one nice dinner in LA

[Ling]

I'll be in LA for a day, and we've already decided on Filipe's for lunch. We've narrowed down our dinner choices to three, but would love some feedback or other recommendations. The three restaurants we're considering are:

Melisse

Ortolan

Table 8

We're open to any type of cuisine, and I think we're both adventurous eaters. No dietary restrictions.

Any recent reports on these three places?

Also, if I may stick this bit of OT request in here--if we have time, I would love to visit a traditional French bakery. I've read about Sweet Lady Jane Bakery but from the website, it seems like their offerings are more American (carrot cakes, chocolate-vanilla cheesecakes, etc.) Any suggestions about where to go for a good pastries made with top-quality ingredients?

Edited May 23, 2006 by Ling (log)

[molto e]

Also, if I may stick this bit of OT request in here--if we have time, I would love to visit a traditional French bakery. I've read about Sweet Lady Jane Bakery but from the website, it seems like their offerings are more American (carrot cakes, chocolate-vanilla cheesecakes, etc.) Any suggestions about where to go for a good pastries made with top-quality ingredients?

←

Ling,

Boule Patisserie across the street from Sona restaurant on La Cienaga. You may wish to consider Sona for dinner as well. Do not forget about Urasawa, which if you like sushi is one of the top experiences in the country.

Boule - (310) 289-9977 - 420 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA

http://boulela.com/

Enjoy,

Molto E

Edited May 23, 2006 by molto e (log)

[Ling]

BTW, the restaurant choices were gleaned from CitySearch...although rjwong just directed me to the Providence thread and I must say I'm really impressed!

Thanks, molto e, for the Boule recommendation. I've seen their signature blue boxes in food blogs and didn't know they were in LA. What would you recommend there?

Edited May 23, 2006 by Ling (log)

[chuckyoufarley]

All good restaurants.

If you want a truly great experience go to Providence.

For my money the best restaurant in LA at this moment.

The bartender Vincenzo is also not of this world.

If you go and have a cocktail before dinner just ask him to make you something special. The guy truly loves his craft.

www.providencela.com

heres the egullet thread.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...9&hl=providence

Also, Rjwong is pretty much the go to guy for LA foodom.

I have snooped on most of his posts here and he is pretty much dead on.

Go to Providence,

Shaun

Edited May 23, 2006 by chuckyoufarley (log)

[Ling]

Ahh...another vote for Providence. Thanks! The cocktails you mentioned in your Providence post sound great.

[rjwong]

Also, Rjwong is pretty much the go to guy for LA foodom.

I have snooped on most of his posts here and he is pretty much dead on.

Go to Providence,

Shaun

←

Shaun, thank you for that unsolicited statement ...

I would have to agree with you ... and me ... that Providence is the best new place in LA. Mind you, there are still some restaurants I haven't gone to yet. I just need a little more time ... and a little more money.

[Ling]

Done! Providence is booked!

[hhlodesign]

Wow! I got an 8pm for a friday night at Providence! I can't wait to try a place that is getting such high praise from such a tough crowd.

Our LA intinerary looks like this:

In-N-Out Burger (breakfast)

Getty Center

MOCA

Disney Concert Hall

LA Cathedral

Bradbury Building

Olvera St.

Phillipe's the Original (lunch)

Boule (gifts, no more room for food )

Shopping on Rodeo

Shopping on Melrose

Sweet Lady Jane (snacks for the next day)

Providence (dinner)

Drinks around Melrose Hollywood (suggestions?)

Pink's or Roscoe's or Tommy's (late night snack)

ALL IN ONE DAY!!!

Too Ambitious?

Edited May 23, 2006 by hhlodesign (log)

[Ling]

ALL IN ONE DAY!!!

Too Ambitious?     

←

yeah...but you know I'm up for it.

[chuckyoufarley]

Wow! I got an 8pm for a friday night at Providence! I can't wait to try a place that is getting such high praise from such a tough crowd.

Our LA intinerary looks like this:

In-N-Out Burger (breakfast)

Getty Center

MOCA

Disney Concert Hall

LA Cathedral

Bradbury Building

Olvera St.

Phillipe's the Original (lunch)

Boule (gifts, no more room for food  )

Shopping on Rodeo

Shopping on Melrose

Sweet Lady Jane (snacks for the next day)

Providence (dinner)

Drinks around Melrose Hollywood (suggestions?)

Pink's or Roscoe's or Tommy's (late night snack)

ALL IN ONE DAY!!!

Too Ambitious?     

←

Man I am exhausted just reading this.

LA is pretty spread out and traffic in LA on Friday after 3pm can be a bit of a bear.

If memory serves the Getty opens at 10am and it takes a good chunk of time to get parked and shuttled up the hill to the museum.

Its worth the effort for tour of the building alone.

In an effort to lump your agenda into geographic regions you might hit all the downtown stuff early then hit the Getty after lunch before you drive to Hollywood/Beverly hills.

If you had asked me 10 years ago where to get drinks i would have had 10 places.

probably the best place to get ideas other than word of mouth is www.la.com

I suspect after browsing the site it is a bit more current than say cityscape.

Good luck on your journey though.

Shaun

[chuckyoufarley]

MOCA actually opens at 11am.

You might be better off getting to the getty right when they open then getting back to downtown.

Forget I said anything I guess.

Shaun

[hhlodesign]

MOCA actually opens at 11am.

You might be better off getting to the getty right when they open then getting back to downtown.

Forget I said anything I guess.

