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 All things good and local are found at this modestly sized temple to tempting baked goods, bursting-with-flavor vegetables and ever-changing menus. WHAT The quintessential Silver Lake café turns out some of the area’s best home-style,locally sourced cooking, from the pork belly sandwich to superb daily quiches, many involving produce from nearby backyard farmers. At [...]
December 22, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For talented, gregarious chef Mark Gold, and for the Sunday brunch and dinner. WHAT Cozy, minimalist Eva has two faces: the more restrained cuisine, such as udon noodles with clams and scallops served at lunch and dinner most days, and the heartier Sunday dinners. The Sunday four-course prix-fixe meals are a great value, with [...]
December 11, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY For an unexpected taste of Latin America. WHAT A graceful dining room inside an old California bungalow serves Guatemala’s national turkey dish, kakik de pavo, a mole-like thick soup, and pollo en crema, rich and sharp with the tang of buttery cultured cream. Enchiladas topped with a tower of shredded beef, beet salad, and [...]
December 9, 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 Upscale Mexican cuisine with a beautiful Long Beach view. WHAT A centerpiece of the redesigned and rebranded Hotel Maya, Fuego delivers a Mexican menu focused on coastal cooking. That translates to dishes like citric ceviches of shrimp and lobster scooped up with plantain chips, YucatÂn-style pork two ways (presented as an achiote-glazed fillet and [...]
December 3, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY South of France—inspired dining morning, noon or night in a pretty Côte d’Azur setting. WHAT Hollywood’s glitzy W Hotel may seem an improbable place to find a bright brasserie seemingly transplanted from Cannes, but this bustling, white-tiled, marble-floored spot is good for business meetings, visitors touring Hollywood and post-clubbing late meals. The menu is [...]
November 30, 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 Because you never know when the urge for a terrific, if Lilliputian, lobster roll (creamy and a bit spicy, stuffed into a warm, butter-grilled roll) will hit. WHAT This seafood-centric spinoff of Animal is tiny and generally mobbed, so it’s nice that a long communal table as well as a few seats at the [...]
November 19, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY True Neapolitan-style pies in a pleasant sit-down space with beer and wine. WHAT According to the menu, Neapolitan-style pizza is meant to be enjoyed without excessive toppings. The thin, chewy crust has a distinct sourdough tang, while the tomato sauce is bright and fresh. Pies are simply topped with buffalo mozzarella, a scattering of [...]
November 18, 2011 | Posted in
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