**NEW**Flints
Les Deux    The Little Door    Lucky 7
Ita Cho    Morton's    Chaya Brasserie
Chaya Venice    The Ivy    Swingers
Jones        El Carmen
Vida    Fred '62
Lola    Voda    Granita
Michi    El Chollo    Cafe Maurice
**NEW** FLINTS
3321 Pico Blvd. at Centinela exit from the 10 Freeway
Santa Monica
(310) 453-1331
Dinner only: The bar is bustling with a hip but attitude free crowd. Sipping signature martinis. Try the Nutty martini (Amaretto, Frangelico and Vodka topped with a piece of peanut brittle), or the house Flintini! The food is simple but excellent: steaks with pommes frittes, chicken, pork chops, salmon, risotto, and great salads. If you still have room for desert, "Share" the famous Bananas Foster. This hip supper-club themed restaurant is a locals secret on the westside!
LES DEUX
(213) 465-0509
HOLLYWOOD
Michele Mason, L.A.’s premiere fashion diva/restaurateur gave up her latest faboo feeding post (which closed way before its prime), Cafe Des Artistes, in lieu of something bigger and better… She makes the most cutting edge seem bland and dull. In its early stages, Les Deux was part of a skuzzy Hollywood parking lot with the kitchen in a nearby building. How avante garde! How un-L.A.! Now it has an interior dining area, a cabaret, but the best tables are still in that fabulous post nuclear haven of a former car park. Don’t worry kiddies, it’s enclosed by a gate so the local vagabonds and winos can’t steal your drinks! The clientele? Way hip, very fashion, gay and straight fit well. Mucho celebs of the coolest ilk. Last week spotted Goerge Michael, Billy Zane of Titanic fame with the a full head of hair (the night before he was bald as a bowling ball) and his lovely wife Lisa who is on ER. If you love fashion, you must check out Michele’s line of shoes at American Rag.
THE LITTLE DOOR
8164 W.3RD STREET
LOS ANGELES
(213) 951-1133
The Little Door is Adorable…once you’re inside that little door. Can be tough to get in, and there’s a little too much attitude, considering the doorman is a dork with those Long Beach looks (Tip: Slip him some cash, he’s simple). Once in, it’s worth it. Indoor and outdoor seating in this little house of a restaurant is lovely, but celebs like Jim Carrey (with Lauren Holly), Tea Leone and David Duchovony, are usually in the patio area. The American bistro fare is perfectly fine, but it’s the atmosphere that brings us back.
LUCKY 7
Slightly "poser"ish, but still cool, this former jazz club has kept its old school vibe. It’s intimate with a dimly lit bar and a dining area where you can linger for hours over drinks and steak frite. Warning:do not order the oysters. Kind of srawny. The crowd: Great during the week. Lots of character actor type, young musicians, stylin’ chics who hang with young musicians, and a couple of weird guys with totally tattooed faces. Eclectic and low key. Weekends are a little overrun by Beverly Hills 90210 cast members, but still tolerable.
ITA CHO
Located in a mini-mall in the armpit of Hollywood next to an ‘it’s-so-bad-it’s-good’ porno shop, it’s not much to look at from the outside. But if you like true Japanese cooking (read: no sushi, just sashimi), you will be in heaven. The tuna sashimi salad gave my date a woody, and the eggplant, shrimp dumplings and dry sake box were more satisfying than my date could have ever dreamed of being. The crowd is seriously cool. The fluorescent lights are to posers what a good doorman is to ‘bridge and tunnel’ crowd…keeps them out for good. So, the crowd is authentic, for anyone who truly appreciates good Japanese cuisine is ok by us. Note: not for the hearty eater. You may need a snack afterwards.
MORTON’S
8764 MELROSE AVENUE
LOS ANGELES
(310) 276-5205
Only go on Monday nights. It’s where Hollywood’s heavy hitters play the game. David Geffen. Joe Roth. Barry Diller. Sandy Gallin. Scott Rudin. You get the idea. Have your friend call up and say, "My boss, (fill in your name here), the East Coast Senior V.P. of development from (choose one: Disney, ABC, Viacom, etc.) is in from New York and needs a table for (fill in a number, but never exceed six). And something in the front. What can you do for me?" It’ll work like a charm, and the staff will kiss your ass.
CHAYA BRASSERIE
8741 ALDEN DRIVE
LOS ANGELES
(310) 859-8858
This is the place for Architecture lovers. The open, lofty, slightly Asian looking space is incredible and the mere fact that it’s been open for years, and is still packed with the fashion and showbiz crowds says a lot. The venison is unreal.
CHAYA VENICE
110 NAVY STREET
VENICE
(310) 396-1179
My personal fave! Chaya Venice (sister to Chaya Brasserie) was my neighborhood bar. Chaya has great pan Asian/California cuisine, a fabulous sushi bar, and a bar area that is fun and friendly, yet still civilized. It’s usually packed on Friday nights. To top it off, their sushi happy hours are the best deal anywhere. I make it a point to stop here every trip to L.A. to catcha quick buzz from the pineapple vodka infused martinis and devour one of the freshest California rolls in the western hemisphere. It’s also where women feeel comfortable on their own sitting at the bar, chatting it up with one of the very friendly bartenders or quasi normal patrons. The crowd is usually a mix of attractive/upscale yuppie types that have a lot less attitude than their Hollywood counterparts. Yep, most of these folks actually have a day job!
