Dear John's

In and around Los Angeles, every restaurant that’s been around for more than a couple of decades seems to declare that Frank Sinatra was a regular. In the case of Dear John’s, this was actually true. The steakhouse was a haunt for the crooner and his cronies from the time it opened in the early ’60s. Now, chef Josiah Citrin and the couple behind Rockenwagner Bakery have given this Rat Pack era steakhouse new life, with an old-school-cool ambience and delicious menu of classics with a twist, including a must-order, cheese-stuffed chicken parm and “bougie” tots topped with creme fraiche, caviar and salmon roe. Just know that Dear John's is here for a good time, not a long time—the steakhouse narrowly avoided demolition for the umpteenth time last May, and is likely to only be around for just a few more years.