Los Angeles Restaurant Tips by SabrinaSummerville

Restaurant Name: Spago

Spago is everything you've ever heard it to be, and then more. It's simply fabulous.

From the time you are helped from your car by the valet and escorted to the very welcoming bar your night is perfection.

There wasn't a hint of the snobbery I might have expected. There's an open bar where drinks are served with a smile. The bar area is humming. I sat on a high stool and smiled as I surveyed all around me. There's a rather infamous open patio dining area just off the bar, with trees hung with fairy lights that sparkled magically in the dark. I had heard that this was where the very best guests are seated and although we weren't sitting there I saw more famous faces inside.

The waiters and the hostess were all happy to take lots of pics for me and didn't make me feel like a real tourist (which I was!).

The menu was wonderful and I wanted to order everything. To me that's always a sign of a great menu. It was imaginative coooking, with inventive combinations of taste and texture. I love that in food. I love to read a menu that makes me salivate just in the reading, and Spagos menu is one such carte.

The place is bright, it's airy, it's warm and atmospheric. I loved the backlit stained glass panels in the ceiling. I adored the sculpture outside the Ladies restroom - a rack of shoes stuffed with food, to represent the two things women love.

It was the very best meal that I had in my twelve night American holiday. I cannot wait to go back. yes, I bought the cook book, and yes I posed for a pic beside the Spago sign as I reluctantly departed.

Favorite Dish: The food was divine - did I say that already? Every mouthful was a gastronomic orgasm.

To start we ordered the tasting plate of foie gras done five ways. I am a foie gras fan anyway, but I have never in my life tasted anything so imaginative and delectable.

For our main course we shared the cote de beuf. Once again I have never tasted beef so moist, so tasty, so perfect. The outside was caramel dark brown, the inside just short of oozingly bloody red. When you touch it to your lips you become heady with the rich scent of aged beef, and as it lies on your tongue the juices envelop your mouth and the meat truly melts into your tastebuds.

I would go to LA again simply to eat here.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Address: 176 North Canon Drive
Directions: Cross Street Wilshire In Beverly Hills
Website: http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/rest/fine/spago/bh/

Restaurant Name: The Ivy

The Ivy surprised me. I had always thought of it as the only true rival to Spago in terms of impossibility to get a reservation and I thought them to be similar establishments, but they're not!

As I waited at my hotel for a car, the Valet made polite conversation and asked where we were heading. When I replied he put the heart across us when he said "The waiters are very snobbish there; but then the food is so excellent that they sort of have to be."

The Ivy isn't at all like that - the snobbishness I mean. The look is cottage garden, pefectly done, with climbing roses on the walls outside and a true cottage look inside. My Mother's ancestral home is called Ivy Cottage and the restaurant is a mirror image of it! I must take a pic and post it here sometime. It has featured many times in Country Homes and Gardens and similar publications - the restaurant, that is. One of my favourite touches were the big ornate vases of cottage garden flowers on each table - roses, sweet pea, and other country flowers brightened up every seating.

The waiters are attentive and friendly and without the slightest touch of the snobbery we were warned about. They wear pink shirts and ties scattered with rose pattern, and although it sounds a bit too much, it's not.

Were there celebrities? Of course there were. It's not as obvious as Spago, and people don't get quite so dressed up, but you'd know it was the right place to be dining.

Favorite Dish: The food also surprised me. It really is country food with a true homecooked taste.

Vegetable soup looks more like a vegetable stew, with flavoursome chunks of colourful veg.

I had a crab dish to start - it consisted of one translucent little crab fried shell and all to a perfect edible crunch. I don't think it would appear at every country dinner table, but served with a green garnish and home made tartare sauce it worked very well at completing the whole food image.

I ordered prime rib for my main course. Forgive my ignorance but I thought this would be beef ribs on the bone. I forget Americans have different names for things. I have never seen such a huge steak. It was chargrilled in cajun spices, and was just a bit too spick for me - this was my fault though, not theirs.

I finished with wonderful home made ice cream and really enjoyed the night.

