Anthony Bourdain's LA Travel Tips
Anthony Bourdain has 48 hours in Los Angeles -- what he calls an exotic wonderland. Get his tips on not-to-miss eats, including In-N-Out Burger, along with a special breakfast recipe prepared by Tony himself, in The Layover: Los Angeles.
Arrivals/Departures
"LAX -- if you prefer direct flights. Long Beach [Airport] is down south and Bob Hope Airport is in Burbank (to the north). Several options for public transportation, but all not great. Nobody walks. Everybody drives."
LA Eats Not-to-Miss
"It's a ritual, from the airport, to the airport: In-N-Out Burger (only American chain worth a damn)."
"What do they have a lot in LA that you most probably don’t have enough of? Answer: Mexican food. I’m talking good Mexican food, like in Mexico. Atwater Village (a couple of miles from Hollywood) is home to generations of Mexicans and Filipinos."
"LA is 468 square miles of something, with 114 different neighborhoods -- like Venice Beach, Koreatown, Hollywood, etc., known for the people that settled there and the cuisines they serve. LA has the largest concentration of Koreans outside of Korea. (Koreatown) a whole other world and a delicious one. Bars close at 2 a.m. in LA, allegedly. In Koreatown, that’s a more permeable line -- they say."
Breakfast Tip
"You might ask yourself, 'Why, in a perfectly good hotel, would you want to cook?’ Well, because you can ... (if) there is a kitchen. Plus, if you’re doing the layover thing, and you’re staying in a lot of hotels, isn’t it nice to do something normal? Little things -- like cooking for yourself -- make a big difference."
"Here’s a riff on an established egg recipe --I put it on the menu in a West Village saloon back in the '70s: Bacon, a little butter, eggs, scallions, and swirl in sour cream. Always crack eggs on a flat surface, never on the rim (of the counter or bowl). You'll get little pieces of ‘stuff’ in there."
LA's Bar Scene
Recommended by the locals:
White Horse Inn Cocktail Lounge
1532 N Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027-5620
Tiki-Ti
4427 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
The Edison
108 W 2nd St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Harvard & Stone
5221 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
Crazy Hook
3250 Wilshire Blvd, No. 102
Los Angeles, CA 90010-1457
Want more information on Tony's trip to Los Angeles? Check out our episode guide.