Today is a stressful day, whether you're an accountant or just an average Joe trying to get through the slog of filing on your own online. There's no doubt you'll need a drink or two when you're through, and there a few places offering relief around town. Here's who's helping out:

There are two things that will make today better: a strawberry-tequila cocktail and donuts. These donuts. Two Tax Day drinks will be on special tonight ($8 each), including the aforementioned and the pisco Gamma Ray with midori, orgeat and citrus.

The middle of April has its charms -- little birdies tweeting, buds bursting, and so forth -- but for some it also signals a certain amount of stress. It shouldn't be that way. Tax Day will come every year, so embracing it is key. Still, if you had a little succor thrown your way, in the form of discounted beverages and eats, that wouldn't be too bad, either. (And figure all of the emotional snacking you participate in while doing your taxes; Uncle Sam must get many forms with potato chip stains near the corners.) A few LA restaurants have an eye to Monday, April 15, and those Tax Day deals which are now as regular and unwavering as Tax Day itself.

Looking for some Tax Day relief? Who isn't? In recent years many restaurants, bars, and even hotels have lessened the stress by offering special perks. Enjoy a cocktail or two, a sweet treat, or even some sushi at locations across the country this April 15. Where will you be on Tax Day?

Whether you’re toasting to being in the green or taking the edge off from being in the red, Plan Check has you covered with their Gamma Ray with Pisco Porton, Midori, Orgeat, Lemon & Lime and their Strawberry Tequila Daisy with 100% Blanco Agave, Fresh Lime and Muddled Strawberries, $8 each on Tax Day.

Los Angeles has its fair share of great sandwiches, and even takes credit for inventing one: the French dip. Since the "accident" of the French dip in the early 20th century, L.A.'s sandwich pantheon has added many standard-bearing types, such as the pastrami, corned beef, Italian submarine, Cuban, Greek and even Vietnamese sandwiches, a claim to its diversity from Westside to Eastside. In addition to decades-old favorites, there are some new-school sandwiches that have become instant classics. Here presented, L.A.'s Most Iconic Sandwiches.

You may or may not have heard of Ernesto Uchimura’s smoky fried chicken before. If you have, and you haven’t gone to the West LA gastropub to try it yet, go right now. We’ve heard nothing but raves for the beautifully fried bird served with a rich smoky gravy, sweet yam puree and pickled okra - one of the most unique and delicious fried chickens in town - since the spot opened in 2012. Sure, there may be detractors, but they’re just partial to the fried chicken sandwich or burger with its ketchup leather instead. Don’t forget the donuts in cream for dessert.

I’ve already blogged about the wondrous Plan Check before, so I won’t bother doing it again. Everyone knows that if I actually repeat a restaurant…it’s THAT good. This amazing fried chicken sandwich has to be tasted to believed. It’s also THAT good. High quality, superbly moist Jidori chicken meat (Jidori is to chicken as Kobe is to beef) that’s perfectly breaded featuring just the right amount of crisp. The pickle slices, few slices of ham and pimento cheese nicely compliment but do not overwhlem. The soft, pillowy bun is a nice change from the tired, dried out old brioche bun that’s everywhere at the moment. I wanted to take a nap on it! Without a doubt, this is my favorite chicken sandwich right now…

We love a good burger as much as the next person, but even the best of patty and cheese can be ruined with a soggy bun, especially one saturated with ketchup. Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Plan Check felt just the same way when developing the restaurant’s menu. The solution? Ketchup leather.

Terry Heller and chef Ernesto Uchimura's Plan Check, the Asian spiked gastropub on Sawtelle, is fired up for its first birthday. On February 20, every party at the restaurant will receive a complimentary order of Plan Check's popular Cruller Donuts.

5 Pastrami Killers in Los Angeles • Plan Check may be new to the scene, but they're hitting it hard: The pastrami is double-smoked, then topped with Swiss, kimchi mustard, pickles, and a fried egg. As if that weren’t enough, you can also get a killer order of pastrami fries.

Ernesto Uchimura's Smokey Fried Chicken at Plan Check has been the talk of town ever since Angeleno magazine awarded the composition "Best New Dish" last summer. A consistent top seller, above Uchimura goes through the motions, from a buttermilk brine to beef tallow fry, and how to produce the perfect piece of umami-rich fried chicken.

Along West L.A.'s noodle corridor sits this Asian-inflected hub of New American menu moments where the fried chicken is a jidori bird accompanied by smoked milk gravy, the signature burger features cheese blended with dashi broth and the pastrami sandwich is smeared with kimchi mustard.

The ill fated and short lived Vodvil space on Fairfax will be re-conceptualized into the second outpost of Plan Check, Terry Heller and chef Ernesto Uchimura's popular, modern American comfort spot on Sawtelle. Slated to debut summer 2013, the Fairfax restaurant will offer an additional 50 seats, a slightly expanded menu, and a larger bar, which will likely serve until 2 a.m. Construction has yet to begin but expect both indoor and outdoor seating and an entirely new glass facade facing Fairfax. And, in other news, a third location will eventually hit downtown.

LA's 16 Hottest New Restaurants of 2012 - We’ve said it over and over this year: for the best fried chicken dish - one of the best overall dishes of the year - head to this neighborhood gastropub in Little Osaka. The dish is perfectly balanced with crisp, juicy fried chicken, smoky gravy, a touch of sweetness from yam preserves and a hit of acid with pickled okra. It’s truly divine. But so is just about everything on Ernesto Uchimura’s menu, including the burger with its ketchup leather, the fries and the hot cruller for dessert.

