Best of Los Angeles 2004!

La Brea Bakery

What better way to begin the day with one of the
best bakery's in the United States? Although this
was not mentioned in the 2004 issue, no one
would dispute including this in anyone's best list
for our city. Nancy Silverton led the renaissance
in bread baking with the opening of La Brea
Bakery and the adjacent Campanile Restaurant.
We enjoyed a pecan sticky bun, an apple tart,
and an almond croissant. The flavors were
delicate and balanced and the textures a perfect
blend of soft, flaky, and chewy. Delicious!

Orchid Fever
10242 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA
310-559-6599
This nursery in Culver City was voted best
orchids. From the moment we walked in, we
knew we had arrived in a special nursery. It is a
large green house, filled with hundreds of
beautiful orchids, bromeliads, and other related
species. All of the employees went out of their
way to assist us and to explain the finer points of
growing and appreciating orchids. It was an
excellent location to take numerous photos with
these stunning backdrops.


Jin Patisserie
Voted best chocolates, this is a highly coveted
title in Los Angeles; Jin Patisserie did not
disappoint. We entered a Zen-like garden nestled
amidst a wide variety of foliage surrounding a
quiet bubbling fountain. The owner and pastry
chef, Kristy Choo (Jin), greeted us and explained
all of her creations. She offers the exclusive Le
Palais des The' line and uses its essences in
several of her chocolate creations. Surrounding
the counter is a beautiful glass showcase of her
cakes and other pastries. We enjoyed tea resting
on a large cushion under an umbrella in the
garden. It was a reflective and meditative
moment and encouraged us to make a mental
note to return for her high tea in the afternoon.

Elxir Tonics and Teas
After lunch, we made our way to West
Hollywood to this hidden oasis, voted best
foot massage. This is more of a retreat with
an herbal tea and tonic bar filled with
holistic health remedies and a Chinese
herbal pharmacy. We made our way
through a garden surrounded by towering
bamboo plants and were met by two
massage therapists who specialized in foot
massages. We were placed in reclining
chairs that elevated our legs to the proper
angle to be massaged. We sampled a
variety of lotions on our feet, meant to
rejuvenate. We were also given a primer on
the zones of the feet, and how they relate to
the overall body. After the hour, we
enjoyed a hot and cold herbal tonic as we
drank in the beautiful garden.

Sabor y Cultura
In Hollywood, there are many choices
when searching for a good cup of
Espresso. We have bemoaned the
uneveness of Starbucks, which uneducated
palates have crowned the epitome of
coffee. For us, this cafe, voted best
espresso, lived up to its title. We savored
an espresso as well as a special Cafe
Mocha Mexican, made with Mexican
chocolate. The later gave it a zest and
sparkle. The espresso was smooth, not
bitter, with a beautiful crema that rimmed
the cup. It was a wonderful afternoon
break.

Pink's Hot Dogs
Ahh Pink's! What more can be said for this
Hollywood landmark. New York has their
Coney Island dogs and arguably Pink's dogs are
just as famous. We stood in line for 30 minutes,
which is average for a Saturday lunch time
crowd. As we tried to decide how we wanted to
savor our first Pink's dogs, the tantalizing smells
kept us fantasizing over which item would satisfy
us the most. Once we received our dogs, few
experiences are as delicious and memorable as
that first snap of the casing when we bite it.
Surrounding us on the walls were dozens of
autographed pictures of celebrities who had
dined on these treasures.