I’ve written about Hugo’s before, I’m writing about them now, and I’m sure I’ll be writing about them in the future. It really is that good!
Considering that I’m an L.A. native, I’m a bit late to the game in terms of being a Hugo’s fan. Their West Hollywood location has been around for some 30 years and their Studio City location for close to 10 years, and they are now expanding to Agoura Hills. I’ve been going to both the West Hollywood and Studio City locations for at least the last year and can honestly say, it’s by far, my favorite casual dining spot in L.A. It’s been my meeting place of choice when I’ve needed to meet clients for a business lunch and just a great place to go with the family anytime of day. There are more gluten-free items on the menu (and labeled as gluten-free) than I could possibly remember and everything that I’ve tried has been nothing short of fantastic.
I recently sat down with Rich, one of Hugo’s PR folks and went through the menu, item by item and was impressed with their knowledge of the gluten-free diet and the importance of preventing cross-contamination at every point between the kitchen and the customer. The owners of Hugo’s are vigilant in making sure the kitchen staff is well aware of these issues and should be applauded for their efforts. One example of this is the dedicated fryer for their french fries — it’s rare treat that I can enjoy french fries in a restaurant anymore. These are some pretty great tasting fries as well.
Other than the menu annotations, Hugo’s doesn’t make a big deal of their gluten-free, vegan, or dairy-free options — they simply refer to themselves as “stealthy healthy”. I think that most people who care, know that Hugo’s is there for them. And, from the looks of it, that’s a lot of people in the know. I’ve never been to Hugo’s when it wasn’t filled with people. That by itself is always the first sign of a great restaurant.
