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 Good, straightforward Indian cooking with a few not-too-trendy modern touches, including Indian-inspired tacos. Excellent-value lunch menu. WHAT Radhika calls itself a ‘modern Indian bistro,’ which sounds gimmicky but is actually quite accurate. The interior is cozy, done in deep colors. Service is attentive and kind. There’s a good list of wines and beers. And [...]
December 29, 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 For a fantasy French bistro experience when your ship has come in. WHAT Chef Thomas Keller, he of the French Laundry, Per Se and Ad Hoc, has at last come to Los Angeles. It’s supposed to be a branch of the original Bouchon in Yountville, but this is pure Beverly Hills, large and lavish [...]
December 8, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY First-rate house-roasted beans or coffee to drink on-site in a spacious, peaceful setting. WHAT Can’t find a seat at Jones? Then head to this fine coffeehouse, which also roasts its own beans (they’re excellent) and has a lot more room to hang out than its west Pasadena competitor. Founded by Fuller Seminary folks, it [...]
December 7, 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 WeHo chic in old-money Pasadena. WHAT This glam white-on-white restaurant doesn’t look one bit like Pasadena, and we admire the Langham Huntington for pushing the envelope. (It’s always entertaining to see San Marino men in Brooks Brothers blazers trying to figure out what to do with that precious morsel of lobster that appears to [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Some of L.A.’s most original and inspired cocktails in an atmosphere that oozes discreet charm. WHAT The mellow ambience belies the rigorous attention to detail bestowed on every cocktail by Allan Katz and his crew. The location doesn’t make it easy to find (you have to walk through the Doheny’s parking lot), but once [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The Los Angeles County Museum of Art finally gets the high-style bar and restaurant it deserves. WHAT With bright red Saarinen chairs and a display of colorful teacups from the museum’s collection, the bright, airy restaurant complements the recently added Renzo Piano—designed pavilion opposite. On chef Kris Morningstar’s menu, flavorful fare like wild mushrooms, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY It’s a special occasion. Or your boss is paying. Or you’re coming before 7 p.m. for the light $24 three-course meal, great for pre-theater. WHAT Glide through the Ritz-Carlton lobby, ascend 24 floors heavenward, make your way through the hubbub of the lounge and prepare to enjoy some of the best food ever served [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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