Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [139]
TOP END
Il Cielo (Map; 310-276-9990; 9018 Burton Way; mains $18-38; 11:30am-3pm & 6-11pm Mon-Sat; ) Candles, Chianti and a table for two in an enchanted garden are the hallmarks of a romantic night out. If your date doesn’t make you swoon, then the rustic Northern Italian food should still ensure an unforgettable evening. That scene in Legally Blonde where Reese Witherspoon is dumped by her boyfriend was shot here.
Crustacean (Map; 310-205-8990; 9646 S Santa Monica Blvd; mains lunch $11-34, dinner $19-35; 11:30am-2:30pm Mon-Fri, 5:30-10:30pm Mon-Thu, 5:30-11:30pm Fri & Sat; ) At this celeb-heavy Euro-Vietnamese restaurant, you can literally walk on water – on top of a floor-sunken koi stream, that is. The menu here is as intriguing as the sultry French Colonial decor, with top honors going to the whole roasted Dungeness crab and the garlic noodles, both bathed in owner-chef Elizabeth An’s ‘secret spices.’ Reservations essential.
Spago Beverly Hills (Map; 310-385-0880; 176 N Cañon Dr; mains lunch $19-48, dinner $32-66; 11:30am-2:15pm Mon-Sat, 5:30-10:30pm daily; ) Spago has long been an essential California kitchen, the one that pioneered the designer pizza and made Wolfgang Puck a household name. Book early if you want to scan the power-crowd for famous faces while noshing on the legendary smoked-salmon pizza ($24) or other frightfully pricey fusion fare.
Westwood, Bel Air & Brentwood
BUDGET
Zankou Chicken (off Map; 310-444-0550; 1716 S Sepulveda Blvd; mains $3.70-8.50; 10am-11pm; ) Fabulous chicken sent through the rotisserie for that light and crispy tan and served with addictive garlic sauce. Click here for the full review.
Yashima (off Map; 310-473-5297; 11301 W Olympic Blvd; mains $6-15; 11:30am-10pm; ) Upstairs in the Olympic Collection, Yashima serves fresh and authentic Japanese food, but no sushi. Instead, feast on big bowls of soba and udon noodles, rice bowls and tasty plates like gomaae (vegetables in sesame dressing) and salmon-skin salad.
Native Foods (Map; 310-209-1055; 1110-1/2 Gayley Ave, Westwood; dishes $7-14; 11am-10pm; ) Pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, salads – the menu reads like those at your typical California café with one notable difference: no animal products will ever find their way into this vegan haven. Don’t come for ambience but do try the Bali surf burger with fries.
Hurry Curry (off Map; 310-473-1640; 2131 Sawtelle Blvd; mains $7.50-10.40; 11am-10pm Sun-Thu, 11am-11pm Fri & Sat; ) Curry rice is a Japanese staple food. It’s basically a plate of rice on one side and a thick curry sauce on the other which contains beef, chicken, potato croquettes or tofu, plus veggies. Spice: mild to wild.
MIDRANGE
Sawtelle Kitchen (off Map; 310-473-2222; 2024 Sawtelle Blvd; mains $7-16; noon-2:30pm & 6-10pm Mon-Sat) This contempo dining room gives standard Western dishes an eccentric Japanese twist, mostly with success. Pasta is paired with Pollock caviar and daikon sprouts, the pork chops are drizzled with olive-ginger sauce and the yams deep-fried and served with plum-mayo. They don’t have a liquor license but you’re free to BYOB.
Zip Fusion (off Map; 310-575-3636; 11301 W Olympic Blvd; mains $10-17; 11:30am-2:30pm Mon-Fri, 5-11:30pm Sun-Wed, 5-1:30am Thu-Sat; ) Skip the sushi and instead focus on Jason Ha’s boundary-pushing pan-Asian creations that appeal both to lunchtime collars and dinnertime heels. Order the Zip Alba-Cado and a soju cocktail and you’ll know why. It’s downstairs in the Olympic Collection minimall. The original branch is in Downtown.
Tanino (Map; 310-208-0444; 1043 Westwood Blvd, Westwood; mains lunch $11-28, dinner $13-32; 11:30am-3pm Mon-Fri, 5:30pm-11:30pm Mon-Sat, 5:30pm-10pm Sun; ) At Tanino, the decor, menu and service blend together as perfectly as a rich stew from Sicily where the eponymous chef hails from. The island’s feisty cuisine provides the inspiration for such wonderful dishes as duck ravioli in mushroom sauce and fresh blueberries,