Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
best—and I think this is the best—and
you're sur e to star t an argument. The
chefs at the H ump ar e deadly serious
about their sushi: F lown in daily fr om
Tokyo's Tsukiji and F ukuoka fish mar-
kets in o xygen-filled containers, it 's so
fresh that ther e's a sign at the entrance
warning the faint-of-hear t that the
meat's still moving. See p. 113.
•
Koi
(730 N. La Cienega B lvd., West
Hollywood;
&
310/659-9449
): The
combination of soothing feng shui
out at her two r estaurants: P izzeria
Mozza and Osteria Mozza. Every time I
eat her e I spend the next fe w days
dreamily contemplating how simple yet
brilliant my meal was. See p. 134.
•
Providence
(5855 M elrose A ve., Los
Angeles;
&
323/460-4170
): Chef
Michael Cimarusti serves the city's best
seafood at this sleek, modern ne w-
comer. I didn 't ev en kno w I liked sea
urchin until I tasted M ichael's master-
pieces. See p. 124.
•
Restaurant H ama
(213 Windward
Ave., V enice;
&
310/396-8783
): I t's
the always-festiv e atmospher e that
makes ev eryone feel w elcome at this
lively J apanese r estaurant. P arty along
with the six cheer y sushi chefs as they
slice, dice, and drink many r ounds of
beers and sake. B y closing time, ev ery-
one's singing along to “H otel Califor-
nia.” See p. 114.
•
Rivera
(1050 S. F lower St., Los Ange-
les;
&
213/749-1460
): It's so ex citing
to see amazing r estaurants finally mo v-
ing do wntown. O ut of all of them, I
like this ne wcomer best, if not for the
creative pan-Latin and Mexican cuisine,
then at least for the tequilas on tap
ambience and superb Asian fusion cui-
sine has made K oi one of the hottest
restaurants in L.A. Hollywood's biggest
celebrities—George Clooney , J ennifer
Garner, Lindsay Lohan, Demi and Ash-
ton—come her e often to nosh on
addictive dishes such as baked crab rolls
with edible rice paper and miso-bronzed
black cod. See p. 127.
•
La C achette
(10506 S anta M onica
Blvd., Centur y City;
&
310/470-
4992
): Jean François Meteigner, owner
and ex ecutive chef of this
tres r oman-
tique
r estaurant, is one of America 's
most influential F rench chefs, and his
cuisine natur elle
menu is full of flav or
while 90% free of cream and butter. See
p. 122.
•
The Little D oor
(8164 W. 3r d S t.,
Los Angeles;
&
323/951-1210
): Con-
sistently v oted one of L.A. 's most
romantic r estaurants is this F rench/
Mediterranean charmer hidden behind
a little door on 3r d S treet. S it at the
shaded patio among the fragrant bou-
gainvillea while sipping champagne and
you'd sw ear y ou're in P rovence. S ee
p. 133.
•
Pizzeria Mozza & Osteria Mozza
(641
N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles;
&
323/
297-0101;
and 6602 Melrose Ave., Los
Angeles
&
323/297-0100
): I would
marry celeb-chef N ancy S ilverton in a
heartbeat just to have an excuse to hang
1
.
Well, actually, tequila cocktails on tap
made fr om seasonal fr uits and v egeta-
bles—order a flight for $10 and tr y
them all (and get a cab for home). S ee
p. 138.
•
Saddle Peak Lodge
(419 Cold Canyon
Rd., Calabasas;
&
818/222-3888
): In
L.A., a romantic restaurant is one with-
out cellphone service (that would be in
the hills above Malibu). This converted
hunting lodge is quite the quix otic set-
ting for a meaty meal for two. Candlelit
tables, a crackling fireplace, and a
Wine
Spectator
-award-winning wine list ar e
sure bets for cr eating
la mood d 'amour.
See p. 117.
