Food & Drink Near The El Rey

[mc michael]

Before and after The Hold Steady on Thursday at 8:00. TIA.

[quartzcity]

Luna Park on La Brea just N of Wilshire is within walking distance.

[LisaStitch]

I second Luna Park, try to make a reservation to be safe. Fyi I think they close around 10:30 or 11 so it's probably not a good after show spot.

Whatever you do, do NOT give in to temptation to walk across the street from the El Rey to El Toro Cantina. The place is a ripoff.

There is also Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles on Pico just west of La Brea. Not walking distance, but great fried chicken and waffles, and they don't close til 1am or 2am.

[neobite]

Sake House is great again after a long slump. Good sushi and izakaya dishes and, of course, plenty of great sakes.

For something really fun and really good, try Ngoma on Wilshire two blocks east of El Rey. It's pan-African - wonderful beef dishes, lamb and chicken curries, etc. Becoming one of my favorite spots in the area. They close a little early though.

Avoid Luna Park. I hate their food and 'tude. Just a scene anymore.

[goodnightdean]

Go to HMS Bounty after the show. Sure there'll be scenesters there, but its a good semi-divey post rock show place to grab drinks. Either there, or The Prince. Honestly, though, I'd only go to the Prince if I was with a Korean friend...they treat you totally differently and its way better.

[mc michael]

Back in the day, the Bounty had various deadly complimentary snacks, but one stood out--ultra thin sliced pork chops that were sorta rolled up. Do they still do that?

[Ndelible]

The Little Bar on 8th & La Brea might be nice.

[Chowpatty]

Little Bar doesn't have food, though. How about Sake House Miro or its newer facsimile, Happi Songs, both on La Brea?

[mc michael]

Sake,eh? Hmmm.

[tony michaels]

Lots of excellent choices in Koreatown a very short drive from there. Also Opus if you want to do something more upscale and of course if you are looking to keep it on the less expensive side you could go around the corner on La Brea to Luna Park or drive down 8th Street to Guelaguetza or just east of that Taylor's Steakhouse.

Before hand The Prince or even the Dresden Room?

[mc michael]

Thanks, tony. Some good ideas there though I might reverse them. Upscale, however, would be a radical contrast to The Hold Steady.

[tony michaels]

In that case you may be planning on being Steady at the Hold?

[mc michael]

lol

[Local]

hmmm...kinda like being stuck between stations on the radio....so, heading downscale, maybe Adam Corrolla's place, Amalfi, complete with upstairs lounge and associated lizards? enjoy, should be fun show!

[mc michael]

I'm looking for something left of the dial.

[Local]

well, too late to catch you, but as a replacement suggestion, you might want to head east for some hangin' downtown at the Pacific Dining Car... (sorry, no mats, just tablecloths).

[mc michael]

Good one, Local. In typical fashion, I did not write down the address of Sake House Miro as kindly suggested by Chowpatty and others but remembered it was in the 800 block of LaBrea. Unfortunately or not, I was looking on the wrong side of the street and spotted something that looked like photos on the site but was not. So instead we wound up at Ogamdo Cafe & Restaurant at 842 S. LaBrea. This is sort of everything Asian with American antiques and music (interesting music actually). If you want Chinese, Japanese, including sushi, Korean, they have it. If you want beer, wine, steak, sake, Soju, you name it they have it. Quality seems to vary from bland to average and prices might be a little high but portions are big. The concert OTOH made it all worthwhile. The Hold Steady: recommended for getting your ya-ya's out.

[Chowpatty]

I know I've probably mentioned this too many times, but did you by any chance try the specialty of the house, which I believe is chicken anuses?

[mc michael]

Nope, sorry. Unless they use them in the mu shu chicken? Didn't try the angus burger either.

[Local]

Excellent- sounds like the boys and girls in america had a swingin' party with reasonable afterconcert results. Is Ogamdo the place with the red dinghy on the roof? always wondered what that place was like...near Leonardo's? (with its own reputation and definitely not a place for the boys and girls!)

[mc michael]

There's so much stuff packed in and around Ogamdo, there could be a dinghy. Eclectic is a word that fits. It's across from Leonardo's. Did you hear the Bic at the end of Swingin' Party?

[Local]

I like donburi with tempura as post-concert comfort food...do they have that sort of Japanese menu or the equivalent? (and is that her ..what sounds like a purr..and then a draw on a cigarette? otherwise, no...help me here).

[mc michael]

I don't think so. Truthfully it's mostly Chinese and Korean. Yeah, the click and the drag.

[Local]

very cool (Kools?) ...ah well, then some moo shu perhaps with a soju martini.

[mc michael]

I think you can get a real Martini. Ya gotta walk around and drink some more.

[CulverJack]

It was a great show, even though Holly may not be a hoodrat anymore. I got the feeling at the show that fans in other cities are better at shouting the words back than we are. Figures.

Sounds like Ogamdo was better than the food they had at the El Rey, which is something to remember if you forget to eat before a show. Sometimes you need that food right then and there, you know. Looked like standard burger and bar fare, may have something to do with the funky burger/diner that is right next to the venue.

I had some Armenian vodka (??) last night at the show that I didn't even know existed. I didn't get the name, so if anyone knows what it may be, chime in. It was good, actually, it was suggested as a sub for Ketel One. The El Rey is a really active place with shows nearly every night, a great venue and a fab place to have rocking again.

[mc michael]

I think I was told that the El Rey food was "from Wolfgang Puck"??? Armenian vodka? I had Patron--$10 a shot.

[Local]

Marani, perhaps? it's getting some front counter space, tho' haven't tried it yet. (picture of bottle on first page, link). Vodka cries for shellfish, i'm thinking oysters, scallops or shrimp, ...i'm guessing none of that at the El Rey...how sad to be limited to the funky burger.

http://www.squareonevodka.com/SQ1_VOD...