
Idiot.
Because of this, I'm pretty sure I've lost some cred with people as a passionate and knowledgeable food blogger and just became known as "that dumb ho." But really now, how does one choose just one favorite restaurant when we have so many wonderful and extremely diverse choices here in the southland?
I do have several restaurants on the top of my list, and the restaurant of the moment usually depends on my mood, hormonal cycle or current financial situation. If I had to pick an all time fave, though, I'd have to consider the criteria a little more carefully.
First criteria would have to be good food. (Like duh, right?)
Second criteria would be good value. Because I'm not rich and I like my hard earned dollar to go as far as it can.
Third criteria would be service and atmosphere. Though nice, I'm not talking waiting-on-you-hand-and-foot kind of service and I'm not talking award-winning designer decor kind of atmosphere either. I'm talking the kind of service and atmosphere that make you feel right at home and where the staff is proud of their food. I could care less if your sleek leather banquettes were imported from Italy.
Fourth criteria would be consistency. Everyone's entitled to an off day. But an off day every other day is not a favorite of mine, restaurants or otherwise.
Fifth criteria would be some kind of personal significance, like having had some great times or life changing events occur at that particular eatery. Totally subjective, I know, but that's what this whole thing is about, n'est-ce pas?
So that being said, and after some thought, I am proud to announce that my favorite restaurant is Skaf's Grill in North Hollywood!
When I started my old gig over in the 818, I never in a million years thought that I'd come to love a place at the seedy 7-Eleven strip mall on the corner where we sometimes went to buy our lotto tickets. I never knew Skaf's even existed until a fellow food-loving coworker told me about it and raved about their hummus. So on one smoggy, hazy afternoon sometime circa 2004, my coworkers and I made the five minute pilgrimage on foot in search of this heavenly hummus.
One would hardly think that this small, no frills space, nestled between a generi-yaki Japanese restaurant and a Twelve Step recovery center, and whose decor is pretty much limited to a few fading posters of Lebanon, has anything going for it in the atmosphere department. At least that's what I thought the first time I entered Skaf's. But after seeing and hearing owner Sam Skaf and his sons talking about their food with such pride, and after seeing how much they appreciate their customers, I felt more and more at home each time I returned (which was, by the way, at least once a week every week until I left that company). It's places like Skaf's that have taught me that great atmosphere is not about how stylish a restaurant's decor is or how prim and proper the front of house and waitstaff are. It's about making me feel so welcome that I feel like I'm having a meal at a friend's house. It's about people remembering your name and what your favorite dishes are. It's about people being happy when you bring your friends and family there for the first time and then remembering their names and what their favorite dishes are.

Each of Skaf's entrees come with hummus, pita, and cabbage salad, which to me, are just as good as the entrees themselves. I've had friends make their whole meal out of the hummus, pita and cabbage salad if that tells you anything. Their hummus, in my opinion, is a work of art: little glistening pools of oil and brightly colored dots of paprika sit atop a velvety garbanzo and tahini canvas. Waiting for my entree is always a double-fisting ordeal: scoop up hummus with a piece of freshly grilled pita with one hand, eat the crunchy, deliciously garlicky and lemony cabbage salad with the other. If I happen to add on their delicious babaganoush, my pre-entree dining experience takes a little bit more coordination, but is well worth the effort.

Their beef and lamb shish kebabs' nicely charred exterior gives way to a tender, slightly pink interior. An all time favorite of mine, kafta kebab, is a wonderful mixture of ground beef, onion, parsley, mint and other spices shaped into a log and grilled. My favorite thing to do with kafta kebab is break up the bits of meat and eat it with the fluffy basmati rice that's been dusted with lemony sumac--so good! If spit-roasted meat is what's floating your boat, Skaf's has some kick- ass chicken and beef shawerma that you can have either in plate form with rice & the works or in a pita sandwich.




Skaf's Grill
6008 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91606
(818) 985-5701

(Skaf's has a second location in Glendale at 367 N. Chevy Chase #A, though funny enough, I've never been there. My heart--and stomach--belong to North Hollywood. I'm sure it's excellent though.)
Also, read my previous posts about Skaf's from Daily Gluttony!
P.S. I was thinking of making this a meme, but was too freaking lazy. So I'm opening it up to you if you care to participate: leave a comment or write a post about what your favorite restaurant is!
15 comments:
Yay! I can vouch for every word. And no argument from me about your choice.
Ooh! This place looks so great!
I have the same reaction when people ask me what my fave restaurant is. I don't think I have one. I definitely have answers to more specific questions like fave brunch, fave Mexican, fave special occasion dining, etc.
But to pick only one? THE one? Gah. I am at a loss.
I'll try to think about this.... ;)
xoxo,
That Dumb Ho Monkey
Around the corner from me, and I've never been!
Can't wait to try it. Thanks.
literally the closest restaurant to me in Glendale is the Glendale Skaf's. I'm thinking it's the same or similar ownership because you get the pita, cabbage salad, and hummus to start the meal. And yes, the food there is stellar. I'm sure the original's got mojo, but to have a version to close by is a God-send. nice review!
Hi Pam - I feel your pain....when someone asks me what my favorite restaurant is, I end up sounding a like a babbling fool. The food in this post looks fabulous.
As a food blogger, declaring your favorite restaurant is a bold statement. So bravo on coming up with yours! Me? Still undecided---I move around too much ;-) I'll find myself in North Hollywood one of these days. And when I do, I'll know where to pull up a chair.
I miss Skaf's! I went to the Glendale location a while back and the same guys are there- his sons? nephews? they remembered me from NoHo, it was sweet.
I'm with you on the not able to pick a favorite thing, often it isn't really about the food, but about the whole experience. Not to mention that food just tastes so much better with people who make you happy.
Doran,
I'm glad to have been able to spread the word about Skaf's to you! And it was so nice to finally have met you...I'm sure we'll run into each other there again one day!
WeezerMonkey,
Dumb Ho Gluttony LMAO @ Dumb Ho Monkey!
Trust me, it's HARD to pick just one!
My Last Bite,
Lucky! You must go!
Matt,
That's great that you live so close to the glendale one
Kirk,
So it's like aliens came & stole your brain too? I guess it's cause we've eaten at TOO many places!
Gastronomer,
Yeah, it was hard because I've eaten at so many places, but this place manages to put a smile on my face every single time--you can't say that about alot of restaurants out there.
Unrepeatable,
Skaf's misses you too!!! :) Mr. Skaf always asks about the rest of our gang--he's so sweet! Remember Bizarro Gary & Matt? Ah, those were good times!
You need to come visit us!
I am ELATED that you got THE lens, too!
I used it tonight in the dim lighting at Casa, and it was amaaazing! :)
Wow, I don't think I could commit to just one favorite restaurant. I categorize them by type of cuisine and even then, I'd have 3 to 4 favorite Chinese restaurants or a couple of favorite Mexican restaurants. I definitely have to check this place out.
BTW, I wasn't feeling hungry until I saw your photographs.
I haven't heard of Skaf's, but it sounds absolutely delightful. Definitely worth a trek out to the 818 for this WeHo girl.
I'm always a bit embarrassed to admit that my favorite restaurant is Pizzeria Mozza because it seems like such a cliched response, but for me, it fulfills every single one of your requirements for a favorite. I've had so many great memories there with some really dear friends, and I can honestly say that I've never had a bigger "wow" moment than the experience of biting into one of their pies for the first time. It still gets me every time.
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