For me, the least interesting restaurant in the new Santa Monica Place is the Sonoma Wine Garden. Yet it’s one of the most popular, and it has the best views.
DOWNTOWN — How much would you be willing to pay for a stretch of sidewalk along picturesque Ocean Avenue or the popular Third Street Promenade? How does $5.
Continuing my adventures on the third floor of the new Santa Monica Place, I had lunch at La Sandía Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar (which means “watermelon” in Spanish).
When I walked into Pourtal I was immediately greeted with a “hello” and a big smile from an attractive young woman. As I approached the bar a handsome young man said “welcome.
Finally, a good Chinese restaurant in Santa Monica. When I first moved here there were lots of Chinese restaurants, many Cantonese, but a few Szechuan.
Some friends won’t dine with me at Le Saigon because they don’t serve beer or wine, but personally I find the fresh coconut juice a special treat. It’s a small, plain restaurant with a utilitarian look.
The best weeknight recipes are those that are versatile enough to work not just with what you want, but also what you have. As in this simple recipe for sweet-and-sour chicken.
The neighborhood we live in is finally becoming trendy and “discovered” which has both positive and negative points. After a few years in Santa Monica we moved to Mar Vista-Culver City border five years ago to find a little less trendiness and more of a down-to-earth quality that was appealing.
THE BACKYARD — Some people need an excuse to bring the barbecue grill out of hibernation and fire it up. Not me. I don’t care if it’s Fourth of July weekend or the Super Bowl.
During a recent visit to Pennsylvania, my home state, I told a friend that I was living in Santa Monica. Her response was, “Wow! That’s like the Mecca of beach volleyball.
I guess almost everyone goes to Westwood Village from time to time. Years ago, we went to the Hamburger Hamlet, after its demise, we switched to its successor, the Hamlet Gardens.
During a recent trip to the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market, I was flabbergasted when I cheerfully walked up to my favorite carrot purveyor, Weiser Family Farms, only to be told that, “Carrots are out of season.
