Last week we rounded up a few of our favorite bakers, bloggers, and chefs and asked them to dish on their ultimate off-duty meals. Of course, no chef compilation would be complete without including one of our most revered restaurants, Lou, and its impeccable executive chef, DJ Olsen. Here are some of his favorite places to grub when he’s not behind the stove at Lou—we can’t wait to try them all, and we bet you won’t be able to, either.
"It's hard to choose just three, so I didn't. Here's my must-try list:
—I love a good cheeseburger or ham egg and grilled cheese sandwich at Charlie's in the Farmer's Market, carnitas at Baja Bud's off National because I've been going there for 20 years.
—An ice cold Sapporo Draft, fried oysters, soba noodles, steaming bowls of Katsu Don at Yabu on Pico.
—Sitting at the Salt's Cure bar watching Chris and Josh cook on their tiny line while eating some excellent John Watkins dry-aged grass-fed beef.
—Joking with Benny Bohm, the manager at Ammo, a big bowl of ragu with hand cut tagliatelle in front of me, roasted chicken or pretty much anything Dan Mattern has to offer, and finishing my meal with a spectacular dessert from Roxana Jullapat.
—Drinking a Tangueray martini straight up with three olives at the Lucques Bar, talking with Christian or Matt or James or Rosemary, waiting with great anticipation for another superlative Suzanne Goin Sunday Night Supper, something we've done since they opened in '98.
—Sitting on the bench at Peet's in Santa Monica sipping a latte, reading the Times, BS'ing with my many friends there.
—Opening a nice Rioja at home, sharing a Lamonica's pizza on the couch with my sweetie. I love L.A.!"