Giada De Laurentiis’s Favorite Restaurants In Los Angeles - Los Angeles - The Infatuation (2024)

Giada De Laurentiis moved to Los Angeles when she was 9, after her family immigrated from Italy and had a brief stint in New York.And like many in this town, she might not have been born here, but LA now runs deep in her veins. She was a hostess at The Ivy during its celeb-filled peak in the early ‘90s, graduated from UCLA, and, of course, has shot multiple seasons of her Food Network hit Everyday Italian in Malibu.

In recent years, the Giadzy founder's love for her hometown has only grown deeper. On any given night, you can find her scouring LA for Thai food, sushi, pizza, and pasta. Over charcuterie and sandwiches at one of her favorite Westside spots, Canyon Grocer, she talked us through her LA classics.

THE SPOTS

Giada is a recent convert to Anajak’s walk-in only Thai Taco Tuesday, and especially loves how no matter how long the line is, they always stay cooking until everyone gets served and fed. “I know it’s really hard to get into, but if you can get in, it's worth the wait,” says Giada. It’s one of those quintessential LA experiences: sitting in an alley, with a table full of fragrant laab tot and TTT specials like dry-aged fish tacos and an incredible bluefin tuna tostada topped with thick ribbons of Santa Barbara uni.

“Pasta with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes,” says Giada of her go-to order at Toscana, a Brentwood (and Hollywood power player) staple for more than 30 years. She also calls it the LA restaurant pasta closest in taste and execution to what you’ll find in the kitchens of Italy.

"I love how the owner curates all the products," Giada says of Canyon Grocer, a tiny gourmet grocery store on the edge of Santa Monica. Despite its small footprint, the Italian staples (sauces, pastas, and more) and cured meats and cheeses make this neighborhoody market worth keeping in mind.

This classic Italian restaurant in Beverly Grove is packed every single night of the week with regulars who get greeted with a firm, familiar handshake and a kiss on the cheek. And sure, “it isn’t the cool hip spot, but the food is traditional,” Giada says. “I feel good when I leave there…and I can practice my Italian.”

“I think they're fabulous, but I mean, I can only go there every once in a while just because sadly, my stomach can't take it,” Giada says of the Italian spot on Fairfax. It’s best during the day, when you don’t have to fight for a table or shout to be heard and can enjoy a table filled with well-executed spicy gem salad, orange fusilli, and burrata pizza.

When we asked Giada where she eats in LA when she’s not eating Italian food, this was the first spot she mentioned. If you’re in Malibu, take her recommendation: Cholada is a total original and your one and only spot for a solid plate of pad see ew after a day in the sand.

Like most of you, Giada’s Sugarfish move is to order it to-go (shouting out their DIY takeout container as “so well-curated”). Unlike most of you, she’s also intent on finding a way to translate the Sugarfish approach into Italian takeout. Do we really need to tell you what to order? It’s always the Trust Me.

This is Giada’s favorite pizza in Los Angeles, and we definitely recommend ordering the goat cheese and leek pie if it’s available. But don’t skip the other corners of the menu, either. The delicate meatballs al forno come out in scalding hot tomato sauce with a tower of cheesy, chewy sesame bread, and Nancy’s Chopped Salad is a classic of the form.

“It's my namesake,” Giada jokes of this sandwich shop serving up crispy chicken cutlets drenched in spicy vodka sauce, meatball parmesan, and tangy grilled balsamic chicken with roasted red peppers. They all feel like entrees on bread, a great attribute in our book.