WHY Hip and friendly, with a sangria and tapas menu on Thursdays, when the bustling local farmers’ market comes to life outside its door. WHAT This tented bistro is bright by day and romantic at night, with an always-interesting and usually wonderful menu of multiethnic offerings, from red chile vegetable egg rolls to warm spinach [...]
April 7, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY Exemplary wine list; creative and confident cooking. WHAT This is certainly a contender for the title of “Best Upscale Restaurant” in the San Gabriel Valley. The patio’s the place for lunch; for dinner, the suavely modern dining rooms beckon. Standouts include the superb bouillabaisse and the grilled beef tenderloin. There’s usually a bread pudding [...]
March 24, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY Terrific L.A.-style Euro-Asian fusion food, a swinging happy hour, four hours of free parking and a free shuttle to the Music Center. WHAT The youngest member of the great Chaya family is a hit. The serene, Asian-accented space has an impressive art-glass chandelier in the bar and comfy outdoor booths that, on a warm [...]
March 11, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY The avocado tower, lobster salad and the tasting menu. WHAT Christine Brown combines flavors of the Mediterranean and the Pacific Rim in this color-washed bistro, and the results are generally quite successful. The ‘greens and grazing plates’ are typically big enough to share as a starter; half the room seems to get the avocado [...]
March 9, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY Chef Akira Hirose, who trained with Joel Robuchon and has cooked at Citrus and L’Orangerie, brings his particular brand of culinary artistry to the French-Japanese restaurant that bears his name. WHAT Picture a townhouse on the Upper East side of Manhattan and you’ll have an idea of Maison Akira’s décor. Its quiet opulence—in the [...]
March 8, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY Famous for the garlic bread, the Smoke House is best at old-school dinner-house fare like steak Sinatra, prime rib and shrimp Louie. A popular brunch buffet on weekends, early-bird specials and live entertainment in the lounge also draw fans. WHAT Judy Garland is no longer dining at the Smoke House, but the faux-Tudor restaurant [...]
March 1, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY Don’t-miss dishes like salt-and-pepper shrimp, whole steamed fish and crab in black bean sauce. WHAT Vast and glossy, this reliable Cantonese restaurant is chaotic for dim sum and a bit more refined at dinner. The fresh and varied dim sum is served from rolling carts, and the seafood is consistently excellent. A seafood feast [...]
February 25, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY To worship at the shrine of California cuisine. WHAT Wolfgang Puck still works the room from time to time, when he’s not off overseeing his global empire, but this is really Lee Hefter’s kingdom, and it’s a magical kingdom indeed. Hefter-Puck (with chef de cuisine Tetsu Yahagi) have kept the standards at peak level [...]
February 21, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY Chinatown restaurants can seem all too similar, but JR stands out for hot pots, lobster specials and well-prepared standards. WHAT The same owners’ JR Restaurant was one of the westside’s top Chinese restaurants, and faithful customers will find many of the same favorites at this slightly slicker updated spot with white tablecloths, beer and [...]
February 6, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY Pizza dough of perfect flavor and bite, paired with superb toppings; the margherita is simple the way E=MC2 is simple. WHAT Is Mozza’s pizza the second coming of Christ? You’d think so with all the hullabaloo around this pizzeria and its celebrity-chef parents, Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali. But the result is something more [...]
January 31, 2013 | Posted in
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