WHY This carefully constructed Cal-Mediterranean seafood menu is worth the splurge, especially when you consider the setting. WHAT High ceilings, crisp white walls and floor-to-ceiling windows frame the dazzling view at this privileged outpost of elegant, yet unshowoffy, cuisine. A chef change led to a menu change as well, so the Asian influences gave way [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY Lobster enchiladas, and one of the best happy hours in town. WHAT Chaya Venice’s once-pioneering East-meets-West cuisine is now found all over L.A., but it’s good to revisit the source for good sushi, seaweed salads, pastas and such French-Japanese hybrids as miso-marinated sea bass with a wasabi-tamarind beurre blanc. WHO Venice artists and musicians, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY It’s got it all: indoor-outdoor dining in hip Culver City, a fun vibe, a great happy hour and excellent dishes made with such au courant things as burrata, Kurobuta pork and shaved goat cheese. WHAT What was a trendy Culver City newcomer not so long ago has now eased into a comfortable adulthood, with [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY No cover, no drink minimum, no kidding. WHAT Listening to jazz and sipping martinis at this stylish neighborhood restaurant on a Sunday night—when the rest of the world is nodding off during 60 Minutes—is deliciously fun and indulgent. Grab a seat at the bar to hear such accomplished musicians as blues guitarist Phil Upchurch [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY The view and the weekend prix-fixe brunch. WHAT In a modern space overlooking bobbing boats, the dinner crowd sips cocktails and dines on oysters, sushi, black spaghetti with seafood, and Alaskan halibut with braised fennel and baby artichokes. The cooking’s appealing and consistent, though not quite worth the steep dinnertime tab. Lunch or brunch [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY The creative sandwiches and burgers, including the ‘Coastal Oregon sushi-quality smoked albacore tuna melt,’ the grilled ahi tuna burger and the Niman Ranch cheeseburger. WHAT A burnished take on wine-country rusticity, the Napa Valley Grille is a good option for a business lunch or dinner before the curtain goes up at the Geffen. It [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY Farmers’ market—fresh comfort food like shrimp and grits (the house special), shiitake-and-Gruyère bread pudding, and pear crumble. Extras include a big communal table, a modest $10 corkage and no corkage on Mondays. WHAT Nook Bistro is indeed a nook, a tiny spot hidden in the back corner of a little strip mall with not [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY Who knew Brentwood could be this happening? WHAT This upscale, always-packed, almost manic place is very Lost in Translation—lots of neon, purple and white leather, all of it created by famed French designer Philippe Starck. The menu, from sushi chef Katsuya Uechi, includes a variety of hot and cold items, including scallops with kiwi [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY To sip sake and nibble on gorgeous small plates and sushi on the patio, next to the romantic fire pit. WHAT The current star of the Sawtelle Japanese scene, Hayama is winner for its bamboo-lined patio, its two sake bars and the excellent small-plates-and-sushi food of Toshi Sugiura: scallop sashimi, grilled yellowtail collar, soft-shell [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
WHY For a slice of old Hollywood, with a gentlemen’s club-style lounge, a pretty garden dining room and lovely tables under the overhanging oak trees on the patio. WHAT Food isn’t the main attraction at this fabled spot, although the eggs Benedict at brunch are one of the city’s best versions, and the ladies who [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
Discoveries |
Read More »
RSS Feed
Become a Fan
Follow Us
