Genwa

We were so excited to spend our New Year's with our good friends W+M, who flew in from the Bay Area for the weekend.

We kicked off New Year's Eve with some Korean BBQ at Genwa in Miracle Mile. If you like Korean BBQ, you really need to try this place. It's not just the food but the service and attention to detail that make this a one-of-a-kind experience.

The meal started off with an array of little appetizer dishes that were tasty little gems of deliciousness.

Then came the sides — clear noodles, radish and rice paper wrappers, stone pot bibimbap and a brothy soup.

Of course, there was also the meat. Each piece was tender, marbled and flavorful, and cooked on a magical non-smelly grill alongside some veggies and a little foil container, even, for roasted garlic.

But 2010 had a little more in store for us. The pitcher of Hite was innocent enough, but before we knew it some soju, mangotini shots and soju bombs made their way around.

By the end of our meal, it was all one sweet blur.

Good food, great friends and lots of laughter — a wonderful way to end 2010. And a little foreshadowing of how we'd begin 2011...

Langer's

What would your last meal be? Ours just might be a sandwich from Langer's...not only because it's delicious, but also because it's artery-clogging, heart-attack-inducing food located in a sketchy part of town. But it's totally worth the risk!

To fit in with the retro, totally-frozen-in-time environs, we started with an egg cream.  

We thought the blended club soda, milk, chocolate syrup and a frothy top might have some sort of Gestaltian charm, but it didn't. It's definitely an acquired taste — i.e., nasty. No wonder why no one drinks these anymore.

But we didn't dwell on it because the real stuff was on its way.

 On the side — a knish and some crinkle-cut fries.

 Plain corned beef

Pastrami and coleslaw

Langer's really just might be the best Jewish deli ever (sorry, Katz's!), with its tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat and freshly-baked rye bread with a crispy crust.

Luckily, we made it through our meal without any life-threatening complications...so we decided to continue our adventurous streak by taking a stroll through MacArthur Park.

There's something a little bit sad and wistful about this neighborhood. We wish we could've experienced it during its glory days. But at least we'll always have those amazing sandwiches!