Where the Chefs Eat: ink.'s Michael Voltaggio

Where the Chefs Eat is an ongoing series in which we ask a local chef to give us his or her favorite spots for everyday or cheap dining options. This week, Michael Voltaggio, chef at West Hollywood's ink. and ink.sack, tells us his favorite spots in L.A.

“I was in Ensenada recently,” Michael Voltaggio says, “and I don't think the tacos there were as good as at Ricky's.” He's talking about Ricky's Fish Tacos, the taco stand on Virgil Avenue, which Voltaggio loves so much that he sometimes hires Ricky to make a family meal for his cooks. “He uses his grandmother's recipe from Ensenada,” Voltaggio says. “He fries in lard, which gives it that perfect crunch. Sometimes he does shrimp tacos, but I usually eat just the regular fish.”

Voltaggio also eats a lot of sushi, “like everyone in L.A.,” he says. “And there are different sushi spots for different needs. Like, I'll go one place for sashimi, one place for the full experience, and one place for … how should I put this? Stoner sushi? You know, when you've had a bit to drink and you just want some gnarly rolls with some fried crap on top.” For that last one, he goes to Omi Sushi on Santa Monica in West Hollywood. “They have this thing called the Rolls Royce roll that I get. They have a good happy hour. And it's really cheap. You have to be in the right mood, but for that mood Omi is great.

“I also go to Son of a Gun for a fried chicken sandwich a lot. It's just a good value. It's not super cheap as a restaurant, but you can get that and one other dish and get out of there for under $30.”

See where other chefs are eating in our Where The Chefs Eat archives.

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