Fish and carnival tacos
Interior
Exterior
Interior
Menu
**** (4 stars)
This is a funky taco place with an extensive, if somewhat bewildering, menu. The prices are moderate, but each taco comes with two tortillas, and can be disassembled into two tacos. The fish was good, although the carnitas was juicier and had more flavor.
Wahoo’s Fish Tacos
418 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-9125
https://www.yelp.com/biz/wahoos-fish-tacos-santa-monica
Interior
Pastries
**** (4 stars)
This is an attractive coffee place in the Fours Seasons. There is a nice selection of pastries. I have to say, though, that the decaf macchiato contained the bitterest shot of espresso I have ever had, requiring the addition of an equal amount of milk and an entire teaspoon of sugar. The Chai tea was quite good.
Stir
Four Seasons Hotel
2 Dole Dr
Westlake Village, CA 91362
(818) 575-3000
https://www.yelp.com/biz/stir-westlake-village
Hamachi and Uni
Steak Diane
Interior
Exterior
Entry
***** (5 stars)
The Stonehouse is a magical setting for dinner, one of the most romantic restaurants around, and the food is good, too.
After winding your way up to the resort, then winding your way to the valet, and finally winding your way up the stairs to the restaurant, you feel you are truly transported to another land. The original stone building serves as a lounge, and an adjoining added-on room with huge wood beams and a giant fireplace forms the romantic dining area. It’s a wonderful spot to sit near the fire on a cool evening. On warmer evenings, and outside area is canopied by thousands of tiny lights, and offers quieter acoustics.
The Hamachi and Uni appetizer is a wonderfully refreshing way to start. The house specialty is a classic Steak Diane, flamed tableside with brandy. The prime filet did not disappoint, and the reduction and sauteed mushrooms that accompanied it were sublime.
The extensive wine list offers both high-end local wines and international selections.
Service is professional without being stiff.
Stonehouse Restaurant
San Ysidro Ranch
900 San Ysidro Ln
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
(805) 565-1720
https://www.yelp.com/biz/stonehouse-restaurant-santa-barbara-2
Nachos Al pastor
Exterior
Interior
**** (4 stars)
Excellent service is the highlight of this nice sit down Mexican restaurant at the base of State Street.
The tortilla chips are authentic and obviously homemade, and the salsa is fresh and not terribly spicy.
We started with the Nachos Pastor, a loaded version of nachos the included beans, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, seeded raw jalapenos and pork pastor. It was delicious, however the two of us could only make our way halfway through it! So when I say “we started with” I also mean “we finished with”!
I’m looking forward to returnign and trying some of their other offerings.
The Mex Authentic
413 State St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 845-6364
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mex-authentic-santa-barbara
Exterior
**** (4 stars)
Excellent outside dining setting amid the lush gardens of the Four Seasons Biltmore. The menu has a short but well thought out selection of Italian items. The Caesar salad was a bit weird, with broccoli and cauliflower, but the pastas were obviously homemade.
The inside dining is very noisy, with all hard surfaces and fairly bright lighting.
The wine list has a medium size selection of local wines, and more from other regions, but markups are very high.
Service was friendly and efficient.
Bella Vista
Four Seasons Resort
1260 Channel Dr
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
(805) 565-8237
https://www.yelp.com/biz/bella-vista-santa-barbara-4
Bacon cheeseburger
Flatbread
Interior
**** (4 stars)
This combination wine shop and cafe is where one of the best scenes in Sideways was filmed. They have an excellent selection of retail wines, focused on the surrounding area, at reasonable prices. Wine tastings are also available, and the central wine bar is a good place to have a glass of your favorite.
The cafe has excellent food. The hamburger is particularly good, especially loaded up with bacon, sauteed onions and your choice of cheese.
I’ve been a member of the wine club for many years, which I particularly like because every quarter you receive high-end wines from completely different wineries, so there is much more variety than in most clubs.
Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe
2879 Grand Ave
Los Olivos, CA 93441
(805) 688-7265
https://www.yelp.com/biz/los-olivos-wine-merchant-and-cafe-los-olivos-4
***** (5 stars)
In the thirty years we’ve been going here this place has stayed true to its quirky roots. Constructed of random bits and pieces, and little bigger than a shoe box, the ambiance is what it’s all about. You still have to sit at the bar unless you’re a large party, and you still have to go outside to visit the restroom.
But the food and wine list have been upgraded significantly. You can still get the clams as an appetizer and the steak as an entree. Those were the only two dishes originally. But now there are more appetizers, and the baked potato has grown from from the size of a golf ball to a softball. There’s also a wonderful chicken entree.
The wine list has also grown, from two jugs to a couple dozen nicely chosen bottles, most available by the glass.
Service is friendly but constrained but the strict three-seating schedule if you have a reservation. Our server had been there as long as we have been going, and it was fun to reminisce about old times.
Old Place Restaurant
29983 Mulholland Hwy
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
(818) 706-9001
http://www.yelp.com/biz/old-place-restaurant-agoura-hills
***** (5 stars)
If there is a better omelette on the face of the planet, I have yet to find it. I’ve been going here for thirty years, and even through a change in ownership and expansion into the space next door, the omelettes have remained transcendental.
My favorite is the Special Omelette, which contains bacon, green chilis and sour cream. A mound of hash browns form the base, then come the ingredients, and then a fluffy egg disc the size of a frisbee. Ask for your hash browns well done for the ultimate omelette enjoyment experience.
Haroldâs Restaurant
2440 E Thousand Oaks Blvd
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
(805) 230-3147
http://www.yelp.com/biz/harolds-restaurant-thousand-oaks
*** (3 stars)
Boxwood is a nicely decorated space on the ground floor of The London. The dining room is bright and airy. It actually has a great view of the city, because of the steep hill that it’s on.
They offer an excellent buffet breakfast that is included with the room. We didn’t try it for dinner, but they boxed up a nice Thanksgiving lunch for us to take to relatives.
The lounge area out front isn’t particularly cozy, but the bar in the middle of the restaurant is fairly nice.
Service is friendly.
Boxwood at The London
1020 N San Vicente Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 358-7788
http://www.yelp.com/biz/boxwood-at-the-london-west-hollywood
***** (5 stars)
This is a great little gastropub with an eclectic, extensive menu of mostly American comfort foods.
I really loved the idea of hot dog sliders: three small hotdogs with interesting toppings. The sweet shrimp salad was also an interesting combination of greens, shrimp, candied nuts, cheese and a sweet balsamic dressing.
We loved the vibrant decor, with guitars everywhere! Service was extremely friendly, and the kitchen is lightning fast.
Starving Artists Bistro
9447 N Fort Washington Rd
Ste 101
Fresno, CA 93730
(559) 433-0133
http://www.yelp.com/biz/starving-artists-bistro-fresno