Nearly half of all American consumers eat a burger a week. With such a large consumer base, it's no wonder why there are so many different burger concepts at various price points to satiate this hunger. From the value menu to haute gourmet cuisine, the Los Angeles region is well represented at all these pricing levels. Los Angeles also has a long history of embellishing the burger, in the past adding cheese and, more recently, up scaling the burger with better cuts of meat and different seasonings. At the forefront of this up scaling the burger trend, Plan Check Kitchen + Bar's Executive Chef Ernesto Uchimura continues to create recipes and utilize modernist cooking techniques to further innovate with what can be done to perfect this humble American comfort food as well as other items on his new restaurant’s menu.

LA's 8 Must-Try Gourmet Donuts

Plan Check’s Fried Chicken No matter how popular it gets, even if it hits a tipping point on top chefs' menus across town, our love of fried chicken will never die. When we discovered the smoky fried chicken at Plan Check, our eyes rolled back, we felt tingles all over and we savored every bite. The perfect balance of crispy, juicy fried chicken, sweet potato preserves, rich, smoky gravy and tart pickled okra all on one plate is hard to beat

Restaurants: Ode to the burger Drumroll … I predict the top toque of 2013 will go to Chef Ernest Unchimura of Plan Check Bar, 1800 Sawtelle Blvd. in West L.A. The dish: a hamburger. I know, I know, the top chef is preferably as esoteric as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. I believe last year’s top dish was grass, but sometimes vox populi must win.

5 Questions: Ernesto Uchimura of Plan Check

Located in West LA’s “Little Osaka" this small plates eatery serves up american classics and derived its name for the adjacent “Building & Safety" department on Sawtelle. Chef Ernesto Uchimura served up plenty of juicy and smokey fried chicken paired with their own infused “Endless Summer Punch."

Counter Intelligence: Plan Check, where food meets the future Plan Check Kitchen and Bar has a modernist take on the classic burger, engineering it to a different level. Other items on the menu are a mix of good and bad.

The Food Event: Meet the Chefs – Ernesto Uchimura

Sawtelle Blvd in West LA, known as Little Osaka, is lined with Japanese restaurants serving up ramen, sushi and izakaya fare, so it was indeed surprisingly when burger joint Plan Check opened up on the street. That's a bold move which proved a smart one - the place was packed on a Friday lunch-time.

The Comfort Master: Ernesto Uchimura

Los Angeles has plenty of great places to get a good burger such as, Umami, Golden State, 25 Degrees, Father’s Office. A new addition to LA’s list of fine burger choices is Plan Check on Sawtelle in West LA. Plan Check located on a quieter end of Sawtelle, standing out from the primarily Japanese restaurants that Sawtelle/Little Osaka is known for. Plan Check’s modern decor offers a casual and low key ambiance that seems more fitting in Silverlake than West LA. Inside, a variety of seating is available. Bar stools, a communal table sits in the middle of the restaurant along with booth seating and outside patio tables.

Plan check refers to the process of getting building plans approved, a nod, as Plan Check The Restaurant explains, to the Building and Safety Department next door. That Plan Check takes a city building—rather than its location on the northern tip of Sawtelle—as its reference point is telling. Indeed, rather than curry and ramen, you have salty beer nuts, fried chicken served with sweet yam preserves, and burgers. Great, perfectly-sized burgers, in fact: the signature Plan Check Burger acknowledges its neighborhood with a tender, juicy Akaushi red Wagyu beef patty nestled between a "crunch bun" (the crunch comes courtesy of panko), and the Blueprint Burger is slathered with a roastedgarlic steak sauce that beautifully plays off the smokiness of blue cheese. If you're ranking the city's burgers the way you're ranking your fantasy football team, Plan Check is your Arian Foster: a definite first-round pick.

National Cheeseburger Day LA: Nine New Burgers To Try In 2012

While the centerpiece of Plan Check Kitchen + Bar on Sawtelle is undoubtedly its dripping, concentrated burgers -- head chef Ernesto Uchimura was an ex-corporate chef at Umami Burger, after all -- there seems to be a populist swell in favor of the restaurant's smokey fried jidori chicken. Could the fried chicken sandwich could be the new burger?

9 LA Fried Chicken Sandwiches You'd Rather Be Eating Anyway

In conjunction with celebrating their annual restaurant issue, Angeleno Magazine is hosting their 10th Annual LIVE & DINE LA event this Sunday, July 22nd, honoring LA’s top chefs and restauranteurs. Food aficionados will be spoiled for choice as they indulge in dozens of top tastings from LA’s most acclaimed chefs, along with award-winning wines and spirits, live music and culinary demonstrations. The event will take place at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, beginning at 5:30 p.m. (VIP award reception at 4:30 p.m.). Angeleno’s Editor in Chief, Lesley McKenzie, and Publisher, Alan Klein, will present awards to the top restaurants and chefs who continue to shape L.A.’s culinary scene. There will also be a Pioneering Spirit Award given to one of LA’s most philanthropic chef who has gone above and beyond to give back to the community. Last year’s winner was Chef Akasha Richmond of Akasha in Culver City.

Los Angeles’ greatest chefs and restaurateurs will descend under the iconic Moreton Bay Fig Tree at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows on Sunday, July 22 for Angeleno’s LIVE & DINE LA and 10th Annual Restaurant Awards—the longest-running chef awards in Southern California. Paying tribute to Angeleno’s top picks for Best New Restaurant of the Year, Best Pastry Chef, Best New Mixologist and more, the awards will be handed out by Angeleno’s President and Group Publisher Alan Klein and Editor-in-Chief Lesley McKenzie at the VIP reception preceding the Grand Tasting event. Guests attending the VIP Award reception are invited to toast the winners and mingle with the chefs prior to the Grand Tasting.

