Los Angeles Restaurants

Southern Hospitality from Preux & Proper

Preux & Proper restaurant in downtown Los Angeles has now been open about 3 ½ years and a recent visit to their new upstairs dining room confirmed that Southern Hospitality is alive and well in the City of Angels. Featuring dishes from across the south, the restaurant has two chefs, Joshua Kopel and SammyMonsour, and has the added advantage of being located in a historic turn of the century flatiron wedge building. More>>>

Manhattan House Offering American Style Gastropub Food

The Manhattan House restaurant in Manhattan Beach has slowly been picking up momentum since opening in July 2015 thanks to the sterling work of chef Diana Stavaridis. She is a former protégé of Neal Fraser, and although the place likes to bill itself as New York meets Manhattan Beach, there are plenty of other influences on tap here like North African and Southern style cooking. Nothing emphasizes that better then the sumptuous Fried Chicken ($18), which is Buttermilk fried and served with corn bread and chile honey butter. Almost all of the More>>>

Is Anejo Cantina & Grill in Sherman Oaks the Best in the Valley?

This is a huge new place in Sherman Oaks of over 11,000 square feet that has been open since August with a comprehensive menu featuring food from every region in Mexico. They also have an outdoor patio area with fire pits and a separate banqueting area that is fully soundproofed. This is a major operation that was formerly an Italian restaurant, whose portions are huge. However, getting information about the chef, or even meeting him, was a bit difficult, but I did discover that he is from Honduras, and his sous chef, from Mexico. More>>>

Mexican Street Food and Killer Cocktails at Cocina Condesa

Here is a little Studio City gem that I am happy to write about where Sunday brunch is fueled by the rather strong cocktails created by David Rubin, a transplanted New Yorker. The Chef here is Eddy Garcia, and together they make quite a team. Garcia acting and certainly looking like a genuine Aztec dancer, which I think was his former career, and Rubin, a high-energy character, is eager to impress locals in his first year from New York. More>>>

Lago at Bellagio Las Vegas

Lago by Julian Serrano has just opened up at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, serving small plate Italian dishes served with carefully crafted cocktails all under the watchful eye of Michelin starred chef Julian Serrano. It is a beautiful light and airy space, almost all white and silver in concept and it overlooks the Bellagio Lake and Fountains, a major tourist attraction in Las Vegas. The architecture is based on early 20th century Italian futurism which includes a stunning outside patio area. The entrance boasts a 1500 square foot mosaic of Milan. The dining room was designed by Munge Leung and features massive arched windows which helps to maximize views of the fountains. More>>>

Asa Meza opens in Hollywood Blending Asian and Latin Delights

ASA MEZA is a new spot in Hollywood just at the corner of Hollywood and Vine that boasts A stunning library style interior and an outdoor patio area that will become a big hit in the upcoming summer months. They opened up in early February and in the first month business was a bit spotty, but it is slowly picking up now that the word is getting out. More>>>

Cassel's Hamburger Joint

The Hotel Normandie in Koreatown is now host to Cassell’s Restaurant—a hamburger joint that has been around since 1948. It opened in this location in December 2014 and brings a touch of new to the Hotel Normandie (despite all of the old signs on the wall brought from the previous location). The atmosphere is very lively, albeit a bit noisy since the tables are very close together, but the staff couldn’t be more welcoming and I for one look forward to returning. More>>>

Authentic Italian Food at Century City's Obica

Obica Italian Restaurant in Century City smacks with authenticity and I believe it wishes to be known as a Mozzarella destination. Of course the famous cheese is an important part of the mix, but with chef Simone Santpietro running the show, there is a lot more to stimulate the palate.

The Milan chef has been in America about six years and simply loves it here in Los More>>>

Lisa Vanderpump Does West L.A.

Pump in West Hollywood has now been open since May, 2014. Due to the hype surrounding its initial opening, and the celebrity of its owner, reality television star Lisa Vanderpump, reservations were nearly impossible to get. Now that things have settled down a bit, and although they are "a must" on weekends as well as for the the "Gay Sunday Brunch," access is now somewhat attainable. More>>>

The Alcove Cafe Celebrates Ten Years in Los Feliz

The Alcove Cafe is an extremely popular spot in Los Feliz that is celebrating ten years in business. Interestingly, it is in fact three separate ventures under one umbrella. There is the restaurant itself, the BIG BAR and a chocolate company that were all launched by owner Tom Trellis.

