Made in the US of A

How often do you get to dress up and hang out with the fancy schmancy of Beverly Hills? Not often, if you're like me. I prefer the low-key Venice/Marina del Rey/Santa Monica vibe. I was meeting a friend for lunch and we decided to shake things up a bit by going to the Beverly Wilshire for lunch. THE Blvd features local California fare with Mediterranean influences. The dining room features plush sofas and a gorgeous onyx bar. It's a great place for people-watching, and the food is pretty good too! For starters we had the Smoked Salmon Pizza. The pizza is composed of fresh smoked salmon, fennel and leek fondue, lemon oil, and fresh dill. It's a great appetizer and easily split by two. We also enjoyed the Grilled Salmon salad with baby iceberg, Italian farro, kalamanta olives, tomato, arugula, and a fig and balsalmic reduction. Caesar Salad with shrimp was flavorful with baby gem lettuce, sourdough croutons, and marinated white anchovies. This is definitely a pricey, special occasion restaurant, but you have to visit it, at least once!

THE Blvd 9500 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills (310)385-3901  Hours: Mon-Th/Sun: 6:30am-11pm Fri 6:30am-1am Sat 6:30am-2am Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If you're a fan of Father's Office, you'll love chef Ted Hopson and drink master Ann-Marie Verdi's Bellweather. Situated in Studio City, this is where the buzz is! Fresh farm-to-table ingredients are used of course, but here they are used oh-so-well. We began our eating experience with glasses of Jackhammer Chardonnay. With it's touches of apple, pear, and tropical fruit it proved to be delicious and refreshing! We enjoyed the Beef Tartare with house made Ssamjang, toasted rice powder and crudites. We followed that with Tempura Cauliflower with Thai chili, mint, Thai basil, lime, and Nam Pla. This is the outstanding dish! Even the French Fries are over the top at Bellweather. Served with house hot sauce and chive creme fraiche, soaked overnight then blanched, frozen and blended with their own starch and spicy salt these spuds are crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. We also enjoyed the Patty Melt on crunchy rye bread, with Taleggio cheese and caramelized onions. For dessert we devoured vanilla marscapone Quenelle ice cream with a superb chocolate graham cracker cake. For a truly wonderful dining experience you must visit the Bellwether. The Bellwether 13251 Ventura Blvd. Studio City. Reservations, a must! (818) 285-8184 Hours: Sun-Thurs: 5pm-10pm. Friday 5pm-10:30 p.m. Sat: 10:30am-2:30 pm/5pm-10pm.

Recommended Dishes: Tempura Cauliflower, French Fries, Patty Melt, Beef Tartare, desserts.

If you're into mis-matched vintage plates and furniture, you'll love Hatchett Hall. The former home of Waterloo & City is now a hip, trendy dining spot on Washington  complete with a fabulous patio. Start with a tasty, refreshing cocktail at the bar. The wine list is also impressive with many local wines available. We enjoyed the Louisa Mary Smith Skin Contact Chardonnay ($18). This wine was so bright with hints of pear and lychee, that we had to have two glasses! We started with the Benne Yeasty Rolls ($2 each) with Honey Butter. The rolls are mouth-watering dotted with sesame seeds and sea salt. To top the rolls we ordered the Broadbent Kentucky Country Ham ($13), piled high and sliced thin. The combination of the ham and Benne rolls was magnificent! We also enjoyed the Mushrooms with Spoonbread, parmesan, and soft herbs parsley and tarragon ($15). This was a hearty dish that we enjoyed with dinner, but it could definitely stand alone. The Green Beans with Bacon and Sweet Onion, and sherry ($8) were tender and flavorful. For our entree we had the Rainbow Trout ($26) with ramps, bacon and potato hash. If you get a chance to cook with ramps this season try adding them to some scrambled eggs. They are similar to scallions but much more flavorful and garlicky! This was one of my favorite dishes. Because we never say no, for dessert we enjoyed The Sundae. ($8) It's not your typical sundae though. This one is made with malted milk ice cream, fresh strawberries, vanilla bean chantilly, and malt crumbs. I've now taught myself how to make malt crumbs because they are one of the most delicious sundae toppings! Make a reservation and enjoy the experience for yourself.  Hatchet Hall 12517 W. Washington Blvd. Los Angeles (310) 391-4222. Hours: Mon-Wed, Sun: 5:30-9:45 p.m. Thu-Sat: 5:30-10:45 pm. Reservations required.

