Best of Los Angeles 2003!

La Dijonaise

Our day began with breakfast
at La Dijonaise, voted the best
croissant in LA. At 8:30AM,
we were greeted by a warm,
friendly staff who offered us
two of the flakiest and mouth
watering croissants we have
ever tasted. Enjoying the
atmosphere and coffee, we
noted the continual stream of
customers all ordering the
same. A variety of croissants
made with a multitude of
topings like almonds and
chocolate, were available to
us, but we chose the plain
traditional and were not
disappointed.

The Lobster

Although this was not on the
list, I have always enjoyed
this restaurant next to the
Santa Monica pier for its
combination of excellent
seafood and lobster and a
spectacular view of the Santa
Monica beach and Pacific
Ocean. This day did not disappoint as we arrived for
an early lunch. We both
feasted on clam chowder and
cracked open whole lobsters.
The staff brought out a small metal pail to receive the
shells. The seafood is fresh and well-prepared, seasoned
with just the right blend of
spices to enhance but not
overpower the dishes.

HowonDang Korean Pastry Shop
Koreatown Galleria
3250 Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 9006
(323) 734-7755

For something different, we visited Koreatown Galleria and descended the escalator to a supermarket on the bottom floor of the Galleria. There, in one corner, is an elegant bakery, the face windows proudly displaying pure works of art of Korean pastry. These towers of cakes are given at special occasions such as weddings and are much an eye candy as they are delicious to the tounge. We sampled some of the smaller treats and purchased a few sweet rice candies as a reminder of this interesting bakery.

Spa Mystique

The showstopper was a visit to the Spa Mystique, nestled in a Century City hotel. Voted the best spa in LA, we knew this was not an honor that is lightly bestowed given the multitude of spas competing for the coveted title. From our welcome, we were pampered in luxurious bathrobes and ushered to the room shown above, with a beautiful view of the city. Meditative music played in the background as herbal teas were offered to us as we relaxed on the comfortable lounges. We opted for the couple's massage for one hour, which was heavenly. At the completion, we were ushered to the same room and allowed to relax for as long as wished. We wanted to stay longer, soaking in the tranquility, but knew we still had a few more stops.

Chocolatt From Belgium

This was voted best Chocolate shop. It occupies a small facade but is an elegant store on a busy street in Santa Monica. When we entered, the owner, Tarcis, greeted us and asked us if he could explain his selections. Dozens of individual candies were neatly aligned on glass shelves. Belgian chocolate of this high quality is not inexpensive, but surprisingly, Tarsus was extremely generous in allowing us to sample his offering. In the end, we bought a sampler box as well as several bars of his finest dark chocolate. Several other patrons entered the shop when we were there but Tarsus made sure each was comfortable and helped with their selections. A Belgian chocolate shop may sound pretentious but Tarsus made sure we were welcomed and desirous of a quick return.

Uncle Darrow's

This was voted best Cajun food. We were greeted for dinner by an enthusiastic server who said, "I can tell you're new here. Let me give you the rundown." He proceeded to describe each dish with great flair and excitement, pausing to give each of us a small tasting of each dish. We settled on the jambalaya, catfish, and gumbo, classic choices which could easily be compared with other Cajun restaurant we have visited. No question, these dishes ranked with the best of them. The generous servings were matched with the rich spices and depth of flavor. Of the the three dishes, the gumbo was simply outstanding and easily a complete meal in itself. It was a wonderful way to end our day, the best of LA 2003.