Eating Authentic Greek in Manhattan Beach, CA
For dinner head to Zagat rated Petros Greek Cuisine and Lounge where beach modern meets a classic Greek menu with Mediterranean flair. Local favorites include feta crusted lamb, moussaka, and the petros horiatiki salad. The ingredients are fresh and combine into a medley of flavors, textures, and colors for a truly astonishing, innovative dining experience. The sophisticated environment emulates a warm, welcoming atmosphere with its muted neutral colors and offers friendly service. If you’re feeling adventurous, try a Greek wine, or a classic Greek coffee to compliment your meal. Make sure to save room for the decadent deserts, the baklava and baby Greek doughnuts literally melt in your mouth. After an evening of culinary treats, stroll outside into the Metlox Plaza located in downtown Manhattan Beach. Boutiques and shops line the boulevard leading all the way down to the strand, featuring a wide variety of shopping, dining, and crafts.
By Kimberly Fisher | Photo: Kimberly Fisher
Dining Where the Screen Legends Hung Out in Hollywood, CA
The last stop of the your trip to the City of Angels is also the oldest; Musso and Frank Grill. Located on Hollywood Boulevard, this eatery has been around since 1919. It is a former hangout of great writers F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway and favorite refectory of Charlie Chaplin and Rudolf Valentino. The menu keeps the old school charm and ambiance with its dressy red coated waiters, dark mood lighting, and open counter dining. Known for its steaks, Welsh rarebit, and (on Tuesdays) Corned Beef and Cabbage. Locals recommend trying the best martini in town, possibly at the back bar while watching the waiters use the old fashioned cash register and run orders to the lively tables. Stop by the front counter and share a laugh or two (and magic tricks!) with Manny Felix. On staff for 40 years at the grill he exudes all the charm and exhilaration in the world. The blast from the past is refreshing and elating; as the nostalgia of Old Hollywood is remembered and appreciated by the old and young alike.
Shopping on the Rodeo Drive of the desert in Palm Springs, CA
Relaxed and refreshed, journey to North Palm Drive for shopping and lunch. Stroll down the boutique filled avenue, and stop into the high end store Trina Turk for attire. This trendy, modern boutique carries high quality wears for even the most disconcerting shopper. Bold patterns mix with flirty flowers in the new lines for the season. Adagio Gallery is the next stop for a sampling of southwestern art work, and then Bon Vivant for antiques and collectibles. Palm Canyon Drive has been described as being the heart and soul of Palm Springs and features world class dining, shopping, and history. As you stroll through the streets, glance down and take note of the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. Over 250 stars embellish the sidewalks of North Palm Canyon. You might see the names of Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, or Debbie Reynolds while you window shop. For lunch, stop in at Maracas, conveniently located amidst Palm Canyon Drive plaza. Grab an ice cold beer while you munch on crisp tortilla chips and fresh salsa on the outdoor patio. For a refreshingly healthy lunch, try the skirt steak salad-a bed of leaf lettuce, spinach and radicchio tossed with apple slices, fennel, roma tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese, crispy onions, and balsamic vinaigrette. Afterwards, continue the desert shopping spree, and duck into Dazzles and 20 First to check out mid century furnishings.
