EATING IN LOS ANGELES

You can go ahead and disagree with us when we say that the LA food scene has always been sort of grim. (Shut up, transplants—after you find yourself eating Mexican for 17 years you’ll stop yammering about how coooool those burrito stands are.) Until recently, LA residents had very little to choose from when it came to getting a good meal in this horrible, scorched-earth, traffic-glutted—oh, sorry, GREAT town! It was like this: Swingers or 101 Café for brunch? La Scala or the Farm for fancy lunch? Mel’s or Del Taco for late night?

EATING CHOICES DOWNTOWN
EATING CHOICES ON THE EASTSIDE
EATING CHOICES ON THE WEST SIDE
EATING CHOICES IN HOLLYWOOD
EATING CHOICES IN SOUTH CENTRAL
EATING CHOICES IN THE VALLEY
PLACES TO GO LATE AT NIGHT
PLACES TO GO WHEN YOU WANT TO GET ALL HISTORICAL
PLACES TO GO WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING

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Richard Meier's Favorite Hotels (are in Los Angeles)

Richard Meier received his architectural training at Cornell University and established his own office in New York in 1963. His practice has included major civic commissions in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including courthouses and city halls, museums, corporate headquarters, and housing and private residences. Among his most well-known projects are The Getty Center in Los Angeles; the Jubilee Church in Rome, Italy; the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia; the Museum for the Decorative Arts in Frankfurt, Germany; the Canal+ Television Headquarters in Paris, France; and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, Spain.

In 1984, Mr. Meier was awarded the Pritzker Prize for Architecture, considered the field's highest honor. In the same year, he was selected architect for the prestigious commission to design The Getty Center in Los Angeles, which was opened to popular and critical acclaim in December 1997. Among the projects recently completed by Richard Meier & Partners are the Ara Pacis Museum in Rome; the Burda Collection Museum in Baden-Baden, Germany; the Broad Art Center at UCLA; the San Jose City Hall; 173/176 Perry Street and 165 Charles Street in New York City; and United States Federal Courthouses in Islip, New York, and Phoenix, Arizona. The office is currently constructing the Cornell Life Sciences Technology Building in Ithaca, New York, and the Italcementi Center for Research and Innovation in Bergamo, Italy.

In 1997, Richard Meier received the AIA Gold Medal, the highest award from the American Institute of Architects, and, in the same year, the Praemium Imperiale from the Japanese government in recognition of lifetime achievement in the arts. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the American Institute of Architects, and he received a Medal of Honor from the New York Chapter of the AIA in 1980 and a Gold Medal from the Los Angeles Chapter in 1998. His numerous awards include thirty National AIA Honor Awards and over fifty Regional AIA Design Awards. In 1989, Richard Meier received the Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects. In 1992, the French Government honored him as a Commander of Arts and Letters, and in 1995 he was elected Fellow to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received honorary degrees from the University of Naples, New Jersey Institute of Technology, The New School for Social Research, Pratt Institute, the University of Bucharest, and North Carolina State University.

www.richardmeier.com

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  Hotel Bel Air

  Los Angeles, CA, USA

  "Wonderful indoor-outdoor relationship of both public and private spaces."

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  Beverly Wilshire Hotel

  Beverly Hills, CA, USA

  "With its new restaurant, CUT, which is one of the best restaurants in LA with food by Wolfgang Puck and interior designed by Richard Meier & Partners."

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  Delano Hotel

  Miami Beach, FL, USA

  "One of the best-managed hotels on the East Coast."

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  Amandari

  Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

  "Extraordinary service in a sublime setting; a great getaway."

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An L.A. loft for high-flying Depp

Johnny Depp has been busier than any pirate in the Caribbean, and that could be why the downtown L.A. loft he bought in the fall for close to $2 million is still vacant.

Depp bought a penthouse in the Eastern Columbia Building, an Art Deco landmark on South Broadway. The 13-story building, opened in 1930 as a retail and office tower and later used as a department store and movie backdrop, was converted into 147 residential lofts in 2006.

Since then, all except a half a dozen lofts on the penthouse level have been sold. Prices run from the high $600,000 range to $2.2 million.

