Now, I’m not saying brunch is my favorite meal…ok, yes. Yes, I am. Is there anything better than waking up a little late after a night of fun, rolling around half asleep for an hour or so, then stuffing your face with a heaping mound of cheesy eggs? I’ve asked around, and the answer is no. All Time is quite possibly THE BEST brunch spot in Los Feliz. The staff is chill yet knowledgeable, the menu features fresh, local ingredients that come straight from the farm, and the space feels like home if your home has a rustic, perfectly overgrown garden that captures the essence of California cool come rain or shine. Sitting in the iron gazebo on a particularly gloomy day with my lavender lemonade, cheesy, soft-scrambled eggs on the best sourdough toast I’ve ever had, and crispy bacon was the only place I wanted to be. And in a land of breakfast burritos and the race to find the best, All Time has many of them beat by a landslide.
Venice has felt like a young person’s paradise lately, one that I feel I’ve started to age out of. Not to say I’m feeling particularly old—I was carded at a nearby bar before dinner in what will become the ego boost I replay in my head for the rest of the month. But walking around Venice at just shy of 40 makes me feel like I’ve excitedly burst into a conference room full of suits in a chicken costume. Identity crisis aside, @si.monla is probably the best thing that’s happened to Venice since Ospi set up shop in the thick of the pandemic. It’s a bustling scene with three distinct dining rooms that each has its own charm. Downstairs, a standard indoor dining room is to the right of the entrance, and to the left is an indoor-outdoor space that feels like a Central American daydream. Upstairs, a smaller, more intimate enclave gives treehouse vibes, which is perfect for the tropical themes that burst like fireworks off the interesting and exceptional menu and explode on your taste buds. The KANPACHI CEVICHE was bright and zesty and came with plantain chips for maximum scooping. I could’ve drunk the coconut leche de tigre broth straight up. The warm and silky AFRO-CARRIBEAN SHRIMP DUMPLINGS were so flavorful and swimming in a coconut bisque that could only be finished by drizzling over a side of COCONUT RICE and scooped into your mouth by the heaping spoonful. You can’t leave without trying the substantial CRISPY PORK BELLY entree that is cooked to perfection and served with crunchy bibb lettuce and a coconut vinegar. For absolute kick-in-the-face flavor, the FRIED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS were huge, crispy, and juicy, dusted with a tongue-puckering herbed salt and served with spicy ketchup. Go. Just go. Go now. It’s rare to find a hotspot that’s fun, beautiful, and delivers on an exciting and exquisite menu that not only sounds good but hits every mark.
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Family First #LA #Alpine #ChavezRavine #College #Dodgers #BelmontMonarchs #ToLiveAndDineInLA
The most beautiful celebration of Filipino flavors and the spices and preparations that have brought the pamilya together at the dinner table for generations. @lasita.la’s new fall menu debuted last night with the most vibrant bursts of flavors and colors. Silky salmon kinilaw with citrus and fennel in a velvety coconut sauce. Sizzling pork belly lechon scooped up with flavorful garlic fried rice. The most tender rotisserie chicken and a melt-in-your mouth kabocha squash sitting on a bed of lentils topped with pickled shallots and trout roe. Savory black sesame balls filled with persimmon and date paste. This meal—and the impressive list of natural wines—was something special ✨
< m a r t i n i s + m o r t > > dante martini - a twist on the vesper with a blend of sweet vermouths and a citrusy spirit. plus, the best olives in town. > pizza rosa - the perfect pizza in my opinion. soft and chewy crust, flavorful and creamy base, the crunch of pistachios, and silky mortadella. > steak tartare - solid. classic. > arancini - crispy, hot, and fluffy. > octopus salad - solid. briny octopus and creamy potatoes is a great combination.
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< c e v i c h e c o n c o c o > It’s strange to grow up near a place that is romanticized as a magical, mythical destination draped in golden sunshine and glimmering horizons. Visitors flock to the shore to absorb an ounce of the vastness that is splayed out before them like a liquid feast. The salty sea mist hangs in the air around you. The smell of sun-kissed body oil wafts almost poetically. The weathered wood of the pier splinters as perfectly sandaled feet stomp across its slats. It’s magic and it’s mythology. I’m lucky it’s my reality.
