Visiting LA? These Are 4 Gems To Try, According To Alison Brie - Exclusive

If you're going to Los Angeles intending to explore one of the nation's most diverse and exciting food capitals, good luck. Within the nearly 600 neighborhoods that make up the city, you can find everything from food trucks to Michelin-starred establishments and practically every cuisine on the planet. Narrowing down exactly where you want to eat and drink in LA can feel like collecting sources for a dissertation.

Our advice? Find a trusted Angeleno and follow their guidance. That's why Mashed spoke to actress and LA local Alison Brie. Known for her roles in series like "Glow" and "Community," Brie is partnering with HelloFresh on a Supper Club, encouraging solo diners to get together with friends over a good meal. We sat down with the star and she told us all about her favorite dining spots in the City of Angels.

After playing a restaurant employee in the 2022 dark comedy "Spin Me Round," Brie wouldn't want to own a restaurant — she finds the intensity intimidating. But with that newfound respect, she greatly appreciates dining out in Los Angeles and shared the spots that she and actor-filmmaker husband Dave Franco frequent. The actress told Mashed, "We love Found Oyster Bar, Antico Nuovo, and Saffy's.
I don't think they're that hidden." She also highlighted Found Oyster's sister location, Queen's Raw Bar & Grill. Be prepared to make reservations for these spots during your next LA outing.

Found Oyster is a small restaurant tucked into East Hollywood, just minutes away from the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Griffith Observatory. It opened in 2019 with the mission of bringing New England oyster bars to Southern California, taking inspiration from both coasts' flavors.

As the name suggests, oysters are the main draw here. They're sourced from the general manager's family oyster farm in Massachusetts and served up raw. The lobster roll has also become a signature dish, and other standouts include the scallop tostada and Sicilian crudo. Alison Brie's recommendation is straightforward: "At Found Oyster, I mean, you're gonna be getting the best oysters and a nice, crisp white wine. I don't eat red meat, but Dave loves the steak frites there as well."

The restaurant has a 4.6-star Google Maps rating, with diners consistently praising both the quality of the seafood and the neighborhood feel. The space is cute and cozy, and it famously gets packed, as it only offers bar and high-top table seating. Could this be one of the best places to eat oysters in the U.S.?

If you love Found Oyster but also appreciate more personal space, consider heading to Queen's Raw Bar & Grill in LA's Eagle Rock neighborhood. Opened by the same owners, this space is three times the size of its sister seafood bar and serves up plenty of its own fresh bivalves. The concept was inspired by the cuisine of Charleston, South Carolina and is named after the charming Southern city's Queen Street. Diners here can dine on specialities like tomato bread pudding and she-crab soup, along with a robust raw bar.

Oysters are a definite "yes" for Alison Brie, but here, she also suggests ordering a plate of the hush puppies. These are prepared with yellow corn, jalapeño, and what the restaurant's menu calls "good butter." If you're dying to try this Southern appetizer but aren't based in LA, try making our homemade hush puppies recipe instead.

On Google Maps, the restaurant has a 4.2-star rating. Other diners also highly recommend the hush puppies, along with the grilled artichoke appetizers and anything from the raw bar.

Located on Beverly Boulevard in LA's Koreatown, Antico Nuovo offers rustic yet contemporary Italian dining. Don't let the exterior fool you — it sits in an unassuming parking lot shared with a liquor store and a veterinarian's office, but the windowless, low-lit dining room creates a surprisingly elegant and refined ambiance. Here, you can expect to find higher-end, made-from-scratch fare like handmade pastas prepared with West Coast ingredients.

Not sure where to start? When Alison Brie dines here, she keeps it simple: "Nuovo is an Italian restaurant and the pastas are amazing, but their ice cream is unbelievable." The pastas, labeled "Primi" on the menu, include options like tortellini with lemon, ricotta, and pine nuts, as well as tagliolini with jumbo blue crab and squash blossoms. Don't miss out on the bread menu, which offers focaccia alongside toppings of your choosing, such as whipped ricotta and pistachio pesto.

Definitely leave room for dessert, too. The ice cream that Brie recommends is hand-churned — she highlighted the strawberry, in particular. The restaurant has a 4.5-star rating on Google Maps, and other diners rave about the crudo, pasta selection, pistachio crunch ice cream, and the fact that even the most simple dishes are incredibly flavorful.

Located in East Hollywood, Saffy's offers Middle Eastern home cooking with typical Los Angeles flare. Americans tend to have a limited view of Middle Eastern food, but this restaurant plays around with fusion dishes, including ingredients and flavors from the Mediterranean and North Africa. Its wood-fired grill is a core part of its food preparation, giving dishes a smoky flavor and beautiful char.

Kebabs and skewers are definitely a core part of the menu, and Alison Brie suggested one to try: "Ooh, at Saffy's it's going to be all about the lobster skewer. It's the best thing on the menu and one of the best things I've ever eaten." Aside from lobster, you can find more traditional options like beef or lamb. The restaurant makes all the Middle Eastern dishes you'd expect to find, but its plates come with a twist. For example, the menu lists green falafel with banana tahini, as well as hummus made with fava beans and served with challah bread.

The restaurant has a 4.3-star rating on Google Maps. Aside from the lobster skewers, customers also sing the praises of the turmeric mussels, hummus, and red snapper tagine.