Pirolo's Panini

Pirolo's Panino

7461 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046

There's a new spot on Melrose that's bringing East Coast Italian sandwiches with American Italian flavors. Pirolo’s Panino focuses on great signature sandwiches, and also has a selection of Chef favorites including salads, plates, sides and desserts. Signature paninos include the Italian Dip, The Godfather, Meatball Parmand Chicken Parm while signature entrées include Chicken Limone, Chicken Parm, Baked Macaroni and Cannolis for dessert.

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CAESAR SALAD - romaine spears with walnut, sun-dried tomatoes, and grilled garlic bread

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MEATBALL PARM - chef’s mother’s meatball with their signature parmesan, fontina and house marinara

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ITALIAN DIP - house roasted Italian beef topped with salsa verde and caramelized onions, served with au jus

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CANNOLI a classic Italian cannoli with chocolate

Philippe The Original - Los Angeles

I've been contemplating about LA the past few weeks. I grew up here, so the thought of leaving this place was never something that crossed my mind. I've never lived in a different state or ventured long enough to make somewhere else home. But now that I'm older, being faced with adult situations, you kind of think about things you normally don't. 

I kind of ask frequently what's great about Los Angeles. When family members or a friend who have people coming over different places ask where they should take them, I immediately draw a blank. But the more I'm thinking about it, the more I'm thinking how great LA is. We have all kinds of food for once that is accepted. The culture in LA is such a huge conglomerate where authenticity lives on. If I wanted legit Korean food, I can find it. Same with Mexican, Oaxacan, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, etc. We also have great museums: The Huntington Library, The Getty, MOT (dark, depressing, amazing testimonies). Beaches! We can find snow if we really wanted to. Theme parks. Whatever it is, it's reachable.

I thought about this when I ate at Philippe's. It's been a while since I've been back here. Doing a food blog really pulls you away from spots you frequently visit. Because of that, It's been over a year since I've been back to Philippe's. Read about their history here.

There were no lines when we arrived. Everything still looks the same with the additions of accepting credit cards (FINALLY). Soft wood or hamster bedding, whatever you want to call it, still scattered across the floors. I also go for the same thing. Roast Beef sandwich, half dipped, with a side of coleslaw.

I like to enjoy each bite with a generous dose of spicy mustard. Beware of nostril stings. Cool off with a big for of coleslaw and a bite of that perfectly pickled pickle. Just remember to not die when crossing streets. 

One of the most nostalgic staples of Los Angeles. 

1001 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA, 90012

Top Round Roast Beef - Los Angeles

1000 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019

On the corner of La Brea and Olympic, you will find Top Round.

I've seen this place when I used to work in BH. The restaurant really has an old fashion feel to it. Kind of like a hipper Johnny Rockets with a spazzle of Big Boy. I dig it.

I, like many of you, grew up eating roast beef sandwiches from Philippe the Original French Dipped Sandwiches in Chinatown. Top Round carries the delicious roast beef sandwiches, and others, with a twist.

Pulling up to the shack, you will find plenty of parking spaces. Not sure how packed it gets during the busy lunch hour, but it was fairly empty in the morning. We were recommended to try their breakfast sandwiches aside from their regular roast beef sandwiches.

As you wait for your sandwiches, you should get your sauces ready. I also like how they have spicy mustard and horseradish as condiments.

Tots with liquid gold. Words can't describe how guilty and awfully delicious these things were. I would come here just for this. Top Rounds has got it right so far with the hangover cure. Crunch tots and thick ooey gooey cheese sauce.

The classic with bacon

This English muffin breakfast sandwich has everything that you crave at McDonalds, but better. And real. You get your bacon, your fried egg, and their awesome Wizz sauce that is better than anything you can imagine. No need for napkins. There will be plenty of finger lickin'.

Served with a sesame bun, this little breakfast BLT is more comforting that it sounds. I'm not sure what made this so special, but it was pretty freaking tasty. Maybe it's just a golden rule to have bacon, eggs and avocados in everything. But for some strange reason, I really enjoyed the tomatoes, lettuce and mayonnaise. The flavors brought me back to when I was a child and road tripping through Mexico. Don't ask. The price was a little steep at over $8.

Steak and Eggs? How about more wizz sauce. GOLD I tell you! So this was the first bite of the roast beef. Absolutely bangers. Extremely tender 10 hours roast beef that will definitely catch you off guard. I didn't know what to expect. But this, some spicy mustard and a dash of horseradish? Just skip your plans for the rest of the day because you would want to stay right here.

Dagwood beef is the ultimate hangover cure. Roast beef, fried egg, fried tots, and provolone cheese inside an onion bun. Just add wizz sauce for an extra $1. WHY THE HECK NOT. Trust me it's some good sh*t. It's downright dirty and I love it. This is your ultimate cheat food. And they nail the fried stuff out of town.

Recommend this place STAT. Must order their roast beef, tator tots, and wizz sauce on everything.

1000 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019