Please The Palate |

Clifton’s Cafeteria Reopens, Bringing Glamour Back to Downtown LA

After 80 years, Clifton's Cafeteria in downtown Los Angeles shut it's doors in 2011. But today the doors are reopened, bringing glamour back to downtown LA.

As a third generation Los Angeleno, Clifton's had been a destination for my grandparents, my parents and myself. As a little girl, my mom would take me to Clifton's where after lunch I could pick a toy out of the treasure chest. While I have vague memories of this, Clifton's Cafeteria was a part of my childhood. Honoring the history of Clifton's, while reinventing itself for the modern age, Clifton's Cafeteria had a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 17th with Mayor Eric Garcetti, Council member José Huizar, Clifton's owner Andrew Meieran and actress June Lockhart.

Council member José Huizar, actress June Lockhart, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Clifton's owner Andrew Meieran

21 September, 2015

Event Recap: LA Food And Wine 2015

For the 5th year in a row, Los Angeles Food & Wine hosted another successful weekend of food and wine events. For three nights, Grand Avenue in Downtown LA was closed off to traffic and filled with more than 30 restaurants each night and more than 100 wines. With Disney Hall looming above, hundreds of attendees wandered up and down the street trying the various foods and wines over a three hour period.

With so many of Los Angeles' best chefs, as well as top chefs from New York, Philadelphia, Dallas and more, serving up flavorful dishes, there is a lot of tasting to do. Between waiting in long lines to some restaurants and getting full quickly, it can be a challenge to try everything. But, I did!

03 September, 2015

Happy Hour at Factory Kitchen

Ever since I ate the Mandilli de Seta (handkerchief pasta, Ligurian almond basil pesto, fiore sardo) at Factory Kitchen, it has been one of my favorite Italian restaurants. So, when I heard they were offering a Happy Hour menu, I decided to go check it out. While the Mandilli de Seta is not on the Happy Hour menu, there are many delicious options. Some are smaller versions of items on the dinner menu and other items are exclusively for Happy Hour. But, the best part is that everything (food, wine and cocktails) is between $6-$11. We started with the Frittino di Verdura (fried baby leeks with chickpea fritters). Well-salted and crispy, this is an addictive dish.

I washed down the salty fried snacks with a glass of crisp, fruity Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Grasparossa from Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

20 April, 2015