Food Bloggers Unite!

Yesterday, we spent a lovely afternoon at the Downtown LA Pacific Dining Car with friends and fans of the Franklin Avenue blog. There must have been about 20 people there, about half are active bloggers. This was a celebration of Franklin Avenue's 6th blogging anniversary and their 200th "Rate A Restaurant" experience. All of the bloggers present agreed that they would rate our celebratory meal using the same criteria that Mike and Maria do on their blog.

Mike Welcomes Us

Restaurant: Pacific Dining Car

Location: 1310 West 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017; 213/483-6000; Open 24 Hours

Type of Restaurant: Classic American Steakhouse

We Stipulated: Well, we've only been to the Pacific Dining Car for breakfast. It's very expensive for lunch and dinner and this was a prix fixe meal, so we decided to splurge!

They Stipulated: A lovely pre-arranged menu, $40 per person, including: Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Spring Mix Salad & Mango Beet Dressing; Petit Filet Mignon and Monkfish with Lobster Sauce with Vegetable Medley and for dessert: Strawberry and Vanilla Vacherin Compote of Seasonal Berries.


High Point: The meal was beautifully served and everything was completely delicious; the service was spot-on; the ambiance is clubby and classic; the company was amiable and amusing....especially Blogger-Pre-Schooler with his Floating French Fries Underwater course.

Low Point: None, really. It would have been nice to sit at a round table to converse with more people, but there were so many of us that a long table was set up instead. No matter....a few of us got up between courses and chatted with new friends.


Overall Impression: Excellent.

Chance We'll Go Back: We will definitely return to this downtown hideaway. We have been frequenting the Santa Monica branch, but the downtown venue is the Real Deal. There is an actual Pacific Railways dining car that you can sit in and enjoy your meal. Also, the fact that it's open 24 hours is a plus. You can also order off the breakfast menu anytime of the day. Considering the quality and service, breakfast is reasonable. Lunch and dinner are on the expensive side, but again, you're paying for top-quality food served well in a classic and well-maintained atmosphere. This is truly one of Los Angeles' definitive, old-time restaurants. You really should experience it.

Thanks again to Maria and Mike for organizing this event!

Excellent Artwork @ The Pacific Dining Car