Plan Check is on the north side of Sawtelle, closer to the hookah bar near Santa Monica Blvd than the familiar. Hustle of Little Osaka. They’ve done a beautiful job making a nice patio to eat on a wide sidewalk, and a hip (if familiar) gastropub scene inside. They do a lot of things great, and that PCB is going to vie for the title of best burger in LA. But they throw one or two things too much on things, throwing the balance off. Plan Check may suffer from being born in this ridiculous, last days of Rome moment in cuisine where chefs are goaded by each other into adding more and more trendy ingredients to their dishes, rather than seeking the perfect balance of delicious ingredients. It’s like they hear Food Network voiceovers describing ingredient after ingredient, thinking that’s what they have to do to get attention. And maybe that is where we’re at as a gastronomic society, at least in LA. More is better, especially if it’s bacon.

Now as the chef and partner of Plan Check Kitchen + Bar, Uchimura is utilizing his experience in comforting foods and forward thinking recipes to create inventive modern American comfort foods on a stretch in West LA known as Little Osaka. Since opening Plan Check in February 2012, Uchimura has been awarded with the "best new dish" in 2012 from Angeleno magazine and Plan Check was recognized in Zagat as one of the "10 hottest restaurants of the year".

From the start with an amazing Root Beer, this meal did not disappoint! I would give it a 5 out of 5 Stars if that was my rating system. Yes, that good. The fries were cooked to perfection with tasty ketchups offered. I really enjoyed the Peach Ketchup that is actually intended to partner up with the Sweet Potato Waffle Fries which i will try on my next visit within the next few days. Dre ordered the Chefs Favorite Burger, what a concoction!! Cheese two Ways, Bacon Two Ways, Sunny Fried Egg, Hot Sauce, crunch bun! She shared a few bites with Me, quite tasty!!! I ordered the PCB. The description itself had me mezmorized: akaushi red wagyu beef, americanized dashi cheese, ketchup leather, schmaltz onions, mixed pickles, crunch bun = CRACK on a BUN!! I seriously will place the PC Burger in a top 5 list of burgers I've enjoyed. Quote Me on that.

Harbored on Sawtelle’s strip of superb Asian eats (aka Little Osaka), Plan Check s a vintage, architectural, industrial, rustic, fresh and hipster place that makes a branded burger and fries taste as good as its spatial expression.

According to Plan Check, “the name and brand stem from its location, adjacent to the Building and Safety Department, where hundreds of Architects, Developers, Designers and Engineers flock daily to get plans reviewed for permitting." Checking things off this to-do list style menu would indeed be a treat.

Since I work on the Westside of LA, I tend to check out most of the places in the area for burgers. A couple of my coworkers found Plan Check Bar and I had to try it. The restaurant is kind of tucked away from a major street, but is worth checking out. It has a chill gastropub-like environment. They have a great list of beers and wine. One of the people I went to with also got the fried chicken and they said it was very delicious. I may need to go back and try that next time.

It's National Fried Chicken Day today, have you called your mom yet? Soon to enter L.A.'s battleground of golden birds, one thick with major players like Plan Check, Farmshop, Flossie's, and Eva, will be Roy Choi, who has been tweaking his own recipe in anticipation of A-Frame's all-you-can-eat fried chicken picnic. Starting July 14 and continuing every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3:00 P.M. thereafter, the chef and his kitchen will prepare an endless parade of buttermilk fried chicken thighs and legs cooked sous vide in Colonel Choi's secret blend of herbs, spices, and chilies, along with sweet potato salad and coleslaw of cabbage and zucchini, all priced at eighteen bucks with the option of bottomless Hite lager for an extra $10.

Plan Check in West L A is the kind of restaurant every neighborhood needs. The food is consistently excellent, the menu is interesting, prices are fair and they are open late. It is the kind of restaurant you can frequent often and never get tired of. Plan Check is on Sawtelle Boulevard, just south of Santa Monica Boulevard. This strip has long been known for its large selection of Asian restaurants. There has been a need for this type of dining and I am happy to say Plan Check has arrived.

Did you know there's a neighborhood in Los Angeles called Little Osaka? Yep. As it turns out, Japanese immigrants have been posting up around Sawtelle between Santa Monica and Olympic since the 1950's, populating the boulevard with a lot of delicious Japanese food. So while Chef Ernesto Uchimura's new restaurant Plan Check is one of the only on the strip to specialize in modern American Comfort food, it's no surprise to find the menu full of items like yuzukosho cocktail sauce, rock shrimp tempura, and even plum wine and sake cocktails.

West Los Angeles welcomes Plan Check Kitchen + Bar, a hip new gastropub, to its “Little Osaka" neighborhood, known mostly for its Asian-fusion cuisine and Hello Kitty souvenirs. Chef Ernesto Uchimura, formerly of Umami Burger fame, joins forces with owner Terry Heller to bring small, tasty bites and handcrafted cocktails and beer to the Westside. Situated next to the Building and Safety Department, Plan Check draws architectural inspiration and moniker from its industrial neighbor, which sees a healthy rotation of engineers, architects, and developers through its creative doors.

The Plan Check Kitchen and Bar in West Los Angeles’s Little Osaka is a well-known Stussy Tribe hangout, which most hosted and catered Stussy’s wildly successful Burger Culture Clash event — the brand’s first foray into food. Led by the culinary stylings of Head Chef Ernesto Uchimura, the restaurant has thrived on its creative atmosphere and unique gourmet, tapas-style small plate offerings inspired by a fusion of traditional Asian and Americana classics. Hypebeast recently had a chance to chat with Uchimura about his culinary upbringings, his restaurant’s collaborative projects with Stussy, his signature ketchup leather, and what makes Los Angeles such a thriving mecca for inspiring and quality cuisine.

