Spice Basil

When I was a kid, I ate in Alhambra fairly frequently. There was one restaurant in particular that I went to. I can’t recall the name of it or how the food was. I really only remember it because it was an art deco building, which stood out for that area. [...]

Hotel Dining — The Park Grill at the Intercontinental

[photo from their website]
I occasionally like to imbibe a cocktail or dine in a hotel. It feels extra glamorous and I can pretend I’m a traveller in a foreign land. So when a visiting friend suggested we meet for lunch at the Hotel Intercontinental, on Avenue of the Stars, [...]

Tapas in Tarzana

In keeping with la.foodblogging’s recent focus on the Valley (sorry, Westsiders!) I am thrilled to be writing about one of the best little finds of late.

Tarzana has a lovely European-style café restaurant that is one of the best kept secrets in the Valley. The only reason I am telling you about it because I want [...]

Hatfields - WOW!

Hatfields was incredible.
Just incredible.
I mean, I went with really high expectations and not only were they met, but exceeded.
Backstory: Hatfields has been high on my hit list for well over a year. We just hadn’t made it until now (we’re not eating out as often as we used to or as much as [...]

Coupa Cafe ~ Beverly Hills

It’s important to give restaurants a second and possibly third chance, just as it is with people. I tried Coupa Cafe twice when they first opened in Beverly Hills and wasn’t impressed. Early this week, my boyfriend and I were lamenting over how Beverly Hills needs a few better breakfast spots. Since he’d never been, [...]

LAMILL COFFEE CO.

I finally meandered over to Silver Lake to experience the much talked about coffee boutique, LAMILL (pronounced lah-mill). This is not, let me repeat NOT, your average, cater to the masses, grab your daily cup o’ Joe and go coffee shop. No ladies and gentlemen, LAMILL takes the art of coffee to a pristine new [...]

Sushi - behind the scenes

[photo of Hiro Urasawa from Gayot.com's review of Urasawa, by Louis Charles]
I kept some notes from a somewhat recent discussion on chowhound that I found extremely interesting. (I’m afraid I neglected to note which posters made which points, so I’m sorry I cannot give full credit where due.)
Here are a few general things you [...]

R 23 - an arty/Japanese LA institution

[Photo from their website]
R23 Japanese Cuisine and Art Gallery is exactly what a downtown, cool and artistic space serving fantastic sushi and exceptional gastronomic delights ought to be. Tucked away on the outskirts of Little Tokyo, in L.A.’s Arts District, this fine restaurant first opened its doors in 1991. Now, seventeen years later, R 23 [...]