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Pit Travel Agency: LA Area

Wakelaw2006

Wakelaw2006

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Pit, I am heading out to LA this afternoon for the National Championship game on Monday. Staying in Universal City at the Sheraton, and will have a car. We have no definite plans on Sunday or Tuesday (taking the red-eye back Tuesday night). Any advice on things to do or places to eat? Touristy or not - I'm up for anything. I know we'll do the Walk of Fame at some point and check out the Chinese Theater. We're going to meet my college roommate in Santa Monica for brunch on Sunday morning/afternoon and will spend some time at the pier, etc. For restaurants, not looking for super fine dining, just good solid locals joints.
 
Pick up Palma and come down to watch the Wake Sunday afternoon. :)

Are you going with a buddy or a gf/wife? If you are with the woman, try Yamashiro. It's overpriced and slightly above average food, but it has the best view of LA you'll ever see. You can see from Dodger Stadium to LAX from up there. There is a Japanese garden outside and koi pond inside.

Again if it's your gf/wife, go to the Getty Museum in Malibu. Unbelievable collection and an incredible setting. Entrance is free. Parking is about $10.

You should get a extra pepperoni pizza at The Rainbow Bar & Grill on Sunset. If you want to start out with a salad, the Caesar is more than enough for two people. There might be a good show next door at The Roxy or a couple doors away at either the Whiskey or Key Club.

Saturday night you could go to a comedy show at the Comedy Store, Laff Stop or Improv. You can call ahead to see who is on the bill at each.

Don't waste your time at the Farmers Market or Tar Pit.

Venice Beach will be crowded, but you could buy a pitcher of margaritas and watch the world go by. Maybe you can call winners. :)
 
WakeLaw is female.
 
Make the drive up to Santa Barbara, or even further up to Buelton to check out some of the Central Coast wineries.
 
SB isn't worth it if you're there for just the weekend.
 
SB is definitely not worth it with that time frame.

The Getty Villa in Malibu is a decent recommendation especially if you have any interest in art. If you are going to go there, check online I believe you have to reserve a time slot for entry. It's close to Santa Monica so you could do it before or after you eat in Santa Monica.

What kind of stuff are you interested in?
 
The Getty and Griffith Observatory are cool
 
If you like Thai, try Ruen Pair on Hollywood Blvd. It's east of Highland. It should be very reasonable.

Do not get sucked in to go to Miceli's for Italian. It's really close to your hotel. It's got opera singing servers and very, very mediocre food.

In Burbank, The Smokehouse is really good. Expect main courses to be $20-30. By the way George Clooney likes this place so much, he named his production company after it.
 
Head to palm springs: breakfast at cheekys, el paseo (or outlets) for shopping and lunch, dinner at melvyns, follies after that.
 
I think the Tar Pits are actually kind of neat, and you can check out LACMA, too, which is way underrated.
 
You can drive down Sunset; have pepperoni pizza at The Rainbow; keep going on Sunset and see the mansions in Beverly Hills (and the Beverly Hills Hotel); keep going all the way to Malibu and have a HUGE piece of chocolate cake as your dessert at Gladstone's on the beach (it will take at least two of you to eat one piece of cake-you may take some home with you).

If you have to see Rodeo Drive, look for the parking lots that say City of Beverly Hills. During the day, you'll get two free hours of parking.
 
Santa Monica -

If in the mood for burgers, try Umami Burger (on I think 5th street right next to Fred Segal, which while crazy expensive is a female shopping destination, should be fun to browse at worst) or Fathers Office (which has just as good if not a better burger but a much better beer selection)

If in the mood for Mexican try Border Grill on 4th street, which is Susan Feniger's restaurant and she is known for mexican street food.

If you like sushi at all you should try at one of the numerous top notch places something like a $120 Omakase meal at any one of numerous places, should be an experience.

Most touristy place would be the mexican place at the end of the pier, not really good or anything, but has the best views.

I would just drive up PCH from santa monica to Malibu and back, will take an hour/hour and a half and is worth it.

I mean the most uniquely LA experience is the fact that some of the best lounges/bars are located and are part of hotels. Like I would plan on spending a night at the Roosevelt Hotel after doing the Holywood/Chinese theatre run. It's always a scene, but incredibly preppy but low-key'ish at the same time.
 
Palma, is that blues club still open on 2nd Street in Santa Monica?
 
Thanks, all! I think we're definitely going to do the Getty and will check out some of Palma's recs in Santa Monica.
 
From your hotel, go to 101 West. Then take 405 South to Getty Center Drive. When you leave you can down PCH into Santa Monica.

You could actually take Sunset from Santa Monica back to your hotel. You'll see a little of everything. There will be mansions and then the Strip. You could actually take Sunset all the way into Hollywood and make a left on Highland. You'll pass the Hollywood Bowl. Highland will bend and become Ventura Blvd which will take you right to Lankershiem and your hotel.
 
Wakelaw2006 said:
Thanks, all! I think we're definitely going to do the Getty and will check out some of Palma's recs in Santa Monica.
Click to expand...

Just to highlight, Umami is more chainish and a good burger, but for a trip I'd definitely try fathers office over it, since fathers office is known more nationally for its burger (the owner was on the last top chef masters, and usually judges any burger competitions, etc.) Umami is good and just closer to where you'll be.
 
Umami is way overrated. Good burger, but it's not mindblowing. Good retread by palma here.
 
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