Kate Mantilini

Parking: Street
People Watching, After Hours, Take Out Upscale, High Energy, Celeb-Spotting, Family Friendly Diner Bustling

If you've seen the movie "Heat," you've been inside Kate's. The one scene where Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro meet takes place in this high end diner with the distinctive red neon sign on the corner of Doheny and Wilshire. The food falls firmly into the comfort category. Some people call it pricey truckstop. Whatever you call it, there's plenty to choose from--the menu is humongous!  Something for everyone, in other words, whether you're looking for classic American standbys (meatloaf, mac & cheese, chicken pot pie) or endless healthier and low-cal options ( Stevie T's Sliced Chicken Paillard, Seared Ahi Medallions with their wonderful slaw, and a laundry list of salads). The heated sourdough slabs you get with every meal give credence to man living on bread alone. But Kate's is as much about the place as the food. The
staff is one of the best in town; most are out-of-work actors but the kind that care as much about the customer as about furthering their career. Food comes quickly, but you're never rushed. The place is slick--it's a favorite lunch hangout for agents--without being obnoxious. But it's a grownup slick, as in no excessively loud music or undernourished celebutantes with cell phones attached to their ears. And if the prices are high for glorified diner food (you are in Beverly Hills, after all), quality and friendliness help the check go down a little easier. You'll have fun whether you come at 11:30 a.m. or midnight.

Tip: This is the perfect pre- or post-theater place if you're catching a show at Laemmle's Music Hall 3.

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