Login Using Facebook The Inside Word for Dan Tana's
Rich Eisen
Male / 40 / Los Angeles, CAAmazing Chicken Parm
If I want to be more of a grown-up, Dan Tana's restaurant is some of the greatest Italian food you can possibly get. If anything should happen to me, my wife has been ordered to feed chicken parm from Dan Tana's to me intravenously as long as I can possibly survive on it. The chicken parmesan from Dan Tana's is something to behold. It's lightly breaded, and pounded to perfection, and just all sorts of cheese and sauce heaped on top of it. My mouth is watering talking about it because I haven't had it in a while - I've been trying to slim down. It's something I just can't get enough of. I would love to eat it twice, three times a week but I would really be like the blimp flying above the stadium I'm at as opposed to being above the stadium. It's great for steaks, too.
Allen Covert
Male / 45 / Los Angeles, CAThe Shrimp Parmagian is unbelievable and the Sliced Steak with Peppers is a classic. It's kind of expensive and reservations are a must. A great mix of old school and young Hollywood. You never know who you'll be sitting next to.
SusanT
Female / 28 / Santa Monica, CAHoly Cannoli
Wow. I love this place. I don't even remember what I had for dinner because the Cannoli for dessert blew my mind.
Francis P.
Male / Los Angeles, CADan Tana's was one of the first restaurants I dined in when I came out to Los Angeles in 1992. As far as restaurants go, it's been downhill since that day. The best Italian food in all of California. You will not find many who will dispute this claim. I've read the other INSIDE WORDS and all this talk of Cannolis is making me crave one, even though I've never actually had one. Yes, yes, it's true. I have never eaten a Cannoli. I promise to change all of that upon my return to Dan Tana's.
BenC
Male / Los Angeles, CAPerhaps the greatest steak west of Peter Luger's. They have an incredible variety of cuts: the the big one (Coleman) and the the little one (Helen). Start with the garlic cheese bread. The Chicken Beckerman is also great, but if you order it it means that you haven't ordered a steak, which is a tragedy. Take someone who doesn't eat red meat, encourage them to order the Chicken Beckerman, and try it between bites of your medium-rare Coleman.
ClaireH
Female / 35 / Los Angeles, CAOld School Italian
You walk in and feel like you've entered another time and place. Get there before your reservation (yes, you want a reservation - unless you plan to eat at the bar) and have the bartender pour you a fat martini. Then settle into a booth (if you can get one) and let the waiters - who seem like they've worked there their whole lives - take you away. I like to start with the Tana salad, and then have either a steak, fish or chicken with a side of pasta (that way, I can have it all!). Bring your appetite, because it will be a heavy meal! (Update: on the recommendation of folks on LikeMe, I tried the cannoli for the first time - it's a must have. Creamy, crunchy, the perfect hint of cinnamon - be sure to save room for it!!)
chris marakovitz
Male / Los Angeles, CAAlthough Mr. Dan Tana is himself Serbian, this place is the mother of old school, east coast style Italian. The featured new york steak (comes in two sizes) can be slightly inconsistent, but when its on its the best in LA hands down. Get it with a side of fettucine alfredo or linquine and meat sauce- but start off with the special salad. The chicken parm is great as well. The menu contains numerous other secret weapons- the fresh, hand cut french fried are great as are the mozzarella sticks. Seating is tight and the tables are close together, but that's part of the charm. If you're flying solo this is the kind of place where you can plant it at the bar (might have to wait for a seat) and before long you'll be making friends with your neighbors and drinking all kinds of strange things. Also- in a town where most good restaurants are inexplicably closed by 10:00, you can always get great late dinner at tana's, food served till 12:00 or 1:00 depending on the day.
JeffG
Male / Denver, COServing Italian food is one thing. But BEING Italian is quite another. Dan Tana's IS Italian! Manicotti for dinner and Cannoli for dessert. Simple.
Dallas
Male / Los Angeles, CAThe Staple...
With old-school Italian waiters, Dan Tana's is a local landmark, serving martinis and red sauce since the 60's. These days, hungry stars and starlets are known to drop in probably for a steak or the chicken parmigiana.
Price: $$$
Tip: After a great meal and drinks pop into one of LA's hottest clubs next door...Foxtail!
BillP
Male / Malibu, CAGreat Italian Food
If you can get a reservation this is one of the best italian food restaurants in Los Angeles.
Jack Giarraputo
Male / Malibu, CABest of the west
If you can't get to Ny or Vegas, this is the place to get your old school italian fix. It's small and a tough reservation so call ahead or go late. The scallops appetizer is my favorite, but the fried mozzarella sets the standard that all the TGI Fridays of the world try to attain. For the main course it's hard to pass up the Steak and Peppers. But if you like shrimp parmagiana, they'll make it for you even though it's not on the menu. Delicious.
ChipN
Male / Los Angeles, CABest Steak and Best Atmosphere in L.A.
This is my favorite restaurant in L.A. It combines all of my favorite elements...great old-school Hollywood atmosphere, the absolute best steak in town (order it "Pittsburgh-ed" or "charred"), one of the only restaurants in SoCal where you can get N.Y.-style bread...you gotta love it!
DaveC
Male / Unknown, CAIt's a hot place for a tryst with a gal(or guy or trans gender) who has an appetite, likes a strong drink, isn't fussy if the wait is a while and would like just as much to go back to your place as to use the tickets you have to go see Sarah McLachan at the Wiltern.
Old School/Rock n Roll/noisy fun.
