Los Angeles November 2015
We had AA Advantage miles and some free hotel nights. So the obvious choice was a trip to Los Angeles. We flew in on a Wednesday morning and the flight in was direct, on time and left us with almost a whole day to enjoy. Prior to arrival, I had set up an Uber account and downloaded the app so I ordered a town car (which was a splurge) for our first ride. We were staying at a hotel in West Hollywood, Le Parc which is located in West Knoll. We were in Room 115.
We had lunch at the Fig and Olive. Wow, we were emersed in Hollywood right away. The table next to us was talking advertising and TV. We each had a salmon burger and skinny fries. We had our first Fig and Olive Julep. After lunch, we walked up towards the Hollywood Hills in hopes of seeing the sign. But it was too far so we went back and walked down Santa Monica Blvd. The West Hollywodd gay scene is there and we stopped in for a refreshment at one of the bars. Then we decided to use Uber (Rachel) to ride down to the Walk of Fame. We played tourist and then came back via Uber Pool (this time sharing a ride with young kids). Back at the hotel, we had a light dinner. Carol had chicken and rice soup while I had the 4 cheese mac and cheese.
Thursday started off with a breakfast at French Crepe Hollywood which was in the high rise right off the Walk of Fame. The Academy Awards are held in that complex as well. We had again used Uber and to get there and this time, rode in a Prius. We foolishly signed up to do a tour called Celebrity Tours. It did get us up to the hills and we saw some celebrity homes and took photos of the Hollywood sign. But it was not well done and ended up being dangersous when we were driving down Sunset Blvd and near Whiskey-A-Go-Go, he was side swiped because he pulled over leaving half the tour van sticking out in the street. While we were waiting, we also saw Ridley Scott receive his star on the Walk of Fame. Russell Crowe was at the presentation.
Having that tour end early gave us plenty of times to make it to Warner Brothers for a tour in the afternoon. Wow, that was special on so many levels. We saw the outside of Ellen's set as well as the Fosters and their RV dressing rooms.
Thursday dinner was very special. We left Burbank and our Uber driver dropped us at Koi which is on N. La Cienga. We had edamames, a spicy shrimp handroll, a baked crab roll, lobster tacos, sockeye salmon sashimi and a sampler of nigiri. They also had amazing drinks including a maple bourbon sour and a really unique sake. We were there for hours and totally enjoyed this ultimate dining experience.
On Friday, we had breakfast at the Urth Cafe on Melrose. Carol had poaches salmon and I had the breakfast bread pudding with banana sauce and a side of Gouda. Our drinks were a Spanish latte granita and a mild doce granita.
Mid-day on Friday, we had a tour of the Grauman Chinese Theatre which was cool. We then headed off on a hop-on-hop off tour of downtown L.A. We then took the next loop and got off in Beverly Hills. So dinner was at the Farm of Beverly Hills. We each had an amazing lamb burger. Once we got back to West Hollywood via Uber, we decided to have a cocktail at the Fig and Olive as I had fallen in love with their Fig and Walnut Julep.This is a great place to people watch for sure.
Saturday started with breakfast at Huckleberry's Place. Carol has the salmon apple toast and I had two eggs plus bacon. We had a paparazzi sighting but never figured out who the star was. This all happened on Sunset Blvd. We then met up with the tour to continue on to Santa Monica and Venice Beach. We had lunch at Cabo Cantina which is in Venice Beach. Carol has fish tacos and I had a Cantina burrito.
Saturday night, we had dinner at Ago Ristorante. This was a lovely classic Italian restaurant and the type of place where celebrities frequent. We enjoyed chatting with a lady at the next table that was there with her very elderly father. She brings him there every Saturday night and was well known to the staff. She had a very Hollywood look and had clearly had a number of botox treatments over the years.
Sunday we relaxed and went to the rooftop deck and enjoyed the pool. Sunday night, we had dinner at Taste on Melrose in West Hollywood. It was a really cute little space and scored us 1000 Open Table points.