Besides Depp, entertainment industry buyers have included comedian Ant and Slade Smiley, a heartthrob who was on the TV show "The Real Housewives of Orange County." Other buyers are architecture enthusiasts. Buyers in the Moderne, turquoise terra-cotta-clad building qualify for historic tax credits, or reduced property taxes, through the Mills Act.

It's not too late to become one of Depp's neighbors. There is a furnished corner unit in the building listed at about $1.8 million. It's on the 12th floor and is described as light-filled with an open floor plan and high ceilings. The unit has a bronze and iron entry gate, storage for 112 bottles of wine, flat-screen TVs, a jukebox, a vintage-style safe and city views. The 1,827-square-foot loft was decorated by designer Jim Hughes.

Kelly Wearstler, a celebrity designer, decorated the building's common areas such as the rooftop pool, spa and gym. The building also has a distinctive clock tower and a concierge.

Depp, who has played more than 40 unique roles on film, is as busy as ever, now starring as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street for the film adaptation of the musical "Sweeney Todd," released a few weeks ago. The 44-year-old actor starred as Capt. Jack Sparrow in "The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003), "The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" (2006) and "The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (2007). In 2005, he was cast as Willie Wonka, a magical candy maker, in Tim Burton's adaptation of "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory."

David Kean, at Prudential California Realty in Beverly Hills, has the listing on the furnished loft.

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Amoeba Records

Quite possibly the greatest music store in the world. I'd like to see one that's supposedly better. Plus Amoeba hosts amazing live shows, like the time Sir Paul McCartney ran through the hits with all kinds of celebs in the crowd. TV on the Radio there was pretty sick too.

Neighborhood: Hollywood

6400 W Sunset Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca 90028

323-245-6400

Raffles L'Ermitage, Beverly Hills

From design to service, Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills is truly the hotel of the millennium. Not only do we offer spacious guest rooms with state-of-the-art technology, we take the best of the luxury philosophy and apply it to the needs of the business and leisure traveller. The result: seamless service for guests who want to indulge in both luxury and technology.

Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills is located in one of the most famous cities in the world. Beverly Hills offers old-world charm, new-world excitement and international flair. There is no shortage of first-class restaurants, shops, galleries and nightlife. Beverly Hills is conveniently located in the centre of it all; near major movie studios, museums, theatres, business and financial centres, Los Angeles International and Burbank airports as well as Malibu and Santa Monica beaches.

For the seventh consecutive year, Raffles L'Ermitage Beverly Hills has earned the coveted Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond Awards for 2007, making Raffles L'Ermitage one of only two such distinguished properties in Southern California

'World's Best Places to Stay', Condé Nast Traveler Gold List, one of the four hotels globally to achieve a perfect score for its rooms

'Top 100 Hotels', World's Best Awards, Travel + Leisure, 2005

'Top Continental US and Canada Hotels', World's Best Awards, Travel + Leisure, 2005

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LA Mélisse

Located in Santa Monica, CA Melisse combines the sophistication of traditional French cuisine with contemporary American sensibilities, resulting in a truly extraordinary experience. The menus reflect seasonal and specialty items, carefully selected and intricately prepared by Chef Josiah Citrin and his experienced kitchen staff. A Mobil Travel Guide 4-star recipient 8 years running.

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Geisha House, Hollywood

GEISHA HOUSE is a Modern Japanese Restaurant, Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge that embraces the flavor of traditional Japan while catering to the hip, sophisticated clientele of Los Angeles. Taking a cue from Japan’s popular sake bars and traditional Geisha Houses of entertainment, GEISHA HOUSE serves Japanese cuisine as well as fresh sushi and sashimi dishes with a contemporary spin. Whether it’s a wrap party or a simple dinner for two, GEISHA HOUSE is a destination point for groups of all sizes. However…Be Warned! GEISHA HOUSE IS NOT JUST ANOTHER SUSHI RESTAURANT Sensual… Ethereal… Mysterious… GEISHA HOUSE provides a sexy dining experience that titillates the senses, beginning with the palate and continuing from there… While most sushi restaurants tend to ignore or hide from Japan’s rich sexual history… GEISHA HOUSE embraces it. A combination of five star sushi restaurant set in the atmosphere of a surreal high class brothel, the goal of GEISHA HOUSE is to make the client climax!

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