<p>We’re traveling to Los Angeles next month and I need at least a week’s worth of restaurants. We love great food and ambiance, so a beautiful view, decor, and, to make my teenagers happy, celebrity sightings and hot spots are all important. Malibu, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, along with greater LA will work.</p>
<p>The very first Cheesecake Factory restaurant is in Beverly Hills the next street (North Beverly Dr.) over from Rodeo Drive. There’s a chance you could see some celebs in that area and the cheesecake is good. I like checking out the cars around that area - I see cars there that I’d normally only see in the magazines.</p>
<p>If you’re around UCLA/Westwood you might want to stop at Diddy Reise for some cookies/ice cream (pretty cheap). </p>
<p>I try to avoid fancy restaurants so I don’t have any real good pointers for you but I know there are plenty in that area.</p>
<p>chowhound is a great resource for asking these kinds of questions. Make sure to check there too. </p>
<p>From a foodie viewpoint, if money is no object, go to Melisse in Santa Monica and Kazu Sushi in Studio City (out of your general area, but it’s got 3 Michelin stars). Osetra Mozza is a very hot pizza place under the stewardship of Nancy Silverton Mario Batali; if you can’t get reservations there, try Silvertons’ previous restaurant Campanile for any meal. Umami Burger and The Counter are local chains with excellent upscale burgers and fries. Harrison Ford’s son Ben is the guiding light behind Ford’s Filling Station in Culver City (which is near West Los Angeles). Yamashiro’s Restaurant in Hollywood for views. Can you go to something at the Hollywood Bowl? You’ll need a nice gourmet picnic basket for that, and plenty of places will be happy to oblige. </p>
<p>For funky, there’s the Velvet Margarita Cantina in Hollywood which has decent Mexican food, one of the best margaritas in the area, and over-the-top decor. Old school in Hollywood is Musso and Frank’s.</p>
<p>Nate and Al’s deli in Beverly Hills, maybe lunch or brunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel. </p>
<p>There are tons of food trucks in LA; have your teens do a little research and set up twitter feeds for their favorites since they roam all over. Kogi (fusion mexican-korean) and the grilled cheese truck are two of the better known.</p>
<p>[animal</a> restaurant](<a href=“http://www.animalrestaurant.com%5Danimal”>http://www.animalrestaurant.com) , Pizzeria Mozza, Musso and Franks (for the cocktails), Umami Burger, Jar…to name a few. I’ve had most excellent celeb sightings at all of the above.</p>
<p>I could tell you my favorite sushi restaurant…but then I would have to have you “disappeared”.</p>
<p>wow just realized I cross posted with Slithey -----I’ve bet weve seen EACH OTHER at those restaurants as well!!</p>
<p>And if you are in the Eagle Rock area…check out my personal fave: [The</a> Oinkster Restaurant | Eagle Rock California](<a href=“http://theoinkster.com/]The”>http://theoinkster.com/)</p>
<p>no celebrities, but lots of well cooked piggy and locally crafted beers</p>
<p>And your kids might enjoy the hip downtown vibe at <a href=“http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/[/url]”>http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/</a></p>
<p>For a real beach dining experience - Paradise Cove, Malibu. You can sit outside in the sand. There are lounge chairs facing the surf. The Gidget movies were filmed there. It’s off PCH between Malibu Canyon and Kanan Dume Road.</p>
<p>Santa Monica Pier</p>
<p>[The</a> Lobster | Photo gallery](<a href=“http://www.thelobster.com/lobster-photo-gallery.html]The”>http://www.thelobster.com/lobster-photo-gallery.html)</p>
<p>Border Grill in Santa Monica; Moonshadows in Malibu on PCH; Roscoe’s House of Chicken 'n Waffles in LA; and for fast food Baja Fresh and IN-N-OUT Burger.</p>
<p>Just occured to me. One of the best dining experiences in Los Angeles is at the unexpectedly excellent restaurant at the Getty Museum. Make reserves for the evening, ask for a table on the terrace. Fantastic views and even better food. (Visit the museum before you eat) [The</a> Restaurant at The Getty Center Restaurant Los Angeles LA Los Angeles CA Reviews Gayot](<a href=“http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/restaurant-getty-center-los-angeles-ca-90049_2la00216.html]The”>The Restaurant at The Getty Center Los Angeles LA CA Reviews | GAYOT)</p>
<p>can you tell that I am hungry tonight?</p>
<p>I know this is fairly far from LA, but if you happen to be near Santa Ana/Orange, I recommend The Orange Hill restaurant. As the name implies, it sits on a hill overlooking the Orange County. The food is good, the wine list features some nice domestic and imported wines, and the views are simply fantastic. There is a large outdoor patio where the restaurant guests can sit around firepits, have a glass of wine and watch the Disneyland fireworks light up the sky in the distance. This is what you will see:</p>
