Apple Pan 10801 W Pico Blvd phone 310/475-3585. Grab a spot at the counter and enjoy great pies and fresh, juicy hamburgers. A much better choice than the adjacent Westside Pavilion mall's food court.

Campanile 624 S La Brea Ave phone 323/938-1447. Expensive Northern Italian restaurant with indoor fountain and pleasing pastries from La Brea Bakery next door.

Canter's Deli 419 N Fairfax Ave phone 323/651-2030. Waitresses in pink uniforms and running shoes sere kosher soup and sandwiches in a kitsch, white-vinyl setting, featuring its own bizarre cabaret.

Chung King 11538 W Pico Blvd phone 310/477-4917. The best neighborhood Chinese restaurant in LA, serving spicy Szechuan food: don't miss out on the bum-bum chicken.

El Coyote 7312 Beverly Blvd phone 323/939-2255. Heavy portions of Mexican staples in a gloomy setting. Watch soccer and down the legendary cheap margaritas in the bar.

Georgia 7250 Melrose Ave phone 323/933-8420. Chic and upscale decor, but authentically downhome, Southern cooking at this celebrity-owned hot spot.

The Gumbo Pot 6333 W 3rd St in the Farmers' Market phone 323/933-0358. Delicious and dirt-cheap Cajun cooking amid hordes of tourists; try the gumbo yaya of chicken, shrimp and sausage, and the fruit-and-potato salad.

Mishima 8474 W 3rd St phone 323/782-0181. Some of LA's best miso soup and udon noodles, at surprisingly affordable prices.

Shamshiry 1916 Westwood Blvd phone 310/474-1410. The best of the Iranian restaurants in town, offering reasonably priced fine kebabs, pilafs and exotic sauces.

Swingers 8018 Beverly Blvd phone 323/653-5858. Basic and cheap American food served in a mildly surreal and trendy motel environment, loaded with hipsters and slackers.

Tail o' the Pup 329 N San Vicente Blvd phone 310/652-4517. A pop architecture favorite shaped like a hot dog. Munch on savory red hot before shopping at the nearby Beverly Center mall.

Tommy Tang's 7313 Melrose Ave phone 323/937-5733. Excellent Thai food in a very popular restaurant. Incongruous biweekly drag nights, with glammed-up waiters and a few customers as well.

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