hot new pick Archives

Hot New Pick: The Albright

Stories 21 Jan 2014 Mar Yvette

Wow, who knew you could actually get REALLY good food on the Pier?!! After 35 years, the space formerly known as SM Pier Seafood has been totally reimagined as The Albright, a clean, casual, airy, Nantucket-y kinda place with an updated menu that uses fresh, locally sourced seafood and produce.

Hot New Pick: Scratch Bar LA

Stories 17 Sep 2013 Mar Yvette

Smack dab in the middle of Restaurant Row next to Matsuhisa is where you'll find Scratch Bar in Beverly Hills ... which is really Scratch Not-A-Bar because they don't have a full liquor license. But who cares? The food here is the star of the show.

Hot New Pick: Riva Bella

Stories 6 Jun 2013 Mar Yvette

So I finally made it to Riva Bella restaurant over on Doheny & Sunset in WeHo. This pricey al fresco palace opened in January and I've been reading and hearing great things about it ever since, so I was excited to try it out. The space is totally gorg with its sprawling indoor-outdoor patio, but it was one tentacley dish that really makes Riva Bella worth a return visit.

Taberna's cochinita pibil - Photo by Mar Yvette

Hot New Pick: Taberna Mexicana

Stories 2 Dec 2011 Mar Yvette

When I first heard that there was a new Mexican restaurant in Beverly Hills, immediately I imagined it to be an overpriced, watered down experience. Well, after sitting down for dinner at Taberna Mexicana I now know that this place not only turns out flavorful Mexican food punctuated with pleasant surprises, but it is also affordable, especially when you consider it's smack dab in the middle of the 90210. (And FYI, the daily $4 happy hour is the best deal in town.) I'm already planning my next visit.

Churchill's mushroom pizza - Photo by Mar Yvette

Hot New Pick: The Churchill

Stories 8 Nov 2011 Mar Yvette

Another gastropub? I know, I thought the same thing, too. But the same thing the Churchill is not. This new gastropub on Third Street is named after Sir Winston himself and it could do a good job making you as rotund as the old guy. Not because the food is fattening. It’s because the food is so good that you’re gonna keep eating and eating until you feel like you have to be trundled out rolly-polly style like Violet from “Charlie & the Chocolate Factory.” (Which I’ve secretly always kinda wanted to do.)

Bao Wow Wow: MoKo Hits LA

Stories 19 Aug 2011 Mar Yvette

UPDATE: Sadly, due to health issues concerning chef Gary Robins, MoKo has closed. It will reopen as Gyenari 2 (G2) on September 1, offering a "less expensive and more accessible option" with "all-you-can eat-Korean BBQ and a lively happy hour." READ ON FOR THE ORIGINAL REVIEW of this short-lived yet highly impressive restaurant ...

Lexington's ahi tuna - Photo by Mar Yvette

Hot New Pick: Lexington Social House

Stories 2 May 2011 Mar Yvette

A prime Hollywood location. An alum from Spago and Cut. And some crazy ass graffiti art. Yep, this is Lexington Social House, the latest addition to the ever-growing, never-ending, economy-defying LA dining scene. The sprawling multi-roomed space officially opened on April 28 and it's time you got yourself over there.

Hot New Pick: Nail Garden

Stories 7 Mar 2011 Mar Yvette

Okay, I know what you're thinking. "Another nail salon? Girl, puh-leez! There are a hundred of 'em on every corner." That may be true, but are you willing to lose a finger to fungus or marinate your precious toes in bacteria-filled water? Yeah, didn't think so. Now you don't have to worry thanks to Nail Garden.*BONUS* If you go in and tell them you heard about Nail Garden on Marpop you’ll get 15% off your service!

Hot New Pick: Sweet Lady Jane

Stories 1 Mar 2011 Mar Yvette

If you love cake--I'm talking really, really good cake--then chances are if you haven't already fallen over backwards after tasting one from Sweet Lady Jane, you've at least heard the stories about the exquisite not-too-sweet sweetness of an SLJ cake. And wait until you hear about the savory stuff--gooey grilled cheese on toasted, buttery, fluffy brioche, anyone?

Hot New Pick: Supperclub

Stories 10 Feb 2011 Mar Yvette

Dinner. Dancing. And a boy named Billy. What more do you need for a faaaaabulous night out on the town? Nothing, as long as you have a sense of humor and a taste for the not so usual. Supperclub LA has arrived in the City of Angels and this all-in-one experience is ready to whisk you away to an ever-changing world of the whimsical, the wildly delicious and the downright wacky.

Hot New Pick: Bar Toscana

Stories 24 Jan 2011 Mar Yvette

Who knew you could have so much fun in Brentwood? (Well, whenever alcohol's involved, people always seem to be in a better mood.) The quiet Westside town is now home to Bar Toscana, the cocktail-centric younger sibling to Toscana, a longtime neighborhood favorite for Northern Italian fare.

Hot New Pick: Mas Malo

Stories 13 Jan 2011 Mar Yvette

Vegan menudo, WHAT?!! Now that Mas Malo has officially opened on the hottest street (7th) in LA's hottest 'hood (Downtown), it was time to check out this long-awaited outpost of the Silver Lake original.

Hot New Pick: Vu in MDR

Stories 5 Dec 2010 Mar Yvette

A (dining) room with a vu? Oh, yes. Opened on December 1, 2010, Vu (pronounced “view”) is hoping to give Marina Del Rey a much-needed dose of delicious fine(r) dining. The spacious restaurant–located at the newly transformed Jamaica Bay Inn that’s thisclose to the water–has introduced chef Kyle Schutte to LA.