Plan Check Kitchen + Bar is a quaint little restaurant located in West LA's Little Osaka. Many of you might be familiar with this area for the sushi, but maybe you've frequented the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety on a regular basis to have your plans reviewed for permitting. The concept behind this restaurant design embodies the creative lifestyle of architects, designers, and developers that flock here on a regular basis.

Pair former Umami Burger chef Ernesto Uchimura with owner Terry Heller and you have the new gastropub Plancheck Kitchen + Bar. Plan Check features a few communal tables to help achieve a neighborhood vibe. Located in the West LA neighborhood known as Little Osaka this gastropub features American small plates as well as American favorites such as salads, burgers and fried chicken. Specialty cocktails and premium beers are also served.

What's hot now: The most popular spots have a more relaxed aesthetic and vibe -- think gastropub, but taken to a whole new Los Angeles level. Our chefs are redefining what it means to cook 'California cuisine,' and it's usually very seasonal, global-hopping and personal. Sharing is encouraged; using utensils is optional. Here are the 10 hottest openings so far this year, from Downtown to Santa Monica and everywhere in between.

There's the new Post & Beam in Baldwin Hills, the even newer restaurant and bar Plan Check on Sawtelle Avenue, A-Frame in Culver City, Salvage Bar & Lounge in downtown L.A. and, opening soon, Bow & Truss in North Hollywood. The latest trend in restaurant names, it seems, are allusions to design and construction -- phrases that resonate with architectural allure. Now that Los Angeles has enough idiosyncratically animal-named restaurants to populate a farm -- Blue Cow, Hungry Cat, Black Hogg, Lazy Ox -- design-oriented monikers appear to be emerging as the next wave.

Lo! Behond the Plan Check fried chicken dish. This easily won out among the event's numerous fried poultry plates, but it may also be our favorite bite overall. In fact, definitely. Smokey, boneless, and served with yam preserve and pickled okra.

If there's one take-away from yesterday's Taste of the Nation, the annual foodie fundraiser for Share Our Strength (more than $250,000 was raised), it's that fried chicken is on everyone's mind. There were many different versions served throughout the day, the highlight being Plan Check's hot, crunchy, smoky boneless chicken with sweet yam preserves and pickled okra. Most people hit that table a few times, and there was plenty; chef Ernesto Uchimura served it till the very end.

This Sunday, June 10, from 1:00 to 4:00 in the afternoon, Taste of the Nation will hold its 25th annual fundraiser, what many seasoned eaters cite as the best tasting event in town.

Every weekend the question is the same: Where can we plop ourselves down for a few hours to eat and booze in the sun? We’re Los Angelenos, after all, every weekend is outdoor-dining worthy. Yet, this is a time in L.A. when you start to smell smoked sausages grilling on your neighbor’s hibachi and you regularly frequent Joan’s on Third to select a picnic spread for the Hollywood cemetery screenings. It’s a time when you break open bottles of wine and overlook the city at Yamashiro’s Thursday night farmers market and share Bay City’s godmothers after a kickball competition on Venice Beach. In celebration of summer, Eat Your Heart Out L.A. is launching its very first top 10 list, brought to you by a newly appointed EYHOLA brain trust which will continue to be behind future “top 10″ postings. Get ready to break out your wayfarers L.A., here’s our favorite outdoor dining spots.

10 Best French Fries in Los Angeles Stubby Kennebecs at Plan Check on Sawtelle, laid out in a cast iron dish, have a yellowish hue, finished with a subtle sprinkle of smoked salt. Not terribly distinctive on the surface. But why is that deeper, lingering flavor emanating from the fluffy fry interior so addictive? That might have something to do with the beef tallow -- you know, the animal fat that McDonald's had to stop using? So yeah, Plan Check's fries are an upscale way to re-experience a version of the Golden Arches treats we grew up eating, and with miso ketchup on the side. The degree of shame or unfettered nostalgia is up to you. 1800 Sawtelle Blvd., West Los Angeles; (310) 288-6500.

We went to a place that specializes in LA’s latest culinary trend: “bar food for dinner." Everything on the menu is either fried or pickled, full of fat and salt — designed to make you reach for another sip of your handcrafted cocktail. We had fun.

Just when I think I’ve found the best burger in LA, I’m thrown for a calorie-ridden loop! Plan Check is the hot new place on Sawtelle as the lunch crowds out the door can attest to.

Stussy certainly is no stranger to collaborative ventures. However, at the start of the month, Stussy embarked on their first ever food-based collabo as they linked with fellow Californian outfit Plan Check. The outcome was a specially created menu with the International Stussy Burger I.S.B. presented as the flagship sandwich for the month-long venture. Some notable components of the I.S.B. include an Akaushi beef patty, smokey bacon, jalapeno escabeche, battered onion straws and Knowledge Sauce. Plan Check’s head chef Ernesto Uchimura runs us through the whole process. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, be sure to get the real deal before the conclusion of the limited time menu.

Since I’m a Hollywood resident, I admit I’ve been sorely behind on the West LA food scene – and Plan Check has been one of the casualties. Recently, I had a good reason to venture west of the 405 and really see what the fuss about the burgers were about. Stüssy, the former surf-centric brand that you can now find as a Target clothing staple, has events to promote its brand – though shall we say they read more like pretty rad one-off parties held at varying venues. Plan Check was the site of one such event a couple weeks ago, whereby I tried “The ISB." Made with Akaushi beef, jalapeno escabeche, cheese, smokey bacon, battered onion straws, “knowledge" sauce & crunch bun. I know bacon is a shoe-in ingredient, but this was one of the best bacon burgers I’ve tried in recent memory. The lush bun was of no detail! It was a delicious burger reminiscent of Umami thanks to the fried onion, and ultimately alumni chef Ernesto Uchimura, but I could tell at Plan Check that their burger product is that much more reliable – barring a guerilla expansion plan to flood Los Angeles, that is.

