Yabu, Il Fornaio and Musha are my favorite restaurants. They have great food and they're
comfortable and affordable. I'd go to them every week if I could.
Having said that, without realizing it, I'd fallen into a rut. It took
my wife, Michelle, to shake things up and get me to try two new
restaurants.
R+D Kitchen is part of the Hillstone restaurant group that includes
Bandera, Gulfstream, and Houston's among others. Recently opened at
1323 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, R+D took over an address that was
something of a black hole. Montana Lounge and Yu Restaurant had failed.
Even a successful entrenpeneur like Wolfgang Puck couldn't make the
space work for him. With the Aero theater directly across the street,
this should be a good location.
Good design makes such a difference. The previous tenants had sealed off the space, creating dark interiors. Walking into the restaurant, it's easy to see that R+D came up with a fresh approach. With a minimalist design, a skylight in the middle of the dining room, an L-shaped bar to one side, and windows that open out onto Montana, R+D is inviting both inside and out.
Merrick and I had the honor of attending a costume jewelry auction at
Decades hosted by the original Zoebot herself—Rachel Zoe. I die! Events
don’t get much better than that. The people watching was on another
level. Dresses from every decade, necklaces bigger than my head; heels
for which the word “high” doesn’t even begin to describe it; and Hermes
bracelets on every wrist in the house.
Double-dipped Justice at Philippe's
Living in Southern California, we enjoy rich ethnic diversity. Those of
us who explore culture through cuisine are very happy about that.
Located in West Los Angeles, Yabu, which has a devoted following and is a
good example of a neighborhood Japanese restaurant. Because Yabu has a
much larger, sister restaurant in West Hollywood, when you call to make a
reservation, you will be asked to confirm that you want to eat at the
Pico restaurant.
The blue door, shuttered for more than a year and a half, is open once again, and the stage is set for Act 3. Step in, and you're welcomed with the offer of an aperitif in the enchanting garden where a pair of gnarly olive trees cast lacy shadows on the wall, water falls into a basin, and the air is scented with lavender.