2117

You know me. Always on the lookout for something new in food or entertainment. Well, last week I visited my mom in L.A. She wanted to take me to a new restaurant on Sawtelle Ave in Santa Monica. If you know L.A. at all, you know that Sawtelle has long been an Asian area. Nurseries abound on this street. In addition, there are several Japanese markets and general stores, always fun to browse. If you need anything in the way of Asian specialty foods, this is the place to go.

Over the past few years the area has changed. It still has all of the above, but in addition, there are brand new apartment lofts, starting at $549,000, so you can guess that they're pretty nice. I have not seen them, but they're beautiful from the outside. The whole neighborhood is changing, younger families are coming in, buying up the small houses around Sawtelle, and improving the property. In addition, several strip malls, loaded with restaurants, can be found between Santa Monica Blvd and Olympic Blvd.

We went to a new Euro Asian fusion restaurant, called 2117 (http://www.restaurant2117.com)(that the address). It was exceptional. Check out their website to see what they offer and how beautifully it is presented. They have a whole section of small plates, and ordering two small plates is what we did. I ordered a seaweed salad with scallops to start. The seaweed was mixed with a Caesar dressing and topped with parmesean cheese, and the two scallops were perfectly cooked. That was followed by a salmon crabcake with a mango salsa. Just delicious. My mom ordered braised short ribs to start. They were sliced thin, in a light broth, and covered with a variety of vegetables, including sliced cucumber and carrots. Next she had a composed salad, layered, with crab, tomato, avocado and organic baby greens. It was almost too pretty to eat. The small plates range from $8.95-$12.95. The main courses, which were equally enticing, all ranged around $20. If you're ever in the area and want something a bit different but exceptional, try 2117.

Right next door was a tiny crepe shop serving crepes of every variety, sweet and savory. Crepes range from $3.25 for butter and sugar crepe, to $8.50 for some savory crepes with chicken and cheese. I can't wait to try it. Also on Sawtelle in this area are many noodle shops. They serve mostly noodle soups, delicious broth, veggies and some meat or tofu. The line is out the door at several shops.

So, if you get to the Sawtelle area of Los Angeles, try one of my recommendations. I think you will be more than satisfied.