What I'm Wicked Into: A Long Weekend Guide To Eating Like A Foodie In LA
Heyhey! How are you doing today? Hoping you are having a great week so far and are really enjoying your summer to the fullest.We've gotta sit down with a calendar and really plan some more stuff because summer's that one season that zooooooms by before you even know it. Why is that?!Summmmmmmer, stay!
I was thinking back the other day about when our friends Jess and Mike visited us in LA from Massachusetts last December. We had so much fun showing them around and really packed in a ton of stuff to do in just four short days.
If you're anything like me, planning a trip itinerary can actually be really fun. It makes me think about all the interesting things near where I live more and all of my favorite spots that I'm proud to call pieces of my "home."LA is HUGE and can be very overwhelming to navigate, so having a layout that's easy to follow, with options for each day is super helpful.One of the best pieces of advice I've heard about showing friends/family LA was... "show them your version of LA."This really stuck with me. Since LA spans miles and miles, I think it's way cooler to just show your people what matters to you. We don't live in WeHo or the beach area, so while we can show people a few things in those less familiar areas, we'd rather show our friends our regular staple spots. We're way more knowledgeable about them, anyway!So, when Jess and Mike booked their trip, I immediately put an itinerary together and am so excited to share it here for you guys, too.Have at it— Print, tweak, make it your own—whatever! I just thought this would be fun to share in case you live in LA or plan on visiting soon and are looking for a plan to follow.Here you go...
THURSDAY: SETTLE IN / STAY LOCAL• Airport Pick-up• Rest/chill at home for a bit• Dinner: Masa Deep Dish Pizza (the most amazing pizza we've had in LA, takes 45 minutes to make, but worth every minute)• Chill Night with bar options: The Palace Comedy Show 9pm (free), Damon’s (walkable) or Forman’s (lodge-feel)FRIDAY: HOLLYWOOD AREA / DTLA • Easy morning in/breakfast at home• Breakfast: Philz coffee (made deliciously to order), Yuca’s breakfast burritos (guac & sour cream) & horchata w/ espresso!• Griffith Park Observatory for view of the city, Sunset Blvd./Beverly Hills/Rodeo Dr. tour (Maybe after: El Capitan Theater for a movie and McConnell’s Ice Cream• Hang out/watch TV/rest• Nighttime options: Comedy at UCB Comedy Show or The Comedy Store, then one or two of these bar options...• Throwback Bar: Davey Wayne’s Bar, Breakroom 86 Bar (70s and 80s vibes)• Breweries: Golden Road Brewery, Arts District Brewery DTLA• View: Perch DTLA, Sky Slide, The Standard Hotel• DTLA Vibe: Varnish Speakeasy, Clifton’s, Ace HotelSATURDAY: PCH Day (drive south through Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice)• Breakfast: Millie’s/Messhall/Home or...• Hike/Breakfast: Malibu and then Malibu Pier (call ahead) or Neptune’s Net, Point Dume• Drive the PCH south• Santa Monica: Big Dean’s or Back On The Beach are both on the water, SM Pier, SM Brew House• Venice: Boardwalk/Abbot Kinney/Salt & Straw Ice Cream/Baby Blues BBQ/Hotel Erwin/The Whaler• Hang out back at home• Local dinner, if not in Venice: Ramen at R101/Mexican at Barragain's/Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles/Korean BBQ/Slater’s 50/50/Golden Road Brewery• Club option: Dance Yourself Clean @ The Satellite (free before 10pm)SUNDAY: GAME DAY • Brunch: Watch the game @ Home/Moose Den/Sonny McLean's/Golden Road• Dinner: Ramen/Mexican/Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles/Sugar Fish, Korean BBQIn case we head back to SM...