For some reason, I keep forgetting about this post (unlike the case with Urasawa, which I’m purposely avoiding due to self-doubt). I went to Plan Check in late March for an early dinner with Greg and Jen. I had already heard pretty good things from Eugenia, who went to the soft opening. Great location? Check. Great hours? Check. Chef with good resume (former Umami corporate chef)? Check. Fun menu? Check. Good drinks? Check. Opened with considerable hype? Plan check it.

There's quite a bit of debate in LA regarding who has the "best burger". J and I are fans of the famous father's office burger. We also enjoy the burger at Rustic Canyon and the options at Comme Ca. However, recently, we came across a new favorite - the "Chefs Favorite Burger" - at the hip new spot for "Modern American Comfort Food" on Sawtelle Blvd - Plan Check.

The neighborhood “Little Osaka," located on one long street in West L.A., has for years been known by foodies and hipsters as the place to go to get your Japanese fix — whether it be for ramen, shaved ice, magna books, even Hello Kitty. It can now also be known as the neighborhood where the awesome Plan Check Bar resides. For those curious about the unusual name, Plan Check stems from its location, adjacent to the Building and Safety Department, where architects and designers flock daily to get plans reviewed for permitting. It’s a nod to its environment, not to mention a name you will not soon forget.

Blogger Backyard Bite and Stussy sponsored a Burger Clash at Plan Check recently. A special menu was created with lifestyle brand Stussy in mind. To be honest, I was surprised Stussy was involved but it made sense. Always on the cutting edge of style, the brand now sees food as the “it" lifestyle at the moment. Foodies unite!

Despite the widespread misconception that Angelenos are obsessed with healthy food, Los Angeles is really a doughnut town. Doughnut shops proliferate across the city, largely due to the fact that they provide an effective small business model for new immigrants: they require only cheap ingredients to make, and are driven by seemingly endless demand. Well, now the doughnut is having its cupcake moment ... and getting all fancy.

Cultures collided this week when Stussy and Plan Check Kitchen + Bar joined forces to introduce a special menu for the month of May. The menu gives an original take on the gastropub offerings of Plan Check such as the International Stussy Burger filled with Akaushi beef, jalapeno escabeche, Americanized cheese, smokey bacon, battered onion straws, knowledge sauce and crunchy bun.

Stussy closed out the month of April with a slew of gourmet hamburgers and some of the Tribe’s closest friends at the Plan Check restaurant in West Los Angeles. The “Burger Culture Clash" event was essentially a celebration of Stussy’s collaborative influence across cultures and international borders, as it brought together a broad spectrum of artists and designers connected to the brand. Names like Chris Gibbs from Union, Eddie Cruz from Undefeated, as well as Stussy’s Art Director Adam Jay Weissman were on hand. A limited edition celebratory Stussy shirt and special menu was even created in collaboration with Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Plan Check (the first time Stussy has ever collaborated on a food item). If you’d like one, swing by Plan Check during the month of May before they’re all gone.

Last night, Stussy curated the food and drink menu for local, west LA bar/restaurant, Plan Check. Plan Check is known for their super scrumptious comfort food, and delicious grown-up drink concoctions. The Stussy menu was equally as delectable. It’s a shame for the menu to be available for only one night. I really enjoyed the Worldwide Tribe Fries and International Stussy Burger. I was curious how this Fashion / Food crossover was going to play out. It turned out to be a great idea. Just look at those fries…

A couple of weeks ago, The Backyard Bite invited me to The Burger Culture Clash, sponsored by Stussy (which apparently still exists) and Plan Check. Plan Check, by the way, is a sort of new (since February) restaurant in West LA with Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Umami Burger fame. As my love of burgers, especially those of the umami variety, I jumped at the opportunity.

Stussy closed out the month of April with a slew of gourmet hamburgers and some of the Tribe’s closest friends at the Plan Check restaurant in West Los Angeles. The “Burger Culture Clash" event was essentially a celebration of Stussy’s collaborative influence across cultures and international borders, as it brought together a broad spectrum of artists and designers connected to the brand. Names like Chris Gibbs from Union, Eddie Cruz from Undefeated, as well as Stussy’s Art Director Adam Jay Weissman were on hand. A limited edition celebratory Stussy shirt and special menu was even created in collaboration with Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Plan Check (the first time Stussy has ever collaborated on a food item). If you’d like one, swing by Plan Check during the month of May before they’re all gone.

There’s Roberto Cavalli Vodka, Tommy Bahama restaurants, now pioneering streetwear brand Stussy debuted a collaboration with Plan Check Kitchen + Bar, a hipster burger joint in Los Angeles’ Little Osaka neighborhood. Plan Check debuted in February after Ernesto Uchimura, a founder of the popular Umami Burger, decided to start another restaurant. Plan Check mixes gourmet burgers and comfort food.

For my second visit over at the new-ish Plan Check Bar I got to help collaborate a special event. The trendsetters over at the street wear brand Stüssy (yes, remember them??) paired up with the new bar/restaurant just north of “Little Osaka" for a funky fresh evening. The private event was a cool little meeting of the minds; a mash up of fashionistas, bloggers, foodies and entertainment industry folk. There was no stanky fru fru, nor any of that “hollywood" pretentiousness going on here. Everyone simply gathered to share in some good food and good fun. Stüssy collaborated with Plan Check’s Ernesto Uchimura (the former Umami Burger corporate chef) on a special menu for the night’s festivities.

