Tag: famous restaurants

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Armando’s in the Desert

This past weekend, while vacationing in Palm Springs, I dragged my boyfriend and my parents to Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s fave Mexican restaurant in the Desert called Armando’s Dakota Bar and Grill. I’ve heard from several friends who live in the Palm Springs area that the Hollywood couple dine at Armando’s every Sunday evening during Palm Springs’ high season. I’ve blogged about Armando’s once before, but at the time had yet to eat at the restaurant. So this weekend I was determined to hit the place up.

Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any celebs while lunching there this past Sunday, but according to our super-friendly waiter Jeffrey, aka “Duke”, anyone who’s anyone has eaten at Armando’s. Besides regulars Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, who always eat outside on the restaurant’s front patio even though people constantly walk by and gawk at them, Duke also recently served Nikki Hilton who came in to grab a bite to eat, while her sister Paris sat outside in the car the entire time talking on her cell phone. LOL Heiresses are so strange! According to Duke, during the “Season” in Palm Springs, Armando’s turns into celeb central. So if you want to dine next to a celeb, your best bet is to hit up Armando’s during the months of October through February.

Every since discovering Don Antonio’s Restaurant in West LA (much thanks to Speidi!), I have fancied myself something of a Mexican food connoisseur. But I can rarely find a restaurant that is even on the same playing field as my beloved D.A.’s. I must admit, though, that Armando’s was really, really yummy! I would say that it ranks a very close second to Don’s and is the perfect place to get your Margarita on if you can’t make it out to West LA. I highly recommend stalking Armando’s if you ever find yourself in Palm Desert – as much for the food as for the celeb sightings.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Armando’s Dakota Bar and Grill is located at 73-260 El Paseo in Palm Desert. If you get a chance, also hit up She She, an adorable little boutique across the street at 73-999. I picked up a fab shirt on their “Super Sale Rack” for $9.99 and a super cute Hamsa bracelet for $10.

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JLo Has Left the Building!

OK, so while I know that this is old news and that I have blogged about this location once before, I just had to do a little post on JLo’s (former) restaurant, Madres. Way back in early July, I dragged my boyfriend out to Madre’s to grab a bite to eat as this stalker had yet to dine there since the restaurant’s 2002 opening. Apparently I was about four days too late, because there was a sign out front stating that on July 1st Madres had closed its doors for good. I guess I really shouldn’t have been surprised at the news as I had always heard that the food there was pretty terrible and way overpriced.

My boyfriend and I ventured across the street so that I could ask one of the local merchants about the closing of the restaurant and she told me that Madres hadn’t been doing well for quite some time. In the early years, though, the place was quite a hit and was even named Best Celebrity Owned Restaurant by City Search. Madres opened up in April 2002 to quite a bit of fanfare and hoopla. JLo hosted a star-studded grand-opening party for the restaurant, with guests Ben Affleck, Nicole Kidman, Jay Leno, Dave Navarro, Carmen Electra, Kobe Bryant and Christian Slater. I actually lived just a few blocks from Madres at the time and had NO idea JLo was opening up a restaurant. When I read about the grand opening party in the Pasadena Star News the following morning I was literally kicking myself for not having stalked it! 🙁 The restaurant was first run by Jen’s ex-husband Ojani Noa, but she fired him after only seven months, and put her father, David Lopez, in charge. Despite the initial hoopla, the restaurant seemed pretty deserted in recent years. But even with the rumored bad food, I am still pretty bummed that I never got to eat there. 🙁

Since JLo’s lease is not up for a few more years, she is apparently trying to sub-lease the entire place (furniture and fixtures included) for a new restaurant to come in. Right before I left on my vacation to Hawaii I happened to cut through the (former) Madres parking lot while doing some Lake Avenue shopping and noticed that all of the plants outside the restaurant were completely dead. So I immediately called up my dad and begged him to drive out and meet me there to snap some pics. 🙂 I was pretty surprised to see the place looking so run down, what with JLo trying to lease the space out. I mean, hello – where’s the curb appeal? 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It (while you still can): Madres restaurant is located at 897 Granite Drive, just off Lake Avenue, in Pasadena.

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The Oldest Restaurant in Hollywood!

