Sure, you can go to CPK -- but for a real slice of SoCal casual cuisine, go to Cheebo. The pizzas, with their toothsome, rustic crusts and flavorful topping combos (homemade sausage/fennel, wild mushroom and clam/jalapeno are my personal faves) are alone worth the trip (or the trip to the takeout counter to take it home with you). Hand tossed and stretched lengthwise, these long-ish (not roundish) pizzas are always popular picks. The chop salad is killer, and well... i've never gotten around to trying the sandwiches, because I'm always stuck on my faves -- but I'm sure they must be great. Cheebo's creed is to use organic (whenever possible) ingredients, but they do it without being snobby or too earthy-crunchy about it. Meat dishes happily co-exist with vegetarian dishes, so bring your whole crew -- everyone will find something that they want to eat. For me, Cheebo is the happy medium of dining out in LA: not too fancy, not too grungy, high-quality, tasty food for a good price, casual/hip decor without the snobby staff or intolerable wait. It's my go-to spot whenever I want to treat myself (or my out-of-town guests) to something nicer than an In 'N Out, but don't want to go to a McMacaroniGrill or a nosebleed pricey place. I only wish there was one in the Valley or in Silverlake.
Pros: Tasty food, reasonable prices, hip but not snobby
Cons: Beware the daily specials -- some can be much pricier than the usual menu
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