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Be faithful to your own taste, because nothing you really like is ever out of style. #recipebook #tasteofla #style #toliveanddineinla
A beautiful story is unfolding, and there's a lovely wedding we will soon be celebrating. #idontdoweddings #anexceptionforfriends #toliveanddineinla
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< in my tinned fish era >
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Showing my bf one of my old favorite restaurants ✨🍕🍝 Purchased this vintage 1950s faux fur coat from my pal, Nicole. #toliveanddineinla { #vintage #vintagegal #vintagefashion #1950s #50s #vintagefur #vintagefurcoat #fauxfur #fauxfurcoat #1960s #60s #midcentury #hollywood #vintagela #vintagehollywood #micelis #italianfood}
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Another vintage bar checked off of my bucket list! 💗✨🐶 These buildings are examples of programmatic architecture that bloomed in the early 20th-century when vehicles took over as the most popular form of transportation. They were designed to attract car riders with their creative architecture. The whiskey barrel is from 1941 and the bulldog is a replica from a real Southern California cafe from 1928 🐾 { #1940s #40s #1920s #20s #vintage #retro #vintagebar #programmaticarchitecture #roadsideattraction #bar #1940splaysuit #idlebar #bulldogcafe #idlehourcafe #1933group #vintagela #vintagelosangeles #retrobar #pinkrestroom #savepinkbathrooms #midcentury #toliveanddineinla }
Where is your happy place? Mine is just two hours outside of LA, down a coastal highway, through a winding mountain road, and up a rugged path dotted with wineries and tasting rooms serving California’s finest pinots. A former stagecoach route now teeming with thousands of olive trees that give the quiet country town its name, Los Olivos has become a destination for food and wine lovers looking for a charming yet gourmet getaway. Bar Le Côte, one of the community’s most sought-after restaurants, is a seafood tavern that sources local catches of the day and offers a small yet mighty menu of approachable specials. Sea urchin, skin-on sea bream, and plump pacific gold oysters sing and dance on the palate with an unrivaled freshness and simplicity. The peel-and-eat shrimp is spiced to perfection and plated with a lemon aioli to balance the zing of the house cocktail sauce. Buttered slices of pain de mie envelop a filet of fish that has been broiled to a crisp and served with pickled onions. The menu also offers the best of local wines as well as some imports. Bar Le Côte is chill yet refined with an exceptional staff and a well-curated menu. Happy place indeed.
To locals and visitors alike, Venice Beach is a west coast dream packed with nostalgia straight out of your favorite LA-based ’80s movie. The Cali cool beach town hasn’t lost its casual feel and is bursting at the seams with a curious collection of eccentric street vendors, barefoot beach bums, and out-of-towners looking for a bizarre boardwalk experience. Just across the bike path from the dudes and dudettes scoring sick aerials at the iconic seaside skatepark and steps away from the sun-bronzed surfer dudes making gains at Muscle Beach are a handful of breezy, aesthetically stunning restaurants that pull in a naturally gorgeous crowd that wouldn’t be caught dead in flip-flops. @bellesbeachhouse, part of @wishyouwereheregroup’s lineup of beautiful venues, is the upscale tiki bar of your dreams that transports you to the tropics with classic island-inspired cocktails and a menu that packs a surprisingly flavorful—and wanderlust-inducing—punch. Under the slatted reed roof that provides a canopy over a lush indoor-outdoor dining room dotted with palm trees and vintage beach photos, diners can indulge in the creamy rock shrimp smothered in a tangy sauce and the fried chicken burger with the fluffiest sesame bun and juicy pineapple slice with a special sauce reminiscent of your favorite beach shack burger from your childhood. In a city of salads, Belles’ crispy rice version is swimming in seasonal flavors and combines fresh fennel ribbons with sweet peaches and the slightest texture with a sprinkling of crunchy grains. I opted for the black sands cocktail, which features smoky mezcal, guava, and orgeat (an almond syrup) served in a frosted tiki glass and sprinkled with black pepper. Spending a breezy afternoon sipping along to the sounds of an immaculate vacation haus playlist surrounded by influencer types in the best of the dELIA*s catalog almost whisks you away from the grungy side streets of Venice and into an alternate reality where you can vibe on island time forever.
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< b i g r i g e n e r g y > • rigatoni spicy vodka • burrata toast • fried zucchini blossoms • meatballs
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< c h e e r s > to the first day of summer! ☀️🌴
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< a v o c a d o > Drop a 🥑 for this pretty toast moment!
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🎶 I like a…lotta burrata 🎶
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Eating at vintage eateries is our thing, thanks for coming to my hometown ✨🥰 #bobsbigboy #vintagedowney #1970s #70s #vintage #retro #toliveanddineinla #johniesbroiler #1960s #60s #downeyhistory #downeycalifornia
< t r e s l e c h e s t o a s t > I live for a BEC breakfast sando, but a girl needs table pancakes. Or, in this case, tres leches French toast! Drop a 🧁 or 🧂in the comments to vote for team sweet or team savory!
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Found some great records, ate delicious food, & ended up on the Sunset Strip like always 😌💗 #1960s #60s #vintage #mcm #midcentury #amoeba #paisley #vintageootd #mussoandfrank #melsdiner #toliveanddineinla
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< c a r a c a r a > A bustling corner of the city that keeps twinkling no matter what. A whimsical multicolor mural splashed against the angled archways of the foyer. A quick ride up to the skyline. Cocktail shakers dancing across the city lights. Cali cuisine and a cool vibe. This city of angels will give you wings.
Green with envy of my last Thursday self who spent a lovely evening feasting at the new @gusto_green in #dtla with @arielleinreallife where chef Michael Magliato takes a very thoughtful and harmonious approach to healthier eating. He believes dining out should still be an indulgent treat but has lots of tricks up his sleeve like sunflowers seeds instead of rice in the risotto. He doesn’t even stock butter in his kitchen. That almond cake was gluten free crack and those who know me know I am very picky about dessert. Plus it’s the first restaurant in the nation to use the only federally approved hemp leaf for food (@ziesefarms) in its menu. Turns out it is all potassium and protein. And it raises funds for the @lastprisonerproject . Highly recommend. I myself will definitely be going back. #eatlocal #parttimeplantbased #supportrestaurants #toliveanddineinla
< b e t t i n a > * swipe for a yummy yolk pull *
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