In high school, we rented a bus and drove to the best eateries in Los Angeles.
Mr. Sutro was the most eccentric of Government teachers. He was rumored to have come from an extremely wealthy family, always wore a three-piece suits, and had a PhD from Stanford. And, although being as skinny as a rail, he loved fast food. He loved it so much that he organized a Fast Food Tour.
We all paid a riding fee so we could charter a real bus with AC and all, no yellow bus here. Since this wasn’t an official school event, we went on a Saturday morning. This gave it a special feel. The only pit fall was that I had just broken up with someone who was also on the tour and I was on a sort of date with someone else…but we’ll focus on the food aspect for this post.
These are the Fast Food Tour eateries that my brain remembers after 20 years:
The Farmer’s Market
Located in the heart of the Fairfax District, the Farmer’s Market is simply a remarkable place to visit if you like fresh food and people watching. On the tour we only had a chance to pick up a couple of food items but I’ve been back several times since. It’s not uncommon to find Hollywood writers hacking away at their old laptops near the coffee stand.
6333 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 933-9211
TOLL FREE (866) 993-9211
Tommy’s
This is a burger chain in SoCal but they have reached classic status via the original location’s proximity to USC and for being open really late. Mr. Sutro went to USC as an undergrad so I’m sure it was dear to his heart. Their ridiculously yummy chili burger is the thing to get.
There are many locations but this is the classic site:
LOS ANGELES
2575 W. Beverly Blvd.
(213) 389-9060
Carney’s Restaurant – Carney’s is famous for its killer hot dogs and for being located in a vintage train car. This came towards the end of the tour so I was too full and lazy to get out of the cushy air conditioned bus.
8351 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069
Phone: (323) 654-8300
The Pantry
Pretty soon you’re going to stop believing me but this is also another classic Los Angeles restaurant. On the Tour, I shared an order of fries but when I went back several years later, I had a huge artery-clogging steak. Good stuff, but it took a few hours before I got back my normal heart beat. This is an urban, gritty kind of place. That second time I went back I was slightly toasted so I fit right in.
877 S Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 972-9279
There were more stops but the mind has "released" them over time, it happens. But this will give you a sense of our magical mystical Fast Food Tour of LA and these are all still around so add them to your Favorite Places list and give ’em a try when you’re out in LA.
Thanks for reading the entire blog! As a treat, here’s a Google Map of all the locations listed above:
http://tinyurl.com/5jtn8u