Los Feliz used to be one of the most underappreciated places to live in Los Angeles, but now it is a high rent and swinging singles territory—perfect fodder for a restaurant like the Alcove whose 230-seat space doubles as a popular meeting spot. More>>>

Livello at L’Ermitage - Beverly Hills

The famed L'Ermitage Beverly Hills is an understated, yet sophisticated boutique hotel that represents decades of refined luxury as it was once the home of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. A true magnet for A-listers, the lobby is currently featuring an installation by Jeremy Penn. This young 30's artist from New York studied at the University of Maryland and Pratt Institute. More>>>

Serious Cocktail Culture at Sage In Las Vegas

Sage Restaurant at the swanky Aria Hotel in Las Vegas is the signature restaurant of Chef Shawn McClain, and his elegant food pairs well with the classy cocktails available. The space itself is spectacular with lighting and décor to match the food and drink offerings, and a recent visit on a Sunday night saw the place about half full. They have only recently started opening on the day of rest, but all the local guide books indicate that the place is closed that night. McClain himself is not on site, but by all accounts does stop by every three weeks or so to see that everything in the kitchen remains at the high standards a restaurant like this needs More>>>

New Chef Taking Risks at Bow & Truss in North Hollywood

A new chef from Seattle has taken over at Bow & Truss restaurant in North Hollywood, and he might just create a bit of a culinary buzz at this well appointed restaurant. Stylishly converted from an auto body repair shop, it now has the look of a very large and cavernous urban industrial-style restaurant that could be found in any hip and trendy downtown district like Seattle, Atlanta or Toronto.

The previous chef Stephanie Meyer focused on Latin American More>>>

VodBox at Nic's in Beverly Hills

Nic’s restaurant in Beverly Hills would be good enough to stand on the merits of the food, service and atmosphere, but since the addition of “The Vodbox,’’ business has really picked up. This has been created by owner/entrepreneur and sometime chef Larry Nicola, who is the perfect host at a restaurant in the same location as La Familia, watering hole of none other than Dean Martin. Modern day celebrities are here all the time, and recent sightings have included Demi Moore, Lindsay Lohan, Peter Falk, Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, Matthew Broderick and Paul Gasol. The ambiance is very colorful with two main dining areas, and the owner likes to think that the atmosphere conjures up a “classic, 1957 El Dorado Cadillac cruising More>>>

Yamato Japanese Restaurant

Yamato Japanese restaurant has been getting some good press since opening in December, with the Los Angeles Times describing it as “Japanese pub food at great prices”. Although the restaurant found that accolade not exactly to their liking, they loved the business that it has been bringing. The owner recruited Toshi Tamba as head chef from the Wynn Hotel, and although he only made the briefest of appearances on what was essentially a More>>>

Stones Restaurant at the Marriott

Stones Restaurant at the Marriott in Marina del Rey is an unusual one by any standards, not quite fitting the normal hotel restaurant format. The main asset is clearly the creative energy brought by young chef Victor Miguel who is not afraid to take risks, especially with some of the dynamic combinations he comes up with. Because the restaurant is also used for breakfast, the ambiance and general atmosphere of the long rectangular restaurant is still a work in progress, and frankly slightly old fashioned. The lighting is just about right for the evening although the rather bland jazz music playing also needs a bit of More>>>

Pacific Dining Car Steakhouse Restaurant

The venerable Pacific Dining Car steakhouse has been around since 1921 in Los Angeles and has a storied history of visits by the real power players in Los Angeles. Politicians, lawyers, business leader and celebrities still come on a regular basis for the privacy and ambiance, and it has also been the scene for many movies including Training Day and more recently, Street Kings more. I was also able to glean some celebrity names of people who come fairly regularly when they are in town, and as expected they are some big ones like Johnny Depp, Jack Black, Mayor Antonio Villaragosa and More>>>

