RESTAURANT REVIEWS
Hey there! Here are my favorite LA restaurants if you are looking for anything specific!
CHATEAU MARMONT – D
8221 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood CA 90046
(323) 656-1010
An uber-hot spot for star-sightings and super-pricey drinks, Chateau Marmont is a fun place to go for dinner or a drink (if you can get in!) Definitely call way ahead of time for a reservation if you want to check it out. You're almost always guaranteed to see a celeb or two while you're there. The place gets more crowded as the night goes on. The food is pretty good too. They have a delicious Spaghetti Bolognese and their fries are pretty tasty too!
DOMINGO'S ITALIAN FOODS – D
17548 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA 91316
(818) 981-4466
This has been my secret valley Italian spot for years!! I go to Domingo's all of the time to pick up sliced salami and Italian prociutto. I also get all of my Parmesan and Romano cheeses freshly grated here. They have incredible submarine sandwiches (I always get the Italian Sub stuffed with salami, capicolla, prociutto, cheese, lettuce and italian dressing). I'm getting hungry just talking about it!! They also have all of your imported Italian grocery's and more. I seriously love this place. And it seems Amy Brennaman knows a good thing when she finds it too!
OSTERIA MOZZA – D
6602 Melrose Ave. , Los Angeles , CA 90038
(323) 297-0100
BEST Table - TABLE #63 or the private room if you have a large party. (30-40 people)
Nancy Silverton (La Brea Bakery) & Mario Batali (Molto Mario) have
teamed up to create this Italian gem. The free-standing mozzarella bar
is the only place you may score a seat without a reservation (far ahead of
time btw!!!). However, it’s a great seat to snag. The ambiance is bustling in
a New York kind of way. Tables are close together (which is always good
when you want to check out the food your neighbors are eating before you
order, like I always do!!). Music is playing in the backround & and the food is to die for.
Wines are offered by the bottle or by the carraffes and the selection is extensive. The
chef sent out a complimentary starter from the mozzarella bar, which I always
appreciate! Mozzarella wrapped around basil, sundried tomatoes, capers and
an olive…delicious!!!!! You have to order the Grilled Figs- (wrapped in pancetta)…
HEAVEN. The other “can’t miss” is the Raviolo. A large raviolo stuffed with egg, fresh
ricotta with browned butter…I’m salivating now as I write this. There are many
Italian “tapas” on the menu so you can order a lot to try (which we did and
I wasn’t disappointed in anything). This restaurant is quite a treat (if you can
get in)… I highly recommend it. Xoxo
MEXICAN
I LOVE this place!! They have great margaritas, they are serve food from 8am-12am
and the bar is open until 2am Monday-Friday. Their carnitas are amazing and I love the Chipotle Chicken. I eat here all of the time…mmmmm!
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SENOR FRED – 13730 Ventura Blvd. , Sherman Oaks (818) 789-3200
LD – 11:30am-10pm Sun-Thurs, 11:30am- 12am Fri & Sat |
This is my spot for Mexican food when I am in the valley. They have a tasty veggie burrito with your choice of green or red sauce, and they have margaritas that pack a punch! (the bar is open until 12 during the week and 2 am on the weekends) Whatever you do, do not miss the warm flakey churro dessert which is served with a hot chocolate sauce for dipping. You can't imagine how heavenly this is!!!
ITALIAN
My favorite for the ultimate THIN crust pizza. It's cracker-thin and so delicious. Try the Pizza Fra Diavolo...it's a little bit spicy and so heavenly. The patio is the place to sit. Very European and always bustling. Make sure to make a reservation!
You can't go wrong with anything you order on this menu. Chef Gino Angelini (formerly of Vincente and Rex restaurants) has been touted as "hands down, the best Italian chef in L.A. , by Los Angeles Times Magazine. Try the fresh anchovies to start...they are mouth-watering! I always order the Bombolotti all'Amatriciana, a spicy half-rigatoni pasta with smoked Italian bacon which is always cooked to perfection. And I ALWAYS recommend ordering a thin-crust pizza for the table! Try the prociutto and mushroom pizza...mmmmm! The waiters are all Italian and very knowledgeable. They have an extensive Italian collection of wine. Try a Broglia Gavi di Gavi, a bone dry ultra-rare white wine equivalent to premier cru chablis...perfect on a hot summer night! Definitely make a reservation. The place is small and packed every night.
