Archive for 'Westwood'

Wally’s Cheese Box Has Great Sandwiches (And Free Baguettes Until 8/15)

DSC08202

Just a quick look at the Midtown Lunch map and you can tell that Westwood is one of the main areas of Midtown Lunch’ing in L.A.- and not just because my wife works there. (Ok, maybe it is because my wife works there.)  I still haven’t been to Sak’s Terikayi (so sad!), but Hammer Cafe is a decent deal, the completely under the radar French cafe Ratata is adorable, I’m admittedly a Pitfire fan, and of course there’s all the great Middle Eastern food on Westwood Blvd btw. Wilshire and Santa Monica (Alcazar Express, Attari, Sunin).  So, when I read on Squid Ink and Tasting Table that Wally’s Wine had recently spun off their cheese selection into its own adjacent store, Wally’s Cheese Box, I was pretty excited to check it out.

I was even more excited to find out they had sandwiches! Making it a new Westwood lunch destination…

Read more »

Wolfgang Puck’s Cafe Hammer Raises Prices… Still One of the Better Lunch Deals in Westwood

DSC07104

I don’t know what “Museum Dining” evokes in your mind, but for me two things immediately pop into my head: “overpriced” and “mediocre”.  Having a captive audience is never a good thing when it comes to eating (I’m looking at you theme parks and airports), and cafes inside museums tend to fall into that category.  So when I heard that Cafe Hammer, the Wolfgang Puck run cafe inside the Hammer Museum in Westwood had a grilled cheese lunch special with a soup and salad for $8.75 (!?!) I was kind of shocked.  (As was the person who recommended it to me.)  Add to that a rare roast beef sandwich with horseradish aoli for $8.50, kobe beef sliders for $7.25 (!?), and the hammer joe (ham-turkey-swiss-coleslaw-russian-dressing) for $8.50, all in an open to the public, beautiful atrium setting, and you have all the makings of a great midtown lunch.

Read more »

Isaac Toast is the Cure For Your Turkey Sandwich Blues

DSC07021

I don’t like turkey sandwiches.  Is that crazy?  Don’t get me wrong… freshly roasted turkey topped with cranberry sauce, stuffing, and gravy is one of the greatest sandwiches of all time.  But Boar’s Head roast turkey on a roll with lettuce, tomato, and mustard?  Meh.  In fact, this site was founded pretty much entirely on my desire to find an alternative to boring turkey sandwiches (and salads.)  But what about a Korean twist on the turkey sandwich?  I do love Korean food.  And they did wonders with fried chicken.  Could they possibly make a turkey sandwich on white bread palatable?  2000 locations of Isaac Toast in Korea would say yes… and the first U.S. location opened in Westwood a few months ago.

What exactly is this “toast” craziness?

Read more »

Sak’s Teriyaki Isn’t Great, But It’s a Great “Midtown Lunch”

Sak's Teriyaki

Got this email from Lunch’er “Steve” the other day:

Hello Zach,

Ive enjoyed reading about your LA food adventures. I read in today’s post that your wife works in Westwood, which makes me think you have to try Sak’s Teriyaki, if you haven’t already.

Is it great? No. Is it a great midtown lunch? Yes. It’s sort of cavernously hidden in Westwood and is a UCLA institution. It’s a sort of like Mall Chinese food filtered through Japan.

So, what do you recommend I order?

Read more »