LAGuide
Chris Pine Knows LA Restaurants
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
LA is a city full of transplants, but when you meet a native son, you’ll know it. Actor Chris Pine is a born and bred Angeleno who wears his hometown on his sleeve (underneath his Bob's Big Boy tank top). His lifelong passion for the city pours out of him, especially when he starts to talk about the taco stop he makes whenever he’s back from an out-of-town shoot or the best burger in the city.
So it’s no surprise that his new movie Poolman—which he directed, co-wrote, and stars in—features major shouts out to local classics like Bob's Big Boy (hence the tank), Pie 'N Burger, and Langer's. We met up with the star at the legendary Westlake deli for a #19, egg creams, and a long chat about LA restaurants.
Chris gave us a guide to his unmissable LA spots, including his favorite ramen, those post-shoot tacos, and more. Read all about them below and see more from our chat here.
THE SPOTS
"I was there the first night it opened about 20 years ago. No sign. No frills. It was my first taste of this glorious soup. Will Greenberg and I ate there four times a week for a year straight. I don’t regret a single bowl.”
photo credit: Benji Dell
"Family-owned and established nearly a half-century ago, this spot is my home town comfort food. It’s the first place I stop when I come back from working abroad. I dream of their huevos rancheros and bean burritos."
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
"Pound for pound, my favorite meal in town right now. I run the entire menu. And again, no regrets. Their bifana sandwich reminds me that there is a higher power. Cypress Park is reminiscent of the early days of Silver Lake: an authentic taste of LA with just the right pinch of hipster. The vibe and aesthetics are on point."
"Chef Paco Moran is killing it with his seafood in Frogtown. The tostada mixta with shrimp and scallop over fish ceviche doused in their insane salsa negra is a masterpiece in awesomeness."
photo credit: Maxime Lemoine
"First things first: the food. The pasta scampi. A true primi. The spaghetti is an al dente delight. But really what I want to talk about is the vibe. If I want to feel like a million bucks, suited and booted in my weekend finest, playing pretend that it’s 1938, it's this spot. The chicest piano bar in that far-off country west of Vine known as Santa Monica."
"My god the ramen. My god. And the most beautiful, crisp, perfectly carbonated, and cold Asahi outside of Japan. My GOD."
photo credit: Jakob Layman
POWERED BY
"Go to the parking lot. Enter the lobby. Ask for sushi. Get in elevator. Go to basement. Sit in what looks like a dental office waiting room. And wait to be called to the pearly gates of omakase. According to the handwritten menu that I asked the waitress to leave with me as a keepsake, I tried gizzard shad, which I loved."
"We can talk about the asada. We can talk about Yucatan pork. But I’m gonna talk about a burger. A burger grilled on that same grill where they make… the asada. And the Yucatan pork. Is it the best double cheeseburger in Los Angeles? If you were to tell me that, I’d say, 'Give me your hand.' I’d say, 'Give me your hand in friendship.'"
