"I don't care if it's too Indian or not. The experience is authentic to me and I don't think it needs to be anything more than that," affirmed Avish Naran, owner of Pijja Palace, a hip and creative new sports bar in Los Angeles that bases its menu on his experience as an Indian-American growing up in the City of Angels.

The much hyped hotspot already draws lines out the door even before it opens, with customers eager to take a seat in the sleek, modern dining space that's flanked on all sides by flatscreens, reminding all that this is a legit sports bar — that just so happens to serve up the most unique sports bar food in the country. Think Italian food interpreted through Naran's Indian-American lens.

Chef Miles Shorey oversees the kitchen, churning out one-of-a-kind dishes like Dosa Onion Rings, Green Chutney Pijja (pijja being a play on 'pizza'), Malai Rigatoni, and an outstanding Tandoori Spaghetii that was one of my favorite dishes of the year. Trust, this is food that comes with a lot of depth and nuance, without being to high brow for the sports bar crowd.

"Just because we're not doing frou-frou shit doesn't mean we can't be creative," declared Naran, a statement that embodies the palpable energy at Pijja Palace that diners will experience — whether they pull up to watch a Laker game or come for the fun and inventive menu.