture taken in front of the grey house!
 

---

Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 02-16-2006, 05:13 AM:
 
Being in the theatre biz, you have a Holy Obligation to visit Hollywood at least once in your life. Failure to do so will result in divine punishment.
 

---

Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 02-16-2006, 08:27 AM:
 

quote: Jeremy Jorgenson

---

Get a double double from In-N-Out .

---

quote:

---

Go get your picture taken in front of the grey house!

---

Be sure to take a pee there......
 

---

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-16-2006, 10:41 AM:
 
Much more satisfying than peeing in the shower.
 

---

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-16-2006, 12:21 PM:
 
If you see my friend Darren or his wife Julie, be sure to tell them Hi for me.
 

---

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 02-16-2006, 12:54 PM:
 
Culver City? Gotta take a drive by the Die Hard Building, also known as Fox Plaza.
 

---

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 02-16-2006, 05:03 PM:
 

quote:

---

Culver City? Gotta take a drive by the Die Hard Building, also known as Fox Plaza.

---

The Fox Plaza building is in Century City, not Culver. It's on Avenue of the Stars between Santa Monica and Pico Blvd. Sony Studios, on the other hand, is in Culver City, maybe you could wrangle a tour.

Also, take a tip from someone who knows both hamburgers and Los Angeles and skip In-n-Out Burger, which is waaaaayyyyy overrated, in addition to being slow as hell. If you want a great burger, I could steer you to half a dozen places much better. In fact, if you do wind up going to Century City, drop by the Apple Pan on Pico across from the Westside Pavilion (it's the restaurant that the Johnny Rockets chain was modeled after). Ask Gordon the counterman for a Hickoryburger and a slice of banana cream pie, from which it is to yell in the streets about.

If you truly want to see a movie nicely projected, check out what's playing at the Aero Theatre on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. The place was recently given a floor-to-ceiling booth-to-screen makeover and is now run on a rep basis by the American Cinematheque, and features two beautifully restored DP70s upstairs. Knock on the booth door and you may find occasional Film-Tech poster Chris Seo running the show.

The question is, Jason, what would you find interesting? What kind of stuff do you like to see?
 

---

Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 02-16-2006, 05:16 PM:
 
When we were down for the 3D festival we took a really fun tour. There's a company that has vans (the big ones) that they have made into convertibles. The person diving has their microphone and they take you all over and show you the sites with running dialog. It was a real kick to sit in the sun and be driven all around Hollywood and see things. We really enjoyed it.

Course of it rains it wouldn't be as much fun, but hey, it never rains in Hollywood
 

---

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-16-2006, 05:26 PM:
 

quote: Mark Ogden

---

skip In-n-Out Burger, which is waaaaayyyyy overrated

---

Besides being slow as hell, they are just as the name states. They go in-n-there-out

Apple Pan is located at Pico Blvd. one short block east of Westwood Blvd.. Great Burger

Go to Hollywood, see the Chinese, El Capitan, Egyptian (they show some kind of short film on Hollywood), Cinerama Dome and the Kodak Theatre (Home of the Academy Awards show), Pantages. These are the Great palaces of Hollywood Blvd. (Hollywood Pacific Theatre is a Digital Screening Theatre)
 

---

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-16-2006, 07:13 PM:
 

quote: Bill Gabel

---

They go in-n-there-out

---

quote: Mark Ogden

---

The Fox Plaza building is in Century City, not Culver.

---

It's not far from Culver City. Just a couple miles to the north.
 

---

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-17-2006, 12:53 AM:
 
I'll third the recommendation for the Apple Pan. Only 20 stools at the counter though - try to pick an off-time to go. Great place.

Other recommended native LA fast food places:

Philippe The Original on the corner of Alameda and Ord near Chinatown in downtown LA. They claim to be the inventor of the french dip sandwich. Cup of coffee still $0.09.

Cielo Lindo taquitos on Olvera Street at Alameda in downtown LA. Best. Taquitos. Ever.

Original Tommy's hamburgers On the corner of Third and Rampart near downtown LA. Heart stoppingly greasy and good. Like their motto says, "If you don't see the shack, take it back."

Pink's hot dogs at the corner of La Brea and Melrose in Hollywood. Does Pacific Theatres still sell these at their concessions? Still gotta do the original location though.

Tito's tacos at the corner of Washington Place and Sepulveda in Culver City. More good greasiness.

I can feel my arteries hardening just writing about these places.
 