Shaun

←

I actually lived in LA for many years. Grad school at UCLA. Moved in 1999. So I do have a bit of an idea that this proposed itinerary is stretching a bit, espescailly considering Friday traffic. But that's all part of the LA experience.

I was thinking of hitting the Getty right when they open at 10am. then splitting a burger at the Canner designed Westwood In-N-Out at 11am. That can put us downtown around noon. Snap a few picts of MOCA, Disney, LA Cathedral, Bradbury (all within a few blocks of each other) then off to Olvera St. and Phillipe's around 1:30pm. Which gives us between 2:30pm and 7:30 for shopping and sweets, ending up on Melrose Ave. I think we can do it.

Thanks for the input though.

Edited May 23, 2006 by hhlodesign (log)

[chuckyoufarley]

Well then, sound like you have it wired.

Vincenzo at Providence should provide some well deserved and most likely needed libations to downshift a bit.

Have fun guys.

S.

[chuckyoufarley]

Oh, and please nerd out and take some photos of the food at Providence for us here please.

[Ling]

^For you, anything!

[sheetz]

I was thinking of hitting the Getty right when they open at 10am. then splitting a burger at the Canner designed Westwood In-N-Out at 11am.

So from what I gather you're going to spend, what, 30 minutes, at the Getty gift shop and then leave?

[hhlodesign]

I was thinking of hitting the Getty right when they open at 10am. then splitting a burger at the Canner designed Westwood In-N-Out at 11am.

So from what I gather you're going to spend, what, 30 minutes, at the Getty gift shop and then leave?

←

Tour the grounds. I know the buildings and gardens pretty well. I have a few favorite spots. It's more for the views of LA and the architecture than the collection.

[rjwong]

Wow! I got an 8pm for a friday night at Providence! I can't wait to try a place that is getting such high praise from such a tough crowd.

Our LA intinerary looks like this:

In-N-Out Burger (breakfast)

Getty Center

MOCA

Disney Concert Hall

LA Cathedral

Bradbury Building

Olvera St.

Phillipe's the Original (lunch)

Boule (gifts, no more room for food  )

Shopping on Rodeo

Shopping on Melrose

Sweet Lady Jane (snacks for the next day)

Providence (dinner)

Drinks around Melrose Hollywood (suggestions?)

Pink's or Roscoe's or Tommy's (late night snack)

ALL IN ONE DAY!!!

Too Ambitious?     

←

WHAT?? No Falafel King or Diddy Reese cookies in Westwood? No Stan's Donuts? Or tacos at the Grand Central Market, across the street from the Bradbury Building? Or the Original Pantry Cafe, two blocks away from Staples Center? Or Cicada restaurant inside the Oviatt Building, the first art deco building in LA? Or drinks at Traxx inside Union Station, across from Olvera St.? Or Spago's for some Sherry Yard desserts? Or Beard Papa cream puffs at Hollywood & Highland (they closed by 8:30 p.m.)? Or after-dinner drinks at Dakota inside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel?

As for the late night snack, that's a tough one! The Original Tommy's on Rampart & Beverly is celebrating its 60th year. Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles near the Palladium is where the action is at, complete with the bodyguard out front. A culinary & cultural experience!

If you can get a professional guide to help you out, you'll have no problem fitting everything on the list.

hhlodesign, you mean you're not going to see the Getty collection, Steve Martin-style, with roller skates hidden in your shoes?

[Carlsbad]

What about a real Martini at Musso & Frank?

[Ling]

I haven't heard of Musso and Frank...could you tell me a little about it?

We are arriving in Orange County on Thursday, June 8th and I'm looking for a place for lunch. Originally, the plan was to go to Din Tai Fung for xiao long bao, but we've been doing some online research and it appears that the consensus is that DTF is not that good, and that Vancouver has better xiao long bao anyway.

ETA: To clarify, I meant it appears the LA Din Tai Fung isn't that great, although the locations in Asia are very good.

Edited May 31, 2006 by Ling (log)

[rjwong]

I haven't heard of Musso and Frank...could you tell me a little about it? 

←

Musso & Frank's is the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, where writers like F. Scott Fitzgerald & Dashiell Hammett would frequent. I've only eaten there once. They serve an a la carte menu, continental cuisine. Boy, that goes way back! This place is way before my time! Someone else is going to have to help you from here, Ling.

[hzrt8w]

Originally, the plan was to go to Din Tai Fung for xiao long bao, but we've been doing some online research and it appears that the consensus is that DTF is not that good, and that Vancouver has better xiao long bao anyway.

←

You live in Vancouver, you probably wouldn't miss Chinese food in your trip. If you want to stay with Asian, then I would say Vietnamese food is great in Little Saigon (Garden Grove/Westminster). I have tried many Vietnamese restaurants in LA and San Francisco Bay Area/Sacramento. So far I have not found any that impressed me as good as the ones in the Little Saigon area.

Pho

Bun Hoi

BBQ pork/beef

Sugar cane shrimp

Vietnamese egg rolls

(etc.)

Unfortunately, even inside the Little Saigon area the Vietnamese bakeries did not impress me...

Edited May 31, 2006 by hzrt8w (log)

[Carlsbad]

Musso & Frank has a menu out of the dark ages, and red booths that look, well old like the rest of the place. It's one of the real old Hollywood places. They make a good martini and the place has atmosphere. It's not what I would call a happening place, however, and I probably shouldn't have suggested it.

I do second the idea of lunch in Little Saigon out of John Wayne.