<p>[Views</a> & Beyond](<a href=“http://www.theorangehillrestaurant.com/orangehill/aboutus.aspx]Views”>http://www.theorangehillrestaurant.com/orangehill/aboutus.aspx)</p>
<p>[Orange</a> Hill Restaurant Restaurant Orange Orange County (CA) CA Reviews Gayot](<a href=“http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/orange-hill-restaurant-orange-ca-92869_6oc011153.html]Orange”>Orange Hill Restaurant Orange CA Reviews | GAYOT)</p>
<p>I strongly suspect that some of us have crossed paths. Diddy Reese…terrific cookies with the UCLA experience. Izakaya sushi (excellent) on Third. If cost is no object: Spago’s, The Grill on the Alley, both excellent. </p>
<p>Junque food: Pinks (long lines…go early for lunch 11;39 ish) for hot dogs, the Farmer’s Market (LaLoteria for Mexican food) and general sampling…Tito’s Tacos (cash only…as is Pinks).</p>
<p>Italian food in Beverly Hills: LaScala, Il Pastaio, Il Fornaio…</p>
<p>Nate and Al’s is great…rude servers the whole shambang.</p>
<p>Love Tito’s Tacos. (not a Pinks fan, though)</p>
<p>In Manhattan Beach: Talia’s and Cafe Pierre. Talia’s may be dinner only. </p>
<p>Hu’s Szechwan in Palms.</p>
<p>East LA/Boyle Heights: El Tepeyac, and also Juanito’s Tamales</p>
<p>and I like this out-of-the way place in Gardena: <a href=“eataliancafe.com”>eataliancafe.com;
<p>BTW, Izakaya is very young…lots of reality stars. Husband and I get in on a pass…The Lobster has a lovely view (with parking!)</p>
<p>Spago’s and The Grill are industry restaurants. Culver City (near Sony Studios) has become quite trendy.</p>
<p>I third The Lobster, great food and trendy so celebs may be spotted. Umami Burger, amazing burgers. Also would add Father’s Office in Santa Monica.</p>
<p>I agree with another poster, Tito’s Tacos is great. Right next door is Johnnie’s Pastrami which is also great. For more greasy unhealthy food definitely try Tommy’s. It’s a must go type of place.
Mexican food: try King Taco, or El Cholo Cafe for a sit down restaurant.
In my opinion, Pink’s is overrated and overpriced.
Can’t forget In N Out too. Haha.
There are tons of places in LA to eat. Personally, I love to eat cheap but good food.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Hu’s…what memories. Somehow, I grew up in LA never experiencing Chinese food. Then I married a man who loved it and our first apartment was just a few blocks away from Hu’s. We had a lot of meals at Hu’s in the first two years of our marriage. Your kids have to try In-N-Out if you don’t have it in your area. I have no idea why, really, but my kids always have to drag their out-of-town friends there, as if the rest of the country lacks burgers. Their friends insist on it. My husband also says the restaurant at the Getty is wonderful.</p>
<p>Oh and I forgot to mention the mobile options. Food truck mania is alive and well in Southern California.</p>
<p>My favorites, The Grilled Cheese Truck, Kogi BBQ (the original for Korean BBQ tacos), and The Boba Truck (amazing hand brewed milk tea with boba).</p>
<p>I tagged along with my H last month when he was in LA on business. Went to the Rick Bayless (gourmet Mexican food guru–who is best known for Frontera in Chicago) restaurant called Red O. Loved it. Also went to CUT (Wolfgang Puck steak house). It was in our hotel and easy. My husband loved it; I thought it was fine–probably because I don’t eat red meat very often. The room was very cool. Very modern, minimalist with lots of glass and stainless steel. Wolfgang was in the restaurant the night we had dinner. I didn’t recognize him, until I heard one of the servers say “Hello, Mr. Puck.” On our last night we went to Mr. Chow’s (Chinese in Beverly Hills). It was very good, but definitely overpriced. Service was excellent. Apparently, it’s a place where famous people show up. I’m one of those folks who never recognizes a celebrity, so if there were celebrities there, I missed it.</p>
<p>I love fancy food, but I’m not up on the current great restaurants in LA - however if you want places that have been there forever, but aren’t on usual tourist maps I’d suggest:
Phillipe’s [Home</a> page](<a href=“http://www.philippes.com/]Home”>http://www.philippes.com/) home of the original French Dip sandwich. It’s been in continuous operation since 1908.</p>
<p>And if you are out in Pasadena (say looking at Caltech or the Gamble House) you can have a great lunch at Pie 'n Burger [History</a> | Pie 'n Burger](<a href=“http://pienburger.com/history/]History”>Pie 'N Burger) It’s only been around since 1963, but it’s like a time warp. Great food, just what you’d expect on the menu.</p>
<p>The Rose Cafe in Venice is a nice place for breakfast/brunch.</p>