---

Posted by Edwin Schwing (Member # 1270) on 02-17-2006, 03:46 AM:
 
One thing that I enjoy when I go to LA is to walk down Broadway in downtown LA. http://www.gmrnet.com/theaters.html

Many nice old theatres to look at, and the shopping is GREAT! (if your looking for pirated DVD's and or crappy knockoff electronics or watches)

I do reccomend Hollywood Blvd also. Some pretty interesting shops there!

E
 

---

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 02-17-2006, 04:44 AM:
 
Yes ... PINK'S!!! I'll second that. Hot dogs the way they were MEANT to be treated!

Also, my roommate introduced me to the wonderful world of Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, in Hollywood. That's right! You just haven't lived (or had a real heart attack) until you've passed through those doors. Mmm ... now I'm hungry.

Oh, and now, thanks to Paul's link, I can't get the Tito's Tacos song out of my head! I guess I'll have to try them now, too.
 

---

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-17-2006, 09:23 AM:
 
Now with all this talk about Pinks & Titos. I want Hot Dogs and Tacos. Thanks

But they are GOOD.

Roscoe's is on Gower between Hollywood Blvd. and Sunset Blvd. (Gower is two blocks east of the Pantages Theatre)
 

---

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 02-17-2006, 10:39 AM:
 

quote:

---

Culver City? Gotta take a drive by the Die Hard Building, also known as Fox Plaza.

---

I missed that one when I was in L.A. last September, but did manage to see a few movie locations. These started with the supermarket in Repo Man, because the friend who gave me the tour played the manager who fires Emilio Estevez, so of course that landmark had to come first! Next was Glendale train station, from which Barbara Stanwyck's husband starts his final trip in Double Indemnity, followed by the site of Gloria Swanson's house in Sunset Boulevard, Humphrey Bogart's apartment in In a Lonely Place and several of the locations featured in Chinatown.

One thing no-one was able to answer, though: can anyone tell me where Zed and Maynard's pawn shop in Pulp Fiction is? It would have been great to take a picture to put next to the little plastic figure of The Gimp I have sitting on top of my PC monitor at work! Maybe if I ever get to visit CA again...
 

---

Posted by Jeremy Jorgenson (Member # 2989) on 02-17-2006, 07:23 PM:
 
Well, I stand by my In-N-Out recommendation. Are there better burgers in LA? Of course... but as far as chain "fast" food goes it's pretty consistent and reasonably priced ... and they taste great. Much better than Tommy's IMHO.

As far as it being slow... that's true, but no worse than most other places there, I found most service industries in LA to be slow. Concession stands and both fast food and sit down restaurants were much slower than I was used to when I moved there (compared to Chicagoland anyway).
 

---

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 02-17-2006, 09:10 PM:
 
I agree, Jeremy, and will stand with you on this. I'm somewhat of a loyal In-N-Out patron, myself. Yes, indeed, there are better burgers out there, but In-N-Out always tasted a bit more mom-and-pop to me (likely connected to the fact that every location is owned by the company ... not a franchise), and reliably, you'll find one in every corner of Southern California!
 

---

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-17-2006, 09:10 PM:
 
Adding my 2-cents to what others have said...

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles
1518 North Gower Street (Gower & Sunset Blvd)
Hollywood, CA

I agree! Fantastic!


Sushi Ike
6051 Hollywood Blvd (Gower & Hollywood Blvd)
Hollywood, CA

Absolutely **THEEE*** best sushi AND oysters on the 1/2 shell in ALL of Los Angeles!


In-N-Out Burger
7009 Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA

Like most fast-food places, the quality varies between locations. This one is the best one of the bunch.
(It seems slow cuz of the constant long line of cars and the burgers are cooked to order rather than made in advance and then microwaved to heat them up)



Astro Burger
7475 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA

Absolutely THEEE best burger ANYWHERE in the world! Open all night in the heart of Boy's Town (West Hollywood). Many Stars as well as really cute male hookers drop in for eats after the clubs close. I've ran into and yakked with the likes of Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Justin Timberlake, Quentin Tarantino, and many others.


Speaking of Tarantino, he loves to eat at the:
Silver Spoon Restaurant
8171 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA

Cool place and great food. Good place again for Stars, industry people, oh and male hookers...


Another interesting place to visit just to see what the B&D/S&M crowd is into is:
The Pleasure Chest
7733 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA

A really interesting place to just walk thru and look and be stunned and shocked! (Not that I have ever been there)


And OF COURSE, as Paul mentioned: PINK'S. Like many great eating places, it looks like a hole in the wall, but it is the best! (Edit: Poster deleted operation hours) Many famous people show up at all hours of the day and night. Look at the extensive menu before you get in line to order... it moves fast. (Think the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld)

If you eat outside on the patio, beware of the ballsey birds... not that they will shit on you, but they will land on your table, walk up to your plate, and steal the food off your plate while you are sitting right there...hilarious!


