1. Musso and Frank Grill (Musso & Frank's);

2. La Dolce Vita;

3. The Prince Korean Restaurant;

4. Smoke House Restaurant;

5. Buggy Whip Restaurant;

6. Thelen's Mermaid Restaurant (possibly endangered);

7. Rae's Diner;

8. Clifton's Cafeteria;

9. HMS Bounty bar and restaurant;

10. Snug Harbor restaurant.

1. Bahooka's Ribs and Grog Restaurant;

2. Alpine Inn /Clifton's Cafeteria (tie);

3. Blue Room Bar ;

4. Encounter's Lounge Restaurant;

5. Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles (Gower branch) Restaurant;

6. Valley Inn Restaurant;

7. Tiki Ti bar;

8. Clearman's North Woods, San Gabriel Restaurant;

9. Tonga Hut bar;

10. Tamarack Inn/Embers Lounge (tie) bars.

1. Musso and Frank's Grill;

2. Patsy's Pizza (best pizza in Los Angeles);

3. La Dolce Vita Restaurant;

4.  Pacific Dining Car Restaurant;

5. The Derby Restaurant;

6. Taix French Restaurant;

7. The Apple Pan Restaurant;

8. Clearman's Steak 'n Stein Restaurant;

9. Pann's Diner;

10. The Bucket Restaurant.

1. Tamarack Inn bar;

2. The Short Stop bar;

3. Joe Jost's bar;

4. Billingsly's Restaurant and bar;

5. Venice Room bar;

6. La Dolce Vita Restaurant;

7. The Polo Lounge (at least with the bartender last time I was there);

8. Frolic Room bar;

9. HMS Bounty restaurant and bar;

10. Frank 'n Hanks bar.

1. Philippe's French Dipped Sandwiches (25 cent coffee!);

2. Nick's Coffee Shop;

3. La Palma Chicken Pie Restaurant;

4. HMS Bounty bar and restaurant;

5. Vince's Spaghetti Restaurant;

6. Venice Room bar and restaurant;

7. The Safari Room Bar and Restaurant;

8. Rae's Diner;

9. Polo Lounge (for drinks when considering their free chips and

     dips and free parking in area);

10. Tamarack Inn bar and restaurant.

1. Encounter's Lounge/LAX Theme Building;

2. Hop Louie's Chinese Restaurant;

3. Astro Family Restaurant;

4. Pann's Coffee Shop;

5. Bob's Big Boy Restaurant- Burbank;

6. Norm's Restaurant - La Cienega or Huntington Park;

7. Chip's Restaurant;

8. Goody's Restaurant (moving - the fate of the great signage is unsure);

9. Magic Lamp Restaurant;

10. Chili John's Restaurant (well - interior and signage).

1. Musso and Frank Grill ("Musso and Frank's");

2. Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria;

3. Canter's Deli;

4. Patsy's Pizza (Farmer's Market - first pizza in Los Angeles);

5. Philippe's/Cole's tied;

6. Chateau Marmont Hotel;

7. Original Pantry Cafe;

8. The Prince/Windsor Restaurant

9. Taix French Restaurant;

10. La Dolce Vita Restaurant

2.  Yamashiro's Japanese Restaurant (view);

3. La Cave (darkest of all!);

4. Miceli's Italian Restaurant (romantic);

5. Old Tony's Restaurant and Bar (view);

6. Casa Vega Mexican Restaurant (dark);

7. Rainbow Bar and Grill (romantic);

8. Musso and Frank's Restaurant (old fashioned romantic);

9. Valley Inn Restaurant (dark and old fashioned bar);

10. La Fonda Mexican Restaurant and Mariachi Show (inspiring music)

1. Musso and Frank's Grill;

2.  La Dolce Vita Restaurant;.

3.  The Prince Korean Restaurant;

5. Miceli's Italian Restaurant (go in after a tough day feeling burnt out - leave happy and relaxed! Try to eat near the piano);

6. Canter's Deli;

7. Original Pantry Cafe;

8. HMS Bounty bar and restaurant;

9. Vince's Spaghetti Restaurant (Ontario branch);

10. Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria.