Bombay Palace

The Bombay Palace restaurant in Beverly Hills has just celebrated 25 years of business in January of this year and is offering special discounts that will be lasting until the end of the year. One of the most elegant Indian restaurants in the city, the Bombay Palace has had the same chef for its entire existence, and a personable owner Deep Sethi for 19 year.Deep started out as an employee doing all kinds of jobs at the restaurant for 6 years before becoming the owner, and he should certainly be congratulated for keeping Bombay Palace relevant for so long. More>>>

Katsuya Restaurant

The extremely popular KATSUYA chain has opened up at LA LIVE, and the restaurant brings its high quality Japanese/Oriental fusion cuisine to Laker fans and anybody else who ventures down to the Staples Center. Master chef Katsuya Uechi has brought many of his signature dishes to the restaurant such as Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna and Spicy Albacore with Crispy Onions. The service at the new location is brisk and professional and the young hip crowd were enjoying selecting from the vast array of martinis on offer More>>>

Nirvana Indian Restaurant in Beverly Hills

Nirvana Indian restaurant in Beverly Hills is slightly hard to locate with only a small sign out front, but since it is directly opposite the Bombay Palace this could make this area of Wilshire decidedly Indian in flavor. The surprising thing is that they are sister restaurants, but very different in style and quality.

The chef here has been around since the restaurant opened over five years ago, and it shows in the quality of the curries. I went with a British friend who had experienced some rough times with curries in the past, but he snapped up this stuff and vowed to end his boycott of the genre, and was hungry for more. More>>>

Flemings Steakhouse and Wine Bar

Fans of Flemings Steakhouse can now enjoy the latest location at LA Live, the downtown entertainment complex adjacent to the Staples Center. Although at press time the facility is still a work in progress with NY of the places still not open for business, the corporate minds that run Flemings have hit the ground running. This is the 11th Flemings in California alone, and they are also More>>>

Jiraffe Restaurant

Jiraffe restaurant in Santa Monica has gained an excellent reputation which we found well deserved, judging by a recent visit to the trendy and upscale eatery. Chef/owner Raphael Lunetta opened up in April 1996 with friend Josiah Citrin who left in 1999 to open the wildly successful Melisse, also in Santa Monica. Lunetta is a chef who takes risks, and he is also known as "the surfing chef" who can always be found at Zuma Beach locally or on the North Shore of Oahu, when he is not concocting magic in the kitchens at Jiraffe. The sophisticated upscale clientele are treated to signature dish. More>>>

Tagine Restaurant

I want to tell you about a restaurant that is one of the best kept secrets in town, and once you discover it you will add it to your favorites. The place which is called Tagine and the fact that one of the three owners is Ryan Thomas Gosling (The Notebook, Half Nelson, Academy Award Nominee for Best Actor, 2007) who frequents the place with his many movie star friends (including his current girlfriend Rachel Adams) when he is in town, also gives the place a buzz. On any given night you will most likely see a celebrity or two, but since the place is More>>>

Nick & Stef's Steakhouse

Nic’s restaurant in Beverly Hills would be good enough to stand on the merits of the food, service and atmosphere, but since the addition of “The Vodbox,’’ business has really picked up. This has been created by owner/entrepreneur and sometime chef Larry Nicola, who is the perfect host at a restaurant in the same location as La Familia, watering hole of none other than Dean Martin. Modern day celebrities are here all the time, and recent sightings have included Demi Moore, Lindsay Lohan, Peter Falk, Kevin Costner, Bruce Willis, Matthew Broderick and Paul Gasol. The ambience is very colorful with two main dining areas, and the owner likes to think that the atmosphere conjures up a “classic, 1957 El Dorado Cadillac cruising the Boulevards of Miami’s More>>>