Cultures collided last night when Stussy and Plan Check Kitchen + Bar joined forces to introduce a special menu for the month of May. The menu gives an original take on the gastropub offerings of Plan Check such as the International Stussy Burger filled with Akaushi beef, jalapeno escabeche, Americanized cheese, smokey bacon, battered onion straws, knowledge sauce and crunchy bun.

Last night Stussy partnered up w/ newly opened restaurant, Plan Check in Little Osaka to host an evening of yummy food and drinks with friends and family (Thanks Emmy for the invite!). It didn’t take much to drag me out of my office to head over to the dinner… they had me at “Burger Culture Clash." It was nice to see Stussy’s head women’s designer & one of my idol’s in fashion… Pauline, again. It’s been quite some time since we last seen & worked together on our Stussy x Hellz collaboration in 2009. It was also nice to get together & share our love of… FOOD!!! At my age I’m far more excited to meet w/ old & new friends, pop wine bottles and stuff my face with food rather than dance on couches (it doesn’t mean I don’t do it tho, lol) and listen to bad music… Hopefully Stussy makes a tradition out of these dinners.

I was invited to a Special Stüssy event with some of L.A.'s food elite...

The Marinater and I sought out the cheeseburgers at Plan Check, because this was the new project of chef Ernesto Uchimura. Chef Unchimura was the former Executive Chef at Umami Burger...back before it expanded beyond its ability to maintain standards and went from amazing to merely good. We had high hopes for the Plan Check burger offerings, since the chef had created a world-class burger once before. We ordered both the eponymous PC Burger and the Chef's Favorite Burger.

Fried chicken at the newly opened Plan Check Kitchen + Bar on Sawtelle is outstanding, says Juji. Fellow hound taiwanesesmalleats finds it "super juicy and crispy," and wienermobile says it's tender with "lots of flavor with a little bit of a kick." "Had the smoky fried chicken plate tonight and it was some of the best fried chicken I've ever had and it's only $13!" says wienermobile. "I love Plan Check."

Nestled in West LA’s Little Osaka, Plan Check Kitchen + Bar is a neighborhood restaurant that will make you wish you called this stretch of Sawtelle home. The inviting atmosphere and mouth-watering comfort food courtesy of former Umami corporate chef Ernesto Uchimura has made Plan Check an instant hit. The first thing you'll notice upon examining the menu is how Plan Check is chiefly a gastropub, but offers sly nods to its Little Osaka location. The use of wasabi and bonito on the menu that includes crab dip pays due respect to the neighborhood, while the pickled vegetables instantly transported me back to humid summer days in Kyoto. The Asian flavors are not limited to the dinner menu; plum wine and nigori sake find their way onto the cocktail list.

In one of the more recent entries there was a description of Plan Check, a new gastropub in the Sawtelle area in Los Angeles. For those not familiar, Sawtelle is basically referred to as Little Osaka. The area is near the 405 and boasts tons of delicious restaurants featuring Asian food, specifically lots of Japanese food. There are two Japanese grocery stores and shops. I have come here in the past for noodles, sushi, and boba tea. Plan Check popped up on some of the twitter feeds of foodies in LA I respect so it obviously shot to the top of my “must try" list. Obviously I enlisted my friend Kelly to check it out with me. She was in the second she heard that the former executive chef from Umami Burger was behind this bar.

I had been stalking Plan Check. From the day its concrete walls came up to their "neighborhood preview" night I stalked Plan Check. Every time I drove by I'd rubber neck to see if I could get a glimpse of a menu tasting, let out an enthusiastic "woooo!!!!," or ask the driver to slow down so I could swoon over the latest additions - a wooden booth, a sliding door, red patio chairs. Over the last few months I saw Plan Check mature and develop this otherwise forgotten block of Sawtelle and am happy to see some life injected into it. On the day of "neighbors only" reservation, I even walked over in my swanky new boots to celebrate the occasion. The restaurant sends out a very mixed vibe. The decor is industrial - wood, metal, chalkboards, and bare bulbs. The cocktail list is over the top, channeling in Asian flavors and combining them with luxe mixology ingredients. However all the cocktails I sampled (The Osaka Sour and Tropic Thunder) all had a milky consistency to them that wasn't for me. Plan Check makes up for the let down with a solid selection of draft beers. You'll need it...

Steve Livigni's Cachaca Recipe

Plan Check’s Menu reads like a fantasy...

Sawtelle Boulevard gastropub Plan Check announces a partnership with Tomo Coffee, its neighborhood coffee roaster. Plan Check now serves French press Tomo Coffee, roasted on the Mississippi Avenue cafe's Diedrich roaster. 1800 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 288-6500, www.plancheckbar.com.

It's been exactly six weeks since Plan Check sprung its doors open to Little Osaka, and even through the sporadic downpour of the last few weeks, the place has stayed packed. Today, owner Terry Heller tells us he feels, "we're just starting to hit our stride," with chef Uchimura introducing new specials while signature dishes have been tweaked to the team's ultimate satisfaction. While Heller didn't overlook coffee service, he says he underestimated "the big demand for coffee" that would arise at his restaurant, pushing his partners and he to "put a ton of research" into providing a new supplier.

Scattered around Los Angeles are restaurants that could be used as examples for teaching kids how to differentiate among objects. "One of these things is not like the others" lessons. Petrillo's on Valley Boulevard in San Gabriel, a solo Italian neighborhood restaurant bobbing up and down in a sea of Chinese and other Asian establishments. The Oaxacan favorite Guelaguetza, complete with Oriental facade, is as out of place in Koreatown as Rick's Café Américain is in Casablanca. They are the lone-wolf eateries cooking to their own, unique rhythm.

