Patch Tastemaker: 'Lindsey Eats LA' Blogger Lindsey Baruch

For Lindsey Baruch, maintaining a positive lifestyle doesn't just mean participating in weekly Kundalini yoga. It also means eating her way through Los Angeles, traveling the globe and crafting her own original recipes — all of which she showcases on her popular blog and Instagram account Lindsey Eats LA.

Baruch's platform began as a creative outlet, meshing together all of her passions: food, restaurants, cooking and photography. But eventually it flourished into a full-time career. Baruch loves to explore LA's restaurant scene but she is also known for creating unique recipes like her sesame oil shrimp rolls and her jalapeño vegan queso.

Born and raised in LA, Baruch has always found the sunny city to be very diverse — especially when it comes to its culture and food. "It’s hard in other places to find certain specialty ingredients at grocery stores for example," says Baruch. "But in Los Angeles, there is almost all types of grocery stores and all types of cuisines that are done so well."

Whether she's ordering ramen at Daikokuya or visiting the Hammer Museum in Westwood, this foodie has some fun and delicious ideas of what to do around Los Angeles. Check out her top hot spots:

What neighborhood do you live in? West LA (Culver City/Beverly Hills)

What’s your occupation? Food photographer, recipe developer and blogger

Describe Los Angeles in three words: Diverse, sunny, variety

What’s your favorite overall Los Angeles restaurant? This is a hard one! Depends on the scene. I’d say the places I go more often and frequent are Daikokuya for ramen (I love ramen!), Dave’s Hot Chicken, Night + Market, Sugarfish and Sweetgreen. Those are just my regular staples! But overall favorites would be Majordomo, Gwen and Howlin’ Rays.

Best sushi: Shunji. It's on the pricier side, but in my opinion it's one of the better prices for high-quality sushi. Sit at the sushi bar and order omakase (chef’s choice) and also get the tomato tofu off their regular menu (that’s only available for dinner).

Best Italian food: Jon & Vinny’s or Il Pastaio. One of my Italian food staples is Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills, I’ll always get the pumpkin tortellini in their butter sage sauce! At Jon & Vinny’s they have amazing pizzas and pastas — my favorites are the LA Women Pizza and the Vodka Fusilli Pasta.

Best dessert: McConnell's. Hands down my favorite ice cream/dessert place. There are a few location around LA, but you can also buy pints at grocery stores like Ralph's and Bristol Farms. My favorite flavors are the salted caramel chip and sweet cream.

Best pizza: Sotto. This restaurant is such a low-key and adorable spot in West LA. They now also have happy hour for pizzas and cocktails too at the bar. My go-to is the Margherita, simple but made so perfectly.

Best spot for a quick lunch: Night + Market. Also a staple for me. They have some great lunch specials at their different locations. The dishes I love at Night + Market are the Thai fried chicken, the crispy rice salad, khao soi, startled pig and the pad see ew, but really you can’t go wrong with anything there.

Best food truck: Kogi BBQ. One of the pioneers of the food truck age is Kogi, and it's my number one go-to for food trucks. In college the truck used to park right around the corner when it first started getting popular, and it would be my lunch staple every week. The sliders are my favorite.

Best spot for a romantic date: Majordomo. It's newer restaurant in LA but seriously so amazing. The huge dining space is such a beautiful spot for a date night. Grab a cocktail while you wait (which are also amazing) and enjoy! The standouts for me are the fried peppers with sausage and the crispy pork belly. Overall such a magical place both in ambience and food for the perfect date night.

Best glass of wine: Belle Vie. This adorable spot is the cutest place for a quick glass of wine and some apps.

Sunday brunch: Odys and Penelope. With a huge dining space and delicious food, you can’t go wrong! The cauliflower grits with shrimp are my go-to for a savory breakfast.

Best spot for a power business meeting: Son Of A Gun. This place can get pretty busy, but for a weekday lunch meeting, it’s the perfect spot to grab a bite in a cute place with amazing food. I always get the fresh oysters, the fried chicken sandwich and the hush puppies with ham and butter. To die for.

Best cup of coffee or tea: Alfred Tea is my favorite places to grab a cup of boba matcha tea. Also Boba Guys, which just opened up at Platform!

Best steak: Gwen. Hands down some of the best steak I’ve had this year, and probably ever. If you want to be really fancy, you can try their wagyu meats, but sticking to the regular steaks they have is also the way to go. They also have a really amazing butcher shop, so you can buy the meats you ate and cook them at home. Not to mention, the architecture and space is beautiful.

Best spot for a craft cocktail: FIG in Santa Monica. Grab a cocktail at FIG and some apps while watching the sunset over their beautiful hotel. They have amazing food but also great cocktails and an awesome happy hour as well.

What hotel would you recommend for your out of town guests? The Beverly Wilshire! It is on the fancier side, but if you want to really experience Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, this one is for you. Sit outside at The BLVD and people watch on Rodeo.

Favorite shopping venue or boutique: I love the new Century City mall. It’s so nice to walk around the area and shop at Zara (and then get a Pressed Juicery freeze on the way out!).

Best gym or fitness studio: Yoga West Studio

Favorite cultural event: The Thai New Year in LA! After coming back from Thailand, I had a new love and appreciation for Thai cuisine and the Thai culture that I really wanted to find here as well. During the Thai New Year here, there is a whole celebration in Thai Town.

What’s the best museum or current exhibit in Los Angeles? I love going to the Hammer Museum in Westwood. It’s so quiet and the exhibits are always changing, so there's always something new when you go.

Best historic or iconic Los Angeles landmark to see or explore: LACMA. It’s a special place to me that I used to always go to growing up, whether I was with my family as a child or in middle school with my friends taking photos at the lamps!

What’s your all-time favorite spot in Los Angeles? The beach! Although I may not take advantage of it as often anymore, I love walking around 3rd Street and walking up to the beach and just relaxing on the sand, watching the waves.

The best aspect of Los Angeles is: The integration of so many cultures and foods. It’s hard in other places to find certain specialty ingredients at grocery stores for example, but in Los Angeles, there is almost all types of grocery stores and all types of cuisines that are done so well.

See more city guides from our Los Angeles Tastemakers:

• Food Bloggers Adam Merrin And Ryan Alvarez's Guide To Los Angeles
• 'What's Gaby Cooking' Blogger Gaby Dalkin's Guide To Los Angeles
• 'Brunchographers' Bloggers Veronica and Johnna's Guide To LA

Image Credit: Lindsey Baruch