Two weeks ago, while my mom and I were out stalking in Hollywood, we hit up Musso and Frank’s Grill, which has the distinction of being the oldest running restaurant in Hollywood. Opened in 1919, not only is Musso and Frank’s a top notch celeb hangout, but the restaurant has been featured in countless hit movies, including Ocean’s Eleven (pictured above).

Musso and Frank’s was started by John Musso and Frank Toulet. Ever since its opening almost 90 years ago, the restaurant has been hugely popular with Tinseltown’s elite. Back in the day Marilyn Monroe, Raymond Burr, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Cecil B. DeMille, Raymond Chandler and Clark Gable were all Musso and Frank regulars. Since its opening the restaurant has only been remodeled once – in 1937 – and it is still extremely popular with the rich and famous. Today you might spot Robert Dinero, Al Pacino, Brad Pitt, James Woods, Johnny Depp, Keith Richards, Leonardo DiCaprio, Drew Barrymore, Sean Penn, Madonna, Harrison Ford, or Francis Ford Coppola sitting next to you in one of Musso and Frank’s plush red leather booths.

My mom and I had an absolute blast dining at Musso and Frank’s!! The restaurant definitely projects an Old Hollywood vibe, with its large oak-paneled, red leather booths, wood beamed ceilings, and vintage style bar. Musso’s also serves up some really great food including chicken pot pie, filet minon, lamb, and cheese raviolis, but be prepared as it’s a bit on the pricey side. The price is worth it, though, as you are paying for the vintage ambiance as much as anything else.

I literally could have sat there all day listening to the stories our waiter had to share about his 40 plus years working at Musso and Frank’s. It seemed every waiter and bartender had a story to tell about the countless famous names that have dined at the establishment over the years and I have to admit I was completely mesmerized.

Besides being a celeb hangout, Musso and Frank’s is a frequent filming location, as well. The restaurant’s kitchen was featured as the kitchen in Disney’s Enchanted where Nathanial speaks to Queen Narissa’s reflection in a pot of soup on the stove.

The Grill was featured not once, but TWICE in Ocean’s Eleven. Both scenes were with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. The restaurant first shows up in the scene when Danny Ocean first tells Rusty that he is thinking of robbing a Vegas casino. That scene was filmed in a booth in the Grill’s front dining room. A bit later on in the movie, Rusty and Danny have a drink at Musso and Frank’s bar and Danny says his famous monologue about needing one more person for the heist – “Ten oughta do it, don’t you think? You think we need one more? You think we need one more. All right, we’ll get one more.”

The restaurant was also used in the movie Swingers during the parking lot fight scene. In the scene, Vince Vaughn and gang get into a fight with their rivals “House of Pain” in the parking lot behind Hollywood club the Dresden, but in reality filming actually took place in Musso and Frank’s back lot. Producers simply changed the awning over the back door of Musso and Frank’s to read “The Dresden.” Musso and Frank’s also showed up in Ed Wood as the location where Ed Wood meets Orson Wells. The restaurant has also appeared in numerous episodes of the TV show Shark.

Stalk It: Musso and Frank’s Grill is located at 6667 Hollywood Boulevard in Downtown Hollywood. I highly recommend stalking it for the great food, amazing ambiance, and the waiters’ legendary Hollywood stories!

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The Smoke House

I am a little embarrassed to admit that my latest guilty pleasure is the reality show The Two Coreys on A&E. I love it! So when Corey Haim met with Scott Carlson, the other Corey’s manager, at the Smoke House restaurant in Burbank in one of the first episodes of the season, I of course had to go stalk the place! So I dragged my boyfriend out there last week for a little Smoke House lunch! 🙂 The Smoke House, which was established in 1946, has long been a celebrity magnet. Its close proximity to Warner Bros. Studio – it’s pretty much right across the street – has made it a frequent stomping ground of the stars who often stop in during breaks from filming.

Throughout the sixty years the Smoke House has been in business countless famous names have popped in for a meal, including Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Errol Flynn, Judy Garland, Robert Redford, Kevin Costner, Andy Garcia and Frank Sinatra, who even has a steak named after him. The entire cast of Friends used to drop in on a weekly basis to hang out after filming (sigh!). A Tonight Show episode hosted by Jack Parr was filmed at the restaurant. And George Clooney became such a fan of the place during the filming of ER that he even named his production company, Smoke House Productions, after the restaurant. According to our waitress, besides The Two Coreys, a few episodes of Desperate Housewives were also filmed at the restaurant, but I am not sure which episodes.

