Unmapped Gems
CityBest March – May, October – November

Los Angeles

A city too spread out for one center, so its best food sits in strip malls and neighborhoods, not downtown.

Los Angeles doesn't have a single old town or a walkable core to anchor a visit — it has dozens of neighborhoods, each with its own kitchens and its own regulars. Westwood, Koreatown, Boyle Heights and a hundred strip malls in between hold more of the city's actual food culture than anywhere near the tourist maps.

Driving is unavoidable; budget for it rather than fighting it.

Los Angeles