La Scala

This classic power lunch spot has been around forever. It has an old-school New York or Chicago Italian vibe, with red booths and brick walls, and gets an older Beverly Hills clientele, plus Hollywood execs, lawyers, and doctors. And La Scala’s chopped salad is the best in town. They chop it so fine you can practically scoop it up with a spoon, and the dressing is basically a state secret. Just get the salad. In LA, salad is the ultimate power-lunch order because it’s easy to eat and we like to be healthy—or at least be perceived to be healthy.