FLASHBACK: DINING IN L.A. (FOR THE LAST TIME AS AN ‘ANGELENO’)

As I was posting my third and final installment of my 3-part ‘review’ of the amazing restaurants I visited during the recently-concluded summer Restaurant Week in DC, I noticed that I hadn’t posted anything during the month of July. Truth be told, I spent that month relishing in all things “L.A.,” since I was anxiously awaiting my then-impending return to the east coast. With a whirlpool of emotions rushing through my mind at the time, the last thing I wanted to do was to be literarily (I might've made that word up just now...) creative. Though I had intended, at the time, to put some of my thoughts into writing, I think my struggle between feelings of elation and sorrow got the better of me. I couldn’t even muster up a decent ‘good-bye’ note to my friends, let alone write blog entries dishing about my final days as an Angeleno.

I’ve been back east for over a month now, and though at times I feel like I still am trying to “figure things out,” I’ve realized how therapeutic it is for me to actually write again. And, with little steps here and there, I hope to pick-up where I left off with my book-in-progress. That would be the true accomplishment. But for now, I shall blog… and I’ll probably blog until the cows come home. It’s the least I could do. I think it hit me a little last week when a good friend of mine asked my mom how it felt to have her son back home. Half-jokingly, half-not, Mom went on about how happy she felt, however she could sense that I was not happy. Never in my life had I felt so transparent (Oh, who am I kidding…?! I teeter the line of transparency all the time.), and so I figured it would be a good idea to try harder to get out of whatever funk I’m in, and live, laugh, and love again.

Little steps here and there.
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My last month in L.A. was filled with… FOOD. In fact, it was so much so that one of my friends back there even went as far as chastising me for my emphasis on the need to do all things “foodie” before I headed back to the DC area. (Whatever, bee-yatch. You’re a foodie, too.) Funny thing was that I didn’t even take her joking to offense. As much as I love the beach, or the hike through Temescal Canyon, the view of L.A. from the Mulholland Drive overlook, the drive through the Venice canals, the Griffith Observatory, Hollywood + Highland, Melrose Ave., Beverly Hills, The Getty, or simply driving through the scenic neighborhoods of Brentwood & Santa Monica, it’s always been the cuisine and libations that opened the floodgates for some of my best memories in L.A. From the easiest (and inexpensive) meals from Porto's, Ono or L&L, to the casual Don Antonio’s, to the chic and fancy Comme ça on Melrose – I have shared many a laugh, great conversations, and learned some amazing things about my friends and family while wining and dining in L.A. Though it was hard to squeeze all my favorites into my last 3 weeks in SoCal, I think I managed to cover most of my bases ---enduring as minimal weight gain as I possibly could. (Yeah right.)

Here are some of the places that I breezed through before I left:

DON ANTONIO’S, 11755 W. Pico Boulevard, L.A., CA 90064
While this place may strike the ire in many due to the fact that Heidi & Spencer (from The Hills) adore it so much, truth must be told that the food is simply amazing. It may not be ‘wedding-reception’ good (Sorry, Speidi.), but it is as good as SoCal Mexican food can get. Everything from the complimentary chips & salsa to their over-stuffed burritos are well worth trying. It had become an easy ‘fix’ for my roommates and I when we lived in Santa Monica, and has since found a home in our hearts – right next to another SoCal Mexican favorites like Lares, La Cabaňa, and El Cholo.

VERSAILLES, 10319 Venice Boulevard, L.A., CA 90034
When I used to visit L.A. some years ago, my cousin and friends would bring me to this little hole-in-the-wall called “Versailles” along busy La Cienega Boulevard. At first I thought I was going for French food, but I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Versailles is a Cuban restaurant, and a very good one at that. It instantly became a favorite, and once I moved to L.A. it became part of the ‘touring’ spots that I’d take visitors to when they’d swing through. I visited the location right outside Culver City with my niece and nephew, and had an amazing time as usual; the Versailles on Venice has been re-modeled, and has vibrant-colored walls and mood lighting compared to it’s sister restaurant on La Cienega. Food, however, is consistent and tasty. Their lechon asado tops the list for me.

PALMS THAI, 5900 Hollywood Boulevard, L.A., CA 90028
There really is no other place in the country to get AMAZING (and inexpensive) Thai food than in Thai Town right outside Hollywood. Even the Thai places here in the Metro DC area do not compare. Palm Thai is special because 1) it’s always packed, and 2) it is home to the infamous “Thai Elvis…” Thai Elvis is some Thai uncle who dresses up as Elvis (sometimes), and sings all sorts of Elvis tunes. A lot of people come to Palms Thai for a sighting of Thai Elvis, but the food is more so popular. Fish cakes, tom yum, crab fried rice, and grilled mussels are just a few of the yummiest Thai dishes ever.