THE IVY
113 N. ROBERTSON BLVD.
LOS ANGELES
(310) 274-8303
Classic Los Angeles. One of the few that will never go away, but will get more and more ridiculous with time (one of the reasons wee love it!) Where else can you pay twenty-five bucks for a salad and see Sylvester Stallone shmoozing Sydney Lumet all on a Wednesday afternoon? The Ivy rocks, just make sure its on the expense account..
SWINGERS
8020 BEVERLY BLVD.
LOS ANGELES
(213) 653-5858
Very tongue and cheek…this Hollywood diner was reopened by the late team of Jon Sidel and Sean MacPhearson. And, yes, it was the inspiration for the movie. Come in late morning and see all the gorgeous grungie actor/model wannabee fighting their hangovers with the breakfast burrito and a mean cup o’ jo. Open 24-7.
JONES
7205 SANTA MONICA BLVD.
LOS ANGELES
(213) 850-1727
Also opened by the Sidel/MacPhearson team. It’s reminiscent of those old, dark pizza places of yesteryear, but with a modern twist. Old rock and roll photos adorn the walls surrounding pleather banquets filled with the day crowd from Swingers. Patrons enjoy a couple of stiff ones while nibbling on the surprisingly good pizzas and pastas.
EL CARMEN
8138 W. 3RD STREET
LOS ANGELES
Solo venture by Sean MacPhearson who’s got the Midas touch. Who else could take and old Mexican joint, slap some cheap décor up on the walls, fill the bar up with over one hundred types of tequila and have the cool crowd come-a-runnin’? The clincher is the food. Not your greasy south of the border fare…We’re talking tacos with portobello mushrooms, baby! So, do a shot, wash it down with a Carona, and feel the Mexican blood rush through your veins…or was that the tequila? The leather jacket and jeans crowd looks better and better as the night crawls along…or was that the tequila?
VIDA
1930 HILLHURST AVE.
LOS ANGELES (SILVERLAKE)
(213) 660-4446
Chef/Owner Fred Eric is genius. This place tops our list. It’s got it all…The sunken tables around the poured concrete bar are ideal for those with high aesthetic requirements. The thatched roofed dining area is a little more tame. But the food certainly isn’t. Fred used to be the chef at the ultimate and now defunct eatery, The Olive (a Sidel project), and it was there we fell in love with his eclectic, whimsical, yet always yummy food. The Cobb Salad is presented as a grid (you got to see it to believe it), and the tuna is orgasmic… This the ultimate in sensory experience. If you’re a stickler for style and substance head right over to this Silverlake solace, the truest, hippest part of town…And thank God the remoteness keeps the riffraff away. We love you, Fred!
FRED ’62
Fred Eric joined forces with another guy named Fred who was also born in 1962, hence the name of this fabulous diner with an often edgy menu. Open 24-7 it caters to the local hipsters of Silverlake, not to mention many a celebrity sighting. Madonna’s a regular. So is Michael Stipe. Too cool for school is this crowd who nosh away on Fred’s fab feeds.
LOLA
945 N. FAIFAX AVENUE
WEST HOLLYWOOD
213-736-5652
Ever seen Courtney Love naked? I bet you feel left out…So head over to Lola’s and check out her portrait with daughter Francis Bean in the ladies room of this ultracharming locale, with its tiled floors and hatched roof-like feel. Then hit your table and order the "Love"ian Seared Sea Scallops, almost as spicy as the original Spice girl herself. And take a sip of a Mrs. Miller’s Melon Martini just like Courtney (hey, thought she was off the booze!) …And yes, the drink was named after Dennis Miller’s wife. How ridiculously Hollywood! Well, Hollywood fits in here just fine considering Drew Barrymore and Sandra Bullock have hosted fetes at this joint, and Ellen Degeneres kicked K.D. Lang’s ass in pool in the back.
VODA
2nd AND BROADWAY, SANTA MONICA
The owners of 217 must have decided to try to cater to the "older" crowd by opening up Voda. The long bar attracts the chic and attractive upscale west siders that come to eye ball each other in that slightly less pretentious west-side way. When you’ve had enough chit chat, order up something off the light menu and then head around the corner to 217 to dance the night away.
GRANITA
PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY AND WEBB WAY
MALIBU
(310) 456-0488
This Wolfgang Puck-erie opened in ’92 to much acclaim. If you ask me, I think the Malibu types were just happy to have another place to eat! It is a little isolating out there. Wife Barbara went a little ballistic with the baubley décor…Too many maritime references… which is kinda like wearing a sailor-inspired outfit on a cruise. Silly. Unnecessary. Yet Puck still produces. Food is delish! And try out the infamous dessert an the namesake… "Granita"…. Flavored shaved ice. And the crowd can be quite fabulous in that I’m-at-my-weekend-house-in-Malibu sort of way. Good bar scene. Think of it as the "new money" Ivy.
MICHI
903 MANHATTAN AVE.
MANHATTAN BEACH
(310) 376-0613
This lively, fun, hip, and cool, innovative Cal Pacific Asian is a where all the in kids from Manhattan Beach hang. And wear black…no beachy clothes here! It’s loud and it’s a good time, for Manhattan Beach that is!
EL CHOLLO
1121 S. WESTERN AVE.
LOS ANGELES
(213) 737-1738
This place rocks! Oldest Mexican joint on the west side. Great margaritas, great chow and totally casual. Check it out for dinner or cocktails.
CAFÉ MAURICE
747 N. LA CIENEGA BLVD.
LOS ANGELES
(310) 652-1609
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