• Big Deans (outdoor burgers/beer/lots of food sports bar right next to the pier... very LA because it's outside)• Shangri LA Rooftop Bar (great for the city view)• The Misfit (awesome cocktails and grub, cool lounge vibe)• Father's Office (go early to get a table, great burgers and beer)• Rosti (Italian food, bring your own wine)So, what do you think? Is this a foodie's dream weekend or what? Just brings some Tums along with you for this food-filled ride, haha!I'd say my one suggestion when planning a weekend like this is to stay flexible/open to changes. Depending on where the day takes you, you may want to try different restaurants or maybe you can't get a reservation somewhere...Just have fun and see where the city takes you. That's why you'll see so many options above for every day^.Hope this helps you plan and you enjoy visiting some new spots,AriMore of my other recent posts:Meet Me On The Mat: Who Cares?Feel Good Friday: Worry Less, Smile MoreWhat I’m Wicked Into: Foodie GirlMeet Me On The Mat: Move Everyday10 Tough Life Lessons You Learn In Your Twenties
THURSDAY: SETTLE IN / STAY LOCAL• Airport Pick-up• Rest/chill at home for a bit• Dinner: Masa Deep Dish Pizza (the most amazing pizza we've had in LA, takes 45 minutes to make, but worth every minute)• Chill Night with bar options: The Palace Comedy Show 9pm (free), Damon’s (walkable) or Forman’s (lodge-feel)FRIDAY: HOLLYWOOD AREA / DTLA • Easy morning in/breakfast at home• Breakfast: Philz coffee (made deliciously to order), Yuca’s breakfast burritos (guac & sour cream) & horchata w/ espresso!• Griffith Park Observatory for view of the city, Sunset Blvd./Beverly Hills/Rodeo Dr. tour (Maybe after: El Capitan Theater for a movie and McConnell’s Ice Cream• Hang out/watch TV/rest• Nighttime options: Comedy at UCB Comedy Show or The Comedy Store, then one or two of these bar options...• Throwback Bar: Davey Wayne’s Bar, Breakroom 86 Bar (70s and 80s vibes)• Breweries: Golden Road Brewery, Arts District Brewery DTLA• View: Perch DTLA, Sky Slide, The Standard Hotel• DTLA Vibe: Varnish Speakeasy, Clifton’s, Ace HotelSATURDAY: PCH Day (drive south through Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice)• Breakfast: Millie’s/Messhall/Home or...• Hike/Breakfast: Malibu and then Malibu Pier (call ahead) or Neptune’s Net, Point Dume• Drive the PCH south• Santa Monica: Big Dean’s or Back On The Beach are both on the water, SM Pier, SM Brew House• Venice: Boardwalk/Abbot Kinney/Salt & Straw Ice Cream/Baby Blues BBQ/Hotel Erwin/The Whaler• Hang out back at home• Local dinner, if not in Venice: Ramen at R101/Mexican at Barragain's/Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles/Korean BBQ/Slater’s 50/50/Golden Road Brewery• Club option: Dance Yourself Clean @ The Satellite (free before 10pm)SUNDAY: GAME DAY • Brunch: Watch the game @ Home/Moose Den/Sonny McLean's/Golden Road• Dinner: Ramen/Mexican/Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles/Sugar Fish, Korean BBQIn case we head back to SM...• Big Deans (outdoor burgers/beer/lots of food sports bar right next to the pier... very LA because it's outside)• Shangri LA Rooftop Bar (great for the city view)• The Misfit (awesome cocktails and grub, cool lounge vibe)• Father's Office (go early to get a table, great burgers and beer)• Rosti (Italian food, bring your own wine)So, what do you think? Is this a foodie's dream weekend or what? Just brings some Tums along with you for this food-filled ride, haha!I'd say my one suggestion when planning a weekend like this is to stay flexible/open to changes. Depending on where the day takes you, you may want to try different restaurants or maybe you can't get a reservation somewhere...Just have fun and see where the city takes you. That's why you'll see so many options above for every day^.Hope this helps you plan and you enjoy visiting some new spots,AriMore of my other recent posts:Meet Me On The Mat: Who Cares?Feel Good Friday: Worry Less, Smile MoreWhat I’m Wicked Into: Foodie GirlMeet Me On The Mat: Move Everyday10 Tough Life Lessons You Learn In Your Twenties