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 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 Cal-Mex cuisine at its gut-busting best, plus an excellent cadillac margarita and low prices. WHAT If you grew up in Southern California, this is the kind of restaurant you dreamt of when you went away to college. It boasts every Mexican-restaurant cliché: hokey paintings, a logo with a sombrero-sporting hombre, rustic ranchero-style leather chairs [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY French bistro food at reasonable prices—especially the $12 brunch specials—in a convivial setting. WHAT In a charming old house in the heart of Abbot Kinney lies a French café that combines Venice style with traditional bistro cooking. Terrine de canard, salade frisée aux lardons, moules frites, entrecôte grillée, soufflé au chocolat chaud—it’s all here, [...]
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 Despite its strip-mall location, this is the kind of intimate, authentic trattoria you dream of finding in your own backyard. WHAT You arrive to seductive, garlicky odors wafting through the door and the attentions of cute, heavily accented Italian waiters—and food that lives up the anticipatory promise, from the hearty pasta arrabbiata to a [...]
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WHY The seafood’s usually outstanding, including almond-crusted rainbow trout and pepper-crusted ahi with green-tea soba noodles. WHAT JiRaffe epitomizes the California bistro, with its elegant chandeliers hung above cozy tables, first-rate service and the creative market-based California-French cuisine of surfer-chef Raphael Lunetta. Bargain hunters, take note of Lunetta’s fantastic three-course Monday-night dinner, a bistro-style menu [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY As they say, ‘partake of the angelic vibrations of the violet ray,’ baby. The food’s great. WHAT Although it’s tempting to make fun of this ’70s-era hippie landmark, the food is no joke. The diverse menu features raw food dishes like a summer-squash lasagne, vegetarian choices such as agave-glazed vegan duck and carnivore-pleasers such [...]
Type: Restaurant
Region: West of the 405
Neighborhood: Topanga
Features: Breakfast, Dinner, Essentially L.A., Kid Friendly, Lunch, Patio Dining, Private Room, Quiet, Romantic, Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian
Price Range: $10-$16, $25-$33
Cuisine Type: Modern American, Vegetarian
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Honest fare at great prices: pourquoi pas? WHAT So many restaurants claim to be a neighborhood bistro these days, but it’s a shock to actually find one. Le Petit Café is the real deal, with chalkboard-toting waiters, tiny bistro tables topped with Provençal linens and fine, straightforward bistro food at surprisingly good prices. WHO [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Inventive sushi rolls and exuberant chefs. (If you stay until closing, you’ll get to hear them belt out Hotel California, perhaps accompanied by a few well-served patrons.) WHAT One of the nation’s first sushi restaurants, Hama has been hot since 1979, combining a flip-flops-friendly atmosphere with fresh, carefully prepared sushi, sashimi and cooked Japanese [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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