Search results for DIVINE GEM

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DIVINE GEM!

Looking for a local spot for lunch or to meet your friends for a casually divine dinner?  Perhaps you need to grab some gourmet goodies on your way to a dinner party?  Or maybe you just don’t feel like cooking and want to stop in for something tasty to take home.  If you live in Mar Vista you’re in luck.  The Rustic Kitchen Market-Café-Wine Bar is your new go-to spot. This cute corner café is the current chapter for Executive Chef Noelle Fanaris and her wine connoisseur husband John Fanaris. Among the… Read More

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WESTSIDE GEM!

“Meet me at Wilshire” may become my new motto after our fabulous lunch there recently. We had such a good time in the restaurant but I want to go back to enjoy some time on their lovely patio! I can picture myself now, on a warm summer night, sipping a craft cocktail under the sparkling string lights with the full moon above… but I digress! From the moment we sat, our waiter Eugenio was cracking us up.  Such a character and ready to take on our menu questions!  The entire staff actually… Read More

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THE IVY

The Ivy located on Robertson in West Hollywood is a hidden gem and has been around for a very long time. It’s probably best known for fabulous celebrity sightings, but it is also praised for its upscale and stylish California cuisine. Open for over 30 years, The Ivy is charming and elegant. I recently visited and was thrilled to see it still thriving. The patio and dining rooms were packed with diners and filled with an abundance of colorful roses. Just spectacular! I love the concept of all day café and The… Read More

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SIMPLY WHOLESOME

Simply Wholesome is simply divine. They’ve been at the forefront of turning Windsor Hills from a food desert into a food oasis since 1981! It’s not only a restaurant with lots of inside and outside seating — there is a fully stocked health food store attached featuring everything from nutrition books, crystals, supplements, herbs, spices, snacks, and other plant-based treats. I’ve been coming here for over 20 years because this spot emphasized healthy vegan and vegetarian food from the very beginning. During the coronavirus crisis, Percell Keeling, owner of this family run business and an avid… Read More

Enterprise Fish Co!

Looking to celebrate an important career milestone with a pal, she enthusiastically suggested lunch at Enterprise Fish Company in Santa Monica. I would be dining here for the first time, though it was a longtime favorite for my pal’s family, friends and business colleagues.  It turns out Enterprise has been open under the same ownership since 1979 – quite a feat for a restaurant in these times.  Though the interiors are soon to be “refreshed,” we found the hardwood floors, wood trussed ceiling and copper accents around the open kitchen welcoming and… Read More

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MAMA MEATBALL!

Along Highland Avenue in the heart of Los Angeles lies Pizzeria Mozza, where I love to cozy up to the pizza bar and watch all the wood fired magic happen! Many flock to Mozza for its marvelous Neapolitan inspired pies—some say the Speck, Bufala Mozzarella and Olive Tapenade is speck-tacular! Meat lovers will devour the Bacon, Salami, Fennel Sausage, Guanciale and Tomato pizza. The salad of choice to pair with either has Little Gem lettuces, dates, red onions and gorgonzola. Exotic antipasti are aplenty on the Mozza menu, among the must-try offerings… Read More

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RUSTIC ROMANCE!

Toluca Lake has a hidden gem and its name is Prosecco Trattoria—opened by owner Amy Fishburn over 16 years ago. Wow! No easy task in Los Angeles. This restaurant is so very rustic and romantic offering delicious Italian fare to match. The dining room feels so pleasant and homey, ideal for a cold winter’s night or rainy afternoon. It has an intimate feel that’s very inviting. It’s really perfect for that special “date” night. Prosecco is well known for its Panettone Bread Pudding—served with wild berry drizzle and cinnamon gelato (the gelato… Read More