Ago Restaurant

When a new restaurant opens up especially in Hollywood , a celebrity chef and celebrity owners help launch the place, but it is still no guarantee that the doors will stay open. There is always a new hot spot for the big spenders and hot babes that frequent these kind of places to go to. But Ago in West Hollywood continues to pull in the crowds with it's Tuscan cuisine. The regions of Ligurio and Emilio Romano also play an influence on the menu. A recent visit on a midweek just before the 4th of July was in fact a quiet night for the trendy eatery, as everyone was keen to point out several times. An abundance of valet's, waiters, bus boys and cooks indicates a place not shy on spending the bucks, and things are going so More>>>

Bluewater Grill

The reputation of restaurants in the South Bay even today remains questionable, but regular patrons of the Bluewater Grill in Redondo Beach (opened in 2001) don’t give a hoot about that as they continue to enjoy outstanding dishes created by local chef Brian Hirsty and his loyal team. A visit this week on a fairly busy Wednesday night was a complete revelation, with every dish selected turning out More>>>

Il Moro Restaurant

It isn’t to often you will find a destination restaurant of quality which is located on the ground floor of an executive financial building. Although hidden away of the main street thoroughfare, when I finally parked and entered Il Moro (“the Moor”), I discovered the journey to this “Westside” restaurant oasis was worth the drive. Situated off Olympic Boulevard (entrance on Purdue Street), this Northern Italian style restaurant serves the traditional menu of anti-pasta, pasta, soups, salads, but it is the seasonal menu items which captivate the senses. More>>>

Jerne Restaurant

Blending an eclectic mix of tasty appetizers with elegantly presented main courses, Chef Troy Thompson created in the past many different interactive dishes at Jerne, 4375 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, California. Drew Sayea is the new chef at Jerne and is offering his own menu of California Cuisine. Located in the Ritz Carlton, Marina Del Rey Hotel, Jerne fulfills the expectations of any person interested in Euro-Pacific elegantly prepared accessible dishes. Jerne is situated just to the left of an open living room area where people casually meet for drinks and conversation. I started off with the Bento Box, a special mix of five More>>>

Dantana's Restaurant

When a restaurant has been around for 40+ years then you know it has to be good. In Hollywood , Dantana's has the reputation of being a major hang out place where stars in there hundreds have been going to for years, and where they can eat their pasta in peace without being bothered too much. In fact the place is so busy that they have to turn around the tables every couple of hours to seat a new bunch of deal making diners, although it seems hard to imagine the likes of regulars like George Clooney, Leonard Di Caprio or even Phil Spector (he had dinner here with Lana Clarkson before returning to his Mansion on the fateful evening) being easily hustled out by the management. Never mind that we went on a cold and very wet Sunday night, the place was still packed by groups of seven or eight highly animated More>>>

Park Grill

What do Sean Connery, Chris Rock and Usher have in common? For those of you who are interested in where celebrities stay and eat, these venerable icons all like to spend time at the Hotel Intercontinental (formerly known as the Park Hyatt) in Century City in the Royal Suite. They are also very fond of eating at the hotel restaurant, the Park Grill. I was there last week on a relatively quiet weekday night, and was fully expecting to see groups of rowdy businessmen abusing their expense accounts, but instead saw a real More>>>

Kate Mantilini

The renowned Kate Mantilini restaurant in Beverly Hills opened on St.Patrick's Day, March 17, 1987, and has long been known as a stars hangout for several reasons - mainly because of location and the connections of owners Harry and Marilyn Lewis. The former actor (over 50 films including Key Largo with Humphrey Bogart) and his wife, started the famous Hamburger Hamlet chain in 1952 with savings of $3,500, before selling the operation for $33 million in 1997. Kate Mantilini's was part of that chain, but the Lewis's bought back the restaurant five years later, and More>>>

Mastro Steakhouse

Mastro Steakhouse in Beverly Hills is rapidly becoming the place to be seen since opening up here in September, 2001. The Scottsdale based company that runs restaurant selected the former site of the failed remake of the venerable Chasen's restaurant, and it certainly looks like this place is going to be around for some time. The downstairs area is for quieter dining, with the upstairs being one of the noisiest, most crowded dining rooms I have ever been in. It is also extremely dark, so a magnifying glass might help you see the menu if you are not overly More>>>

