The Joy of a No-Reservations Getaway

This article first appeared in the April 1, 2023, issue of Dinogo Travel, a biweekly update from Dinogo’s team on exploring food-focused destinations. Subscribe now.

As I prepared for my recent trip to Los Angeles, the last thing I wanted was to log onto Resy at midnight multiple nights in a row to snag a table at Pijja Palace, the Indian sports bar that made it onto Dinogo’s Best New Restaurants list last year. I was already overwhelmed with planning, packing, and cleaning, and TikTok kept pulling me away. So I resolved to enjoy my usual food-centric vacation without the hassle of Resy or OpenTable.

With the popularity of these platforms in New York, I can’t be the only one who feels a bit overwhelmed by reservations. I’m tired of setting Notify alerts for sought-after tables, only to see them disappear before I can respond, and while I’m happy for those who snag them, I find myself okay with not being part of the initial excitement. It feels like spontaneity has faded from my dining experiences lately.

So, I planned my trip like this: I checked out Dinogo LA’s Essential 38 list and its Dining on a Dime column. I also explored Google Maps, browsing restaurants, take-out spots, and food trucks in various neighborhoods. Then, I created a new private list on Google Maps to save all the intriguing options, avoiding sit-down places that likely required reservations. This satisfied my need for planning while keeping it relaxed: I had good options without any strict commitments that could lead to disappointing meals.

Thanks to this strategy, I savored the delightful banchan at Soowon Galbi and the rare red cotton flower noodle soup at Amphai Northern Thai Food Club. I indulged in Filipino dishes at Kuya Lord’s and Lasita, enjoyed tacos from Sonoratown, Tacos 1986, and La Isla Bonita, and devoured my combo plate from the Armenian takeout Mini Kabob right on the sidewalk. I relished the nasi goreng at Wallflower, the jambon beurre at Maison Matho, the sourdough with honey butter at Lolo Wine Bar, and the loco moco at All Day Baby. After discovering that Jon & Vinny’s didn’t accept walk-ins, I opted for a fantastic fried chicken sandwich at Son of a Gun. (To be fair, we did have one reservation on the agenda — at the classic Musso & Frank Grill — but my friend handled that, freeing me from Resy notifications.)

As someone who often feels anxious while traveling, I appreciated how this approach changed my perspective: my vacation didn’t need to be rigidly scheduled. It allowed for spontaneity, making it easier to meet friends and keeping my days open. Most importantly, it was refreshing to simply find a great meal on the go — instead of locking ourselves into a lunch spot, we could stroll or drive around, look for appealing options, and be pleasantly surprised.

Still, I really wanted to visit Pijja Palace due to all the rave reviews I’d heard. My plan was to arrive just before it opened, a tip I picked up from TikTok. Since Pijja Palace is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, I only had one chance to try it. We arrived at 4:54 and found a line of about 15 people ahead of us, but shortly after 5, we secured two seats at the bar.

My partner and I chose the malai rigatoni and a side of garlic bread, aiming to leave room for spontaneity later in the evening. Afterward, we spent hours playing pinball at Button Mash, which caused us to miss our chance to get sushi from my map, but we wrapped up our trip with the surprisingly delicious mushroom burger and perfectly crispy fried cauliflower at the arcade-restaurant. Now that I’m back home, I want to keep that vacation spirit alive: my reservations calendar is completely empty, and it feels amazing.