The restaurants at the end of the universe

When you believe you are about to be annihilated—because, say, two leaders in charge of nuclear arsenals keep threatening to blow one another up—there are only a few practical decisions left to make. One of them, of course, is where to eat your last meal. Angelenos are in luck, because the news-and-culture website LAist has published a handy list of “The Five Best Last Meals to Eat In L.A. Before A Nuclear Attack.”

What does one eat at the end of the world? Chefs have long played the “Last Supper” game, offering detailed fantasies of what they would consume just before curtains. Anthony Bourdain went with bone marrow and a Guinness; Lidia Bastianich wanted linguine overlooking the Adriatic. In the Douglas Adams novel The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, the menu at the title establishment includes a talking cow who wants to be eaten. That restaurant, though, exists at the end of time, whereas many now fear nuclear annihilation could come sooner. Perhaps LAist was fired up by missile expert David Wright’s observation this week that “if what you’re trying to do is hit Los Angeles, that’s a pretty damn big target.”

The LAist list goes for a mix of luxury and comfort food. And why not spend big? Even if you survive a nuclear war, your savings are not going to survive the global economic collapse. Editor Julia Wick suggests a deluxe chef’s choice sushi menu, or, if that’s not your thing, a pasta that “will make you believe in God one last time before humans destroy each other.” She also proposes a taco joint and an all-day-breakfast place near the airport, “just in case you can still catch a flight to Switzerland.” And since this is California, she recommends the double-double at In-n-Out: “Is there a single burger that means more things to more people?” Bon appetit.