WHY Except for low prices, this place has everything that’s missing from Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s other restaurants with similar farmers’-market-friendly Cal-French cuisine: breakfast, brunch, kids’ menus, cocktail bar, even a takeout counter. WHAT This glammed-up addition to the Lucques/AOC family is light-filled by day and romantic by night, with a takeout-friendly café as [...]
April 16, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY Because people need somewhere to drink in Brentwood. WHAT Situated next to longstanding Italian restaurant Toscana, this swank, nominally Italian bar goes heavy on the Amaro, Cynar, Campari and Fernet. The cocktails are a few bucks more expensive than they deserve to be, but the décor is pretty and clever. Suitable for a happy-hour [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Ice cream pie, thick milkshakes, and amazing flavors like malted chocolate with hazelnut praline. WHAT Owned by the folks behind Rustic Canyon and Huckleberry Café, this Country Mart spot showcases seasonal, small-batch ice creams and sorbets that include ginger, strawberry, banana, grapefruit-mint and that haunting malted chocolate. It also offers upscale versions of childhood [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Superb contemporary bon bons, caramels, English toffee, truffles and single-origin chocolate bars with such exotic flavorings as smoked sea salt, pink peppercorns and even a summer Harry’s Berries strawberry truffle. WHAT The 1950s-era Brentwood fixture famous for its chocolate-dipped dried fruits is now run by young chocolatier Jonathan Grahm of the Bonny Doon Vineyard [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Very good brioche, proper French croissants, mini baguettes and, for lunch, baguette sandwiches made to order. Excellent lattes, too. WHAT This family-friendly bakery is a community center in this upscale community, a place to meet for coffee, grab a sandwich for lunch, order a birthday cake or take the kids after school for a [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY The irresistible pesce cuocopazzo—fresh whitefish with a horseradish-pistachio crust and sauce of white wine, garlic, lemon and fresh tomatoes. WHAT There’s always a crowd at this Brentwood trattoria, perhaps the best of the large Italian bunch in the neighborhood—so don’t even think of coming without a reservation. The ceilings are high (and so are [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Basic pastas like cacio e pepe (spaghetti with pecorino, parmesan and pepper) that are so satisfying you’ll wonder what else they’re sneaking into the bowl. WHAT Step inside Pecorino, and you’ll be greeted by a gush of warmth—brick walls, cozy bistro tables, rustic chandeliers—and exuberant host Mario Sabatini. As he hops around the dining [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY There are lots of Italian eateries in Brentwood; this one stands out because it’s friendly, homey and has reasonable prices. WHAT Trieste native Paolo Pasio has the warmth required of a good trattoria owner, and his dining room is inviting and often crowded. His kitchen turns out very fine Italian comfort food: beet salad, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Wine is more fun than software, so thank you, Moe, for quitting your day job to open this place. WHAT Scott ‘Moe’ Levy’s high-end neighborhood shop looks like a dream home cellar, with stained-wood wine racks, Riedel stemware and a carefully chosen array of $8 to $800 wines, many from small California producers. And [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Excellent prepared and deli foods, pretty produce and a butcher that carries four kinds of beef: Kobe, Midwestern prime, certified Black Angus and hormone-free Angus. WHAT A family-owned market that’s kind of like a small Whole Foods (and Whole Foods is just down the street), Vicente Foods has L.A.’s best selection of products (preserves, [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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