"Beverly Hills is a bizarre part of town. So unapologetically dull and generic, it’s almost interesting. If you live here, it’s because you want that life, and if you’re visiting, you want a glimpse of what that life looks like. To be sure, there’s great shopping, beautiful streets, endless high-end dining, and the creeping realization you’ll never be as rich as you want to be. But if you’re looking for the most authentic version of this city, you might be wandering around for while. So let us help - go immediately to Nate ’n Al. Los Angeles is chock full of great Jewish delis and Nate ’n Al is certainly one of them. You don’t come to the 72-year-old landmark on Beverly Blvd. for the most thoughtfully house-cured pastrami in town or the freshest rye bread west of Hoboken, and that’s ok. Nate ’n Al has so much more going on. Usually when a place is deemed to have “a scene,” you turn around and walk the other way. But in the case of Nate ’n Al, you run right towards it. Come here on a Saturday morning and you’ll find groups of hungover Jewish bros missing their moms, a few celebrities, and more gaggles of 75-year-old women in Juicy Couture than you ever thought existed. It’s beautiful. And despite some pretty hefty crowds on the weekends, the couldn’t-give-two-sh*ts waitresses at Nate ’n Al keeps things moving efficiently. Now, this isn’t to say Nate ’n Al has bad food. In fact, most of it is pretty damn good. The stuffed cabbage is a classic, and despite its sore lack of curb appeal, it tastes great and is the only real dish of its kind in LA. The matzo ball soup is also excellent and will cure even the worst tequila hangover. There’s the pastrami-stuffed Nate ’N Al sandwich, the brisket, the bagel and lox, and every other Jewish deli staple you could ever want. The menu is large (and so are the portions) and after a full meal here, you’ll find it pretty impossible to walk out unsatisfied. People might complain the prices at Nate ‘n Al are a little high, but you’re two blocks off Rodeo - a $17 sandwich is just the way it works. Besides, throwing down a few extra bucks to experience Beverly Hills’ de facto cultural institution is well worth the price of admission." - Brant Cox
