Best of Los Angeles 2005!

Canter's Delicatessen
419 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
323-651-2030

We began our 2005 odyssey at a renown restaurant, known more for pastrami on rye, than the menu selection we chose...waffles! Even the Los Angeles magazine states that it may take a few minutes to find the $4.75 dish on the menu, but the search is worth the effort. When I initially called the restaurant and queried about whether this is also the restaurant with the famous waffles, the person answering the phone replied, "I guess so, I don't really know!" In spite of the inauspicious start, the waffles were a treat. They were made with a light batter and prepared to a perfect golden brown crisp surface. The surprise was a hint of almond! The atmosphere was familial, what else to expect from this Los Angeles landmark?

LA Horseback Riding
2623 Old Topanga Canyon Road
Topanga, CA
818-591-2032

Voted best horseback riding, this family owned business,
which does not take credit cards, treated us to a wonderful
view of the Topanga Canyon. After a brief introduction for novices like myself, we were introduced to our horses and two guides. For the next 90 minutes, we were taken along a magnificent horse trail, interrupted by occasional attempts at a prance. It was an exhilarating experience and we are tempted to return to experience the moonlight tours along the trails.




KP's Deli
2616 Hyperion Avenue
Silver Lake, CA
323-91301818

After our horseback ride, we stopped
at this restaurant, voted Best Banh Mi. This is a
Vietnamese version of the po'boy. We both tried the BBQ Pork version with Vietnamese pork applied to a collection of pickled carrots, daikon, cucumber, cilantro, maggi sauce, jalapenos, and mayo, all on a fresh French roll. It was a light but fulfilling lunch. The real highlight was the friendliness and courteousness of the staff who were eager to help us decide which entree to order and made sure we enjoyed our visit...we did!

Acorn Store
1220 5th Street
Santa Monica, CA
310-451-5845

This is a kid's toy store but not just any toy store. Built next to the Waldorf School, a private school which discourages television and videos and encourages fantasy play, the owner Ellen West is determined to provide toys that require no electricity nor is made of plastic.We spent about 45 minutes speaking to Ellen and learning about the uniqueness of her store and her philosophy of education. We purchased a novel face pattern recognition game that matches various ethnic groups to their countries.




The Jar
8225 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048-4505
323-655-6566

We dined at this new restaurant, cited as having the best French Fries! However, we quickly noted that Chef Suzanne Tracht and Chef de Cuisine Preech Narkthong have created an incredible menu, apart from their renown french fries. We were tempted to go with the standard menu items but several of the evening's specials tempted us. In the end, we started with deviled crab eggs and a sauteed kurobuta pork. Both were delicately flavored and the deviled crab eggs, although a seemingly simple dish, was enlivened with a wasabi-laced aioli. For the main entrees, we indulged in their braised ox tail with bourbon and parsnip and one of the evening's specials, lamb breast with mustard greens. Since I could not conceptualize a lamb's breast and our hostess was masterful at describing the details of the dish, we agreed on this choice. It was well worth it! Of course, we came to this restaurant to sample the french fries. The fries were crisp with a tangy garlic flavor. We thought they were prepared by double frying but our waitress assured us that it was only fried once but cooked with garlic, imparting a unique texture and taste. The second side dish was duck fried rice, very well prepared and not greasy as one might expect.

Our dinner was accompanied by a bottle of Domaine Moulin-Tacussel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2003. It was an excellent pairing with the rich sauces of the oxtail and tangy seasonings of the lamb breast. Overall, we were very satisfied and definitely made plans to return to this fine restaurant.

Tapia Produce
1248 East Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
213-624-5638

Pinatas are a requisite at any child's party.
Tapia Produce was voted best Pinata,
a significant title in this city once part of Mexico. This store
is located along a row of other markets that also carry numerous
party supplies. Along this row, are hundreds of pinatas, all
strung along the storefronts and extending into each store.
Tapia produce is really an open air market with a
wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, many native to Mexico.
But their selection of Pinatas lived up to its billing. We were
impressed and purchased a large Pinata for $13, a gift for our
daughter's upcoming birthday.