Takami Restaurant

Takami has just opened up in an old office building downtown, and it just shows you what a $4 million investment can do. The space is buzzing, the atmosphere is terrific, and the food spearheaded by sushi expert Kenny Yamada is a joy to look at and taste. If you are into Asian food at any level, then a visit here is a must, just to see what the fuss is all about, and it could very easily turn out to be one of your regular spots, and certainly a place to take out of town of visitors to. More>>>

Fogo de Chao

This review is for the benefit for those of you who have never been to this most unusual of restaurants, for it is the kind of place once visited, never forgotten. I do not consider myself an expert at all in Brazilian food, but if this is a prime example, then more of these types of restaurants please. It is billed as “the gaucho way of preparing meat, “and since it is also an “all you can eat” establishment, I will be better prepared the next time now that I understand the rules of engagement of pacing oneself to try all the different entrees. The food is from the Southern part of Brazil , and frankly I have no idea how authentic it is, but it must be pretty close judging by all the attention and success the restaurant has been having. There are some serious looking eaters at Fogo de More>>>

Tanino Restaurant

The dominance of Italian food and restaurants in Los Angeles continues unabated, with one such example being Tanino Ristorante and Bar in trendy Westwood Village . The place has been open for five years, and is the vehicle of chef/owner Tanino Drago, a 29-year-old native of Sicily . He is part of the Drago family who have been an influence in this part of the world for some time when it comes to top of the range Italian cuisine. The restaurant is modeled after the Pitti Palace in Florence , and dates back to 1929, almost ancient for this part of the world. Architect Paul Revere Williams brought original ceiling frescos and carvings, elaborate wall murals and artisan plasterwork from his travels in Italy , making the place extremely sophisticated and comfortable. The main dining room More>>>

Morton's Steakhouse

Arnie Morton's Steak House of Chicago opened its 62nd venue, in downtown Los Angeles making a welcome addition to the burgeoning dining scene down there. Proving a lively challenger to LA Prime at the nearby Bonaventure Hotel, steak houses are "in" right now, with the Porterhouse Bistro and Mastro's of Scottsdale having both opened in Beverly Hills recently. Morton's uses it's lofty reputation to keep the momentum going with some style. All the predictable steak More>>>

The Vic

If you thought that the speakeasy was dead, then think again. It is alive and well one night a week in Santa Monica . The Vic catering company turns into a New York style jazz club every Thursday night. Some pretty hip names in the world of jazz show up on a regular basis to savor the music and enjoy the food and drinks, and the cool thing is, you have to know the password in order to get in. This is a pretty hip place to impress out of town guests, kind of like a private club that is open to the public. There are two shows nightly at 8:00 PM and 10:00 PM with a $20 cover and a two drink minimum. There is also a late midnight show for the younger More>>>

Agora Churrascaria

GOOOOOOOAL!!!!! As the World Cup of Futbol approaches in a few weeks, I thought of the five championships held by the country of Brazil . When we think of Brazil we think of Carnival, Rio and Soccer, but don’t forget about their native food. Walking into Irvine 's new Brazilian-style steakhouse Agora Churrascaria, a new world appears to unfold. With 25 foot cathedral ceilings, the restaurant gives the guests an innate feel of being in a large hacienda lodge where gauchos (cowboys from the southern region) returning from herding cattle come to feast on Picauha (sirloin) or Miminha (tri-tip). We were seated in the middle of the restaurant next to the busy food bar where people walked passed us to More>>>

Ventura Restaurants

It should not come as any sort of surprise that Ventura is becoming quite a restaurant town, and as more and more top chefs move here because of the proximity of local produce, the reputation will continue to grow. The local Farmers Market has been going now for twenty years with many of the original vendors still showing up, ad there has also been More>>>

Stones Restaurant at the Marriott

Stones Restaurant at the Marriott in Marina del Rey is an unusual one by any standards, not quite fitting the normal hotel restaurant format. The main asset is clearly the creative energy brought by young chef Victor Miguel who is not afraid to take risks, especially with some of the dynamic combinations he comes up with.

Because the restaurant is also used for breakfast, the ambience and general atmosphere of the long rectangular restaurant is still a work in progress, and frankly slightly More>>>