I'd stay away from the too overrated crap like:
Fuddruckers
Tommy's Original Hamburgers


Here is a LINK to an interesting site that points out many attraction in the greater Los Angeles area. A lot of information as to where some of the famous movies locations are located.

Oh, and don't foget the many famous Hollywood movie theatres that others have mentioned.

Good luck and have fun. L.A. has many interesting places, architecture, people, and history. I love it here!
 

---

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 02-17-2006, 09:16 PM:
 

quote: Phil Hill regarding Pink's birds

---

they will land on your table, walk up to your plate, and steal the food off your plate while you are sitting right there

---

I can vouch for that one! That WAS funny!

Although, the Pink's website subtley implies that they aren't open 24/7, with this cryptic bit hidden in plain view on their FAQ:

quote:

---

We open at 9:30 am every day. On Sunday through Thursday, we close at 2:00 am, but on Friday and Saturday we don't close until 3:00 am.

---

 

---

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-17-2006, 09:26 PM:
 
You're absolutely right Brian. I stand corrected...
 

---

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 02-18-2006, 04:08 AM:
 
"Farmer Boys". Good eats, and lots of it.
 

---

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 02-18-2006, 11:02 AM:
 
If you truly MUST go to In-N-Out Burger, at least go armed with the hush-hush top-secret insiders’ only un-posted menu, which has more options than the ones that are posted in the store. On the few times I’ve gone (before I got fed up with timing the grill crew with a calendar) I had a Double-Double “animal style” with well done fries and a Neapolitan shake, none of which you will find on the menu board, all of which I ate while asking myself what the big deal was.

And while Astroburger is alright, if you really really really want to taste the single BEST burger you’ve ever wrapped your gob around, take yourself over to the corner of 29th and Ocean Park in Santa Monica (that’s south of the 10) and visit The Counter. You get a big, thick burger cooked the way you like it and with almost anything you can possibly think of on top of it, and a huge mountain of great fries per order. Now THAT’S eating a burger.

In-N-Out. Sheeesh.

This has been a public service announcement.

[ 03-01-2006, 08:21 PM: Message edited by: Mark Ogden ]
 

---

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 02-23-2006, 02:42 PM:
 
Thanks for the info!

Don't know how much free time I will have, looks like it won't be much though.

The hospital I'll be working at is supposedly in close proximity to the Sony studios.
 

---

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 02-23-2006, 07:19 PM:
 
I think the only studios that give studio tours are the tourist Universal Studios and Warner Bros..
 

---

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 02-23-2006, 10:47 PM:
 

quote: Mark Ogden

---

visit The Counter.

---

Oh, I am in love! I have a new reason to move to CA!!

But, hummm... with the 1lb. burgers, the Kilimanjaro-sized mound of fries, and fried pickle chips on the menu, it sounds strangely like Genny's Diner in Louisville, KY. I mean, a WHOLE LOT like Genny's.

Verrrrrry innnnteresting....
 

---

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 02-24-2006, 08:22 AM:
 
Sony / old MGM studio has a very nice walking tour which shows you more stage interiors, dressing rooms, technical areas than the Warner tour. This is because Warners has a backlot to show while MGM sold the majority of that space for housing. Nice to go from one stage that was used for Wizard of OZ and two stages down meet Alex Trebek prepping for Jeopardy A few blocks down the street is the Old Ince / Pathe studio which you would recognize the adminstation building as the Selznick studio logo from Gone with the Wind.
 

---

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-01-2006, 03:46 AM:
 

quote: someone with no taste buds

---

PINK'S. Like many great eating places, it looks like a hole in the wall, but it is the best!

---

Geez Phil, and after all this time I thought we were friends! Pink's is greasy, nasty turd food. Why would you recommend this?

For those of you who haven't had the "pleasure" of eating at Pink's, take a looksie...





I was thinking about offering a link to the direct full sized images, but it's just too nasty in that kind of detail.

And for the record, that chili dog in the first picture looks exactly the same on the way out!!!

Pinks sucks!
 

---

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-01-2006, 06:05 AM:
 
That it truely disgusting looking food Brad! I can't even remember a place in Chicago that served anything that looks that bad! The worst part is that you don't know WHAT kinda dog that is and WHERE it came from...... or WHAT PART of WHAT ANIMAL it was made from... makes it even more disgusting not knowing! If you're going to eat any dog it better be all beef or a very Kosher one! Oddly the color in the middle of that "thing" looks like the same color of dirt smeared all over the seats at the Broadway Theatre here in SLC!

