A first-timer's walking tour of East Hollywood
Park once, eat everything. That's the move in East Hollywood. Leave your car on or near Virgil Ave, street parking is usually findable between Fountain and Santa Monica, and plan to spend a slow Saturday walking it off.
9:00am, Courage Bagels, 777 N Virgil Ave. Get here early or you'll be waiting in a line that wraps the block. Order the everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. The wood-fired crust has a little char on it. Eat it on the sidewalk and wake up.
10:00am, Fix Coffee, 1745 N Edgemont St. A short walk east. This is your neighborhood-regular spot, nothing fussy, just good drip coffee and the kind of room where people actually read. Grab a seat if one's open.
10:30am, Virgil Normal, 4157 Normal Ave. Walk a few blocks and duck into this shop. It's part gallery, part design store, part "I need that and didn't know it." Great for browsing. You'll probably buy something small.
11:30am, Linoleum City, 4849 Santa Monica Blvd. Head south on Virgil and hang a right on Santa Monica. This place has been here forever and it rules. Paints, art supplies, oddities. Even if you're not a painter, it's worth 20 minutes.
12:30pm, Manila Sunset, 1016 N Vermont Ave. Walk east to Vermont. This is your lunch stop and it's a good one. Filipino comfort food, great for groups, very easy on the wallet. Get the sinigang if it's on, the tamarind broth hits exactly right in the middle of a walk.
2:00pm, Sapp Coffee Shop, 5183 Hollywood Blvd. Walk north on Vermont, hang a left on Hollywood Blvd. Sapp is a Thai cash-only institution. You're not that hungry yet but order a bowl of boat noodles anyway, the broth is dark and rich and you will not regret it. Or get the jade noodles, the yen ta fo, which is this gorgeous pink situation that tastes way better than it sounds.
3:00pm, Bhan Kanom Thai, 5271 Hollywood Blvd. Literally a few doors down. Step inside and grab a kanom chan, a layered pandan jelly cake that's green and wobbly and delicious. This is your palate cleanser and your afternoon sugar. Do it.
3:30pm, Palms Thai, 5900 Hollywood Blvd. Keep walking east on Hollywood. You don't have to eat again but you should at least pop your head in to check the schedule, they have a Thai Elvis who performs during lunch service on weekends. If you catch it, stay. It's completely genuine and genuinely wild.
4:00pm, Los Feliz Theatre, 5900 Hollywood Blvd. Right in the same stretch. Check what's playing. If there's an early evening arthouse screening you want to catch later, note the time, the lobby bar is open on screening nights and it's a lovely way to end a day like this.
5:30pm, Found Oyster, 4880 Fountain Ave. Head back west on Fountain. Found Oyster has a patio, a tight wine list, and oysters that make you feel like you're doing something right. Make a reservation before you leave the house. Order the mignonette. Sit outside if you can.
7:30pm, BESTIES Vegan Paradise, 4882 Fountain Ave. It's right next door and yes, you're getting dessert after oysters. BESTIES does vegan soft serve and loaded sundae situations that are worth it regardless of your diet. Get whatever has the most toppings.
Then walk back to your car, or don't. Either way, you just did East Hollywood right.