Made in the US of A

Who says romance is dead? How about a nice "blinner" at Kristy's located on the grounds of the Malibu Country Inn with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean. The rose garden is to die for too! Up on Westward Beach Road, just past Kanan, diners can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the bluff. Now what's more romantic than that?

Brunch is $28 for the buffet which includes everything from eggs, potatoes, meats,and  fruits but be forewarned; it ends at 1:00. Other breakfast items include The Classic ($15) three eggs any style, rosemary potatoes, bacon, ham steak, or sausage, fresh fruit, and a muffin and Bananas Foster French Toast ($14). Whipped vanilla bitter, Meyer's dark rum sauce, and bananas complete the dish. Filet and Eggs ($24) and Proscuitto Benedict ($21) are a meat lover's joy.

Bloody Mary's are worth a try. At ($15) the price is hefty but the drinks are gorgeous. Made with Belvedere Bloody Mary infused vodka and hot sauce, they are definitely worth a try. The Mimosa ($9) with Cava orange juice is also irrestible.

We love the pizzas and the burgers. The Prime Beef Burger ($22) is thick, huge and juicy and comes with melted gruyere cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and maple onion jam. The rosemary fries are pretty delicious too. The buns are even stamped with a "K" (for Karen- that's what I told everyone!mozze) for Kristy,

Pizzas are hand-crefted and have a thin, chewy crust. We love the Grilled Chicken ($17) with caramelized onions, capers, pepperoncini, feta, provolone, and mozzarella. Prosciutto Pizza ($18) is layers of San Daniel prosciutto, mascarpone, roasted pears, arugula, aged balsalmic, mozzerella, and provolone.

Coffee is Illy, and good to the last drop! Next time you're driving up the coast, make sure to stop in at Kristy's for a romantic atmosphere and a beautiful view. Kristy's Wood Oven and Wine Bar 6506 Westward Beach Road Malibu. (310) 457-2602. Hours: Daily: Breakfast from 8:00 a.m. Lunch from 12 p.m. Dinner from 5:00 p.m.

Recommended: Prime Burger, Grilled Chicken Pizza, Proscuitto Pizza, Brunch, Bloody Mary, Mimosa.

When is a hip, new Venice restaurant from a Michelin-starred chef more than just a hip new Venice restaurant from a Michelin starred chef? When it's Charcoal Venice; that's when! Everything in this new Venice eatery is cooked over an indoor live fire by Chef/Owner Josiah Citrin and Chef de Cuisine Joseph Johnson. Four house sauces accompany each meal and they are all extraordinary, including Chimichurri, Red Wine Chipotle BBQ,  J.1. Steak Sauce, and Herb Spiced Vinegar.

Order a drink from the beverage program, you must! The Chophouse Martini ($12) is vodka, smoke, and an olive and is perfect. We also loved the Midnight Margarita with tequila, charcoal, and lime.($12)

For dinner we had the homemade Bread with Beurre de Baratte ($6.25). The bread is crusty and chewy and some of the best I've tasted. In case you've never had Beurre de Baratte, it's the best butter in the world! It's churned butter, made in Normandy, with a deep yellow color. It's taste alone begs you to come back for more. It's nutty, salty, and I promise, you'll love it!

Next we had the best Chopped Salad ($15.50) I've tasted in a very long time. Tomato, Havarti Cheese, big chunks of bacon, kalamanta olives, and jo-jo's vinaigrette come together in an enormous salad that you won't soon forget. Prime New York Striploin ($45) was perfectly cooked to medium rare and rivals any steakhouse in the city. Broccolini with smoked fingerling potatoes, lemon Rosemary breadcrumbs, and chili-oil ($12.50) is an unforgettable side dish. Of course we had to try the Steak Fries with homemade ketchup ($8) which were delicious too.

Never people to pass up dessert, we enjoyed the Peanut Butter Crunch Cake ($12.50) which was layers of chocolate cake and a crunchy peanut butter bottom alongside vanilla ice cream. And best of all, we're walking distance which is good because we're hooked. As we were leaving I begged my husband to make another reservation for my birthday in two weeks. "We'll see" he said, "We'll see." That usually means yes! Charcoal Venice 425 Washington Blvd. Venice (310) 751-6794 Hours: Bar: Sun-Thurs: 6p.m.- 11p.m. Fri: 6p.m.-Midnight Sat: 5:30-Midnight Dining Room: Sun-Thurs: 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Fri: 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Sat: 5:30 p.m.-11p.m. Reservations essential.

