KIRK DOUGLAS HAS A FRIEND A FEW DOORS AWAY. Strolling the neighborhood streets of Culver City for a pre-show bite to eat, these wanderers find an array of eating outposts nearby the Kirk Douglas Theatre (Center Theatre Group (CTG)) in this enclave close to Beverly Hills. CITY TAVERN appears to have…

SPOUTING VERMONT MAPLE SYRUP When I spot the sign for GREAT MAPLE adorning the restaurant in Old Town Pasadena, I have no intention of being a sap by leaving for another establishment. (OK  I’ll stop!) Really, though, I begin envisioning all kinds of dishes in which the maple…

WHERE ARE THE MAGNOLIAS? Just down the road from the ROAD ON MAGNOLIA THEATRE in North Hollywood (NOHO), can be found a modest, contemporary eating establishment. Susie Reese and I stumble upon it during our neighborhood exploration just before a recent show. The BAR-B-QUE BAR, THE lurks in a…

PLEASED AS PUNCH…EXCEPT FOR THE WAIT! Wait a minute!  Apparently, it’s difficult to be seated at a table without a significant wait at REUNION KITCHEN + DRINK in Anaheim Hills. So, planners plan…and reserve online if possible. In this case the effort falls by the wayside and leads…

RENT A TRUCK FOR LEFTOVERS! When visiting a new area, the first task at hand is the search for popular restaurants in the region. A 4.5 rating with thousands of reviews seems as if it might be a good bet, right? In this instance the area happens to…

I SAW IT! After watching some of my favorite actors trod the boards in Laguna Beach, could Susie Reese and I select a more appropriate restaurant in which to replenish than LUMBERYARD? I doubt it. An added bonus is encountering friends Carlotta Malone and Adriene Edwards also filling…

YOU MAY WISH TO DUCK INTO THIS PLACE SOMETIME. This place quacks me up. Now that I’ve tossed that out of the way, let me wade into some commentary about Long Beach’s THE CROOKED DUCK. Not unlike so many neighborhood eateries, the initial challenge is to find a…

PIZZA,PIZZA! Yes, there exist a few eateries tucked away in Temecula cubby-holes that may be worthy of a visit. The family discovers just such a place off the beaten track in the TEMECULA PIZZA CO. nearby Temecula Parkway. The rather extensive menu for a pizza hideaway features not…

KING TRITON BECKONS Long tradition in my family since I was a tyke to eat fish on Friday. Even if I aim at vegan or vegetarian status, chances are I would settle on being a pescetarian. Shrimp, salmon, crab, scallops, etc. are representative of the repertoire that I…