Mark
(Food Channel Addict)
 

---

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-01-2006, 12:10 PM:
 
All hot dogs (except for maybe Hebrew National) can suffer from the above mentioned quality issues. Big fucking deal. That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Don't listen to these punters. As a native Angelino I'll stand by my recommendations for both Pink's and Tommy's. Both are genuine native LA street dining experiences.

And now I'll have to make a point to try The Counter. Never been there even though I used to live not very far from there.

Used to get good cheesesteak sandwiches at a place near there, over on Lincoln, a.k.a. PCH. On the sign it read, "3000 miles to Philadelphia".

Another recommendation: Chuck's Coffee Shop, Locally World Famous Home of the Weasel, 4120 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90803. In the Belmont Shore area right across from the Olympic Pool. Opened in 1964, remodeled in 1966, hasn't changed since. Great great breakfast place. Try the "Weasel" (chili omelette).
 

---

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-01-2006, 02:44 PM:
 
An "experience" that keeps on giving. Now I know where all the LA smog comes from too.
 

---

Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 03-01-2006, 06:27 PM:
 
Everything is relative....I have eaten at Pinks at least once a year for 35 years and I am still alive I use to more often when I was a student living a few blocks away on Melrose Avenue. The yellow-gray lead gas smog when I was a student was a killer compared to todays wimpy smog.
Did I tell you the story of a friend who worked one summer cleaning mold off of old hot dogs so his boss could sell them
 

---

Posted by Nick Scott (Member # 2850) on 03-01-2006, 09:48 PM:
 
I think that those pics above should be the next caption this pic, pictures.
 

---

Posted by Robert Krotz (Member # 3654) on 03-01-2006, 10:18 PM:
 
Picture this, 2am, skin full of piss (beer), looking for food and the only thing you can find is a food van parked on a service station lot with the wheels removed (at least you know where to find them later).

On offer is a traditional late night snack called a Souvlaki (pronounced SOOV LARK EE)a greek concoction made with BBQ lamb on a spit, shaved thinly, placed on Pitta (pronounced PEE TA)bread (large round thin bread about the size of a small pizza).

To this add lettuce, tomato, onion and the best part garlic sauce made with yoghurt. Roll it all up and it end up looking like a large hot dog.

Now, the problem arises when this tasty morsel hits the stomach full of beer (previous threads have made the comparisons of beer in our own areas and I can quite safely say that your beer in the States is like making love in a canoe, "Fucking close to water ".) Anyway, when this late night snack hits the stomach, the sauce instantly curdles (remember the sauce) and reacts with the beer, nice one.

So, the object of the exercise is to remove the contents of the stomach and start looking for another open Bar to start all over again.

Here endeth the lesson.
 

---

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 03-02-2006, 03:10 AM:
 

quote: Paul Mayer

---

That which doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

---

quote:

---

Nick Tahou Hots is a Rochester, New York landmark restaurant famous for its Garbage Plate. The restaurant was founded by its namesake, Nick Tahou, who died in 1997 after running the establishment for over 50 years. Despite the many regional variants all based on the same theme (such as Penfield and Fairport Hots), Nick's is widely regarded as the original Garbage Plate.

A Garbage Plate is a disorganized combination of one selection out of (cheeseburger, hamburger, steak, hotdogs, white hots, italian sausage, fish, fried ham, Grilled Cheese, or eggs), this is placed on top of a choice of two out of four sides (homefries, french fries, beans, or macaroni salad). On top of that you get the options of mustard & onions and the signature ingredient: Nick's "hot sauce" - a greasy spiced sauce containing ground meat. The garbage plate also comes with a side of white bread and butter. Most patrons typically smother this in ketchup, mustard or a hot sauce, particularly Frank's Red Hot. A1 Steak Sauce is also usually available.

---

 

---

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 03-02-2006, 03:06 PM:
 
Go to the Mann's National Theatre (1112 seats) in Westwood, before they close the theatre.
The lease is up in July 2006.
 

---

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 03-03-2006, 03:24 PM:
 
I didn't get a chance to go to any of the eateries mentioned. We ended up working 14 hours on Sat and annother 8 on Sunday. We did get to drive around town some on Sun after we left the hospital.

Phil, was that you that I saw in the Psych ward?

We plan on a return trip at some point, but have no clue as to when yet, hopefully non-business next time.
 

---

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-03-2006, 03:34 PM:
 
Did you at least get your picture taken in front of "the house"?
 

---

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 03-04-2006, 12:40 AM:
 

quote: Jason Burroughs

---

Phil, was that you that I saw in the Psych ward?

---