Joséphine Runneboom/Flickr

Alone at The Biltmore Hotel

​"A is for dining alone," M.F.K. Fisher wrote in An Alphabet for Gourmets, "...and so am I, if a choice must be made between most people I know and myself." We feel ya, Fisher.

Like Fisher, we would much rather dine alone, or not at all, if the alternative is being forced to indulge some twat droning on and on about their so-called life, or to endure that awkward moment when all diners' shared interests have been thoroughly hashed and it's not even dessert yet.

Poor Fisher found 1949 Los Angeles a bit hostile to the idea of a woman eating alone in a restaurant. While some restaurants today still aren't quite optimal for singles -- dishes served family-style, for example, or tables so uncomfortably big that you feel like Edith Ann -- Fisher nonetheless would have been in a good company of misanthropes, introverts, alone-but-not-lonelies who eat alone, and eat well, in the city. In no particular order, here are our favorite spots to dine alone. Comfortably. Happily. Shamelessly.

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A. Scattergood

T. Boyle's Tavern

​Now that musicians and nerds are the cool kids and jocks are the villains, liking sports has become distinctly uncool. So where are reasonable people of average coolness supposed to go to share their now-lame passion for twentysomething physical freaks throwing or kicking roundish objects for millions of dollars (or, in some cases, for an "education")? Never fear. For though it may not be cool anymore to talk about sports at parties, concerts, work or school, there is always your friendly neighborhood sports bar.

Traditionally a humble place, with simple (read: fried) food, good beer at decent prices, plenty of TVs and a lively atmosphere, a good sports bar is an oasis of casual fandom, free of pretensions and full of camaraderie and congenial competition. We have scoured this city, watching game after game, making new friends and rivals, pounding nachos and sampling brews to bring you the following list: the 10 Best Sports Bars in L.A.

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Elina Shatkin

More fun with gelato

​Delicieuse, known for its goat's milk ice cream, is closing, but that doesn't mean Los Angeles isn't full of fantastic ice cream and gelato shops. In fact, we're chock-a-block with delicious frozen treats. Here are ten of our favorites.

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A. Scattergood

Bread At Milo & Olive

​San Francisco sourdough? You may have noticed beneath that smoky (wood-burning oven?) haze, L.A. has a new whole grain baguette, flaky croissant (even at LAX) and yes, crusty sourdough advantage. Here are our picks for the 10 Best Bakeries in L.A.. It's the savory bread starter course, if you will, as bakeries specializing in cakes, pies and the like are getting their just desserts in a sequel (10 Best Pastry Shops in L.A.).

But L.A. has really upped the crusty loaf ante in recent years, so even with a sweet-savory dividing line, we're inevitably going to leave some of our other beloved baguette stops off this list. All the more reason for you to add your picks below.

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Guzzle & Nosh

A cheeseburger from Pie 'n Burger.

​We've written about burgers. Plenty of times. Thin burgers, thick burgers, small burgers, big burgers, fast-food burgers, gourmet burgers. We love them one and all, the way a mother loves all her children. Unlike mom, we don't pretend to love all our children equally. Finally, we're ranking our burger obsession. Eat 'em an weep -- with gluttonous joy.

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​A recent piece by the Associated Press got us thinking: Where are all the famous vegans? Gossip sites already tell us about famous people dating so-and-so, famous people shopping at some boutique you've never heard of, famous people traveling to some island they own, but we hardly get to hear about what famous people are eating--or not eating. So, turn the page for our compilation of 10 famous vegans.

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​Food writers have been stoked this week about the The Simpsons' upcoming episode on gastro culture. Our own Margy Rochlin interviewed Simpsons Executive Producer Matt Selman, who admits he's a big fan of Jonathan Gold. "We kind of make fun of foodies," he says, "but in real life we actually love them."

Over the years The Simpsons writers have lampooned pretty much everything in popular culture. (In the words of South Park's General Disarray: "Simpsons did it!") This Sunday's episode won't be the first or last time the eight-fingered yellow family sets its sights on food culture, and this isn't even the first time Squid Ink has looked at the subject, but we just had to use the excuse to reminisce on ten of our favorite Simpsons food episodes and moments.

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Anne Fishbein

Burger Kitchen's breakfast hamburger

​Food blogs aren't the only publications with endless lists or pictures of pretty things people like to eat. National Geographic, the magazine many of us fondly remember from grade school science classrooms and dentists' offices, is the latest to start playing this game. No, not Top 10 ways to prepare grasshoppers (not a bad idea though). Instead they've compiled the Top 10 National Dishes. Turn the page.

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Gendy Alimurung

What did your cat eat today?

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Does your cat eat better than you do? Some of these kitties at the recent Santa Monica Cat Show do. I asked their respective humans what is the fanciest, tastiest, nommiest thing they feed their cats. Keep reading to learn what they said, or 10 Cats Who Eat Better Than You.

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