Top Ten Faves

4301 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91505 (map)

Favorite Burger (In the Non-Fast Food and Non-Pretentious Burger category): I don't know if it's the sheer variety of toppings you can get on their burgers (caviar and sour cream?), or that they're well over a half-pound, or that the meal includes a trip to a well stocked fixings bar with wonderful potato and pasta salad, but this is without question my favorite place to snag a burger.

7253 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046 (map)

Favorite Neighborhood Joint: Don't let the catering moniker fool you... this is a full service cafe with a patio out back. Amazing coffee and European style sandwiches and salads.

2009 W Alameda Ave, Burbank, CA 91506 (map)

Favorite Asian Restaurant: A hidden gem, and favorite of nearby studio employees. The menu is the standard Cantonese you can find anywhere, but they prepare their dishes much lighter and less greasy than traditional Chinese restaurants, and use fresher ingredients.

712 N Heliotrope Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90029 (map)

Favorite Sweet Tooth Joint: Whenever I drop by the nearby bike shop, I stop here for my favorite gelato in the city. The daily selections can be adventurous (Blueberry Goat Cheese? Guinness Chocolate?), but picky eaters will be happy with the famed Brown Bread flavor.

519 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (map)

Favorite Cheap Eat: $5 gets you a pita stuffed with cucumber salad, hummus, falafel, tomatoes, and optional harissa or garlic sauce -- and it comes with a free soda! There is also a relish bar with various pickled items (turnips, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, onions) that is included with the meal.

3575 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (map)

Favorite 24 Hour Restaurant: After a bout of heavy drinking, the bubbling cauldron of tofu with a fresh egg to break open on top of it it will stave off a hangover. All entrees come with an eclectic selection of appetizers including a whole fish... so it's best to bring your finicky-eater friends when they're slightly inebriated.

6350 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (map)

Favorite Guilt Free Eat: A variety of healthy, wholesome food that's priced by the pound, so you'll be less tempted to pile your plate too high.