BESO HOLLYWOOD, 6350 Hollywood Boulevard, L.A. CA 90028
When Beso Hollywood first came on to the scene last year, I was quick to turn my cheek. With Eva Longoria’s name attached to it, and since it took over another spot along the ever-transient Hollywood Blvd., I figured it would last a good 9 months to a year before it would be home for the latest and greatest thing. With other Hollywood closings like Dolce, One Sunset, Murano, and even Luau in Beverly Hills, I was half-expecting Beso to follow suit. But once I learned that Todd English’s name was attached to this project, I decided that I had to at least give it a try before heading back east. So I took two of my best foodies, headed to Hollywood Blvd., and ended up having a very great experience.

I have been to two of T. English’s outposts in my life (including DC’s own Olives, which is currently closed for some much-needed upgrades), so I was hoping that this pairing between English and Longoria would not disappoint. And that it did not. At first instance, we were met with the chic surroundings befitting of a Hollywood power restaurant: stylish lighting, dark walls and floors, sleek furnishings, and Thievery Corporation (DC natives, btw) booming throughout the space. Walking in, you’re almost automatically prompted to be “on,” despite the fact that you’re still in L.A. For every table of patrons dressed to party, there is a table of shorts & tees-clad tourists, or laid-back locals. But that’s “L.A.” for you.

The interior of Beso Hollywood

The food = superb. Seafood and steaks are the specialty here. We started off with a ceviche tasting, which was succulent: mussels, ahi, and bay scallops. The swordfish steak, which was my main dish, was perfectly moist and flavorful – and filling! The winner of the night (aside from the vodka sodas) was surprisingly Eva’s Guacamole (her mother’s really), which has made a name for itself in Hollywood.

Ceviche Tasting at Beso Hollywood

THE BAZAAR (AT SLS HOTEL), 465 S. La Cienega Boulevard, L.A., CA 90048
The celebrated DC-area chef, Jose Andres, made his formal entry to the Hollywood/Los Angeles dining scene through the ultra-trendy SLS Hotel –an SBE project (think Brent Bolthouse productions). The Bazaar is the uber-hot restaurant/lounge at the SLS, and has created a buzz in the L.A. dining & nightlife scene. Reservations are hard to come by, so it’s easier to grab a table at the lounge –where the turnover of guests moves as quickly as lightning strikes.


I met my nephew and his wife for some drinks and small bites during my last week in town, and we were able to score a table at the lounge. The happy hour crowd was dwindling, but there was still a lot of traffic; the earmark of a current “hot spot” in Hollywood/L.A. For the most part, a good majority of the menu is still available at the lounge, and since Chef Andres is a master of tapas, the menu offered a plethora to choose from: Japanese tacos (w/grilled eel), sea urchin, foie gras (wrapped in ‘cotton candy’), and croquetas de pollo – to name a few. Jose Andres’ talent definitely shines through each and every dish.

The décor of The Bazaar is more so a mish mosh of things, but this is partly due to the design team of the SLS, who couldn’t seem to figure out whether or not they wanted to go for “Shabby Chic” or “elegant ski lodge” for the former space once occupied by Le Meridien. Gaudiness aside, the food and drinks offered by The Bazaar are surely top notch. (Bonus: Renee Russo sighting... She still looks great!)

LA CABAŇA, 739 Rose Avenue, Venice, CA 90291
My comida pasada in L.A. was at an old favorite, La Cabaňa. It was an easy choice since it’s on the way to LAX, and right outside my old neighborhood of Santa Monica. There’s nothing much more you can say about this place aside from the fact that it is simply SoCal “Mexican” at its best. Knowing that I wouldn’t find anything as close once I shifted coasts, I relished each and every bite (and each and every margarita, too).

All in all, my last few weeks in the L.A. area are now nothing more than a whirlwind of memories… but great memories no less. While there are many things I still miss about my life on the other coast, I’ve decided it best to take what I’ve learned and build upon new experiences now that I’m back home. No matter where I am, there are always reasons for me to question myself about “what’s not to love?”
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Back at our new corporate offices in the DC area, we have much better coffee than we ever did in Beverly Hills. I guess whoever the corp. office is purchasing from just has a better taste for these kind of things (the coffee that we were getting in Bev Hills was atrocious, to say the least). However, this morning I realized that a new flavor has been added to the pods appropriately called “Colombian,” “French Roast,” “Mudslide,” and “Donut Shop.” This new coffee, called “Jet Fuel,” seemed interesting off the jump. But as it brewed, the smell was strong and scary ---really, the best word to describe it. I haven’t even finished the cup (which I’ve now been nursing for over an hour or so), and I’m fighting between feelings of sleepiness and the need to bounce-off-walls.

Jet Fuel: the no-joke, in-your-face, doesn’t-taste-too-great-but-does-the-job kind of coffee brought to you by coffeepeople.com.
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(Photos from respective restaurant & company websites; photo of "L.A." from freedigitalphotos.net.)