LA My Way

Let’s face it folks, it was a long hard winter.  Weeks and months of snow and freezing cold can drive anyone insane.  What’s a frozen New Yorker to do when Spring is still weeks and weeks away?  She packs her bags and hops on the next flight out of here to some place warm, that’s what. LA was calling and I was on my way. 

I’d never really been to Los Angeles before.  I’d been to nearby Long Beach and Disneyland well over a decade before and had just not gotten around to returning to do more exploring.  This winter was particularly ferocious, so the siren song of a long-weekend getaway to a balmy 80 degrees and seeing old friends proved irresistible and I had to follow.

A Place to Lay Your Head – Ramada Plaza Hotel West Hollywood

I really had no idea where I was going or where to even begin to look as far as finding a stylish, well-situated hotel that was also affordable.  And by affordable, I mean somewhere around $100 a night.  I knew it was going to be a challenge to find just the right place at that price.  My LA friends steered me towards the Beverly Hills / West Hollywood area for a central location.  But as for where exactly to stay, I had to do some research.

 If money were no object, I would have stayed at Chateau Marmont. Avalon Beverly Hills would have been a less pricey but highly fashionable alternative, however still out of my range.  I also looked at major hotel hot spot The Standard Hollywood and the prices were getting more realistic, and yet not quite.  Finally, through a combination of a search done via Kayak.com and customer reviews on TripAdvisor.com I settled on the Ramada Plaza West Hollywood.

I lucked out, and for the real-people rate of $126 a night it had everything I wanted.   The room was stylish enough and big but basic, with a huge and really comfy king-size bed, fluffy towels, flat screen TV, in-room coffee maker and free Wifi. There was a small but nice rooftop pool and parking was in the building (not cheap at $27 a day, but valet parking is a way of life in these parts) and the staff was friendly and helpful.  All with a central location in lively and fun West Hollywood, right on Santa Monica Boulevard, the perfect spot from which to launch my daily adventures. Hooray!  

I was in LA mainly to see some family & old friends and time was limited, so sight-seeing and going to the hot spots was not a priority.  However, I did cover quite a bit of territory and had some pretty tasty eats along the way.  Even cheese made it onto the itinerary.  Some highlights:

Santa Monica – Huckleberry Café

 I think that if I was ever forced to move to L.A. I would set-up house in Santa Monica.  Great shops & restaurants, sunny neighborhoods, and a straight shot to the beach on a bike.  And I’d be hanging at Huckleberry Café. 

Artisanal breads, sandwiches, salads, soups, roast chicken, flatbread pizza, pastry and more, all of it made in-house with great care, fresh as can be, using quality ingredients.   For example, how about a sandwich made on a crusty baguette with tangy pesto, oozy burratta, roasted red peppers and prosciutto?  And for dessert, plump and juicy strawberries dipped in chocolate. Yep, it’s delicious.  Next time I’m going to get mine to go and eat it on the beach.

Huckleberry Café: 1014 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica. www.huckleberrycafe.com

Malibu - Paradise Cove Beach Café

 Shake off the New York snark, make like Gidget and get yourself down to Paradise Cove and Beach Café, a beautiful private beach located in Malibu.  Paradise Cove is a famous location for countless movies & TV shows (“Beach Blanket Bingo” anyone?).  It also has a café where you can order a giant margarita, a huge plate of calamari to share and while away the afternoon with sea spray and sun on your face.  And the café will validate parking (which is otherwise about $25).    Kick back and gaze up at the multi-million dollar homes precariously perched on the hills behind you, and be thankful that that mortgage payment is not your problem but you still get to enjoy this spectacular view.

Paradise Cove Beach Café:  28128 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. www.paradisecovemalibu.com

Westwood – Palomino

I ended-up in Westwood one evening to have dinner with a friend who is slogging through a masters degree program at UCLA.  Westwood is a charming little village within LA that is pretty much dominated by UCLA, with the distinguished Hammer Museum and cool vintage movie theaters as extra added attractions.  There seemed to be countless dining options of varying quality and price points and my friend wisely chose Palomino as our dinner destination.  Palomino is a small national chain serving up Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, ranging from small plates and pizzas to steak, chicken, pork and pasta.  I was surprised to find out that Palomino was a chain (horrors!) as this was not obvious in either the décor or the quality of the food, which is a good sign.  And the locals seem to dig it - the lively Saturday night crowd seemed to be a mix of visiting parents treating their kids to a decent meal, students splurging, locals on a date, clumps of singles at the bar and a line forming at the door. So if you ever happen to find yourself in Westwood, this is a solid adult dining option.

Palomino:  10877 Wilshire Boulevard, Westwood.  www.palomino.com

Beverly Hills – The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills

A highlight of my trip was a visit to the famed Cheese Store of Beverly Hills.  I could smell it as I walked down the street, a sure sign that I was in for something special and I was not disappointed!   The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills features a huge selection of the best fromage from around the world as well as local curds.  They are the go-to cheese supplier for local chefs and caterers and are clearly a favorite of the LA food scene.

During my visit there I had the good fortune of meeting Dominick DiBartolomeo, a Cheese Store employee who is not only an enthusiastic font cheesy knowledge but someone who brings something very special to the table. He is also the chef-owner of Domenico’s, a line of hand-made pastas, delectable sauces, lush pestos, extraordinary tapenades and the most delicious sun dried tomatoes I have ever tasted.  Truly.  All of it, everything was incredibly fresh and of the highest quality.  The products are available at The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, Los Angeles farmer’s markets and, fortunately for me (and you), online. I am now officially addicted and my Fedex bill is going to be outrageous this year. Edible heaven.
The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills: 419 North Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. www.cheesestorebh.com

The Rest

I spent a great deal of time driving, it’s a fact of life here and I learned that one must allow for at least 45 minutes between destinations if arriving on-time is a priority, accounting for distance and traffic.  So drive I did, also spending some time in sunny Tarzana and Burbank.  And the last place I passed though on my way back to the airport was good old Hollywood.  Here’s the thing - I was not inspired to get out of the car and walk around.  At night it all looks very exciting, but in the glaring light of day it was all really gritty and kind of seedy.  The Hollywood Walk of Fame?  The part that I saw looked more like the Boulevard of Broken Dreams and brought to mind Times Square in the bad old days.  Seems like the legend of Hollywood outshines the reality by quite a bit. 

Clearly I only scratched the surface – Los Angeles is a huge, sprawling and fascinating city that will be on my list as a place to return to again and again, with each visit being a fresh adventure on wheels. 

Getting There, Getting Around

American Airlines offers several daily non-stop flights between LAX and New York-area airports.  And believe me, you will need to rent a car (I got a good rate via National) with GPS for navigating all of the highways and byways. Kayak.com and Tripadvisor.com are also great web sites to visit to scope out travel deals and customer feedback.