hal's

If nuclear holocaust hit Venice, the cockroaches left behind would probably be hanging out at Hal's. It's been an Abbot Kinney mainstay since long before Abbot Kinney was a staple of the Angeleno vocabulary. I've never had a great meal there, but I keep going back. Why?

1) The space. It's a large space with high, warehouse ceilings. Large colorful paintings on the walls. It manages to remain big without being spare. Can get a little noisy, however.

2) A very good cheeseburger. Not quite up to Father's Office snuff, but I'd put it on the high list of best high-end burgers in our fair city.

3) Great ethnic and age mix. LA lacks racially diverse nightlife and restaurants. Hal's always seems to have a mix.

4) Not the Hollywood scene. Instead, much more of the Venice neighborhood crowd, mixed in with a lot of the art and design and architecture folks.

5) Though the restaurant is overpriced, the bar area is very reasonable.

6) Also, the bar scene is somehow a pick-up scene that doesn't feel like a pick-up scene. Which is good.

7) "There are a lot of MILFs here," said a friend. Yes.