Oh I can not express in words how much I love this place. It reminds me of the restaurants in Florence that I ate at every night while I was living there years ago. The tables are jammed together so don't go there if you're claustrophobic! However, DO go there if you LOVE great food. Very authentic Italian food. They always have a long list of specials which the waiters rattle off to you through their thick Italian accents. I'm always impressed that they can remember it all each night! If you are there when they have the pumpkin ravioli special you are in for a real treat. Probably the best ravioli I've ever eaten. Make a reservation, the restaurant is small and fully packed every night.
BREAKFAST & LUNCH
This is my favorite cozy neighborhood spot for breakfast and lunch. The grand-marnier french toast with juicy fresh strawberries is sinful and they have a great selection of freshly baked muffins and scones to go with your coffee. For lunch they always have fresh home-made soups that are usually non-dairy and belly-warming, and a beautiful selection of sandwiches and salads (the tuna sandwich is my favorite!) You can have 1/2 sandwich and soup or salad combos which I love and they have the BEST home-made potato chips....mmmmmm! The patio is great for people-watching, and the owner Peter Garland is always there greeting all of his very regular customers and making sure everything runs smoothly. I have been eating here for years and it ALWAYS hits the spot!!! At the end of November they will be open for dinner on Sunday nights as well!
This is my little gem of a breakfast spot. I grew up in Tarzana so I've been eating here all of my life. A tiny restaurant with an old-school vibe. Pictures of classic celebrities line the walls. The food is soooo delicious!! Some of the breakfast options include Polish sausage and eggs, lox benedict and a pancake sandwich. I usually opt for the lox platter (they have some of the best lox in town!) and you must try the home fries. Home potatoes with bell pepper and onions perfectly browned! Just make sure to bring cash, they do not have a credit card machine at this old-world joint.
TAPAS
This is one of my all-time favorite restaurants in LA. I love to eat tapas-style, sharing small portions of everything with friends so that I can taste a lot of everything! This restaurant is heaven. Brick walls with a very New-York feel to it. You can sit downstairs at the bar and choose from over 50 wine pours by the glass!! AOC stands for Appellation D'Origine Controlee, (Controlled Appellation of Origin) which is the top category in the French system for controlling wines. AOC products must be held to a rigorous set of clearly defined standards and must be aged at least partially in the respective designated area. So you know a restaurant taking on such a name must be worth its salt! And trust me, their parmesan stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates are what dreams are made of!!! They also have arguably the best cheese selection in town. This restaurant offers so many fun and mouth-watering French and Mediterranean foods...I always leave with a full belly and a big smile :) Definitely make a reservation...way ahead of time!
Eduardo Baldi, the son of the renound chef Giorgio Baldi (Giorgio Baldi Restaurant, Santa Monica ), has recently opened the doors to his new restaurant in Beverly Hills , hoping to follow in his father's footsteps. I am a huge fan of Giorgio Baldi's restaurant so naturally I was very eager to try this one out since it is much closer to my home. I had read mixed reviews rating the service as snooty and slow and the food as not being up to par with his father...but I had to find out for myself. I have eaten there twice now and I have had wonderful experiences both times. The atmosphere is minimalistic and the restaurant is small, which I think works well here. There is a long glass window separating the kitchen and the dining area which I LOVE!!! I am a huge foodie and am always excited to be able to look into the kitchen and see the masters at work! They have a nice wine selection and I love their thin-crust margarita pizza. I have tried the lasagna Bolognese which was cooked to perfection and the ravioli special and it melted in our mouths! They are still new and working their kinks out, which may explain the mixed reviews... but I have a feeling it will only get better from here. (And I can't wait to taste it every step of the way!!)
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