WHY Because Studio City needs a civilized, elegant spot for lunch and dinner. WHAT Raphael is an intimate bo’te with an eclectic yet traditional menu from chef Adam Horton, formerly of Saddle Peak Lodge. The interior, designed by Terry Raphael, is drop-dead gorgeous, with a comfortable lounge/bar and a warm dining room that has so [...]
April 17, 2013 | Posted in
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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 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 Gorgeous lunch salads and very good dinnertime pastas. WHAT Run by hometown girl Gale Kohl and her husband, Rene Chila, Gale’s features a talented Italian chef, warm atmosphere and professional wait staff. Favorite dishes include mussels with white wine and garlic, caprese salad, Caesar salad and rosemary lamb chops. But for the best eating, [...]
March 4, 2013 | Posted in
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WHY Good classic French bistro fare: bouillabaisse, steak frites (great), sole meunière. The cheese bar is a dairy addict’s heaven. WHAT Dubbed a slice of Paris in L.A., David Myer’s place is really a Paris brasserie gone Hollywood, with slick Marilyn Monroe—white booths and old-school bartenders making excellent drinks. Some regulars come just for the [...]
March 2, 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 Luscious prime rib and a theatrical sense of ‘going out.’ WHAT It’s kinda like the Disneyland of restaurants. Lawry’s has characters (waitresses in uniforms and perky caps and imposing carving men in stiff toques), adventures (salad tossed tableside in a huge spinning bowl, prime rib carved from a silver cart) and tons of Japanese [...]
February 17, 2013 | Posted in
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