I just came back from a two day trip to L.A. with my friend Jan. She had never really toured the city, so we decided to spend some time exploring the Westside. It was a delightful day, filled with wonderful sights, great food, and even something new for me, an LA resident for 58 years.
We started at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market, on the corner of Arizona and 2nd, and continuing for several blocks in all directions . The color and variety of fruits, vegetables,meats and flowers was exquisite. Carrots of many different colors bunched together, red, yellow and orange beets, berries beautifully displayed. They had a three pack of red and yellow raspberries and blackberries that was so pretty. Enormous artichokes, bigger than a big grapefruit were enticing. Squash of every size, shape and color you can imagine, and some new squash varieties that I had never seen before. We arrived around 11:30, just getting hungry from our drive, so we were happy to sample the fresh fruits and a few baked goods. Just enough to hold us over until lunch. The people are as much a part of the market as the food. The Santa Monica market attracts a cross section of people from every walk of life. It's great to see everyone mixing. This market is a real happening.
For lunch we went down to trendy Abbott Kinney in Venice, to 3 Square Cafe (www.rockenwagner.com/cafe). This is a casual, contemporary neighborhood eatery, serving everything from artisan sandwiches and salads, to fresh baked breads and pastries from their bakery next door, to organic egg dishes. There is truly something for everyone. I had the japanese tomatoes with burrata and baby arugula, served with a wonderful tomatillo salsa. Fresh and delicious. Jan had the mini sandwich sampler, which included three mini sandwiches from their many selections. A pretzel burger with Swiss cheese, carmelized onions and fries, corned beef sandwich spicy slaw and whole grain mustard, and an open faced corn and mozzarella crostini. We walked out stuffed, but happy.
After a driving tour of Santa Monica and Brentwood, we went to my mother's home. We were spending the rest of the day and night with her. She had a new LA sight for us to see, so we headed over to Century City. On the site of the old Shubert Theatre stands a magnificent new office building and the brand new Annenberg Space for Photography (http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/). This should not be missed by those living in Los Angeles, and visitors. And it is FREE. It is truly a gem. Every few months they have a new photography exhibit. We were there for the first exhibit, which included many famous photographers from the past century and a wonderful array of photos. There is no permanent collection, so each time you go the exhibit will be different. Below the museum is a beautiful outdoor space with many restaurants, tables and a park like atmosphere. I urge you check this out.
It's time for dinner. We decided on something light, so we went straight for Happy Hour at the Napa Valley Grille (http://www.napavalleygrille.com/). This was one of the best happy hours I have seen, and I've seen a lot. First, they have many tables near the bar, but not IN the bar, so it is not noisy. Second, the food choices were fantastic. Wedge salad, caprese salad, fried calamari, chicken on a stick, pizza, chicken wings, and much, much more. Most items were $4. With a carafe of margaritas for $12, we had a wonderful dinner for under $30 for the three of us. This restaurant is also a top restaurant in town for dinner, so if you're in the area and want a great meal, give Napa Valley Grille a try.
I was exhausted from all we'd done, and the margarita almost put me to sleep. A little "So You Think You Can Dance?" and I was gone. A great day for me and Jan, eating our way through LA.
We started at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market, on the corner of Arizona and 2nd, and continuing for several blocks in all directions . The color and variety of fruits, vegetables,meats and flowers was exquisite. Carrots of many different colors bunched together, red, yellow and orange beets, berries beautifully displayed. They had a three pack of red and yellow raspberries and blackberries that was so pretty. Enormous artichokes, bigger than a big grapefruit were enticing. Squash of every size, shape and color you can imagine, and some new squash varieties that I had never seen before. We arrived around 11:30, just getting hungry from our drive, so we were happy to sample the fresh fruits and a few baked goods. Just enough to hold us over until lunch. The people are as much a part of the market as the food. The Santa Monica market attracts a cross section of people from every walk of life. It's great to see everyone mixing. This market is a real happening.
For lunch we went down to trendy Abbott Kinney in Venice, to 3 Square Cafe (www.rockenwagner.com/cafe). This is a casual, contemporary neighborhood eatery, serving everything from artisan sandwiches and salads, to fresh baked breads and pastries from their bakery next door, to organic egg dishes. There is truly something for everyone. I had the japanese tomatoes with burrata and baby arugula, served with a wonderful tomatillo salsa. Fresh and delicious. Jan had the mini sandwich sampler, which included three mini sandwiches from their many selections. A pretzel burger with Swiss cheese, carmelized onions and fries, corned beef sandwich spicy slaw and whole grain mustard, and an open faced corn and mozzarella crostini. We walked out stuffed, but happy.
After a driving tour of Santa Monica and Brentwood, we went to my mother's home. We were spending the rest of the day and night with her. She had a new LA sight for us to see, so we headed over to Century City. On the site of the old Shubert Theatre stands a magnificent new office building and the brand new Annenberg Space for Photography (http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/). This should not be missed by those living in Los Angeles, and visitors. And it is FREE. It is truly a gem. Every few months they have a new photography exhibit. We were there for the first exhibit, which included many famous photographers from the past century and a wonderful array of photos. There is no permanent collection, so each time you go the exhibit will be different. Below the museum is a beautiful outdoor space with many restaurants, tables and a park like atmosphere. I urge you check this out.
It's time for dinner. We decided on something light, so we went straight for Happy Hour at the Napa Valley Grille (http://www.napavalleygrille.com/). This was one of the best happy hours I have seen, and I've seen a lot. First, they have many tables near the bar, but not IN the bar, so it is not noisy. Second, the food choices were fantastic. Wedge salad, caprese salad, fried calamari, chicken on a stick, pizza, chicken wings, and much, much more. Most items were $4. With a carafe of margaritas for $12, we had a wonderful dinner for under $30 for the three of us. This restaurant is also a top restaurant in town for dinner, so if you're in the area and want a great meal, give Napa Valley Grille a try.
I was exhausted from all we'd done, and the margarita almost put me to sleep. A little "So You Think You Can Dance?" and I was gone. A great day for me and Jan, eating our way through LA.
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