The Smoke House serves up some GREAT food in a very cool, Old Hollywood environment. While there, I could almost picture Frank Sinatra walking through the doors to sit in one of the shiny red booths. I definitely recommend stalking the restaurant if you find yourself in the area. I hear that the best time to stop in is around noon – the time when many stars working on the WB lot take their lunch breaks and head across the street for a bite to eat.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: The Smoke House is located at 4420 W. Lakeside Drive in Burbank. Be sure to order up some of their famous garlic bread – it is amazing!!

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Casa Vega and the Great Mexican Food Debate!

I have long been a fan of Spencer and Heidi’s favorite Mexican restaurant Don Antonio’s in West LA. As far as I can see, it’s the only thing Spencer and I agree on. 🙂 Don Antonio’s serves up the best Mexican food I’ve ever tasted! In fact, the restaurant was the subject of my very first blog post. I really can’t say enough about the place!! But fellow stalkers Mike from MovieShotsLA and EJ from The Movieland Directory have both been telling me that the best Mexican food in LA can actually be found at a place called Casa Vega in Sherman Oaks. On their recommendation, I dragged my boyfriend out to Sherman Oaks this past Friday night to stalk the place.

After eating there, though, I can definitely say that Casa Vega does not hold a candle to my beloved Don Antonio’s. While the food was definitely yummy, and one of the better Mexican restaurants I have eaten at in the LA area, for me, it just does not compare to D.A.’s. Don Antonio’s is just in a league of its own. I also found Casa Vega’s menu to be on the pricey side and the service wasn’t the best. Very odd thing happened while we were there, too -while waiting for a table, my boyfriend and I snagged a seat at the bar and I ordered a glass of champagne – my fave. The bartender poured some champagne into a huge tumbler glass and then filled it to the top with CLUB SODA! Four days later I am still absolutely perplexed by that and cannot figure out what he was doing! LOL

Apparently, Casa Vega is somewhat of a celebrity haven. Numerous stars frequent the small restaurant, including Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo. Ironically, Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minnillo just dined there, as well, while on a recent trip to LA. While there, Mike from MovieShotsLA has seen Travis and Shana Barker, Brian Austin Green, Nikki Sixx, and Jillian Barberie. Sadly, we did not spot any celebs while we were there. 🙁

If you happen to be in the Sherman Oaks area, I definitely suggest stopping in for a bite at Casa Vega. But as for the best Mexican food in LA, this stalker’s heart will always belong to Don Antonio. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Judge for yourself! Casa Vega is located at 13301 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. Don Antonio’s can be found at 11755 West Pico Boulevard in West LA. Both restaurants can get pretty packed so be prepared for a long wait.

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The Chinese Food Restaurant from “A Lot Like Love”

After what seems like months of searching, I have FINALLY found the Chinese Food restaurant from my fave romantic comedy A Lot Like Love. For the past few weeks, I have dragged my poor father to literally every single Chinese and Japanese restaurant in the greater Pasadena area, because according to the director’s commentary on the A Lot Like Love DVD, the restaurant used was his “mother’s favorite Chinese food place in Pasadena.” But the director didn’t specify the name of the restaurant, which means that this stalker had her work cut out for her! The hostess at one of the restaurants I stalked said I was actually the third person in the past few months who had stopped into her restaurant to ask the exact same question! 🙂 LOL

Then last week, while walking around Old Town Pasadena with my boyfriend, when I had just about given up hope, we happened to walk by Vive Lounge on the corner of Raymond Avenue and Union Street. I peeked in the windows and immediately realized I had found my location! We went inside and asked the restaurant manager, Randy, if the Lounge had in fact been used in A Lot Like Love. He wasn’t sure, so he called up the owner for me who confirmed it! Yahooooooooo! At the time of filming the restaurant was actually a Chinese-Malaysian fusion place called Nonya. Nonya closed down two years ago and Vive Lounge opened in its place. While the decor is a bit different, it is definitely recognizable as the restaurant where Amanda Peet and Ashton Kutcher spit water at each other while enjoying a New Year’s Eve dinner. 🙂

