Luna Park...still going strong but with a patio to boot

672 S La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323)934-2110
Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30AM-5:30PM
Brunch Weekends 11:30-3PM
Dinner Mon-Thur 5:30PM-10:30PM
Fri-Sat 5:30PM-11:30PM
Sunday 5:30PM-10PM

I'm sure many of you have either heard or gone to Luna Park by now, so why not do things a little differently. Why not just tell it to you like a friend while you're hanging out with me at my place.

"What you've never been there? Oh it's great. Great food and AMAZING desserts!


When you walk in it's pretty dark and the tables are pretty close but the bar area lights up the way to the kitchen that you can see immediately see on your left. You're best to make a reservation for dinner but lunch is pretty walk-in friendly. Street parking and valet are both available so be rich or be cheap haha.

Last time Celeste and I went we scored a booth that has the privacy curtains. As many times as we've gone here we've never been able to as they've always been taken already. I liked it...especially for taking pictures since the place, though it is a big room, is rather on the darker side. The restaurant's menu is super international with a mix of all cuisines making appearances on their menu. Last time I snagged the teriyaki glazed yellowtail which came with caramelized Japanese mushrooms and wasabi mashed potatoes. All was ridiculously good and I dug how big the flavor was in the mushrooms. The tuna itself was good sized slab of fish with shards of sweetness and was done all the way through with dabs of char.

Celeste got the Nicoise Salad...again. She loves the thing, and no matter how many times we go there, she struggles to convince herself to get something else. Between the freshness of the vegetables, the seared tuna and the way the flavors lightly play off each other, she swears by it as one of her favorite salads in the city.

The desserts there are some of the best in the city and you'll probably come across their do it yourself s'mores with their house made graham crackers. What the heck is graham anyways? It's pretty cool though...it comes out with little fondues of charred mini-marshmallows and chocolate with a little cart of the crackers. Last time we ordered up their Pink Lady apple tarte tatin that came with a side of caramel gelato. It was like an elegant apple pie and the caramel gelato was a welcome difference than just typical vanilla ice cream. It makes sense that it works together since a lot of apple pies have caramel on or in them. Pretty rocking tarte all around.

A couple of things that they now have since I last went there is an outside patio which is perfect now that summer nights are cooling down again. Also they've added a starving artist prix fixe menu on Monday nights that's $18 and is an incredible deal for what you get. Luna Park is one of those places that has lots of hustle and bustle but doesn't lose a grip on how to maintain. Every time we've gone we always feel like yeah...that was worth it entirely."

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range: $13 to $20 roughly

Ca'Brea...Old World Italian for the Modern Man

346 S. La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323)938-2863
Mon-Thurs 11:30AM-2:30PM and 5PM-10:30PM
Fri 11:30AM-11PM
Sat 5PM-11PM

Sometimes you need to get away without getting out of town and sometimes you don't want to have to make it an all day affair. Going to Ca'Brea allows for this and much more. Covered mostly by trees and shrubbery, though it's large, you really might miss this transcendent restaurant. Here's the funny part, I wasn't able to grab any pics of the interior because at some finer dining places I don't feel really comfortable being a guerrilla photographer in a dim lit place. Please forgive my lacking in that department, but trust the descriptions, or don't and just go there for yourself. I'm sure my interior descriptions won't do the justice needed to give you a picture of their transportive power(if you still feel deprived of atmospheric description, there's a virtual tour on their website).

When you walk in you're treated to an old world bar that seats maybe 15 in a long U shaped counter on your left. On your right you see the maitre'd and the some small square tables that lead you into another room, where you can see the plates ready for pickup on the left and on the right more tables which have been lit to spotlight the food once placed down (hence why the pics came out the way they did). You continue on through to another room where you get a Tuscan marble villa feel and on the right is there patio area which is a wonderful spot for small parties and would be great for having lunch on a warm sunny day.

To begin with, their menu is extensive, but selective (ie-one style dish of tortelloni, one style beef entree) , and really makes it hard on what to decide because everything sounds amazing. After much indecisive hemming and hawing we eventually agreed on starting with the Formaggio di Capra alla Pancetta e Spinaci. It's baked goat cheese wrapped in Italian bacon(pancetta) and served on a bed of garlic infused spinach. Sounds scrumptious and dare I say we were bowled over with the taste. The pancetta was crispy at it's edges while the rest was warm and just the slightest bit chewy, without the distraction of fattiness, and the goat cheese inside was sinfully creamy. Celeste and I are big on cheeses and this was quite the revelation for us seeing as we normally have it paired alone with wine. And the pancetta, while in other instances has bordered on being as salty as prisciutto, had no sign of that in this dish. The spinach had life of it's own and would be wonderful as an independent side dish, but paired perfectly with the pancetta ball. If more spinach were as good as this, I would eat spinach all the time.

