The dineL.A. Guide to Hollywood

Burger cravings in the afternoon as well as into the late Hollywood night are quite common, and that’s why 25 Degrees is so advantageously located. Also boasting a full bar, the restaurant is on the ground floor of the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, making it easy access for hotel guests and Hollywood revelers alike. Their breakfast menu is extensive for proper morning nourishment, but no matter what time of day, you won’t want to miss their extra large specialty boozy milkshakes, which are suitable for sharing.

Chef-owner Kwang Uh opened his 16-seat “free-style experimental kitchen” in August 2015 in a nondescript strip mall at Santa Monica and Wilton. Baroo is named for a bowl that Buddhist monks are allowed to own and use for their meals for the rest of their lives. Uh’s modernist cuisine generated early buzz for his use of fermentation in the Korean-influenced dishes, which he makes with local, sustainable and organic ingredients. While the brief menu changes frequently, a few dishes have become breakout hits, like the kimchi fried rice: pineapple fermented kimchi, Amira basmati rice, 63°C sous vide egg, gremolata, pineapple jalapeno salsa, purple potato chip, roasted seaweed, toasted buckwheat and quinoa, and micro greens. Another favorite is the Asian Fever, made with Amira basmati rice, southeast Asian-inspired housemade mix, lemongrass and coconut foam with sake lees, crispy shrimp chip, heirloom cherry tomatoes and lime supreme.

International boutique hotel group, Mama Shelter opened its first U.S. property in July 2015. The 70-room hotel is located a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard and features an all-day restaurant on the bottom floor. The funky decor features mismatched chairs, spacious booths and a whimsical ceiling that’s touted as L.A.’s “only Sistine Chapel.” Start the day with coffee, croissants, Danishes and Mama says Rise N’ Shine, a continental breakfast with options to add a Croque Madame, avocado toast or breakfast sandwich. Lunch offers various salads, including the Brussels sprout Caesar or the quinoa tabbouleh with cucumber, radish, bell pepper, lemon and mint. Sandwiches include a fried egg BLT, a chicken sandwich and Le Royale with Cheese - a burger with cheddar, lettuce, tomato and cottage fries. The straightforward dinner menu adds dishes like black mussels with leek and fennel bisque; white seabass with forbidden black rice and corn salsa; and Mama’s baby back ribs with coleslaw and pickles. The cocktail menu runs with the Mama theme; the Mommy Dearest is a traditional Sazerac with Park Cognac, Peychaud's Bitters, superfine sugar and a Herbsaint rinse. Mr. Mom is made with Rittenhouse Rye, Fernet Branca, Yellow Chartreuse and Carpano Antica, while Y Tu Mama Tambien offers a choice of Avion Tequila or Vida Mezcal with fresh lime, cucumber, Hellfire Shrub and almond syrup.

The landmark Musso & Frank Grill has anchored the Hollywood scene since 1919, and the famous faces that have passed through its doors reads like a cinematic and literary Who’s Who of the past century. Musso & Frank has been in the same family since 1927, when original proprietors Joseph Musso and Frank Toulet sold the restaurant to John Mosso and his partner Joseph Carrissimi. Today, Musso’s is operated by the third and fourth generations of the Mosso family, a reflection of the pride in ownership and a continuity of service that is unique in Los Angeles. Several members of the wait staff have been at Musso’s for more than 40 years; when regulars make a reservation, they don’t ask for a specific table, they request one in the section of their favorite waiter.

The kitchen is helmed by J.P. Amateau, just the third Executive Chef in the restaurant’s storied history. The famous flannel cakes, a sweet pancake-crêpe hybrid, remain a daytime menu staple. At night, the grill on the Old Room side of the restaurant fires up steaks and chops. The lamb kidneys, Charlie Chaplin’s favorite, have a following as well. The fettucini Alfredo is none other than the original recipe Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford brought back from their honeymoon in Rome. Don’t miss the classic Martini, considered by many to be the best in town and served with a carafe on ice.

The second location of Andre Guerrero’s "slow fast food" concept showcases burgers, sandwiches and salads. The popular House Pastrami is cured for two weeks, rubbed with “Oinkster secret spices” and smoked with applewood. The Cluckster is another favorite - a buttermilk-fried chicken breast served with house-made ranch dressing, Buffalo sauce, pickles and chopped lettuce on a seeded bun. Pair your food with rotating draft beers, soda, Intelligentsia coffee or shakes. With its two 45-inch flat screen TVs, The Oinkster Hollywood is also one of the best non-sports bars to watch sports in L.A. They’ll take requests if they’re not already showing a game that interests you.

