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food drink | Guide maple-bacon biscuits) and plenty of seasonal, farm-fresh fare sandwiched between freshly baked baguettes, country boule and brioche. 1014 Wilshire Blvd., 310.451.2311, huckleberrycafe.com $ The Penthouse Chef Seth Greenburg (most recently of Biggs in Long Beach) constructs a contemporary American menu with Mediterranean accents, inspired by the nearby farmers market. With striking views of the beach and horizon, this is one of the best vantage points in the city for watching the sunset. The Huntley Hotel, 1111 2nd St., 310.393.8080, thehuntleyhotel. com/ penthouse $$$ Pico Blvd., 310.829.4313, valentinorestaurants. com $$$$ Wilshire This beautiful restaurant has one of the best patios in town. Chef Nyesha Arrington (former Top Chef contestant) serves updated classics like mussels in red curry broth, black truffle risotto and an outstanding wood-grilled steak. 2454 Wilshire Blvd., 310.586.1707, wilshirerestaurant. com $$$ the only restaurant in the Palisades with a full bar. 15229 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, 310.459.9790, thepearldragon. com $$ Culver City/Culver West / Baldwin Hills A-Frame BEst NEW REstAURANt Saddle Peak Lodge This classic hideaway still charms our hunter-gatherer instincts with a wild game menu and a romantic hilltop destination featuring panoramic views. Chef Chris Kufek’s exquisite fare is worthy of special occasions, but it also hits the spot when you’ve got an irresistible craving for a tasty piece of elk tenderloin. 419 Cold Canyon Road, 818.222.3888, saddlepeaklodge. com $$$ JiRaffe Former pro surfer Raphael Lunetta turns out exquisite Cal-French cuisine in a casually elegant two-story dining room filled with sunlight and chandeliers. Lunetta has a penchant for seafood, but he’s equally deft with foie gras. 502 Santa Monica Blvd., 310.917.6671, jirafferestaurant. com $$$ Rustic Canyon Wine Bar Zoe Nathan is quickly establishing herself as the next Nancy Silverton—a master not just of desserts but also of wonderful rustic breads. Meanwhile, chef Evan Funke continues the restaurant’s tradition of uncomplicated, seasonal, farmers market-driven cuisine (handmade pastas, fried artichokes, whole roasted trout). The wine list is as charming and user-friendly as they come. 1119 Wilshire Blvd., 310.393.7050, rusticcanyonwinebar. com $$$ Zengo Finally, somebody proves that “fusion” isn’t a dirty word. Chef Richard Sandoval works magic with Latin and Asian flavors. Japanese bonito flakes in ceviche? Chinese dragon sauce in short ribs? Makes perfect sense. 395 Santa Monica Place, 310.899.1000, richardsandoval.com $$ M Street Kitchen Breakfast, lunch or dinner, when the craving hits for a taste of something classic— huevos rancheros, sushi rolls, fried chicken, tuna carpaccio, cheeseburgers or even tacos—this place is cooking it. 2000 Main St., 310.396.9145, mstreetkitchen. com $$ Savory Chef Paul Shoemaker’s breezy beach spot highlights seasonal cuisine with just the right amount of (seemingly effortless) flair at this mecca for Malibu foodies. Formerly at Bastide, Shoemaker’s sustainability-minded menu is straightforward yet totally high-end: a Zuma Canyon salad, for instance, melds simple greens with fresh fennel and Thai basil. Yes, this is PCH, but the restaurant does not have a view of the ocean. 29169 Heathercliff Road, 310.589.8997, savorymalibu.com $$$ It’s everything like L.A.’s food truck movement: loud, bustling and communal—a place to let your guard down and get your hands dirty. Dining in chef Roy Choi (Kogi) and David Reiss’ (Beechwood) Culver City collaboration in a former IHOP is a stylish, convivial dining hall where you make friends with others at your table—because you might not know them—after eyeing their furikake-laced kettle corn crisp beer-can chicken and messy whole-fried lobster. 12565 W. Washington Blvd., 310.398.7700, aframela.com $$ Akasha A former private chef to Hollywood stars, Akasha Richmond operates this eco-sensitive Culver City bar, café and marketplace. The menu spans the globe, ranging from a bowl of Punjabi mung beans and rice to a pizza topped with fig, caramelized onions and prosciutto. 9543 Culver Blvd., 310.845.1700, akasharestaurant. com $$$ Malibu/Pacific Palisades Café Habana The New York dining scene hits the ’Bu with this glossy slice of retro-hip Havana at the Malibu Lumber Yard. A spacious patio is adorned with bougainvillea and a slatted-beam roof, where guests chow down on Cuban sandwiches at reclaimed wooden tables. Go on a Taco Tuesday or Karaoke Wednesday night. Malibu Lumber Yard, 3939 Cross Creek Road, 310.317.0300, habana-malibu.com $$ Mélisse Josiah Citrin’s Westside classic (former Angeleno Restaurant of the Year) is one of the finest restaurants around, with impeccable modern French/ American cuisine, a stellar wine list and, yes, purse stools. 