Holiday crunch time on the Third Street Promenade certainly brings elevated levels of shopping mayhem. All of the congestion, large crowds and seasonal cheesiness does indeed bring out the Grinch in me.
Many a Sunday morning we enjoyed a dim sum brunch at the old VIP Seafood Restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard and Barrington Avenue. One nice feature was that we got dim sum right away from the rolling carts while we waited for a few special dishes.
Like any new business Z Garden is indeed working out some of the unexpected yet unavoidable kinks. Co-owner Shadi Abed, posts himself close to the entrance working partly as a greeter and also as the guy who has to shut the faulty door that wants to constantly stay open.
WILSHIRE BLVD — For me, any which way you slice it, pizza can do no wrong. Whether it is the 3 a.m. microwavable abomination at the gas station, or a pie hand-tossed by Wolfgang Puck himself, if there is melted cheese on some form of bread, I am a fan.
It’s not the same old Drago. Like most high-end restaurants, it changes from time to time. And when I was last there I found a number of changes on the menu and in the staff.
Those looking to escape the crowds can head down Pico Boulevard to Casa del Mar, a classic hotel featuring classic cocktails by expert mixologist Gaston Martinez.
With the holiday season underway the Third Street Promenade gets even more crazy with a flurry of shopping madness. Locanda del Lago, which is situated in the middle of the mayhem, is offering some pretty enticing drink specials that are certain to appeal to weary shoppers looking for a little break
During a recent visit to Pennsylvania, my mom and I visited Cabela’s, a huge sporting goods store about an hour west of Allentown, my home town. Cabela’s is like a play ground for hunters and fishermen, but they also have great outdoor wear for active individuals.
After months of anticipation and delays from contractors and inspectors, the well loved but old-fashioned Dante’s in Pacific Palisades has morphed into the new, modern Maison Giraud.
CITYWIDE — The weather outside is far from frightful in Santa Monica where beachfront hotels, world-class restaurants and award-winning Farmers’ Markets make it an ideal place to celebrate the holiday season.
OCEAN AVE — Keith Roberts, the executive chef at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, is someone whom I have been following over the last year or so as he has added his own flavor and strict standards to the hotel’s kitchen and restaurant, Ocean & Vine.
With a kaleidoscopic arrangement of food trucks, trendy clubs, and upstart restaurants, Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, just outside of Santa Monica, is a great place to venture and try something new.