West LA: Dessert & Cocktails at Plan Check

Exquisitely cooked beef bone marrow speaks to you. It gurgles, gushes and goops. It slurps and slides. It jiggles and tempts like the big bosomed lady with the Dutch accent. In lieu of this yet to be discovered style of luscious lyric, I shall dub these coos that are born from deep within the bone ― marrow music. Chef Ernesto Uchimura, the former Corporate Exec Chef of Umami Burger, may not consider himself a poet but there's no mistaking that his culinary creations express the pleasure and flavor that no other medium can.

This month old restaurant is doing something fantastic. Located on Sawtelle Blvd in West L.A., the atmosphere and staff were causal and friendly. The menu was not overly complicated and had just the right amount of items. Definitely go with a group so you can try out many of the dishes/sandwiches/burgers. So sit back, grab a beer (I had a delicious Strand Brewery 24th St. Pale Ale), eat delicious food and enjoy the LA weather.

I didn’t get to the opening, but here late on Monday night I was impressed with how busy it was for somewhere so new. Good news clearly travels fast. Ernesto Uchimura (originally Executive Chef of Umami Burger) is behind the menu, and Pablo Moix (whose recent successes include La Descarga and Harvard & Stone) put together an interesting drinks list. Two greats coming together was bound to be good.

There have been plenty of exciting new places on Sawtelle recently, including Tsujita and their amazing tsukemen, but Plan Check brings something completely new to Little Osaka: cocktails! I've been looking forward to the opening since learning that Pablo Moix and Steve Livigni are consulting and created the cocktail menu for this new place.

New restaurant and bar Plan Check will open doors February 22nd 2012 at 1800 Sawtelle Boulevard in West LA’s Little Osaka neighborhood. Drawing inspiration from design and architectural elements, Plan Check will feature modern American comfort food and a distinct bar selection, paying homage to the neighborhood’s culture. Adjacent to the Building and Safety Department, where hundreds of architects, developers, designers and engineers have plans reviewed and approved daily for permitting, Plan Check embodies a polished, industrial motif. Effortlessly blending vintage architectural office elements with raw design, rich materials and a warm atmosphere, PlanCheck encourages a communal experience.

In LA's Little Osaka neighborhood, Plan Check is officially the new, buzzed-about gastropub in town. Perhaps because it's the only one in town, surrounded by a slew of Japanese locales. But while you will find a sprinkling of Asian influences like housemade yuzu soda, wasabi and rock shrimp tempura on the menu, this spot is mostly for those who enjoy classic American grub. You know--blue cheese burgers, bacon and the like. The brainchild of a former Umami Burger chef and a local real estate developer, Plan Check combines good eats and a cool industrial-meets-chic vibe. Sounds like a must-go to us. 1800 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles.

1. The interior. It’s spacious, it’s casual and it’s bright. 2. The people. Staff was great, everyone was friendly and easygoing. 3. The menu. It has just the right amount of dishes, which means the chef focuses on what he does best. 4. THE FOOD. If you trust what I like, you’ll go to Plan Check right now. This place definitely has some real good food and I already want to go back for more.

Terry Heller, a former real estate developer, recently dove into his dream of opening a blue-collar neighborhood restaurant and bar. I wouldn’t say that this place is for blue collar folks as many of the items on the menu were quite pricey, but the communal tables give this place a great inviting atmosphere. The menu is all-American with a Japanese flair. They have playful names for their drinks, such as Godzilla and Bento Box. Their Blueprint burger pays homage to the architects and developers nearby.

In 2012, though, burgers have usurped dipping ramen at the culinary fetish zone of Little Osaka. That's thanks to Plan Check, the newly opened restaurant helmed by former Umami corporate chef Ernesto Uchimura. The restaurant's name references the neighboring Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety building, but the Suntory whiskeys behind the bar, the panko breadcrumbs baked into the buns, and the oysters with yuzu kosho cocktail sauce speak of Sawtelle's restaurants more than its bureaucracies. The Plan Check Burger (pictured; $10) isn't the flashiest of Uchimura's patty-and-bun creations, but the ketchup component is inspired: The condiment appears as a thin strip of "leather" laid over the bottom bun. It's the culinary prophylactic the world of sous-vide burgers has been waiting for, offering spongy bread a shield from the dripping juice of a medium-rare patty. Uchimura has a brawny ode to Jewish deli food on the menu, too. His pastrami sandwich ($12) is smeared with kimchi mustard and has a fried egg draped over the top slice of bread. The meat itself is treated much like bacon, the fat batons seared to a charred crisp before being loaded onto the sandwich.

That stretch of Sawtelle Blvd. north of Olympic is best known for all kinds of Japanese deliciousness from sushi to curry to tsukemen. Along comes Plan Check, tucking neatly into the end of Little Osaka's restaurant row - next to the Building and Safety Department, where the city's architects, engineers, developers and designers funnel through each day in hopes of securing permits for their plans, and which provides the inspiration for its name. The marketing blueprint for the seeming square-peg-in-round-hole restaurant? Small plates "inspired by traditional American classics", rye whiskey cocktails, and premium beers.

What do you get when you pair a former Umami Burger executive chef with a local real estate developer turned restauranteur who takes inspiration from a municipal office charged with overseeing construction? You get Plan Check Kitchen + Bar, a great new gastropub which officially opens today in the Westside’s Japanese restaurant mecca known as Little Osaka. Plan Check is located adjacent to the Department of Building and Safety, which inspired Plan Check’s name and industrial-chic decor. Once you’ve been seated, the hostess carries out the theme further by stamping part of the drink menu onto the paper covering your table, using a large ink stamp like the ones used next door to approve architectural plans.