Recommended Dishes: Cocktails, Bread, Chopped Salad, Striploin, Broccolini, Steak Fries, Peanut Butter Crunch Cake.

Walking down Main Street yesterday drinking some Bullet Proof coffee, I decided to stop in for some lunch at Ashland Hill a charming little craft beer and wine garten in Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood. Since it was lunchtime I decided to go with a traditional lunch item, but there's really no need to stop there. The daily menu goes from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.Grab dinner from 5-10 p.m.every night! I had the Ashland Hill Burger ($17). What a burger! A huge juicy, perfectly cooked burger with Red Onion Bacon Jam, Sharp White Cheddar, Paperika Aioli, and Watercress is served with some outstanding Herb & Parmesan fries. Other popular lunch dishes include Avocado and Roasted Tomato Toast ($10) with goat cheese, lime Thai chili and pickled pearl onion, and smoked salt. The Grilled Turkey Club ($14) is very popular too. Seasoned grilled turkey, bacon, cheddar cheese romaine, roasted tomato, Dijon, malt vinegar, and mayo are served with potato chips. I'm definitely coming back to try the desserts too. I mean after all, who can pass up a cast iron blonde brownie with salted caramel vanilla ice cream? Ashland Hill 2807 Main Street Santa Monica (310) 392-3300.

Recommended Dishes: Ashland Hill Burger, fries.

I'd been walking past Simmzy's for a few months and finally had the chance to stop in last week. Simmzy's is a local pub serving tons of craft beers, artisian foods, and small production wines. Mike Simms, along with his brother Chris, and father Tom own the Simms Restaurant Group which opened fantastic eateries such as The Tin Roof Bistro, Simmzy's Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Beach Post, and Fishing With Dynamite. (See past reviews). Now it's Venice's turn to enjoy the fruits of Simm's labor. We had the Bacon Blue Delux Burger ($12.25) and was it ever! Simmzy's own angus beef, chow chow onions, melted blue cheese and candied bacon served with lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli, and frizzled shallots are a dream come true. Let me stop for a minute and worship the candied bacon. No, I mean get down on my knees and worship it. It's not sweet, but it's crack bacon. I mean I don't partake in crack usage, but it must be, it has to be! The burger was insane. Order the mixed bag ($4) sweet potato and shoestring fries ($4) with garlic aioli and buttermilk sauces and you'll be very happy. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($10) is pretty awesome too. Pepper jack cheese, guacamole, garlic aioli, shredded romaine, sliced tomatoes, are all served inside a brioche bun. My friend thoroughly enjoyed hers. Service is excellent too! Simmzy's 37 W. Washington Blvd. Venice. (424) 835-6560 Sat & Sun: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon-Fri: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Recommended: Burgers, Sandwiches, Fries. 

If you like Progressive California cusine, you'll love Chef Nyesha J. Arrington's new place, Leona on Washington Boulevard. How many of you know what "Progressive California Cusine" really means? PCG means that the cusine draws inspiration from multiple cultures and their cusines. There, that wasn't so hard was it? And now you sound like you know what you're talking about! The menu is seasonally driven and you'll be tempted to order everything! The restaurants gets its name from the original name of Washington Boulevard, which was called "Leona" before it was annexed. You might recognize Arrington's name from "Top Chef" too. Eat on the patio if you can; it's great for people watching. After brunch or dinner you can walk a block to the Venice pier. We went for brunch last Sunday. The Brown Butter Pancakes ($12) are so different and creative; my heart be still! Topped with whipped coconut, sea salt, and vanilla butter; they were truly delicious! The California Benedict ($16) Softshell Crab, Crushed Avocado, and Tomato Hollandaise is one of the most popular dishes on the menu. We enjoyed the creamy sauce and the perfectly cooked eggs. The Grilled Nuseke's Bacon ($7) was the star of the show, and of course I ate all of it. The thick juicy slabs melt in your mouth. Very creative dishes like Handcut Dutch style fries, Korean latkes, and Tahitian Vanilla-Honey yogurt are making me come back next week. Service is excellent and the staff is super nice! Leona 123 Washington Blvd. Venice (310) 822-5379. Reservations suggested. Hours. Brunch: Sat & Sun: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Tues.-Sat: 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Sun: 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.

Recommended Dishes: Bacon, Vanilla Pancakes, California Benedict.