Coolhaus Ice Cream Truck , Los Angeles

We were pleasantly surprised when Coolhaus came by my work to let us try their ice cream for free. The concept was simple: choose your own cookie and choose your own ice cream. The edible wrapper was pretty cool. I was torn between the ricotta and sour cherry, the sorbet and caramia lehrer, and ultimately went with the caramia. The ice cream was very good, creamy and just the perfect amount of sweetness. The brown butter candied bacon ice cream seemed popular with everyone as well. The cookies – I got both the chocolate chip and the chocolate – were ok.

Coolhaus Ice Cream Truck
www.eatcoolhaus.com/

Los Olivos Cafe, Los Olivos

Armed with the great reviews for this place on yelp, we decided to try Los Olivos Cafe for lunch while out wine tasting with family.

We arrived on a weekday for an early lunch and the place was clear. We did not wine taste here, though the selection of wine looked amazing and I made a mental note to come back for some wine next time in Los Olivos. The little town was so cute and just relaxing to walk around.

I ordered the ahi tuna salad which was delicious. The salad leaves tasted very fresh. We also had fish and chips and a vegetable pizza at the table, both of which were very good. Not the best I’ve had, but certainly good enough for us to want to come back here while in town.

Los Olivos Cafe
2879 Grand Ave, Los Olivos, CA 93441
(805) 688-7265

Red O, West Hollywood

The decor and service was excellent. The bar and dining areas are gorgeous.

The food overall was tasty and well-executed. Some dishes that were above expectations were the Beef Short Rib Sopes and the Pollo en Mole Poblano. Also I could not stop eating their signature guacamole. They also brought out some habanero salsa that only a few of us dared to venture.

Red O
8155 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-5009
www.redorestaurant.com/

City Sip, Los Angeles

Great little spot for drinks after work in Echo Park. They have great cheese and wine, and great people serving them.

City Sip

2150 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

(213) 483-9463

citysipla.com

The Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades

The Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Hwy
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

(310) 440-7300

Big Mama's & Papa's Pizzeria, Burbank

Not the best pizzas out there, but they sure are big.

Big Mama's & Papa's Pizzeria, Burbank

312 N Glenoaks Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502

(818) 841-8844

Castle Green, Pasadena

After many years of talking about going, we finally visited the historic Castle Green in Pasadena for their Christmas Holiday Tour. Typically closed to the public, this December, Castle Green graciously opened its doors to over 25 apartments for viewing. The price of admission was $20, which at first I thought was a little steep, but ended up being so worth it. They do tours semi-annually - once in the summer and once in the winter. However there is something magical about going during the holidays, as a holiday party complete with festive food and drinks is hosted in their gorgeous lobby, and many apartments have been decorated for the holidays. Some of the homes look like featured spreads from design magazines. It's definitely a great experience as you get to have a totally voyeuristic peek at people's homes. I would highly recommend going to this tour.

Castle Green
99 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 793-0359

www.castlegreen.com/