need quick amazing takeout between LAX and west LA

[vulber]

getting into LAX 12:30pm on wednesday, and pretty much need to drive straight to my hotel (holiday inn at the intersection of the 405 and the 2) - ideally want to place a takeout order as soon as i land, then pick it up on the way to my hotel.

i'm coming from SF, so extra points for something that i can't get there, but just want to eat something insanely delicious.

[vulber]

there was an insane amount of traffic heading north on 405 (so much that my GPS told me to take sepulveda instead, which i think was slightly faster), so samshiri was a good choice due to proximity given how late i was running. not absolutely mindblowing, but certainly tasty, something i can't get a lot of in SF, and a great value/portion (especially the lunch special). but thanks for all the suggestions - many places to try in the future.

[Ogawak]

Thanks for reporting back. Hopefully next time you will have more time to enjoy the places we have in that area, especially Sawtelle Blvd.

[vulber]

oh i did - had more time today and went to tsujita and had my mind blown. :)

[ozsj0402]

Gjelina Takeaway
C & O Trattoria
Ayara Thai
Lemonade

[maudies5]

I know I am not recommending terribly "chow worthy" food, see my recommendation for In 'n Out. Carrying on my theme of pure convenience and yet tasty, only about 2 blocks from where you are staying is a brand new Fatburger on the corner of Santa Monica and Sepulveda. Good parking. I love their turkey burger.Open 24 hours. Not "insanely delicious" and likely something you can get in SFO, yet a good option if you are hungry and in a hurry.

[Jwsel]

You could order takeout from Pann's, a diner that is at La Tijera and La Cienega, just a little east of the 405. (You can take Sepulveda into La Tijera, cross the 405 to Pann's, and then backtrack a few blocks and hop onto the 405.) See this thread for some suggestions: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/882847

The Mitsuwa marketplace at Venice and Centinela is about a mile west of the 405 (exit Venice). There are a lot of food places there, but I think the most recommended place is Santouka for Ramen. There also is a tempura place called Hannosuke.

Wally's Cheese Box is a cheese store on Westwood Blvd. that makes some excellent sandwiches. It is about a five-minute detour from your hotel and it has a parking lot. The fresh mozzarella and Wally's hero are my two favorites: http://www.wallywine.com/t-cheesebox_sandwich_menu.aspx (caveat, I never get the grilled cheese sandwiches because I usually get a sandwich before a 30+ minute drive).

Also on Westwood Blvd, just north of Santa Monica Blvd, is Ramayani, an Indonesian restaurant. https://sites.google.com/site/herthatan/ I really like their Ayam Goreng Kering, which is a really tasty fried chicken; the beef rendang; and their homemade shrimp chips. Parking is in a tiny lot with very limited spaces, but there is street parking around.

Across the street from Ramayani is Sunnin, a good Lebanese restaurants, with a parking lot. http://www.sunnin.com/?/home/ Get falafel, kebbeh makliyeh, and hummos. (Leaving Sunnin's lot, you can cut around the back alley, drive past a gas station, and reach Santa Monica Blvd.)

[Servorg]

I've always been under the impression (Dommy may have even posted about it a long time ago, IIRC) that Santouka doesn't do take out.

[wienermobile]

That is correct...NO Take out at all at Santouka.

[Jwsel]

Too bad. So that's out. There is a Ramen Yamadaya on Westwood Blvd., just a few doors south of Wilshire, so that also would be close for the OP. I just think parking is horrible in that area.

[vulber]

thanks everyone - great suggestions all around. we actually have a santouka in san jose, plus i'm doing tsujita on thurs, so probably won't do ramen.

leaning toward persian at the moment since we don't have much of that in the bay area.

[Mattapoisett in LA]

Let me clarify the take-out deal at Santouka. They will not package anything to go. However, once you get served, you can ask for a container for leftovers and the task becomes DIY.

[vulber]

which....means you have to wait for a table, which defeats the whole purpose of takeout

[maudies5]

Why not just stop or drive through IN'n Out? As long as you don't order your burger 'Animal Style" (which is messy), it will be easy to eat your burger and drive. Also, great place to watch planes land.

[Jwsel]

I considered that, but the OP is from San Francisco, where they have In 'n Out. So it didn't seem like a good suggestion.

[maudies5]

IIRC, The IN 'n Out in the bay area are in the suburbs.

[wienermobile]

There is one In N Out right in Fisherman's Wharf.

[AndrewF]

I'd be happy with a soup and salad combo plus a brownie from Fresh Corn Grill on Westwood, fairly close to your hotel. Corn chowder + Cobb salad. I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've had at FCG but can't tear away from the Cobb. Parking is a crapshoot.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Gjelina take away
Lemonade
Next door by Josie's

[Xericx]

I'd go somewhere closer to West LA than LAX as you'd want to avoid the rush hour traffic that will start getting heavy around 2-3pm if you're taking the 405.

If the 405 is pretty messed, you can always go down Sepulveda. If you do go this route, there are a lot of interesting restaurants down Venice Blvd (you can get off from the 405 as well) such as Barwachi which has some really good Indian food..its all off a steam table and vegetarian focused but really solid. Versailles is right there on Venice Blvd as well if you want some decent Cuban food, I'm a fan of the roast pork. There are a few brazillian restaurants on Venice as well..I went to a brazillian pizza place last week called Bella Vista which was really cool as it was served Rodizio (all you can eat, they bring you the food) style. cheap too, $9.99 for lunch...but not really takeaway although you can order the whole pizzas to go.

