My cousin Mar was in town visiting for the weekend and she wanted to do some local hiking. The only hiking trail I knew of, but never hiked, was th…

The El Capitan Theatre is a true shining star on Hollywood Blvd. El Capitan is situated across from the Hollywood & Highland Entertainment Complex wh…

La Luna Negra is a small tapas bar locate one block south of the famed Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena. The restaurant exudes energy by the red hued walls…

Cafe Pierre is a lovely restaurant by owner and executive chef Guy Gabriele and is located along the main drag through Manhattan Beach, just a few bl…

Canele is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant sandwiched between a bikram yoga studio and a light fixture store in the Atwater neighborhood. It is a bit ha…

Dusty's Bistro brings tasty fare to a nondescript block of buildings on Sunset Blvd. Parking for Dusty's is metered parking on Sunset or valet parkin…

Twin Palms Pasadena is a fantastic restaurant a block down from Colorado Blvd as it runs through Old Town Pasadena. The restaurant space is enclosed …

Cliff's Edge is a hidden gem of a restaurant tucked away behind a parking lot along Sunset Blvd. I have lived in Silverlake for many years and I didn…

Los Angeles' Farmers Market, with the iconic Clock Tower as a landmark, has been and continues to be a meeting place for locals as well as an attract…

The Gaffey Street Diner is a local favorite mom and pop joint in San Pedro. Mellemel8 and I ate brunch here with our moms and Mel's best friend Lees…

Alcove Cafe & Bakery is another gastronomic gem in Los Feliz, a neighborhood in Los Angeles whose "cool" factor seems to be shooting through the roof…

Tropicalia Brazilian Grill is adding South American "flava" to the now hip and trendy neighborhood of Los Feliz. Right next door to Italian and Japa…

The Bourgeois Pig is a hole-in-the-wall hideway/cafe/lounge on a major thoroughfare of a Hollywood residential area. Overshadowed by the gaudy Churc…

Lappert's Ice Cream & Coffee is located at Hermosa Pier Plaza. The place is decked out in island-style decor. Reggae and Hawaiian music play softly…

Dinner at New Orleans Cajun Cafe was satisfying and tasty...but WHOA...I ate a lot.  So Donna and I decided to wander around and walk down the…

New Orleans Cajun Cafe is a delightful eatery just a short walk away from the Hermosa Beach Pier. Down home cooking reigns supreme here! You can't …

Gladstone's in Malibu is a famous establishment that has been serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner from its beachside location for many years. Gla…

Le Creperie in Manhattan Beach is a small and quaint cafe dishing out tasty, French and Mediterranean-inspired creations. On the menu are soups, sal…

Discreetly tucked away in a residential area in the San Gabriel Valley, the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is a beautiful…

I haven't seen my bff, Paula, and her kids in a month so when I got out of work early, I decided to make the LONG drive from the westside into th…

Tea at the Huntington Library's Rose Garden Tea Room is a luxurious way to spend an afternoon because the locale overlooks acres of roses. Tea servi…

Paradiso Ristorante is located in the Riviera Village...1 block from Redondo Beach and the Pacific Ocean and 1 block from Pacific Coast Highway. As …

Zazou:  Cuisine of the Sun is an intimate restaurant located just off Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach.   I found this restaur…

When we walked into the Zazou, the bar was a popular place to be...all locals unwinding after a long day. Near the front door was the Zazou "Wall of…

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens is located within Griffith Park, a 4200 acre park in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. The zoo ma…

It was a sunny fall day and I had no plans except to chill out at home.  My best friend called up to find out what I was up to and basically…

I convinced my cousin from Torrance to battle Friday evening traffic and join me for dinner at Breadbar.  After reading martinikitty13 

The Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art is one museum with three locations in LA proper. The Grand Avenue space and the Geffen Contemporary at MO…

The Japanese Village Plaza was developed in the early 1980s to stimulate economic growth in downtown Los Angeles.  Bordered by First Street…

I happened to come across Yamazaki Bakery while waiting for my mom and my cousin to finish up their window shopping moment at the Japanese Village Pl…

Exhibit Duration:  October 29, 2007 through February 11, 2008 I went to the Geffen Contemporary with my mom and my cousin after seeing …

If you are craving kebabs, then Raffi's Place is your final destination! Raffi's Place is a hidden gem. Overshadowed by the surrounding tall buildi…

Koji B.B.Q. Buffet is a mom and pop, local favorite, Korean BBQ joint located at the Eastgate Plaza in Torrance. If you are not familiar with Korean…

So I left my home in Silverlake to pick up mellemel8 from her mum’s place in Glendale. Due to the time in the evening we both knew that downtown t…

I went to Bar Hayama with mellemel8 to meet TravBuddies iheart2 travel and martinikitty13.  This was my first time to meet fellow …

Reed’s Restaurant is a quaint bistro seemingly camouflaged by the strip mall surroundings of the Manhattan Beach Village Shopping Center. Just a f…

Reed’s is Zaggat rated restaurant serving French Mediterranean cuisine in the Manhattan Beach area.  The website says it is an upscal…

Gyu-Kaku Restaurant is a Japanese BBQ dining experience where you are the chef.  My cousin and I went to the Torrance location which is in a s…

Gyu-Kaku Restaurant is Japanese BBQ where you are the "grill master". The menu has many cuts of meat from bovine to swine and poultry to fish and sea…

Café Flore is a quaint bistro located at 214 South Robertson Blvd in Beverly Hills. Café Flore is small but it had a cozy and homey ambiance due t…

Last week, when I was not doing much work at work, I spent a few hours surfing the web for restaurants to have my birthday dinner.&nb…

With its close proximity to LAX and the beachfront, this place has an extensive menu that is sure to satisfy the hunger of any weary traveler or almo…

Rock'N Fish is a steak and seafood joint in Manhattan Beach, one block away from the Manhattan Beach pier and the Pacific Ocean. I called to make a …

Gingergrass Restaurant is a local eatery in my 'hood of Silverlake. Located at the corner of Glendale Boulevard and Brier Avenue, Gingergrass specia…

I have been living in the Silverlake neighborhood for ooo...gosh...20 years now and sometime during that, Gingergrass appeared out of nowhere.&nb…

"Housed" at the outdoor promenade of the Del Amo Fashion Center, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant is a lively and jamming place to go for a Pacific Rim-inspir…

After an afternoon of shopping and perusing the clearance racks at the Del Amo Fashion Center, my cousin and I satiate our hunger at RA.   …

The Sunset Junction Street Festival/Fair is presented by the Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance which is a non-profit organization whose goals are…

My neighborhood hosts the Sunset Junction Street Festival/Fair.  Having lived in the Silver Lake/Echo Park/Los Feliz areas of Los Ange…

The Stinking Rose restaurant pays homage to Allium sativum L. or GARLIC. If you love the flavor and scent of GARLIC, then a visit to The Stinking R…

Today was my cousin's 28th birthday.  And in true Donna fashion shewanted to celebrate her birth with food.  And not just any meal wouldd…