Page 2: What to See
& Do | Hotels | Where
to Eat
Los Angeles
With more than 3.4 million people (in the city
alone) and 8.6 million in the county, L.A. is like no
other urban center in the world -- an amalgam of
Hollywood kitsch; large ethnic Asian communities in the
Downtown area, and the historic South-Central area.
Then there are the exclusive residential
communities on the West Side including Bel Air,
Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Century City and Westwood,
featuring upscale shopping and dining; and the sprawling
valleys -- San Fernando, San Gabriel and
Santa Clarita, where barely a tree existed before
the landscapers went to work when the huge subdivisions
were built.
They water their lawns with water piped
from Northern California and from the Owens Valley, on
the other side of the Sierra Nevada.
What to See & Do
The region is divided by geography (and
freeways) into manageable chunks of space (read
communities), where a massive number of things to see and
do are available for the visitor. It's the second largest
urban area in the United States, and if you don't have a
car in which to navigate the freeways, you might as well
forget trying to move outside the first community you
land in.
Los Angeles has several superb natural
areas at close range including the Santa Monica
Mountains National Recreation Area, the Los Padres
and San Bernardino National Forests -- to the north and
east respectively -- and the Cleveland National
Forest, which lies southeast of Long Beach.
North of the urban area is the Angeles
National Forest, the home of Mt. Wilson
Observatory -- with a park and offering tours of the
famous 100 inch telescope. The forests lands are crossed
by old mining roads, leading to old abandoned gold mines,
and the remains of a former mountain resort community and
cog railway that were popular around 1900.
One of the most valuable information
sources for the L.A. region is a telephone number:
213-688-ARTS. Sponsored by the City of Los Angeles
Cultural Affairs Department, this service keeps people
informed on the amazing variety of events being held at
any time of the year in L.A. The service supplies weekly
updates on music, art, dance, theater, the visual arts
and the many festivals that take place in greater L.A.
For much more on What to see and do in L.A.,
go to page 2
Where to Eat
The Los Angeles area has long been a fine place to eat
and the scene of a constant search for new types of
cuisine which will be embraced by the L.A. rich and
famous. The following recommendations include a few of
the more experimental restaurants, as well as some of the
long-standing favorites that attract those who wish to
see and be seen.
Downtown Dining
Most of the fancy places to eat are in the major
downtown hotels, and there are some excellent examples
including dining rooms in Bernards, in the
Biltmore Hotel, in Pavan (Hyatt Regency); and
Azalea, across from the city hall in the New Otani
Hotel.
There are several distinctive cafes not in hotels
which offer everything from the traditional steak and
seafood fare to the new blended Californa/Southwestern
cuisine. Of the latter type, the Sonora Cafe (445
S. Figueroa St.) is a fine example. The style is casual
but elegant, and the food is a blend of Southwest,
California and Mexican cuisines. There is outdoor dining,
and it's open for lunch and dinner on weekdays and for
dinner only on weekends. The Water Grill (544 S.
Grand Ave.) specializes in food from the Pacific
Northwest waters. There's an oyster bar, and the menu
includes a daily fresh sheet.
Two landmark restaurants attract locals as well as
tourists. Phillippe The Original (1001 N. Alameda
St.) has been operated by the same family since 1927 --
it opened in 1908 -- and specializes in family dining
with family-style seating. Meat is the main attraction,
and their famous French Dip Sandwich has been served
continuously since its opening. The Original Pantry
Cafe (877 S. Figueroa) has also been around for a
long time. The fare varies from steaks to sandwiches and
fresh baked goods. The ambience is casual, and the
servings are huge. It's open 24 hours and is close to
most major hotels and the Convention Center.
Hollywood Dining
For family dining -- noon or evening -- it's hard to
beat the variety of the Universal CityWalk (1000,
University Center Dr.). This Hollywood urban streetscape
has a brace of eating places, including full-scale
restaurants, sidewalk deli-style cafes and fast food
kiosks. The kids will love it. Also a fine destination
for families is Caffe Luna (7463 Melrose Ave.) in
the center of Melrose and well known for its rustic
Italian atmosphere and regional Italian cooking. The
staff is exceptionally friendly as is the food).
For fine dining, Fountain Court, 1370 N. St
Andrews Pl., offers exquisite decor, including a fountain
patio, which is perfect for special occasions. This is a
power lunch place haunted by the Hollywood elite. The
food is California Cuisine with wonderful desserts.
Chianti Cucina e Ristorante is two restaurants,
side by side, at 7388 Melrose Ave., with classic dishes
in one and contemporary Italian cuisine in the other.
Chianti is for romantic dining. The
Ristorante is an informal trattoria.
West Side Dining
Beverly Hills, Westwood, Culver City and Century City
provide much in the way of dining. Some of the most
famous restaurants in America are here, close to the film
studios. The Dining Room, in the Regent Beverly
Wilshire, at 9500 Wilshire Blvd., features California
cuisine in a Louis XVI setting, with floor-to-ceiling
murals and mohogany everywhere. It's open for three meals
daily and Sunday brunch is served from 11:30 am.
Butterfields, 8426 Sunset Blvd., is more famous
for the building than its excellent food. This is the
historic former estate of actor John Barrymore, and the
restaurant offers seafood, pasta dishes, grilled beef and
fowl. There's a beautiful garden patio plus dining inside
by the fireplace. It's open weekdays for lunch and every
evening for dinner.
The L.A. branch of the famous Chicago diner, Ed
Debevic's, is at 134 N. La Cienega Blvd. in Beverly
Hills. The ambience is the 1950s; the food is mainly
large-size servings of classic short order dishes,
including burgers, chili and meat loaf. There's a salad
bar and the servers entertain as they deliver. It opens
daily at 11:30 pm and is open until 11:30 pm Sunday --
Thursday and until 1 am Friday&endash;Saturday.
Arnie Mortons of Chicago, 435 S. La Cienega
Blvd., is one of two Morton's steak houses in the L.A.
area. The atmosphere is cozy, with dark wall paneling.
Tender steaks are what you come here for, but Morton's
also offers seafood. It's open daily for dinner,
Monday&endash;Saturday at 5:30 pm and Sunday at 5:00 pm.
For LA Neighborhoods,
and Places to Eat in Los Angeles,
see the next LA
Page