Javan Persian Cuisine, 2-3 blocks from your hotel. I'm a fan of their Lubia Polo and their stews are also quite good. There are a few other really solid persian places but the parking is kind of hard on Westwood Blvd and its perpendicular from your hotel.

Monte Alban was mentioned, that's always a good choice. Really great lunch specials, although I'd think they were dine in only..not sure. $6.99..can't beat it.

There is also the CHEGO lunch truck (restaurant has been closed) on Overland in West LA..which is in the general pathway as well. Korean-focused fusion rice bowls..I really like their prime rib rice bowl. Inexpensive, and its a food truck with a semi-constant location.

[westsidegal]

if vulber has an afternoon business meeting, i'd avoid the garlicky Chego offerings.
when i ate at his brick and morter place even my hair smelled of garlic afterwards.

[wienermobile]

My first choice would be Bay Cities Italian Deli in Santa Monica. Wonderful sandwiches and freshly made bread and other Italina goodies (I love their hot chicken parm sandwich). Order ahead on line for that day's pick up.
http://www.baycitiesitaliandeli.com

Second choice Huckleberry.
http://www.huckleberrycafe.com

[bulavinaka]

if the OP is willing to divert to Santa Monica I would also suggest Gjelina Take Away (GTA) in Venice.

[Dirtywextraolives]

Even if OP were able to order ahead online at BCD (the lines get terribly long at lunchtime), parking is a huge issue. Thought they have a lot, it's obviously not large enough and is always full at lunchtime, and traffic backs up onto Lincoln in front of the Von's market all the time. Not ideal for what OP needs.

[westsidegal]

if one wants to be assured of an efficient, quick, pick up, my recommendation would be to avoid bay cities.

[nosh]

Just south of Santa Monica Blvd. on Sepulveda (just east of the 405) is a branch of Zankou chicken -- really good rotisserie chicken served with pita and an insanely delicious garlic paste. They also do a "tarna" wrap, with the chicken cut from a shawarma-like rotating spit. (Order with extra garlic paste.) Very inexpensive, worth a taste since it is very nearby and has its own lot. (Parking along Sawtelle, just the other west side of the 405, can be difficult.)

[archer]

If you feel like Mexican, Monte Alban has excellent Oaxacan food (delicious moles). It's on Santa Monica Blvd., west of the 405 (a few blocks west of Barrington).

[jgilbert]

He's headed to the Holiday Inn near the 405 and Santa Monica Blvd., which is close to Sawtelle / the westside's Little Tokyo. Chowhounders can fill you with great recs.

[Servorg]

In that case he's 2 blocks from Plan Check. If I were him I'd check in and then walk over and have lunch there.

[vulber]

the 2, also known as santa monica boulevard? apologies for terminology....

[Servorg]

Okay, Santa Monica Blvd. hear the 405. Are you staying east or west of the 405? You'll be close to good Persian food, Shamshiri Grill and lots of good Japanese food on Sawtelle like an order of yakisoba from Gottsui. I would suggest you look into picking up something to eat from Plan Check on Sawtelle, like one of their burgers maybe or even the pastrami nosh (although the egg might be a little problematic).

[vulber]

literally at the intersection of the two

[Servorg]

http://gottsui-usa.com/

http://www.plancheckbar.com/

http://shamshiri.com/

[Dirtywextraolives]

Much as I love little Osaka & plan check, parking there is a bitch, especially when you want to just run in and pick up food to go. And it seems especially busy at prime lunchtime hours, lots of lines.

[Servorg]

He can easily walk from his hotel there in 5 minutes, no parking necessary. And if you look down Nebraska during the afternoon you will find parking without a problem. In fact that's where I parked tonight for dinner at Plan Check.

[bulavinaka]

So what'd you folks have?

[Servorg]

One Plan Check Burger, One Chicken Sando and an order of the loaded "pastrami and gooey green cheese" french fries and finished it off with the crullers...

[bulavinaka]

You bastard - take an extra lap...

[Servorg]

Ha...we actually sat outside on the patio and we were the only party out there after the one group who was there when we arrived left. Now, I can deal with cold weather, and while I was wearing shorts I also had my polar fleece jacket. But then my wife, who always brings a coat went off without it last night for some inexplicable reason. So I ended up in shorts and a tee shirt while my toasty wife enjoyed not shivering through dinner! So my calorie use went up fighting off hypothermia...lol

[Dirtywextraolives]

Dinner time is a whole different animal as the throngs of office workers have all gone home, and I find the area to be a bit less busy. Anyway, my understanding of the OP was that he/she wanted to order something to go, when landed at 12:30, pick it up and drive to the hotel. Not to park at the hotel first and meander down to find a place for lunch leisurely.....hence why I explained the area was not ideal for that, unless you're super lucky and find an open meter....which I do all the time.

[Servorg]

Because the OP is not familiar with chowish places close to their hotel I was making them aware of a second, better option. Eat fresh, hot out of the kitchen food in a more convivial location than their hotel room, and have a little fresh air stroll while they are at it, all without moving their car from the hotel parking lot. I think that's why local knowledge is being sought out here. No?

[vulber]

you are correct - it's for business, and i pretty much need to go straight to the hotel and do work, and just get something quick along the way.

leisurely stroll recommendations are encouraged for later at night though :)

[Servorg]

Are you heading for the Glendale Freeway (2)? I don't think the 405 and the 2 cross AFAIK...Maybe let us know what hotel you are staying in/heading for?

[A5 KOBE]

Woody's BBQ for rib tips, chicken and mac n cheese. Not really fast but if you call ahead there is a chance it could be fast.