American restaurants in California
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Dottie’s True Blue Café
Consider yourself lucky if you stand in line less than an hour and get hit up for change only once – but fresh baked goods come to those who wait at Dottie’s. Cinnamon pancakes, grilled cornbread, scrambles with whiskey fennel sausage and anything else off the griddle are tried and true blue.
reviewed
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B
Café at the End of the Universe
Wolfgang Puck’s latest satellite venture – a cafeteria-style café – orbits just past the observatory’s Cosmic Connection hallway. Designed with retro space-age flair, the café offers tasty gourmet sandwiches, soups and salads. Grab a turkey and cranberry sandwich then hit the patio for inspiring views of the Hollywood sign.
reviewed
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C
Chez Panisse
Genuflect at the temple of Alice Waters: the birthplace of California cuisine remains at the pinnacle of Bay Area dining. Book one month ahead for its legendary prix-fixe meals (no substitutions); or book upstairs at the less-expensive, à la carte cafe.
reviewed
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D
À Côté
Small plates are the specialty at this foodie-scenester restaurant, and they’re deliciously creative – our favorite is the knock-out lobster-corn fritters. Great cocktails. Women can sport high heels without standing out; men can wear jeans and blend in.
reviewed
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E
Home
There's no place like it, especially if you enjoy comfort food - mac 'n' cheese, roast chicken, pot roast - served fireside, with a gaggle of gym-fresh men and $4 Homegirls (aka Cosmo plus Champagne) during the 4pm to 7pm happy hour.
reviewed
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Vintage Press
A cherished Visalia institution since 1966, Vintage Press is elegant, festive and upscale. Have a cocktail while you wait for excellent rack of lamb or filet mignon.
reviewed
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F
Bob’s Big Boy
The red-checkered, pompadoured kid still woos hamburger-craving hordes at America’s oldest remaining Big Boy’s – his fiberglass form a refreshing reminder that some people in LA still eat. Inside, grab a burnt-orange booth for a double-decker combo, or, on weekend nights, enjoy carhop service in back.
reviewed
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G
Restaurant Michael Mina
Involuntary shudders can be induced in most San Franciscan foodies by uttering the words ‘hotel restaurant, ’ but chef Michael Mina’s exception to the rule at the Hotel St Francis proved so successful, he’s expanded his empire to 15 other restaurants. Mina takes a three-dimensional approach to dining, where each dish is actually three variations on one key ingredient. Though the signature triple tuna tartare starter and lobster pot pie mains have inspired raves and legions of copycats, the seasonal menu showcases innovation and ripe flavors – butter-poached lobster with melon laced with red curry, or foie gras terrine with pickled strawberries. Consultations with your…
reviewed
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Town Hall
The plain-speaking menus and low-key décor recall a simpler time, before nouvelle cuisine created menus that read like romance novels and dinner for two became high theater. But if you're won over by the populist charm, wait until you try whipsmart dishes like slow-roasted duck with wild rice and gingersnap gravy, or scallop and andouille sausage jambalaya. Speaking plainly: mains are just as inventive at lunch, at half the price.
reviewed
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Delancey Street
There’s an explanation for the eclectic comfort-food menu and your server’s tattoos: this restaurant is nonprofit Delancey St’s job-retraining program for ex-cons, and everything from the menu to the service is provided by participants supervised by acclaimed restaurant professionals. Brunch is best, and the entire tab for your gingery pumpkin pancakes or poached eggs with crabcakes goes right into the program, tips included.
reviewed
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Louis
The newfangled and sadly soulless Cliff House can’t compare to old-school Louis just up the street, with its Pacific views, ’70s brown-and-orange decor, and hearty diner fare confidently slapped down in front of you by waitstaff who know you’ll be back for more. At brunch on weekends, get your name on the list, then explore Sutro Baths until your 20-minute wait is up.
reviewed
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K
Sparky’s Diner
By day it’s a family-friendly burger joint, but around midnight Sparky’s becomes the unofficial drunk tank of the Mission and Castro, with regulars stumbling through the door in their leather chaps (ouch, that step gets everyone), divas trailing boas demanding home fries and omelettes with Tabasco and ‘extra grease, ’ and the occasional impromptu sing-along.