I got the Filettini di manzo ai funghi e olive which is sauteed beef tenderloin medallions with fresh mixed mushrooms, black olives and pinot wine sauce. There was nothing I could find wrong with this plate, meaning no cons. It was wonderfully crafted with the succulent tenderloin that had hints of mellow kalamata olives that added a little pizazz to each bite. The meat was incredibly tender; you almost didn't need a knife for it. The variety of mushrooms added much to eat bite with their smoothe meaty texture and every bite begged to be covered in the wine sauce which not only was great with the meat but equally as great on the veggies.

Celeste had the Costlette D' Agnellao Grigliate Ai Funghi e Tartufi, which is grilled lamb chops with black truffle and mustard sauce. As a cook, she was intrigued by the way the overall flavors were so gently infused through the meat(which was cooked to medium), and the utmost tenderness of the meat...so much so that she now wants me to get her the chef's cookbook so she can maybe get a clue as to how they specifically did it. She was also soaking every bite of meat in the sauce, but certainly not because the lamb needed it. Each element stood on it's own two feet, even the asparagus which she usually doesn't enjoy for lack creativity used on the vegetable.

I'm telling you what I told Celeste, "This dessert may be one of my all time favorites in the history of my eating" and it's for sure in my top ten. We got a Crema di Vaniglia which is a vanilla cream custard covered with a soft, rich, caramelly vanilla cream sauce. The description kind of says it all...it's a little bit of heaven in your mouth. I always have a hard time with things like creme brulee cause for some strange reason is a little too heavy on my stomach from all the cream, but this left me feeling just fine and my mouth was left with the best after dinner taste I've had in a long time. The custard was incredibly light and the sauce was thin and barely sticky enough to cling to the custard. If you're tired, get the Tiramisu for a pick me up, but other than that you have no excuse but to get this dessert. Simply stunning!

Ca'Brea is great spot for any occasion really. Power lunchers and intimate daters are welcome alike. With an already great history of reviews, how well rounded a menu they have, and their killer atmosphere, I can only imagine that Ca'Brea will be in the game for many more years to come.

PS. Street parking is available as well as valet.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range: $18 to $24 for main courses and $7 to $12 for antipasti

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A dear blogger friend of mine by the name of Tannaz over at All Kinds of Yum is doing an amazing thing this weekend that EVERYONE in LA but especially on the East Side should stop on by. I could speak highly of it but I'll let her tell you the details. If you haven't checked out her page you should for sure. Great writer and very informative. Take it away Tannaz:

I'm writing to tell you about a Bake Sale. On August 18, I, along with a team of dear friends and lovers of baked goods, will be hosting The No Cookie Left Behind Bake Sale, as part of Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale (heretofore known as SOS's GABS). SOS is a fantastic organization dedicated to the cause of ending world hunger, and the proceeds from GABS specifically go towards fighting childhood hunger in the United States. With GABS, they motivate people around the country to hold bake sales in their own community, with the proceeds going to SOS. Turns out, I'm one of these people.

Our bake sale will take place on Saturday, August 18th, at and around SCOOPS Ice Cream Shop in East Hollywood, from noon to 4 pm. There will be delicious goodies (maple vanilla granola, fleur de sel caramel cake, pumpkin cupcakes, vegan something cupcakes (I don't know what kind they'll be yet, but the girls of SporkFoods will be making them, so they will undoubtedly be amazing), lemon bars, Mexican chocolate rice crispie treats, Persian baklava, Barefoot Contessa coconut macaroons, and on and on!), as well as live music, and good good times.

(Scoops is at 712 Heliotrope Ave., just north of Melrose, between Normandie and Vermont.)

I would love nothing more than if you guys would stop by, say hi, and eat some cookies. It'd be great to meet you all. I'd also greatly appreciate if you spread the word about our event. And finally, if you're interested in contributing some delicious baked goods, by all means, let me know!

Lulu's Cafe...as bright as a country sunrise

7149 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles , CA 90036
(323)938-6095
Daily 8AM-5:30PM

I love how this week's entries has Pistachio Grill bookended by Lala's and Lulu's. Where to begin? Well, it seems silly of me to say that I can't remember a time out here when Lulu's wasn't here. Even before I was going there I always saw it's busy outside patio filled with the hustle and bustle of people filling their stomachs with some great looking breakfast plates. It seemed to be a hub for the party battle weary. People showing up in sandals and shorts with sunglasses on to hide the hungover look in their eyes. People who do have actual lives, but need a place to recoup. This was my visual introduction to Lulu's.

