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For this year’s Europe trip, I managed to find another non-stop flight from LA. Last year, it was to Barcelona, but this year, the destination was Frankfurt, Germany. And the airline? Lufthansa.
This German airline has been around since the 50s and is a well-known commodity. If you’ve never flown them before, you might be wondering if they’re any good. And if you’re American, you may wonder how this international airline stacks up against U.S. ones. Lufthansa Check-In Process Check-in with Lufthansa was super convenient. I was able to check in online and obtain my boarding pass through email and the airline’s official app. For the passport part, I simply had to manually put in that info. This saved me plenty of at LAX airport too. All I had to do at that point was go through security. Once I got to my gate, an airline rep just had to verify that I physically had the passport. Are Lufthansa Flights On-Time? This one’s kind of hard to nail down since probably every airline has delays at some point. In my case, my flight's take off time was delayed 50 minutes, but since I didn’t have any layovers it wasn’t an issue for me. I imagine if you had a tighter layover, it could impact things though. Lufthansa In-Flight Experience Since I was going on an 11-hour flight and have a bladder the size of an acorn, I prebooked my seat. I was in economy but selected an aisle seat on the left side of the aircraft. This plane was huge. It was columns of two, four, and two seats. While the lady next to me wasn’t pleased with the seat space, I was pretty used to it since I often fly economy or basic economy to save money. What most impressed me, however, was the two meals we got on the flight. I’ve been so used to not getting a meal on flights (or at the most some peanuts and ginger ale), that the idea of a meal, let alone two, on a long-haul flight felt like a luxury. I was actually able to select ahead of time if I wanted a special meal. I ordered the vegan option. Both the dinner and breakfast were good, though I liked the breakfast one slightly more. Also, did I mention I got free wine too? As far as turbulence, we had a little in the beginning, but most of the flight was smooth sailing. All-in-all, I would recommend Lufthansa. LA is full of swanky, trendy restaurants; some of them you may have seen via Instagram, and others are perhaps frequented by your favorite celebrity or even featured in a movie. But when you dine out in style, that also means you can expect higher prices, and if you’re going to be spending your hard-earned money on a nice meal, you want to know that the experience (and the food) is actually worth it.
Over the course of my 12 years in LA, I’ve been able to try out some of these places and am here to break down my honest thoughts on which high-end, well-known LA restaurants are worth it. 1. Musso & Frank Musso & Frank is the oldest restaurant in Hollywood. Famously featured in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, this cozy venue used to serve the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor (to name a few). Musso & Frank Pros
Musso & Frank Cons
Is Musso & Frank worth it? Yes! 2. Ka’Teen Ka’Teen is another Hollywood hotspot. Not a historic venue but rather popular with the ‘influencer’ crowd, this place is designed to be reminiscent of being in Tulum (ironically, another place deteriorated by influencers). Ka'Teen Pros
Ka'Teen Cons
Is Ka'Teen worth it? Honestly, for the prices, I think you can find better spots in LA. I would pass on this one. 3. Formosa Cafe Formosa Cafe is another historic Hollywood spot where legendary actors used to dine. Here, they serve Chinese food, and part of the venue includes a train car where you can sit and eat. Formosa Cafe Pros
Formosa Cafe Cons
Is the Formosa Cafe worth it? Yes, I think this one is worth checking out, but I would only go during their happy hour. 4. El Coyote El Coyote is a Mexican food restaurant that was also featured in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as it was the restaurant Sharon Tate went to the night she and others at her home were murdered. El Coyote has been around since 1931, so if you like historic spots, this is another option. El Coyote Pros
El Coyote Cons
Is El Coyote worth it? Yes, I would recommend this one, especially sitting outside on a nice sunny day. 5. Gracias Madre Gracias Made is a pretty West Hollywood restaurant on Melrose that caters to vegan-friendly dishes. Gracias Madre Pros
Gracias Madre Cons
Is Gracias Madre worth it? I would recommend this one for those who are vegan. It's a great date night spot, in particular. 6. Cecconi’s Another Melrose hotspot in West Hollywood, Cecconi’s is a swanky restaurant with an emphasis on Italian food. Cecconi's Pros
Cecconi's Cons
Is Cecconi's worth it? I would skip this one. If you want Italian food, I would instead go to Miceli's in Hollywood. It's the oldest Italian restaurant in Hollywood, and the food is way better. When asked the question “What is your favorite food?”, I’ll answer “Mexican” probably even before you finish saying the word ‘food’. I love travel and trying new dishes from all cultures and places around the world, but when it comes to what I’ve loved most, it’s definitely Mexican food.
That being said, I’m a bit of a snob when it comes what I deem ‘good’ Mexican food. Having lived in Puerto Vallarta and after visiting Mexico for over 25 years, I've been exposed to some of the best Mexican food one could imagine. Delicious tacos, quesadillas, mole, ceviche, fresh fruit, shrimp - you get the point. It was incredible! Therefore, when I go out for Mexican food now, I’m looking for something authentic. The good news is that people living in or visiting Grand Rapids, Michigan actually have a really great place to go, and let’s face it, when it comes to the best Mexican food in Grand Rapids, go authentic or go home. Tacos el Cuñado is a locally-owned restaurant with several locations around Grand Rapids. The location I like to go to at the corner of Burton and Towner on the southwest side of Grand Rapids. You can order items à la carte or a full plate of food. Tacos run for only $3.49 and honestly, just a couple tacos and you’re full. I ordered one shrimp taco and one fish taco. If you’re going to be authentic, you’ve got to order it with cilantro, though. Trust me, it's worth it. They serve the dishes with pieces of lime as well, so be sure to squeeze some lime juice onto your taco as well. If you haven’t tried that yet, trust me you will love it! It adds some great flavor. Last but not least, you MUST top off your meal by ordering horchata to drink. This is a traditional Mexican drink made out of rice, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. It’s one of my favorites! You can bet I’ll be back at Tacos el Cuñado again. One trip just isn’t enough and I’m so in the mood for some ceviche now... |
About the author
Jill Zwarensteyn is a writer and comedian who has been featured on Amazon, truTV, The New York Times, Matador Network, BUST Magazine, Sleep Advisor, Tiplr, ARTRPRNR Magazine, YourTango, Thought Catalog, GoMad Nomad, Mashable, The Daily Mail UK, the Cannes Film Festival, LaughFest, Women's Lifestyle Magazine, and the Funny Women Festival LA. For more info visit: http://www.jillzwarensteyn.weebly.com Archives
November 2023
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