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July 7, 2008
Stylish Six: More Great Doughnuts in Los Angeles
Filed under: Best Of, Eastside, Eat, Midtown, San Gabriel Valley, South, Westside — StyleGuide @ 1:28 pm
I’m in the midst of a doughnut obsession, as you may have noticed here and here. Since Los Angeles reigns as the undisputed doughnut capital of the world, I suppose it is a matter of civic pride. In that spirit, here are six more standard bearers.
Dumpy strip mall + two letter names = amazing doughnuts? Apparently. Try:
1. DK Donut & Bakery: Thanks to StylishGuide.com reader and At Home at Home blogger Laure for recommending this Santa Monica gem. Mmmm….
2. S.K. Donuts & Croissants: Head to Mid-city near Park La Brea and sink into a moist, luscious buttermilk bar or rich cruller. Bonus: It’s open late for post-bar-hopping appetites.
Doughnut as architecture — these two shops prove it works:
3. Randy’s Donuts: The gigantic doughnut atop this Inglewood shop is like a big, fat, sloppy welcome-home kiss after landing at nearby LAX.
4. The Donut Hole: Thrill the kid in you with a special trip out to a random intersection in La Puente for a doughnut that you actually drive through (see the video here). The architecture is icing on the cake, so to speak; the main attraction is the fresh doughnuts within.
More goodness:
5. Stan’s Corner Donut Shoppe: This legendary shop has been crafting gourmet doughnuts for more than 40 years. If your timing is right, Stan himself will recommend his favorites — welcome help since he probably has more flavors than there are parking spots in all of Westwood.
6. Tang’s Donuts: The bear claw — big as the real thing, fat with fluffy cinnamon-spiked dough — is worth attacking. Nights bring an eclectic Silver Lake crowd, including hard-core chess addicts, to the grungy strip mall location.
December 18, 2007
Golden Bird Fried Chicken
Filed under: Eat, Midtown, South — StyleGuide @ 8:07 pm
I’m taking a little break for the holidays. I’ll re-post some of my earlier entries up until I get back to the regular schedule in 2008!
A bold statement, I know, to declare the best fried chicken in a city full of strong birds, whether Dinah’s, Roscoe’s or Honey’s.
But I have to say, there’s something about Golden Bird.
First, the name. “Golden Bird” is the perfect appellation for a chicken that, fitting for Los Angeles, is the color of a deep, dark suntan glistening with oil. The tender meat sports a batter coating that is smooth, crispy and light.
Served with the ubiquitous (but odd) side of crinkle cut sweet pickles in a tiny paper cup, the chicken is consistently good. Sides, however, can be hit or miss, but heaven can’t be much better than those days you strike upon a buttery, flaky biscuit with its salty top baked a rich brown, creamy mac and cheese or greens spiked with tender chunks of pork and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.
There’s a lot of nostalgia for Golden Bird chicken, an L.A. institution since 1953, as locations have diminished over the years. Expect a resurgence with 14 new locations soon to be added to their five existing L.A. stores.
I hit the one at 4725 West Venice, just west of La Brea near the OSH.
Price: $ (under $10)
Where: Check www.goldenbirdchicken.com/contactus.html for locations
Call: 323-525-0488
Do you love Golden Bird? Or does your heart belong to another poultry shop? Tell me about it….
August 2, 2007
Best Fried Chicken in L.A. – Golden Bird Fried Chicken
Filed under: Eat, Midtown, South — StyleGuide @ 3:13 am
A bold statement, I know, to declare the best fried chicken in a city full of strong birds, whether Dinah’s, Roscoe’s or Honey’s.
But I have to say, there’s something about Golden Bird.
First, the name. “Golden Bird” is the perfect appellation for a chicken that, fitting for Los Angeles, is the color of a deep, dark suntan glistening with oil. The tender meat sports a batter coating that is smooth, crispy and light.
Served with the ubiquitous (but odd) side of crinkle cut sweet pickles in a tiny paper cup, the chicken is consistently good. Sides, however, can be hit or miss, but heaven can’t be much better than those days you strike upon a buttery, flaky biscuit with its salty top baked a rich brown, creamy mac and cheese or greens spiked with tender chunks of pork and a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.
There’s a lot of nostalgia for Golden Bird chicken, an L.A. institution since 1953, as locations have diminished over the years. Expect a resurgence with 14 new locations soon to be added to their five existing L.A. stores.
I hit the one at 4725 West Venice, just west of La Brea near the OSH.
Price: $ (under $10)
Where: Check www.goldenbirdchicken.com/contactus.html for locations
Call: 323-525-0488
Do you love Golden Bird? Or does your heart belong to another poultry shop? Tell me about it….