la.foodblogging

If you don’t work downtown, and only speed through its deserted streets at night, you might not guess how busy the city’s restaurants get over the course of a day. Who knew, for example, that Ciudad serves up 137 mojitos a day? Or that Phillipe’s serves 500 french dips during lunch? Los Angeles Downtown News staffers have gathered the stats on an array of local eateries. The results are pretty interesting:

The Downtown Palm: 3-5 = Number of people each lunch who ask GM Jonathan Scott how they can get (a caricature of themselves) on the wall. Regulars know the answer: Eat there, a lot. 200 = Average number of meals served during a busy lunch, though if a convention is happening across the street, expect this to double.

Philippe’s: 5,000 = The amount, in dollars, that Mathieu got when he sold it to Harry, Dave and Frank Martin. The restaurant changed hands in 1927. 32 = The number of years that the longest-serving employee, a woman named Juanita, has worked behind the counter.

Eastside Deli: 20 = Approximate number of women who have confessed to Anthony they come to Eastside to scope out firemen. 200 = The daily tally of roast beef and pastrami sandwiches served. The $5.90 heaping mound of the two meats, also known as the No. 7, is the deli’s most popular order.

Ciudad: 6 = Number of weeks until the restaurant’s redesigned, expanded bar is unveiled. Manager Iona Muir promises it will be the hip Downtown destination. 117 The number of non-alcoholic specialty drinks sold daily. Try the peppy minty lime cooler or the watermelon lemonade.

Empress Pavillion: 40-60 = Varieties of dim sum served on any given day, from har gow to siu mai to lotus leaves filled with sticky rice. 600 = Number of people who flock to the restaurant during a busy lunch. General Manager Ken Poon says that count soars to 2,000 on weekends.

There are more restaurants and many more stats in the story, link.