Last night, the Backyard Bite left her comfortable West Hollywood haven and ventured across the 405 to “Little Osaka" to try what is bound to be a new favorite neighborhood burger joint. At 8:30 pm on a Monday, the eve of their official opening (February 21st), there was not an empty seat at Plan Check Bar. Word travels fast in this foodie town, especially if you’ve got former Umami Burger Corporate Executive Chef, Ernesto Uchimura at the helm of your kitchen.

Don't be misguided. Plan Check is just testing out friends and family service. This Sawtelle addition opens to the public on February 22 so plan accordingly.

I noticed this place just a little while ago as I pedaled by on my bike. According to Grub St LA it is going to feature burgers and crullers... Looks interesting. I couldn't tell if it was open yet but the sign was lit and it looked ready. Just north of Granada Market and Tempura House on the same (east) side of the street.

Chef/Partner Ernesto Uchimura along with barmen Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix promise American comfort food and distinctive drinks in a community-focused atmosphere at Plan Check, their new restaurant and bar in West LA’s Sawtelle neighborhood. Along with carefully sourced dishes and creative cocktails, Plan Check is geared toward a social experience, with some communal table and a neighborhood vibe. Plan Check opens February 22.

No longer just something initiated by hyper-anal vacationers, Plan Check is now also an upscale industrial gastrobistro from a former real estate developer, built in a space that used to house a place people usually visited before getting housed (a liquor store!). Read more: http://thrillist.com//food/los-angeles/ca/90025/west-la/plan-check_american_great-beer-selection_great-cocktails#ixzz1nFDkYsoU

Our president has descended upon the Westside today, so you’re thinking about one thing and one thing only: The ungodly traffic. And your arsenal of places to help you avoid it. And just in case you’re generally shy on vast warehouses full of fried chicken and Japanese whiskey... Take a look at Plan Check, an industrial Westside shrine to the power of smoky chicken and smokier brown liquor, soft-opening tomorrow in the shadow of the 405.

Terry Heller's Plan Check, bringing Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix to the Westside alongside contemporary U.S. comfort cooking from Umami Burger's launch chef Ernesto Uchimura, has set an opening date. Expect Plan Check's doors to be open on Wednesday, February 22nd, following friends-and-family runs this week. The new Little Osaka restaurant will be open from 11:00 A.M.-12:00 A.M. Sunday through Thursday, and until 2:00 A.M. on weekends.

A release today confirms that Terry Heller and chef/partner Ernesto Uchimura's Plan Check will open on February 22 in West LA’s Little Osaka nabe. But, actually, friends and fam kicks off this coming Thursday and if you want to score a pre-taste, e-mail here for an early resy.

Terry Heller's Plan Check, bringing Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix to the Westside alongside contemporary U.S. comfort cooking from Umami Burger's launch chef Ernesto Uchimura, has set an opening date. Expect Plan Check's doors to be open on Wednesday, February 22nd, following friends-and-family runs this week. The new Little Osaka restaurant will be open from 11:00 A.M.-12:00 A.M. Sunday through Thursday, and until 2:00 A.M. on weekends.

Plan Check, the newest entrant to Sawtelle's buzzing restaurant row, will open Feb. 22. The upper-midscale gastropubby restaurant features chef Ernesto Uchimura (Umami Burger) behind the stoves and mixologists Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix (La Descarga, Harvard & Stone, Black Market) behind the bar -- or at least the cocktail program.

West L.A.'s Plan Check is edging ever closer to an opening date, owner Terry Heller tells Grub Street today. The restaurant, which appears to be more ambitious (and obviously more Yankee-influenced) than most to grace Sawtelle's Little Osaka, has one more inspection to pass, while Heller plans four friends and family soft-opening parties prior to the grand-opening, which should happen "around February 20th," he says.

While almost every restaurant on Sawtelle is Asian, the style of this scheduled mid-February opening will be pure gastropub – lots of beers, serious mixology and small dishes – a change for those who need something other than sushi and ramen after a night watching The Rocky Horror Show (again!) at the nearby Nuart. It's slated for mid-Feburary (1800 Sawtelle Blvd.; 310-288-6500).

Here's a look at the official logo for Plan Check, that new Sawtelle restaurant and bar from real estate developer Terry Heller. So far the venue is on target to open mid-November and Heller just recently hired Ernesto Uchimura as consulting chef. Uchimura most recently served as corporate executive chef of Umami Burger and for Plan Check he will organize a menu inspired by American classics.

Ever since the first post went up on Monday, there has been an audible buzz about Plan Check restaurant and bar which will open this coming November/December on Sawtelle near Nebraska. Owner Terry Heller, an LA native who, up until now, worked as a real estate developer, always wanted to delve into the world of hospitality. Ideally, he aspired to open a blue collar neighborhood restaurant, and after a 14 month search he decided on the above pictured venue which boasts an abundance of free street parking all around (score!).

The shape of Sawtelle looks to be changing a bit these days. Safe and Save was recently shuttered after 40 years, fancy Cafe Tomo is now rocking the Avenue, while we wait for new stops for okonomiyaki, Mexican food, "snow cream," and imported Japanese ramen empire Nidaime Tsujita. But an even more glaring new addition is Plan Check, a new restaurant and bar that early on touts a vintage aesthetic that gives us an M.B. Post/Harvard & Stone vibe.

Plywood is up at the corner of Sawtelle and Nebraska for a new restaurant and bar called Plan Check. Design is handled by Raveled Studio and per the eatery's website, Plan Check is expected to open late fall

Plan Check Kitchen + Bar is a quaint little restaurant located in West LA's Little Osaka. Many of you might be familiar with this area for the sushi, but maybe you've frequented the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety on a regular basis to have your plans reviewed for permitting. The concept behind this restaurant design embodies the creative lifestyle of architects, designers, and developers that flock here on a regular basis.