1104 Wilshire Blvd., 310.395.0881, melisse. com $$$$ Tiato Turkey taco salads, grilled salmon and Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches headline the menu at this grab-and-go café, wine bar and tea garden from Catherine An, youngest daughter of Crustacean matriarch Helene An. 2700 Colorado Ave., Suite 190, 310.866.5228, tiato. com $$ Ford’s Filling Station Chef Ben Ford (and, yes, son of Harrison) is the mastermind behind this wonderful gastropub in the heart of Culver City. One of the best of its genre, the casual eatery combines great grub (wood-oven flatbreads, roasted leg of lamb) with excellent wines and craft beer. 9531 Culver Blvd., 310.202.1470, fordsfillingstation. net $$ Michael’s Michael McCarty’s legendary restaurant was arguably the birthplace of modern California cuisine but fell off the radar for quite a while. Now, an upstart, 24-year-old Executive Chef John-Carlos Kuramoto, has been brought in from Campanile to meld his dual Japanese and Mexican heritage into simple yet assured presentations, like a masala-spiced quail. Be sure to sit in the garden patio— one of the city’s most iconic. 1147 3rd St., 310.451.0843, michaelssantamonica. com $$$$ Sunset Restaurant Boasting one of the best beachfront locations in the area, chef Tony Chavez serves farmers market twists on old standbys like fish and chips, oysters on the half shell and on some nights, king crab. For a more formal experience, ask to be seated in “The White Room” upstairs, and head toward the hidden elevator. 6800 Westward Beach Road, Malibu, 310.589.1007, thesunsetrestaurant.com $$$ True Food Kitchen The menu of Tuscan kale salads and wild ahi sliders draws on famed Dr. Andrew Weil’s Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid. But it’s good-times, not strictly goody-goody, as the organic, studiously nutritious vittles— served in a slick-and-airy dining room—can be accompanied by the modestly priced (and, natch, biodynamic) wines. 395 Santa Monica Place, 310.593.8300, truefoodkitchen.com $$ Gladstones Long known by locals as an iconic tourist trap with a fantastic view and forgettable fare, Gladstones is now finally enjoying a reputation as a Malibu hotspot since its takeover by local hospitality kingpin Sam Nazarian—thanks to an adroit property facelift and all-purpose upgrade of restaurant favorites (macadamia rock shrimp, the iced seafood towers, the massive clambake special). 17300 Pacific Coast Highway, 310.454.3474, gladstones.com $$ Lukshon BEst NEW REstAURANt DEsIgN Taverna Tony Tony Koursaris’ Greek tavern at the Malibu Country Mart is a belly dancing, plate-throwing bacchanal beloved by locals—particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings. Take to the outdoor veranda blooming with bougainvillea to enjoy the moussaka, souvlaki, keftethes and other well-wrought regional specialties. 23410 Civic Center Way, 310.317.9667, tavernatony.com $$$ Next Door by Josie A casual offshoot right “next door” to chef Josie Le Balch’s Josie Restaurant, this relaxed sister resto offers comforting favorites with a twist: wild-game chili, beer and bacon caramel corn, and Mai’s duck confit bánh mì sandwich are already standouts on its farmers market-driven menu. 2420 Pico Blvd., 310.581.4201, nextdoorbyjosie.com $$ Valentino Piero Selvaggio has installed a new chef at his legendary Westside Italian restaurant. A native of Sardinia, chef Nico Chessa comes to L.A. from Las Vegas, where he worked for Selvaggio at Giorgio Ristorante, a casual café at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place. Valentino boasts one of the finest Italian wine collections in America, if not the world. 3115 Pearl Dragon The California sushi is good, but the small and large plates are even better, especially the Kalbi short ribs with pear-apple salad. This is Chef Sang Yoon (Father’s Office) deploys his contemporary techniques on traditional Southeast Asian inspirations—dandan noodles, short rib rendang—in a fittingly restrained, elegant room of California modernist design by Ana Henton. Enjoy the view from within the revived Helms Bakery complex while digging into Yoon’s particularly addictive “spicy chicken pops,” a play on Buffalo wings. 3239 Helms Ave., 310.202.6808, lukshon.com $$ Post & Beam Chef Govind Armstrong (of Table 8 and 8 oz. Burger Bar) brings an inviting new eatery to Baldwin 126 | Angeleno | June 2012
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