Breakfast on our final day was at Le Pain Quotidien on Melrose Ave. We both had iced lattes. I had a side of ham and Gruyere cheese with walnut bread. Carol had a ham and cheese croissant with a side of fruit.
We had a small lunch at the airport, some spinach dip and drinks.
We had lunch at the Fig and Olive. Wow, we were emersed in Hollywood right away. The table next to us was talking advertising and TV. We each had a salmon burger and skinny fries. We had our first Fig and Olive Julep. After lunch, we walked up towards the Hollywood Hills in hopes of seeing the sign. But it was too far so we went back and walked down Santa Monica Blvd. The West Hollywodd gay scene is there and we stopped in for a refreshment at one of the bars. Then we decided to use Uber (Rachel) to ride down to the Walk of Fame. We played tourist and then came back via Uber Pool (this time sharing a ride with young kids). Back at the hotel, we had a light dinner. Carol had chicken and rice soup while I had the 4 cheese mac and cheese.
Thursday started off with a breakfast at French Crepe Hollywood which was in the high rise right off the Walk of Fame. The Academy Awards are held in that complex as well. We had again used Uber and to get there and this time, rode in a Prius. We foolishly signed up to do a tour called Celebrity Tours. It did get us up to the hills and we saw some celebrity homes and took photos of the Hollywood sign. But it was not well done and ended up being dangersous when we were driving down Sunset Blvd and near Whiskey-A-Go-Go, he was side swiped because he pulled over leaving half the tour van sticking out in the street. While we were waiting, we also saw Ridley Scott receive his star on the Walk of Fame. Russell Crowe was at the presentation.
Having that tour end early gave us plenty of times to make it to Warner Brothers for a tour in the afternoon. Wow, that was special on so many levels. We saw the outside of Ellen's set as well as the Fosters and their RV dressing rooms.
Thursday dinner was very special. We left Burbank and our Uber driver dropped us at Koi which is on N. La Cienga. We had edamames, a spicy shrimp handroll, a baked crab roll, lobster tacos, sockeye salmon sashimi and a sampler of nigiri. They also had amazing drinks including a maple bourbon sour and a really unique sake. We were there for hours and totally enjoyed this ultimate dining experience.
On Friday, we had breakfast at the Urth Cafe on Melrose. Carol had poaches salmon and I had the breakfast bread pudding with banana sauce and a side of Gouda. Our drinks were a Spanish latte granita and a mild doce granita.
Mid-day on Friday, we had a tour of the Grauman Chinese Theatre which was cool. We then headed off on a hop-on-hop off tour of downtown L.A. We then took the next loop and got off in Beverly Hills. So dinner was at the Farm of Beverly Hills. We each had an amazing lamb burger. Once we got back to West Hollywood via Uber, we decided to have a cocktail at the Fig and Olive as I had fallen in love with their Fig and Walnut Julep.This is a great place to people watch for sure.
Saturday started with breakfast at Huckleberry's Place. Carol has the salmon apple toast and I had two eggs plus bacon. We had a paparazzi sighting but never figured out who the star was. This all happened on Sunset Blvd. We then met up with the tour to continue on to Santa Monica and Venice Beach. We had lunch at Cabo Cantina which is in Venice Beach. Carol has fish tacos and I had a Cantina burrito.
Saturday night, we had dinner at Ago Ristorante. This was a lovely classic Italian restaurant and the type of place where celebrities frequent. We enjoyed chatting with a lady at the next table that was there with her very elderly father. She brings him there every Saturday night and was well known to the staff. She had a very Hollywood look and had clearly had a number of botox treatments over the years.
Sunday we relaxed and went to the rooftop deck and enjoyed the pool. Sunday night, we had dinner at Taste on Melrose in West Hollywood. It was a really cute little space and scored us 1000 Open Table points.
Breakfast on our final day was at Le Pain Quotidien on Melrose Ave. We both had iced lattes. I had a side of ham and Gruyere cheese with walnut bread. Carol had a ham and cheese croissant with a side of fruit.
We had a small lunch at the airport, some spinach dip and drinks.
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