reviewed
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Pete’s Café & Bar
Sparkling lights, glittering mirrors and towering mahogany walls project Victorian airs, but Norm-and-Cliff friendliness makes this upbeat watering hole a mecca for chatty locals, postwork tipplers and those wanting a preshow bite. The menu spotlights salads, pastas and American standards. And check yourself out, girlfriend – the downstairs bathrooms have way-flattering mirrors.
reviewed
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O-Bar
The seductive stylings of owner-designers Thomas Schoos and Michael Berman – stone fireplaces, rippling fountains, flickering votives, elegant cabanas – entice passersby, but it’s the exquisitely prepared dishes – Ironman steak salad, mahi mahi picatta – that close the deal for O-Bar. Pastry chef Meadow Lyn Ramsey’s decadent desserts will ensure a second date.
reviewed
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Stacks
The kitschy urns of artificial flowers and faux-garden decor are more Branson-Missouri motel than Cali cafe, but the fluffy-crispy wheat germ pancakes and crepes stuffed with pesto, portobello and roast chicken are fresh California takes on brunch.The prices may seem high until you get your loaded plate, and realize that you could use it for a boogie board.
reviewed
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O
Blair’s
Chef Marshall Blair, formerly of downtown’s Water Grill, delivers upscale comfort food to an appreciative local crowd. Despite the haphazard service and a too-dark interior, Blair’s divine seafood and beef dishes have vaulted this low-key corner restaurant to the top of many locals’ fave list. Crab cakes and short ribs – yummo! Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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P
Chow
Chow's diverse menu appeals to all tastes, with everything from pizza to pork chops and Thai-style noodles to spaghetti and meatballs. The wood-floored room is big, loud and always busy. Avoid tables alongside the bar (you'll get jostled); request a table on the back patio for quiet(er) conversations. Call ahead for the 'no-wait' list.
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Q
Powell's Place
You came for the fried chicken, right? Join locals who anxiously followed this historic restaurant to its new location in the Fillmore, and rediscovered perfectly crispy chicken, spicy collard greens, and dirty rice with savory flecks of meat and secret spices. Bet you can't finish that order of chicken and waffles.
reviewed
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Grill on the Alley
When they say ‘Let’s do lunch,’ this is where they do it. Wood-paneled walls, framed portraits, see-and-be-seen booths and white-jacketed waitstaff lend a Golden Age flair to the A-lister power scene. Succulent Kobe-beef burgers, towering Cobb salads and the ‘orgasmic’ John Dory are faves. Reservations recommended.
reviewed
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Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain
Get your kicks at this original 1915 soda fountain right on Route 66. Slurp an old-fashioned ‘phosphate' (flavored syrup, soda water and ‘secret potion') while waiting for a heaping sandwich or hamburger or stocking up on classic candy in the gift shops. It's touristy, sure, but fun nonetheless.
reviewed
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Blue Plate
Eccentric and contemporary, with laid-back service and reinvented comfort food that ranges from honestly good meatloaf to fried cornmeal balsamic oysters with braised bacon. On foggy nights, snuggle up to a heatlamp at outdoor tables or let the pork belly and soup of the day warm you from the inside out.
reviewed
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Jake's on the Lake
There's no shortage of tummy-tantalizing choices at this breezy dining room with a big deck overlooking a small marina. The bar is great for grazing on appetizers, especially during Happy Hour (16:30 to 18:30 Sunday to Friday) when prices drop 50%. Finish up with a hula pie, its signature dessert.
reviewed
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U
Inn of the Seventh Ray
Everyone needs a little Malibu. And lucky for you, 30 miles of surf, sunshine and sun-dappled mountains are only a tankful of gas away. Freewheeling Topanga is where the Inn of the Seventh Ray serves local seafood and organic dishes with new-age flair.
reviewed
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Toast Bakery Café
From sitcom stars to dolly grips, the Hollywood crowd loves its Toast. Not to mention its tasty egg scrambles, luscious pancakes and frothy lattes. This popular eatery recently added dinner hours, so avoid the crush on weekend mornings and stop by for an evening bite.
reviewed
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Carlee's Place
Join the locals for casual American fare, karaoke nights and pool.
reviewed