French Fried

I have not been kind to my arteries this week. Three of the past five nights, french fries (or their close cousin, the onion ring) have magically appeared on my plate and I was forced to eat them. If you count "ordering" as magic, I suppose. In my defense….hmmmm…can’t think of anything. Howabout a fry moratorium for the next few weeks? In the meantime, I can relive the decadence through the following reports.

1) Friday, 8 p.m., Good Microbrew and Grill (Silverlake)
I think J and I spent as much time deciding to eat here as we did actually eating. Ultimately, the allure of casual Friday night beers outweighed any desire for delectable dining. Good’s a beer place first and foremost, with a list of hundreds. Though the food descriptions are intensely adjective-d, it’s your basic bar menu. My turkey sandwich was surrounded by golden brown onion rings, freshly battered and fried. It also came with a side of Like A Prayer—Good has a gazillion TVs and all were (loudly) tuned to Madonna’s most recent concert.

2) Monday, 10 p.m., The Brite Spot (Echo Park)
The Brite Spot is an old school LA diner that has turned slightly new school to accommodate the neighborhood influx of hipsters. Nearly every item on the extensive menu has a vegan option, and on most of our visits we’ve seen many more headbanded mullets than uniforms of its chili’s namesake, the LA Fire Department. Open ‘til 4 a.m., I much prefer its simple sandwiches and veggie soup to the other nearby all-night diner, Fred 62. Despite the healthier options of cottage cheese or fresh fruit, my tired brain was lured by the side of fries to accompany my BLT. Here they’re thin and crisp, sprinkled with a slightly spicy red powder. Per no request of ours, our waitress brought us not one but two containers of jiggly mayo for the fries, and seemed disappointed that we didn’t partake.

3) Tuesday, 6:00 p.m., In&Out Burger (Oakland, CA)
After a day of briefing Congressional candidates on U.S. nuclear weapons policies, but before depositing my rental and facing the hordes at the Southwest terminal of the Oakland aiport, I needed simple and fast sustenence. After ordering my cheeseburger and fries, I zoned out and watched the fry boy shove potato after potato in the magical slicing machine (basically, an industrial strength mandoline). Shoomp. Shoomp. Shoomp. They had to call my number 4 times before I awoke from my reverie. Of course, the fries were worth it.

Good Microbrew and Grill
3725 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026-1527
(323) 660-3645

The Brite Spot
1918 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026-3229
(213) 484-9800

In&Out
Find the one closest to you here

photo by jbelluch

Restaurant Index: Los Angeles: East-ish