WHY The kitchen knows when to take a fish off the grill and how to bring out the best in each dish—without overcomplicating it. The setting and the food combine to make this the perfect California restaurant. WHAT This lively (i.e. noisy) Abbot Kinney hot spot has a ’70s open-air Big Sur vibe but a [...]
February 1, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY House-baked pastries, good sandwiches, Intelligentsia coffee, Lupicia teas and tomb-like quiet for working. WHAT With a no-talking upstairs study area and a quiet downstairs lounge, plus a leafy patio with plenty of shade umbrellas and no restriction on chatting, Bricks & Scones appeals to serious students and screenwriters as well as ladies who lunch [...]
January 9, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY The crispy portobello fries with truffle aioli. Did we mention the fries? WHAT Veteran Rose City restaurateur (Bistro 45) Robert Simon moved his St. Helena restaurant, AKA, to One Colorado in Old Town, and Pasadena is stoked to have a local boy making good in the midst of the chain eateries. The eclectic menu [...]
December 31, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY To enjoy delicious food and drink in an elegant room without a hint of stuffiness. WHAT The team behind Elements Café & Catering operates this attractive white-tablecloth restaurant in the charming, Spanish-style Pasadena Playhouse complex. With a menu organized around key ingredients (‘elements’) that change with the seasons, this is a fun restaurant for [...]
December 16, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY You need the perfect wine or the perfect gift, and you don’t have a vast budget or time to wander through a mall. WHAT The trio of women who run this chic shop sell a well-edited selection of wines and gifts (for yourself or for others, including babies) relating to food, wine, entertaining and [...]
November 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Satisfying French bistro fare without having to go over the hill. WHAT Chef Gordon Ramsay’s stem-to-stern redo of this Sherman Oaks mainstay (39 years!) resulted in a trimmer, more modern menu that focuses on what the kitchen does best: simple French bistro food and savory and sweet crèpes. Don’t miss the onion soup, the [...]
November 22, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Because you never know when the urge for a terrific, if Lilliputian, lobster roll (creamy and a bit spicy, stuffed into a warm, butter-grilled roll) will hit. WHAT This seafood-centric spinoff of Animal is tiny and generally mobbed, so it’s nice that a long communal table as well as a few seats at the [...]
November 19, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Terrific, refined Italian fare without having to go over the hill. WHAT Florentine native and sometime actor Armando Pucci has created a delightful spot for fans of light, sophisticated Tuscan food. We are slaves to the chalkboard daily specials (the pappardelle with Dungeness crab and cherry tomatoes is sublime), but the regular menu has [...]
November 6, 2011 | Posted in
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We’ll admit it: Ventura Boulevard lacks the cachet of such other important streets “over the hill” as Wilshire and Sunset. The main surface artery through the San Fernando Valley has long, utterly forgettable stretches lined with strip malls, auto dealerships and low-end motels. However, as Ventura heads into Studio City, it’s studded with some of [...]
WHY For the chance to explore the rich flavors of authentic Portuguese cooking. WHAT Known for its traditional Portuguese pastries, Natas now has a full-on restaurant. You could be in Lisbon—the charming room, entirely lined in crisp blue-and-white tile, is one of the few places in town to sample dishes like caldeirada, a seafood stew, [...]
October 30, 2011 | Posted in
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