Over time, I found that I too returned to Lulu's more often than not for a solid way to start the day. They have the magic on the inside to transport you to a very country atmosphere. From the table cans showing off fruit and veggie advertising from yesteryear to the always sunny feel of the room, you get that inner sigh. Though the crowds of people might distract you, you still feel all warm even on a rare LA rainy day.

This last time through we ordered up some classic fare for us, their House Benedict and their special made Granola. Their House Benedict I truly feel is designed to satisfy the heartiest of appetites. It's two medium poached eggs with hollandaise sauce, avocado, tomato and ham served over a toasted English muffin with a side of crisp home fries. They get the eggs on the medium side every time and the ham really makes it so that each bite doesn't wear you out flavor wise. Sometimes a bad Benedict can just wear on your taste buds and while you're still hungry you won't want to finish it. Not so in this case, it's good to the last yolk doused potato.

Celeste, obviously, was the one who ordered granola. The fruit was all at peak ripeness, and I think she actually ate all the strawberries before starting in on the granola. The granola itself was hearty and chunky, none of it was too hard or too dry, they didn't over-do it on the cinnamon and it had a nice maple touch to it. To granola connoisseurs this is an important factor. Overall it's one of her favorite bowls in the city.

Though I don't have pictures for them I can also highly recommend their French Toast, most of their egg dishes are dynamite and for lunch their burgers are right up there as well as BBQ chicken sandwich and BLT. Just about anything that has fruit is great! Whoever they get their fruit from has an amazing quality of crop.

Lulu's Cafe has street parking and some limited parking in the back, but the service is on the faster side so the turnaround is at a decent pace. It's located near the shopping stretch of La Brea which makes it refreshing after tiring your feet out. While they aren't open for dinner, they do have breakfast and lunch to satiate those early birds who so desire to fight off the nightlife style that is LA.

PS. For those too lazy to get up they do deliver with a $15 minimum.

Drink Refills: Yup
Entree Price Range:$6 to $10

Date Place:Pink Pepper Thai Restaurant

1638 N. La Brea Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 461-2462
Open Everyday 11AM-11PM

I'm not going to sound over enthusiastic about another place or at least try not to in this post but I must say it...I haven't had a meal this good in a long time. I have never even noticed this place as many times as I've been up and down this little strip of La Brea in fact it's right by one of my other places I've written about (Sultani) and didn't even see it. Pink Pepper Thai is tucked away in the smallest area and shaded by much greenery on the edge of La Brea and Hollywood Blvd area.

It was great finding this place as my wife and I are always one the lookout for great restaurants since we meet up at Reality LA for their wednesday night meeting. So Celeste (the misses) googled that area for restaurants and found this fantastic find. I'm still flabberghasted that I hadn't noticed this place! Okay so onto the food...

We went in and were seated in a booth (which happened to be huge) and were treated very graciously by our hostess and waiter. We decided on a light dinner which turned out to be perfect for us. We started with the steamed dumplings which were flavorful and done with love. Our main which consisted of prawns in a light red curry coconut sauce (not too spicy at all but super flavorful) on top a bed of broccoli (some of the best broccoli as well as it was steamed but still crisp) with sides of white and brown rice. MAN IT WAS SOOOO GOOD! Okay I'm trying not to be too amped over this place but it was THAT good. I can hardly wait to go back there. For the grand finale we shared the Fried Bananas ala mode a dessert that was complex but simple in your mouth. If my mouth would have cried tears of joy and gratitude if it could have...in fact at one point I think I was reaching for reaching for a kleenex subconciously. Seriously I could go back for the dessert alone. Extraordinary!

While not the cheapest place, they have pretty decent prices and it is worth going there if you and someone else don't mind sharing a plate (which is pretty easy to do as the portions are generous). The decor is nouveau Thai hipster vibe and isn't the largest place (so give a call and check for for reservations if need be...especially on the weekend). They have indoor seating as well and a nice patio area if you feel like breathing in the lovely LA smog we've all grown to love and depend on. Fantastic service and fantastic food is what this place is all about. Oh and don't worry about parking they have free 2 hour parking(w/their validation I should add) in the structure right behind the restaurant. Seriously people, try this place...but bring tissues for your mouth.

Free Drink Refills: Yes
Entree Price Range:$8 to $13 (share a plate and grab an appetizer and dessert though cause it's soooo worth it!)