Toi on Sunset came very highly recommended from a friend. The atmosphere’s great, the food is greater, and she even got to meet Quentin Tarantino in a daring after-dinner introduction during which she referred to him as “Quenti.” This being said, I don’t take Thai recommendations lightly; it is one of my favorite cuisines.

My friend Ellie and I got there around 8:15 on a Thursday night. There were some people crowding around the entrance and we worried there would be a wait, but we followed the instructions on the sign out front to wait for the doorman who showed us right to our table.

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I remember back in olden times when a trip to the mall was just that: a shopping trip to the mall. Cruise through the department stores, stop by the specialty shops and threaten violence against the guy on the hand lotion cart. But with the advent of lifestyle centers offering everything from movie theaters and sit-down restaurants to the more traditional specialty shops and boutiques, a trip to the mall is not a simple outing. It is work and work requires sustenance, which is why we’ve created this multi-part series devoted to the best mall eats in town.

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I must admit to wanting a piece of the occasional chain-style establishment - Mimi’s Cafe for its bread basket and french onion soup; the Hard Rock Cafe for its memorabilia; BJ’s Brewery for its Berry Burst Cider - but after an estimated million and one trips to New York (Brooklyn - Williamsburg, Greenpoint - and East Village) I’ve grown fond of the local establishment that exudes a neutral vibe with consistent quality. I’ve been really fortunate to find restaurants in the Valley serving up Indian, Chinese, and Mexican cuisine that seem to operate under the same ideals, but pizza is a whole ‘nother animal. You’ve got your Papa John’s, Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar, all of which don’t claim to be anything other than what they are. Refreshingly so. Then you’ve got supposed New York pizzerias who make you wish they would just not shame New York by abusing the description. I mean, even Taco Bell allows enough fine print to acknowledge that their food is “Mexican-inspired”.

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Twelve months on and still baking strong, Lark Cake Shop in Silver Lake has built a strong reputation and loyal following since its inception one year ago. Customers are drawn to the spacious and sun bright lounge and the huge candy blue wall showcasing sweet treats and cake paraphernalia. Dainty, dare I say it; non-American-mega-size cup cakes line the display case. Try the carrot cake made with fresh carrots or the lemon white chocolate cup cake, a melt-in-the-mouth white cake sponge with lemon curd filling and white chocolate Italian butter cream icing. The presentation is a bit rough around the edges but the cakes are delicious. 3337 W. Sunset Blvd. (323-667-2968; larkcakeshop.com).

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Fresh-filled black bean wowshi

Bella Pita, the small, blossoming family business that’s won the stomachs of the heart of Westwood, offers an affordable and satiating menu of freshly baked Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. With an informal order-at-the-counter set-up and a salad bar that makes mouths water with taste and sheer aesthetics, this newcomer to L.A.’s spread of international cuisine beckons Bruins, business-folk, and every diner with a taste for delicious hommos, authentic falafel, and Bella’s most unique creation the irresistible wowshi.

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Orange County, you finally have a reason to exist!

Found this hot tip via Eater LA, but Newport Beach will be welcoming it’s very own 25 Degrees! You’ll recall that this 24-hour burger joint located on the ground floor of the Roosevelt Hotel just happens to be our vote for Best Burger in LA, and now you good folks south of Long Beach can find out for yourselves!

This is a little bit of a change for Tim and Liza Goodell, who previously had brought a sucessful OC concept here (to whit: Red Pearl Kitchen on Melrose, which is more or less dead at this point).

No word yet on when or where, but we’ll certainly keep you posted on any developpments.

Story via Eater LA

Monday Blues got you down? Or perhaps it’s just the failing economy and offensive gas prices?

Well the good folks over at The Ideal Bite turned me on to a great little thing to look forward to: Luna Park’s Blue Mondays.

They’ve got a weekly rotating local and organic Blue Plate special for a measly $12, as well as drink deals (kumquat mojitos and red or white sangria for $5!!!), they’re just the thing to cheer you up after a long day in the salt mine.

And you can feel good about treating yourself, too: aside from the local organic thing, they recycle all their used vegetable oil into bio-fuel!

Click more for the info.

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Is Marina del Rey finally starting to show up on the map?

The Marina seemed for, well, ever, to be little more than a footnote on the Westside. And yet slowly but surely, it’s been attracting bigger and better eateries. Dareisay making a name for itself?

Perhaps the proximity of the new-ish EA building and new condos in the Ballona Wetlands are to thank (blame?), but the Marina is becoming a new hotspot!

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It’s easy to go an entire life without ever even hearing about Poutine. Aside from bacon, Canada has very few culinary exports (Keystone light and Molson Ice being the only others that come to mind).

And let’s be honest, Poutine doesn’t really lend itself to warmer climes: steak fries, covered in fresh cheese curds, the whole thing slathered in a thick brown gravy. I felt my waistline grow just writing about it.

But. There’s something to be said about it. Every so often, you just feel like slumming it, you’re just craving something greasy and horrifyingly unhealthy, and if you’ve ever had it before, you’ll know that Poutine is just the thing for that.

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If someone had asked me to define what “Christmas in my mouth” meant a week ago I might’ve guessed a mouthful of melting chocolate or perhaps a large bucket of popcorn during The Dark Knight.  Such pleasures wouldn’t have come close to what I now know is the true meaning of this heavenly phrase.

At French bistro La Frite in Sherman Oaks, there exists a burger unlike any gourmet burger I have ever had. Grilled with fire, open-faced and topped with a melting blanket of sweetly pungent, smokey bleu cheese, this goddamn burger saved my life.  That, my friends, is Christmas in your mouth.

I had been to La Frite once before with my boyfriend and we had dined blissfully together on the baked brie appetizer, indulging at dusk under the breezy outdoor awning.  Sadly my food-loving man and I are no longer together, and when you’re going through a breakup the last thing on earth you want to do is eat.

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If someone had asked me to define what “Christmas in my mouth” meant a week ago I might’ve guessed a mouthful of melting chocolate or perhaps a large bucket of popcorn during The Dark Knight.  Such pleasures wouldn’t have come close to what I now know is the true meaning of this heavenly phrase.

At French bistro La Frite in Sherman Oaks, there exists a burger unlike any gourmet burger I have ever had. Grilled with fire, open-faced and topped with a melting blanket of sweetly pungent, smokey bleu cheese, this goddamn burger saved my life.  That, my friends, is Christmas in your mouth.

I had been to La Frite once before with my boyfriend and we had dined blissfully together on the baked brie appetizer, indulging at dusk under the breezy outdoor awning.  Sadly my food-loving man and I are no longer together, and when you’re going through a breakup the last thing on earth you want to do is eat.

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Westside diners, be advised! You local BBQ joint (and really the only decent source of BBQ anywhere south of Washington along the coast) is moving!

Aunt Kizzy’s back porch is switching things up, and has decided to takle over the newly vacated spot formerly occupied by Killer Shrimp. The Shrimpeteria had announced it’s departure about 6 mponths ago, with no formal announcement on a new location.

But if you’re in the mood for some good down-home cue and you happen to be in the Marina del Rey area, you can now head closer to the ocean and visit Aunt Kizzy’s at their new spot. Dinner start this Thursday, and service stops at the old location on Wednesday.

Aunt Kizzy’s Back Porch (formerly Killer Shrimp)
523 Washington Blvd
Marina del Rey