The carnivore foodie set has been showing Animal lots of love since the small, boisterous restaurant opened in Mid City, a dense urban neighborhood in Central Los Angeles. Animal does meat and more meat, but all the meat is gourmet and incredibly unique -– think shrimp- and rabbit-sausage spring roll with eggplant, sprouts and green curry. The restaurant is owned by Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook who became famous when their TV series, “2 Dudes Catering,” aired in 2007.
Scott Conant’s restaurant at the Montage Beverly Hills is a real celebrity hotspot with movie stars dropping in for modern Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. This place has a very VIP vibe.
Owned by Top Chef Judge Tom Colicchio, the Century City restaurant, Craft, does farm-to-table American fare in an elegant setting. It is popular for both the quality of the food and the ambiance.
James Beard award-winning baker Nancy Silverton teamed up with celebrity chef partners Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich to open Osteria Mozza, a winning Italian restaurant on Melrose Ave. It is worth visiting to sample the cheese at their mozzarella bar. But the pasta, meat and fish dishes are equally delightful.
This opulent restaurant in the London West Hollywood is owned by Gordon Ramsay, host of U.S. reality TV show “Hell’s Kitchen.” He does great fusion food, managing to mix Japanese and French with amazing results. The restaurant also claims in its promotional material to have”million-dollar views of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles” from its 10th-floor rooftop location.
LA Market does American dishes with California flair. It’s run by the season 8 winner of “Hell’s Kitchen,” Nona Sivley, under the helm of celebrated celebrity chef Kerry Simon. If you have a sweet tooth don’t skip the Junk Food dessert platter.
The Season 6 winner of Top Chef, Michael Voltaggio has been getting rave reviews for his restaurant, Ink, from LA’s food bloggers and critics since it opened. It is famous for its original creations from all food groups. It isn’t for the faint of heart, though. One dish combines pig ears with brussels sprouts and apple. Another combines Doritos, nori (seaweed), miso and corn porridge.
Owned by Food Network legend Susan Feniger and a partner, Ciudad has been on the L.A. gourmet eating scene since 1998, but it remains perennially popular for its pan-Latin fare and excellently priced lunch specials.
Jose Andres’ Bazaar Restaurant inside the super-posh SLS Hotel Beverly Hills takes traditional Spanish cooking to new heights and is a celebrity favorite. The decor is as cool as the food. Top interior designer Philippe Starck has decked it out like a European piazza.
Wolfgang Puck’s Spago has many branches but the one in Beverly Hills continues to delight with its classic fine American dining. The original Spago opened in 1982 in West Hollywood and relocated to Beverly Hills, according to the Spago website.
