Category Archives: California

Ye Olde Kings Head

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**** (4 stars)

If you like English food, this is a great  spot for it. Most is authentic, and what’s not authentic is in general an improvement. The BLSt used English bacon, and was a delicious combination of ingredients. The Ploughman’s Platter was more extensive than any I’ve had in England. And the chicken salad had just the right amount of curry.

The decor is really charming, much quainter than most real English pubs.There’s a cozy dining space and also a more traditional pub.  There’s also an extensive outside dining area along the sidewalk.

Next door is an English shop where you’ll find many hard to obtain foodstuffs.

Ye Olde Kings Head
116 Santa Monica Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 451-1402
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ye-olde-kings-head-santa-monica

Melisse

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**** (4 stars)

This is a good, but not great restaurant. The preparations are elaborate, and most results are quite tasty, but it is rare that things come together in that transcendental experience where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

The wine list is good if, expectedly, pricey. There are some hard to find gems, although no great depth of vintages.

Service is efficient and accommodating, neither stiff nor particularly friendly.

Atmosphere is understated although the open room and fairly bright lighting aren’t particularly intimate.

A fine restaurant, but after two visits to check it out, not one that beckons me back.

Melisse
1104 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 395-0881
http://www.yelp.com/biz/melisse-santa-monica-2

RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen

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***** (5 stars)

Amazing decor, and great food. I love being able to get Thai, Vietnamese and Indian cuisine all in one place. Favorites were the summer rolls, samosas and short rib vermicelli bowl. The two or three course lunch is a great deal. It was our server, Jordan’s, first day, and she did an amazing job.

RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen
10250 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 552-9988
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rocksugar-pan-asian-kitchen-los-angeles-2

Stan’s Doughnuts

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***** (5 stars)

I can attest to the fact that Stan’s has been making the best donuts on the planet for forty years. My favorite is the glazed buttermilk bar, but anything with buttermilk or maple in the title is a winner. I don’t really understand why anyone would eat a donut from anywhere else. I’ve even ordered them shipped to Florida!

Stan’s Doughnuts
10948 Weyburn Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-8660
http://www.yelp.com/biz/stans-doughnuts-los-angeles

Vibrato Grill Jazz

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***** (5 stars)

This is my favorite spot in Los Angeles, and I have hundreds of candidates for that list. I like to go around 6:30 because the opening act is great dining music. It’s usually piano and bass. The place has amazing acoustics, and you can hear every note perfectly, yet still have a dinner conversation in a normal voice.

And what food! Anything beef is great, but I like the tuna tartare, salads, and enjoy the lamb lollipop appetizer as an entree.

Great wine list–although somewhat pricey, there are a few gems. Check out the Opaque Petite Verdot if you like big, chewy monsters.

Vibrato Grill Jazz
2930 N Beverly Glen Cir
Los Angeles, CA 90077
(310) 474-9400
http://www.yelp.com/biz/vibrato-grill-jazz-los-angeles

Birkholm’s Bakery& Cafe

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**** (4 stars)

This is one of the best bakeries in town. As of this writing their butter cookies still come in the traditional waxed cardboard tub rather than a plastic bucket. We compared the butter cookies from four bakeries, and these were the softest and crumbliest. The standout is their plain, round, flat butter cookie, simple and very buttery.

Birkholm’s Bakery& Cafe
460 Alisal Rd
Solvang, CA 93463
(805) 688-8188
http://www.yelp.com/biz/birkholms-bakery-and-cafe-solvang-2

The Izaka-ya By Katsu-ya

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***** (5 stars)

This was a great lunch find in Manhattan Beach. Bustling at lunch time on a Sunday. There are some very creative rolls here, including a cajun one that was our favorite. The team-tag approach to service worked well, keeping our drinks and tea replenished. The lunch specials are a pretty good deal, although we went ala carte, and the price was still reasonable for the exotic feast we assembled.

The Izaka-ya By Katsu-ya
1133 Highland Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 796-1888
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-izaka-ya-by-katsu-ya-manhattan-beach

Le Parc Suite Hotel

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**** (4 stars)

We’ve stayed at several upscale Beverly Hills hotels on our annual Thanksgiving trips, but decided to try something different this year, and were quite happy with Le Parc Suite. It seems to be a converted apartment building in a residential neighborhood. The pluses are:

Very large rooms with kitchens, easily sleep four.
Convenient (but expensive) parking.
Great room rate.
Convenient location.
Decent work out room and restaurant.
Gas fireplaces in rooms.
Fairly quite area.
Free fast Wi-Fi.
Friendly staff.

There are really no downsides, and I am sure we’ll be back.

Le Parc Suite Hotel
733 W Knoll Dr
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 855-8888
http://www.yelp.com/biz/le-parc-suite-hotel-west-hollywood