The LA Foodie's Bucket List

by ANDREW KATZ · February 25, 2010

As newbies ourselves to the LA scene, we found Anne Fishbein's guide about 99 foods to-die-for that we should eat before we die to be (other than a big catch-22,) extremely helpful. Here are some highlights that should by all means make it to the top of the list.

Apple Pan's Hickoryburger (pictured left): a staple of the LA scene since 1947, the Apple Pan Hickoryburger is the joint's most famous offering. For $6.50 you can get a juicy beef patty, melted cheese, lettuce tomato, and of course the famous hickory sauce, which can be perfectly complimented by a cold Coke served in a paper cone. The burger has received several accolades from Zagat, but more importantly, is a staple of the Jonas Brother's diet.

Brooklyn Bagel Bakery Hearth Baked Bagel: One necessity for any New Yorker heading west is a good bagel joint, and while the city of angels doesn't have a clue when it comes to this culinary realm, luckily the Brooklyn Bagel Bakery has also migrated west to show them how it's done. The bakery is most famous for its hearth baked bagel, which is baked directly on the shelf of the oven for a well-cooked texture and flavor.

Patisserie Chantilly's Sesame Cream Puff: For those of us with a sweet tooth, the decadent sesame cream puff from Chantilly's is a must try. These pastry mavens have perfected the Japanese-French pastries, which offer a unique and delicious combination of black sesame cream, fluffy pastry, and honey drizzle.

The Gorbals French Fries: A personal, ongoing quest of mine is to find who has the absolute best french fries, and having "painstakingly" compared the likes of Le Cirque, to Pommes Frites, to McDonalds, I am always on the lookout for something new in the fried potato department. The Socttish-Jewish Gorbals in LA certainly seems promising with their award-winning fries that are cooked to perfection with handfuls of fresh dill.

Langer's Hot Pastrami Sandwich: The Manhattanite in LA also need not worry about filling the void of such legendary delis a la Katz's and Carnegie, for there's always Langer's to come to the rescue! The LA haunt may falsely claim to have the "world's best pastrami;" however, we are more than willing to give them the best west of the Mississippi. If anything, the classic pastrami on rye served with a deli pickle can more than satisfy a deli aficionado's cravings and is certainly worth a try.