Bowery and Magnolia

[flowergirl]

Has anyone been to Bowery - how about Magnolia?
Is the food delicious at either?

[Emme]

The food is good at both, nothing extraordinary...

Bowery has great sweet potato fries, eggplant chips, mac'n'cheese, and apparently the burger; I think I had a fish special last time?

Magnolia, I like the halibut, the mac'n'cheese, broccolini, sesame tofu, chocolate brownie... at brunch, try the mushroom omelette or grilled artichoke. My ex liked the veggie burger there.

[echo eater]

The Bowery smells bad, like a musty towel. I'd pick Magnolia any day over that joint. The food isn't mind blowing, but it's solid/decent, and in my experience, consistent. I've had a good tuna tartare as well as a good burger there (fries weren't bad either). They also have a yummy mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwich as one of the desserts.

[Tom P]

I like them both. Bowery has perhaps better food including one of the best Caesar Salads in town and to die for Chocolate Mousse. Their braised dishes can be very good.

Magnolia is just solid fare. I've ordered a lot off their menu, and never had a bad meal. it might not blow you away but it is very dependable. I like both places a lot and the cocktails are very good at each as well.

[Tom P]

I also forgot to add I agree with echo, the Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches at Magnolia are excellent.

[SauceSupreme]

Bowery is my favorite bar, but then again, I think of it as a bar first and foremost. The liquor selection is top notch, especially for whiskey/bourbon/rye/scotch. The food there is as friend describes, "a lot better than it needs to be," meaning that while the drinks are my main focus, the food is no slouch either. I like it better than its two neighbors, Magnolia and Fabiolus, but all three have different approaches. Magnolia and Fabiolus both are large enough to house big groups of people and have the large menus to boot. Bowery, on the other hand, is a far different animal, and stepping inside it feels like a NY bar, not LA.

Flowergirl, it seems that you've recently moved to the Hollywood area. I recommend using the search function of the board as many of the restaurants have been widely discussed.