We are always on the lookout for a good farm-to table restaurant, so last night on Mother's Day, we checked out Luke in Woodland Hills. It seems that the dining scene in Woodland Hills is getting better, and by that I mean that with the addition of the Village, and neighborhood staples like Luke there are lots more places to choose from. You can dine at a community table, the bar, or a single table. There were six of us so we tried a few different things at our own table.

We started with some grilled sourdough with burrata ($9) and butter. This was pretty delish and everyone enjoyed! We added some Potato au Gratin ($12) with herbed bechamel and parmeasan breadcrumbs. We were in heaven, but not too full for dinner!

The Prime Ribeye Sandwich ($17) is huge and topped with pepper jack, horseradish cream, garlic aioli, and au jus. The Dry-aged Bacon Burger ($17) with burrata, tomato chutney, and Nueske's smoked bacon was pretty good too. Mary's Roasted Airline Chicken ($25) is also a big portion served with cauliflower "rice," parmesan, gremolata (garlic, lemon zest and parsley- my favorite!), and lemon au jus. Chicken was juicy and tender and cauliflower "rice" is very creative.

Our only complaint was that the two desserts that we were interested in Caramel Budino ($11) and Chocolate Crunch Bar ($10) both had hazelnuts, which we don't like. Luke's politely denies any substitutions. We don't know if we'd go back but it's probably worth a try. Luke 22616 Ventura Blvd. Woodland Hills (818) 876-6000 Lunch and Dinner Closed Monday Tues-Fri: 11am-3pm and 5pm-Close. Saturday and Sunday: Brunch: 11am-3pm. Midday: 3pm-5pm. Dinner 5pm-Close

Recommended: Grilled Soudough with Burrata, Prime Ribeye Dip, Mary's Chicken, Dry-Aged Bacon Burger, Potato au Gratin.

My first trip to the new Village in Woodland Hills was a huge success! I love this place. From the stores to the restaurants, I feel like I could come back everyday for two weeks and not get bored. Let's start with JOEY, the modern American beautiful restaurant with a globally handcrafted menu. Upon entering, we were offered a complimentary glass of wine which was a very nice touch. We were shown to our table on the beautiful shaded patio and given time to explore the menu. The Social Sharing part of the menu boasted offerings such as Hibachi Chicken Wings ($13.50) spice-rubbed and grilled served with a parmesan dip, Lettuce Wraps ($13.50) with wok vegetables, oyster sauce, crispy noodles, cilantro, and peanuts, with chicken or shrimp. Sushi choices included Rainbow Roll ($13.25) with ahi tuna, salmon, crab, avocado, and sriacha aioli, Ahi Tuna Tacos ($12.50), and Steak and Sushi ($25.50). Big Salads range from Yellowfin Tuna ($18) to Blackened Salmon Caesar ($17). Sandwiches are fantastic too! We loved the Grilled Chicken ($14.50) with aged cheddar, smoky bacon, and arugula. The hand-pressed cheese burger,($14.50) formed daily, was outstanding. Fries are skinny and crispy. Service is excellent. Rotisserie chicken and Steaks ($18.50-$32) are available at lunch and dinner. We are definitely coming back to try these! JOEY Woodland Hills 6344 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Woodland Hills. (818) 340-5639. Hours: Mon-Sat: 11 am- 1 am. Sun: 11 am-12 am.