Inspired by the bistronomique movement in Paris, Papilles serves upscale bistro dishes in a casual setting with a relaxed atmosphere. Meaning “tastebuds” in French, Papilles (pronounced “pah-PEE”) features an ever-changing weekly prix fixe menu of seasonal dishes with produce sourced from local farmers. A recent three-course menu, priced at $36, started with a choice of butternut squash velouté, Maggie’s greens or chicken liver mousse. A foie gras torchon was available as a supplement. Main dish options included flat iron steak with wild mushroom stuffing, roast carrot and cippolini; or scallops with yam, sweet potato and chard. Dessert was a choice of butterscotch pot de crème or pumpkin pie. Owner-wine director Santos Uy curates a concise wine selection that focuses on natural wines from France and other Old World countries.

The corner of Melrose and Highland is a mecca for foodies. Home to Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza and chi SPACCA, this culinary paradise is the brainchild of the superstar trio of chefs Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton and restaurateur Joe Bastianich. It all started with Pizzeria Mozza, which became an instant hit when it opened in November 2006. Widely recognized as one of the best pizzerias in the country, Pizzeria Mozza is known for its seasonal California ingredients and Silverton’s famed crust. Everyone has their favorite dishes, from the fennel sausage pizza to Nancy’s Chopped Salad and the transcendent Butterscotch Budino, a modern classic that was on the opening menu and never left.

Housed in the same building as Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza showcases the white Carrara marble Mozzarella Bar, where Nancy Silverton composes a long list of small dishes featuring fresh imported mozzarella as well as ricotta and cream-filled burrata. Quite simply, this is cheese as you’ve never had it before. While the cheese has rightfully earned praise, there’s also a variety of handmade pastas and refined, rustic fare such as grilled beef tagliata, rabbit con salsiccia and veal breast stracotto. Be sure to save room for Pastry Chef Dahlia Narvaez’s desserts, such as the addictive rosemary olive oil cakes.

Nestled between Mozza2Go and Osteria Mozza, chi SPACCA (“he who cleaves” in Italian) is a temple of meat that boasts the first “dry cure” program in L.A., which allows the team to experiment and perfect Italian charcuterie techniques in-house. Sample the salumeria with two options of the affettati misti - daily selection of cured meats - that serve 2-4 or 4-6 guests. The intimate, candlelit dining room invites diners to tuck into dishes like peppered hanger steak, porcini rubbed beef short ribs, beef and bone marrow pie, milk roasted pork loin, tomahawk pork chop and the incredible bistecca fiorentina, a 50-ounce dry-aged black angus porterhouse.

Chef Michael Cimarusti’s acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurant celebrated its ten-year anniversary in June 2015. Widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in the country, Providence is a perennial James Beard Award nominee and has ranked at the top of L.A. Times restaurant critic “Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants” for three consecutive years. Providence reopened in May 2014 after a brief renovation that swapped the patio for a larger, brighter dining room and an interior design with deep blues, colorful patterned wallpaper and shimmering lights that evoke the ocean depths. On the Providence website, Cimarusti says, “First and foremost, what guides us here is sustainability. We use only wild-caught, sustainable products, mostly from American waters, and look to highlight their finest qualities.” Diners can experience Cimarusti’s sublime seafood with a four-course Signature & Seasonal Menu, the full Signature & Seasonal Menu and the epic 11-course Providence Chef’s Menu.

Named for the nearby iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine, Wood & Vine is located on the ground floor of the historic Taft Building. The handsome interior is complemented by an outdoor patio with a wooden deck under twinkling lights. A diverse crowd fills the restaurant for pre-theater meals before shows at the Pantages Theatre, located across the street. The New American menu features market-driven, seasonal shared plates. Starters include chicken liver mousse, beef carpaccio and marrow on toast. Standout main dishes include the signature chicken and waffles, gnocchi stroganoff, and house-made sausage with apple, peanut and sage. Wood & Vine recently launched a Late Night Happy Hour, which starts at 10:30 p.m. every night. The menu includes crowd pleasers like pork rind churros, the deep-fried burger, and pumpkin spice chicken wings with coffee BBQ. Discounted Happy Hour cocktails include the W&V Old Fashioned, Moscow Mule, Tommy's Margarita and the Classic Daiquiri.