11.  The Farmer's Market/Grove - you can't walk around here for more than a few minutes without starting to feel happy!

1. Philippe's French Dipped Sandwiches (Free Parking plus right off Hwy 101);

2. Original Pantry Cafe (cheap and  free or cheap nearby

    parking - depending on time of day, Hwy 110, 10, 101 - open 24 hours);

3. Alpine Inn (free parking, right off Hwy 110 );

4. Miceli's Italian Restaurant (near 101 and validated parking nearby);

5. Nate 'n Al's Deli (free nearby parking);

6. Valley Inn (ample parking in area, right off the 405);

7. Musso and Frank's (near 101 and validated  reasonable

     parking in back - centrally located in Hollywood);

8. Tamarack Inn (free parking, Hwy 605);

9. Polo Lounge (free parking if you don't use valet - at bottom of street or on street surrounding the hotel);

10. The Prince Korean Restaurant (cheap valet parking - not far from downtown).

1. The Beverly Hills Hotel Fountain Coffee Shop (I'm beginning to think there is no reason to eat breakfast anywhere else unless you want specific types of pancakes);

2. Pacific Dining Car (world's best pancakes);

3. Original Pantry Cafe (best omelets) ;

4. Snug Harbor Coffee Shop;

5. Philippe's French Dipped Sandwiches Restaurant;

6. Du-Pars Restaurant;

7. Roscoe's Chicken 'n Waffles Restaurant (Gower location);

8. Dinah's Family Restaurant (Culver City);

9. Pann's;

10. Duke's Coffee Shop;

Blue Berry Pancakes/Banana Walnut Pancakes - Pacific Dining Car (life is not complete until you have tried these!!!)

"Regular" Pancakes - Du Pars Restaurant

"Buckwheat" Pancakes - Original Pancake House/The Original Pantry Cafe (tied - although they are surprisingly different in both places).

Sour Dough Bread - Musso and Frank / The Original Pantry Cafe

Insalata Caprese - Miceli's Italian Restaurant (best Caprese salad in the world!)

Pies - Dupar's  (now you know why Tiny Naylor wasn't so Tiny!)

Dancing/Supper Club - Alpine Inn Restaurant

Hamburgers - Apple Pan/The Bucket/Russell's/Cassell's/Ercoles (tied)

Kugel - Canter's Deli

Chili - Chili John's Restaurant

Flannel Cakes - Musso and Frank Grill

Tiramisu - La Dolce Vita Restaurant

French Dip Sandwich - (I dare not say!)

Milk Shake - Beverly Hills Hotel Fountain Coffee Shop (you'll have to fight with movie stars to get a seat!)

Hot Turkey Sandwich - Musso and Frank's Grill (hands down! - ask for some extra gravy on the side and extra cranberry sauce)

Rolls - Miceli's Italian Restaurant/Petrillo's Restaurant (and San Diego Chicken Pie if you're down South!)

Hot Dogs - Pink's (a little obvious) followed by Cupid's (but the lines at Cupid's are much shorter).

Cobb Salad - Dresden Room Restaurant (killer steaks as well).

Menudo - El Toreo Mexican Restaurant Pasadena

Burritos - El Tepeyac (no one else comes close! Bring help if you intend to finish one)

Pizza - Patsy's Pizza (the first Pizza in Los Angeles historically)

Waffles - Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and Pann's (tied)

Biscuits - Philippe's French Dipped Sandwiches

Fried Chicken - The Prince Korean Restaurant (world's greatest)

Oatmeal - The Beverly Hills Hotel Fountain Coffee Shop

Martini's - people tell me Manny Aguirre, Musso and Frank's bartender extraordinaire,  makes the best martini's in the world - he sells me a mean O'Doul's as well!

Pea Soup  - Du Pars

French Onion Soup au Gratin - Musso and Frank Grill

Steak Sinatra - La Dolce Vita Restaurant

Ribs - Dr. Hogly Wogly's Tyler Texas Barbeque/Bahooka's Ribs and Grog (tied)

1. Bahooka's Ribs and Grog (if your kid doesn't love this place - it's time for a child psychologist! - share plates);

2. Encounter's Lounge (if you're not on a budget);

3.  Clifton's Cafeteria (but the intensely urban environment walking to the place might require some explaining as to why some people suffer so. While you are at it, explain it to me!);

4. Patsy's Pizza (and the Farmer's Market/Grove area in general - you can't go wrong);

5. Beverly Hills Hotel Fountain Coffee Shop (especially for milk shakes!) - never too early to nurture their desire for affluence (seating is a bit scarce some days);