I give this place four out of five. I'm sure they'll be surprised at that and I don't know why I take the one rating away. However I just can't give it a five. I'll think more on this and come back later.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: (310) 274-8303
Address: 113 North Robertson
Directions: Beverly Hills
Website: http://www.seeing-stars.com/Dine2/Ivy.shtml

Restaurant Name: Crustacean

Crustacean is, they say, the place to go to eat in LA these days. Having been there I can see why. The place literally hums. I was delighted to have a reservation, as people queued for the impossible to get table. I was shown to the bar where I had an opportunity to sit and smile and listen to the live jazz band silhouetted in the window.

I wasn't waiting long for my table and as we were seated I could see that the place was packed to capacity. The tables were close together, but nobody seemed to mind.

It's pretty imaginative, with a little glass covered river running through the place. The river is stocked with colourful Koi and crossed by a bridge. There's also a huge fish tank by the main door and that's stocked with warm water tropical fish in every colour of the rainbow. There are Singapore style ceiling fants to cool the hot guests - and I mean hot in every sense.

Dress varies from casual to very glam, with lots of trophy wives/girlfriends and Pussycat Doll types. You can see that it's the in place to be. I was entertained just people watching.

The food was equally imaginative - a sort of a cross between oriental and seafood. Service is quick and efficient. I started with beef carpaccio, garnished with parmesan and aragula with a wonderful dressing scented faintly with coconut. That was followed by the giant prawns with the special garlic noodles - and they are indeed special. I would have eaten them on their own.

The bill was quite reasonable for a top class restaurant - just over $100 for two including the drinks bill.

Favorite Dish: I ordered what I liked from reading the menu, but all those around us who were in the know ordered the crab. At the next table a man advised his guests "You just have to order the crab here." It seemed to be the same at every table. Next time I go, I'll order.....the crab;-)

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 310-205-8990
Address: 9646 Santa Monica Boulevard, beverly Hills, CA 902

Restaurant Name: Morels

I visited The Grove as part of a guided tour of LA, to include the Farmers Market. We were given an hour to explore and to eat, which left very little time for the latter.

I spotted Morels in The Grove and it immediately caught my eye because of the attractive red umbrellas covering the outside tables. It was busy and getting busier, so I was delighted to grab one of those lovely tables and a very attentive waitress was straight over. I explained that we had just barely 30 minutes to order and eat lunch and, for once, she listened to what I said.

We decided to keep it simple and ordered the farmhouse omelette. Now you may think that omelettes are simple to do, but it's actually difficult to get one that's not either over or undercooked.

Our omelettes were perfect, you could taste the mushrooms (they used morels of course, lol) and gruyere cheese, both lending their own delicate but distinctive flavours to the dish. They were served with perfectly cooked fries and a salad garnish, crusty fresh bread, and our drinks beautifully chilled.

Favorite Dish: I didn't have time to try anything but the omelette, but that was perfect. They have a terrific selection of brunch/lunch items, and a different menu for dinner. The prices are very competitive and I was sorry I didn't have time to return.

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Theme: French
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: 323 965 9595
Address: 189 The Grove Drive H-10, LA, CA90036
Directions: Just by the fountain in The Grove centre.

Restaurant Name: The Boulevard

I couldn't get a reservation for accomodation at The Regent Beverly Wilshire, so I did the next best thing and booked their "The Boulevard" restaurant for dinner. Most of the tour companies have this hotel on their "must see" list, and I didn't want to be on the outside looking in like all the other tourists!

Let's be honest, LA has so many terrific and renowned restaurants that I really only booked The Boulevard so that I could get a good look at the hotel. I was therefore more than pleasantly surprised when my meal turned out to be an absolute delight.

At first I was rather taken aback when I looked at the menu, as there wasn't a great deal on it and nothing seemed to grab my attention. It was the same with my companion, and in fact she suggested that we sneak out and go elsewhere! I'm so glad we didn't. The food was gorgeous. It's an international restaurant, but the menu leans towards Italian.

Service is excellent and could not be faulted.

The decor is rather modern which is not in keeping with the rest of the hotel. I felt it didn't "fit." There's no seperate bar, as such, but there is a bar area at the top of the room. I was looking for the lovely piano bar that featured in the Pretty Woman movie but it no longer appears to exist.

