LA native here, I’ve also traveled a lot, including to Chicago.
If we’re talking about food, then I think there are two or three legitimate complaints about LA.
LA is huge and spread out. If you want to get the “best” of whatever genre of food I guarantee we have it. But throw in geography and traffic and you’re talking about driving an hour or more to get it. This is fun once in awhile, but it gets tiresome. Chicago and NYC definitely have a leg up on us for accessibility, mostly due to density.
High end fine dining is a weak spot for us. We’ve recently started climbing up the Michelin list, but NYC and Chicago also have us beat in this category. Conversely, how often do you want to drop $500 on a meal? Michelin stars are great, but that’s not how most of us eat when we go out, so they’re sort of overrated.
We don’t do cheese like the Midwest, I’m convinced no one does. Do not order curds or poutine here, you’re going to be disappointed.
IMO we excel in the $ to $$ price range. Food trucks and random planchas on the street will turn out food that blows your mind, and they’re literally everywhere. We also do well in the organic/healthy and locally grown categories.
What’s wrong with LA?
LA native here, I’ve also traveled a lot, including to Chicago.
If we’re talking about food, then I think there are two or three legitimate complaints about LA.
LA is huge and spread out. If you want to get the “best” of whatever genre of food I guarantee we have it. But throw in geography and traffic and you’re talking about driving an hour or more to get it. This is fun once in awhile, but it gets tiresome. Chicago and NYC definitely have a leg up on us for accessibility, mostly due to density.
High end fine dining is a weak spot for us. We’ve recently started climbing up the Michelin list, but NYC and Chicago also have us beat in this category. Conversely, how often do you want to drop $500 on a meal? Michelin stars are great, but that’s not how most of us eat when we go out, so they’re sort of overrated.
We don’t do cheese like the Midwest, I’m convinced no one does. Do not order curds or poutine here, you’re going to be disappointed.
IMO we excel in the $ to $$ price range. Food trucks and random planchas on the street will turn out food that blows your mind, and they’re literally everywhere. We also do well in the organic/healthy and locally grown categories.