6. The Apple Pan (if you don't mind waiting for counter seating - no tables!);

7.  Formosa Cafe (as early as it opens, before it gets crowded - sit in the trolley car section);

8.  Bob's Big Boy Restaurant (the oldest location in Burbank);

9.  Grand Central Public Market (see warnings for Clifton's Cafeteria - try out the Mexican candies with chili powder inside and the Mexican sodas in exotic flavors);

10.  La Palma Chicken Pie Shop (I would think kids would love the chicken pies);

11.  McDonald's (only to see the oldest existing McDonalds in Downey);

12.  Pink's (if you can find a time when there's not a long line);

13. Watson Drugs & Soda Fountain (get them a root beer float);

14. Vince's Spaghetti  - (preferably the old Ontario branch - warning - they may never want to eat anywhere else);

15. Miceli's Italian Restaurant (Hollywood) - (Hey - it's got great pizza and singing waiters - they'll love it);

16. Musso and Frank's - (only for really mellow, "well behaved" kids during lunch - this is a quiet place - hopefully they still make the Tuna Sandwich with the face on it!);

17.  Foxy's Landing & Restaurant - Lancaster, CA Airport - watch the planes take off and land while downing old fashioned milk shakes.

1. Chinatown;

2. LA Confidential;

3. Blade Runner (well - sort of uses classic Los Angeles);

4. Mulholland Drive (don't try to figure out the plot - just enjoy the visual nature of it);

5. The Doors (why in the world does this sell for $5 at Wal-Mart?  Val Kilmer did an incredible Jim Morrison!);

6. The Long Goodbye (Elliot Gould);

7. Double Indemnity (as pointed out by a reader of this site);

8. Bugsy;

9. The Two Jakes (Harvey Keitel and Ruben Blades are standouts);

10. Criss Cross/D.O.A. (1950 Version - Clifton's and the Gaylord appear briefly) -tie;

Honorable Mention:  Kiss Me Deadly, Mulholland Falls, Hollywood and Vine.

TV:  HBO's Philip Marlow - Private Eye (Powers Boothe) - Excellent!

       Fallen Angels (very excellent!)

1. Derzu Uzala (Akira Kurosawa) - look for the origin of Yoda of Star Wars fame;

2. Chinatown (keep you eyes out for the Windsor/Prince Restaurant);

3. Babette's Feast;

4. 2001;

5. Laura;

6. Scrooge (Albert Finney);

7. Oasis (Korean);

8. John Huston's The Dead;

9. Shower (Chinese film);

10. Mary Poppins (I rate movies on how much I enjoyed it upon first viewing).

BEST ALL TIME TV SHOWS (I didn't think this one out too much):

1. Mad Men on AMC (incredible acting, writing and uncompromising costume and set design which beats out super high budget movies - you have to love them for using the Biltmore Hotel, Cicada, Casey's, Musso and Franks, the HMS Bounty Bar & Restaurant and the Prince Korean Restaurant as filming /shooting locations / locales! Hey - maybe they used this site as a reference - well, probably just wishful thinking.  But Mad Men has great filming locations!!! They're my kind of people - whoever scouted the locations knows what they're doing!);

2. The Prisoner (the original - the remake was sort of a noble effort but paled next to the original - I guess of necessity (if they wanted anything beside a small audience) they compromised by trying to appeal to the quasi-mind dead masses - sort of like updating the look of the Mona Lisa - being the arrogant bastardo I am - I gotta believe I could have done a better script and set design - the quirkiness was pretty labored and WHY wasn't Patrick McGoohan's death not mentioned at the last Academy Awards - an incredible travesty!!!);

3. Rumpole of the Bailey (but don't tell "She who must be obeyed");

4.  Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett);

5. Adam 12 (wish I still lived in a world with these values - long gone I'm afraid);

6. Dragnet (Jack Webb is the ultimate personification of American culture);

7. Perry Mason;

8.  You Bet Your Life - Groucho Marx;

9.   The Hills (I view this from an Anthropological perspective only - I'm not superficial! - whenever people scoff about me liking this show, I start talking about my second love in life (after LA bar and restaurant history) - quantum mechanics. Spencer Pratt is definitely a product of the field of nonlocal resonance (I'm not happy about how the show seems to exploit Spencer and Heidi's problems without finding people to help them out);

10.  American Idol (Come to think of it - I guess I am superficial);