WHY To support the good works of the local Rotary Club while tasting wine in a beautiful place. WHAT The words ‘unpretentiousness’ and ‘wine’ don’t often go together, but they do just that, and beautifully so, at this neighborly afternoon festival that supports Ojai’s Rotary-West. Tickets range from $25 to $35, depending on when you [...]
WHY Pillowy spinach or pumpkin gnocchi, various pastas with a rich homemade rag, and a sublime linguine with shrimp, fresh tomato and olive oil. WHAT This tiny, family-run storefront trattoria is one of the best-kept secrets on Larchmont. Sweet people, low prices and delicate yet flavorful pastas. Our only regret is the limited hours. WHO [...]
WHY Chic elegance in a neighborhood more known for casual bistros. Check out the lobster bake on Wednesdays. WHAT Now that the cocktail-lounge action has moved out back to the adjacent Rockwell VT, Vermont is more about the dining experience. Stephane Beaucamp’s food is as elegant as the space: warm Medjool date salad, prime flat-iron [...]
WHY Honest French-bistro charm, a civilized breakfast, a dreamy chocolate soufflé and a good happy hour, with $5 Kirs and wine and tasty small plates. WHAT The service is often problematic, the kitchen can be slow, and the prices could be lower. But we still love Figaro, which bursts with Parisian charm, from the sidewalk [...]
WHY For delicious, expensive steaks, satisfying, expensive breakfasts, 1920s elegance and food served 24 hours a day. Great for serious business meetings and gleeful middle-of-the-night splurges. WHAT Dating to 1921, this added-upon former railroad dining car on the fringes of downtown is as beloved as Musso & Frank and even more—but the food’s a lot [...]
WHY It brings the spirit of washoku—the revival of traditional Japanese flavors and methods updated with today’s artisanal ingredients—from Japan to California. WHAT The two bars, a wine bar, an open robata-style kitchen, tatami rooms and outdoor seating add up to a luxe, sexy environment to indulge in some elegant and traditional Japanese fare: sashimi [...]
WHY Sake, romance, careful service and excellent izakaya. WHAT Curtained booths allude to the tatami rooms of the past at this sleek South Bay looker serving great food and an extensive sake list that includes several flights. Every dish, including crunchy fried baby Spanish mackerel, fresh salmon roe omelet and seared albacore with spicy sauce, [...]
WHY A serene afternoon tea service with delectable scones and the best strawberry jam around. WHAT Tea-party groups (no, not that kind of Tea Party) meet here for the peaceful, gilt-trimmed setting and handy Old Pasadena location. If you can’t make it for the finger sandwiches, check out the surprisingly happening dinner scene (live jazz [...]
WHY Signature rosemary bread for toast and sandwiches, not one but two great bacon offerings (applewood smoked and candied) on the breakfast menu and killer chocolate-mint brownies in the dessert case. Plus fantastic takeout baskets for the plane or the Hollywood Bowl. WHAT Breakfast or lunch on the shaded sidewalk terrace fronting this impossibly charming [...]
WHY Inventive, flavorful, beach-friendly Cal-Asian fusion cooking is served in a ten-table bo’te closely overseen by the friendly owner/chef, who doubles as sommelier and keeps a close watch over the dining room. Great happy-hour menu at the tiny bar. WHAT Lately this nachos-friendly beach neighborhood is drawing a more food-serious crowd with wine bars and [...]
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