Gridskipper

Hollywood is a tough town. Your typical night out involves waiting in lines, bribing self-important bouncers and dodging paparazzi, which means you'll wake up the next morning, or mid-afternoon, famished. We've already discussed some of the best places to get your morning-ish food in West Hollywood, but should your plans (or one night stand) find you a little farther east, it does help to arm yourself with lots of options.

101 Coffee Shop
6145 Franklin Ave Los Angeles, CA 90028, (323) 467-1175
Overall this diner is just like the one back home, except with more tattoos, Ramones T-shirts, and faded television stars. If you manage to crawl out of bed early enough, they have a nice rush-hour special during the week, but sleeping in on the weekend is an invitation for a long wait. I do wish that they had better coffee and that the wait staff would at least pretend to be interested in your order from time to time, but the food is good, with options for carnivores and vegans alike. (photo)

Grub
911 Seward St Los Angeles, CA 90038, (323) 461-3663
I was not a huge Betty Fraser fan when she appeared on the second season of Top Chef, but her restaurant is a great place to get your first meal of the day. It's a cliché to say it, but the place really does make you feel like home, right down to the cocoa puffs they serve as an appetizer. Their pancakes and French toast only disappoint when they run out; the service is quick, which makes me forgive them for all the punny names they use in the menu.

Hungry Cat
1535 Vine St Los Angeles, CA 90028, (323) 462-2155
If you're anything like me, you always forget about this great seafood restaurant when you are sorting out your dinner options. Luckily for us, the Hungry Cat also has a great brunch option. The thought of oysters and caviar next to your pancakes might take a little while to get used to, but take my advice. Order a round of Bloody Marys or a bottle of champagne and embrace how well the words bacon and raw bar go together.

Off Vine
6263 Leland Way Los Angeles, CA 90028, (323) 962-1900
The owners of the restaurant take a lot of care to make you feel like you are far away from the city, even if you are actually within spitting distance of the Arclight. This is another place that tries to make you feel at home, and the service usually matches the expectation. The wide variety of egg dishes on the menu are great, but French toast is not much better than what you can pick up at your favorite IHOP. (The restaurant almost went up in flames this past weekend, but will reopen soon.)

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles
1514 N Gower St Los Angeles, CA 90028, (323) 466-7453
I've always loved this Roscoe's, because despite the cramped seating, cash-only register, and lack of valet parking, it always felt authentic. Sadly, this location recently underwent some renovations, and while I can't really complain about the vastly improved seating arrangement, they make the whole thing seem more corporate. But honestly, I'll take all of those changes as long as they don't fuck what's going on with the menu. Ordering Scoe's special still gets you a quarter chicken and two amazing waffles, Big Mamma's Special is still comprised of scrambled eggs, potatoes, and a biscuit, and Flavor Flav still holds court a couple of times a week.

Victors Square
1917 N Bronson Ave Los Angeles, CA 90068, (323) 464-0276
It's easy to miss this restaurant, just around the corner from the Hip Strip portion of Franklin Ave., but that would be a mistake. It may not be as popular as some other delis/restaurants around town, but that's fine with me, because it means this place has less of a crowd. Yes, at the end of that short wait is some fairly average food, but you do get to wash it down with some good coffee.

Village Coffee Shop
2695 N Beachwood Dr Los Angeles, CA 90068, (323) 467-5398
This restaurant has all the makings of a Los Angeles classic. It's been around forever, the location takes you away, and the decor really takes you back. The service is friendly, the portions are large, and if you have friends from out of town, it's a good spot to get a picture of that Hollywood sign everybody talks about. (photo)