The room was full of famous faces, though to be honest I couldn't name one of them - you know the sort of faces that you know from magazines but can't name. To me it appeared to be mostly directors and producers.

As for the piece de resistance of the evening, please read my introductory LA page where I describe my wonderfully magical Pretty Woman experience at this place:-)

Favorite Dish: The food is very good and attention to detail is outstanding.

I would suggest that you just have to try the special dessert of four different creme brulees. I have posted a pic here. There was a vanilla bean, a chocolate, a raspberry and, my favourite, a very unusual green tea. It was a bit too sweet for my taste, but was beautifully done and delightfully presented.

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: 310 275 5200
Address: Regent Beverly Wilshire, 9500 Wilshire Boulevard
Directions: At the junction of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard in the regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
Website: www.fourseasons.com

Restaurant Name: Stardust

Stardust is the restaurant at the top of the Beverly Hilton and commands terrific views of Beverly Hills.

I ate lunch there, having just arrived from Las Vegas, tired and hungry.

The first thing that struck me was that this place is so peaceful, with wonderfully relaxing live piano music to lull us into a relaxed mood for our food. The surroundings are comfortably luxurious without being over the top - you will love the enormous chandelier. Tables are very well spaced and it's a silver service restaurant.

Our waitress was also fantastic, and she told us that she had been at the hotel for thirty years or more. Oh, I longed to hear the stories that I bet she could tell if we had time to chat - but she was so nice that I bet she was discrete too and wouldn't reveal the really juicy stuff:-)

The food was nice but not great. I ordered blue crab cakes, but I have such a "thing" about crab in America that I'm going to write a whole tip about it. In short, I wasn't mad about it - plus it was served with a really hot side sauce that burned my mouth. I felt this should have been warned on the menu.

Before those we both had soup - I had the French onion, which was indeed superior, and Mum had the white clam chowder which I tasted and pronounced divine. Perhaps I'm being unfair in pronouncing the food overall as not great, as in fact it was just the crab that was disappointing.

We were surrounded by businessmen in sharp suits, and movie moguls openly discussing their work. If you were into it I'd say it would be a marvellous place for star spotting, but I was happy peacefully eating my food.

I would like to have returned here for dinner, but there just wasn't time. I imagine that it could be very romantic, with the tinkling piano music and the views.

Favorite Dish: The clam chowder - it tasted freshly of the sea and I was sorry I hadn't ordered it myself.

I have to say that waitress was wonderful - I wish I had taken her name:-)

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Theme: Eclectic/International
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 310 274 7777
Address: The Beverly Hilton, Beverly Hills.
Directions: On the eighth floor of the tower in the Beverly Hilton.
Website: www.beverlyhilton.com

Restaurant Name: Trader Vic's

When I was planning my trip to LA I longed to go to Trader Vics. I had read that it was almost impossible to get a table as it was THE place to go star spotting and the food was so fantastic. The reviews in some of the popular travel guides described it as upmarket and fun, and advised us to look out for brightly dressed Tikkis.

Unfortunately I think perhaps that's how it was 30 years ago, but not so much these days.

The restaurant is dark, and although there's a smoking ban the air appears smoky. At least, that's what my eyes told me as they started watering the moment I sat down and stayed that way all evening. It got so bad that I had to go to the bathroom, wash off all my makeup, and drench my eyes.

There are no colourful tikkis - not one. The waiting staff are all anxious looking elderly polynesian men. There is nothing at all wrong with that unless you advocate that you have colourful young tikkis!

The food wasn't bad and my main course of prawns with a creamy cocunut garlic sauce was great.

The restaurant is renowned for the Mai Tai cocktail, which was invented by Trader Vic himself, and I was happy to see they also served a non alcoholic one.

Not many stars here at all - a couple of faces that you would recognise, but none that I could name. It wasn't hard to get in either - in fact it wasn't full at all, and this was 8pm on a Friday!

Favorite Dish: The nicest thing about this restaurant was the dessert which consisted of the nicest rum and raisin ice cream ever.

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Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Website: www.tradervics.com