Last night we were finally able to return to Vive to grab a drink and a bite to eat and I am happy to report that we had a fabulous time! The food was amazing (especially the shrimp spring rolls!!!), the atmosphere was very New York-y complete with an exposed brick wall, and the service was spectacular! Jim, the bartender (a cutie for all you single girls) and Randy, the manager, spent most of the evening chatting with us, discussing Pasadena history, wine and champagne (Randy is somewhat of a wine connoisseur), and of course, filming locations. I was amazed to discover that neither man had ever seen A Lot Like Love!!! I tried to explain to Randy that he needs to tout Vive as the restaurant featured in A Lot Like Love and that stalkers everywhere would flock there, but I am not quite sure he believed me. 🙂

Vive is a great place to spend an evening, and I highly recommend stalking it! On weekdays, the place has a laid-back, relaxed feel (which I actually prefer), but on weekends the vibe changes and becomes more of a dance club/lounge. And every Sunday night, the restaurant turns into a salsa lounge complete with free salsa dancing lessons. Rob Schneider even showed up for some salsa dancing a few weeks ago. 🙂

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Vive Lounge is located at 61 N. Raymond Avenue in Old Town Pasadena. You can visit their website here. A meal there will cost you about $30 per person. The bar also features a great nightly happy hour with super reasonable, really tasty hors d’oeuvres.

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Pacific Dining Car

My father is currently in the hospital (again) as he just had some minor surgery – and no, it was not caused by me dragging him to filming locations! 🙂 As they say, though, every cloud has a silver lining! Not only has his hospital been used as a filming location, but there is a restaurant across the street from the hospital that is a favorite of film producers. My dad is staying at Good Samaritan Hospital in Downtown Los Angeles. Even though there are countless vacant hospitals all across LA that are only utilized for filming, for some reason Good Sam still shows up in productions now and again. The exterior was shown in an earlier episode of The Closer, it was featured on Dr. 90210 and a movie was filmed there last winter, but unfortunately I am not sure what movie it was.

Across the street from Good Sam is a restaurant that has been around since 1921 called Pacific Dining Car. Fred and Grace Cook opened the restaurant in a replica of train dining car on a rented plot of land in Downtown Los Angeles in 1921. The idea was based on a restaurant that they had visited in New York that was also situated in an authentic railway dining car. Owned and operated by the same family since its opening, Pacific Dining Car serves up some AMAZING food in a truly unique environment. You definitely feel like you are stepping back in time when you enter the restaurant.

The restaurant has long been a favorite of novelist James Elroy, author of Training Day, LA Confidential, Black Dhalia and the screenplay for the 2008 movie Street Kings. James usually writes about the LA area and often features Pacific Dining Car in his novels. Consequently the restaurant often shows up in the movies based on his books. The movie Training Day was filmed in the Pacific Dining Car, as was Street Kings with Keanu Reeves. Both movies were filmed in the Pacific Northwest Room of the restaurant. The scene from Training Day when Denzel Washington meets with the “three wise men” was filmed at the booth I am standing in front of in the picture to the left. (IMDB actually states that Training Day was filmed at the Santa Monica location of the Pacific Dining Car, but that information is incorrect.) My dad happened to also be in the hospital during the filming of Street Kings and I got to watch part of it be filmed. 🙂 I got to see Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker, and Jay Mohr. I was HIGHLY disappointed, though, that I didn’t get to see Chris Evans, who also starred in the movie. He is such a cutie!! The security guard on duty during the filming was slightly disgusted with the fact that I was standing around watching the filming of Street Kings while my father was in the hospital. What can I say – once a stalker, always a stalker! 🙂

If you dine at Pacific Dining Car, chances are you’ll get to see a celeb. Famous patrons have flocked to the restaurant since its opening – including Louella Parsons, Mae West, Mickey Cohen, George Raft, Sid Ziff, all of Linkin Park, Nicholas Cage and Johnny Depp who just threw a party in the Astor Room of the restaurant.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It:: The Pacific Dining Car is located at 1210 West 6th Street in Downtown LA. You can call (213)483-6000 to make reservations. They are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and you can order breakfast there all day long! Pacific Dining Car is in a bit of a sketchy neighborhood and I recommend that you utilize their valet parking and exercise caution at night. Their sister restaurant is located in Santa Monica at 2700 Wilshire Boulevard, but that restaurant is only 18 years old and not as charming. Both restaurants are pricey and will run you about $50 a person for a meal. If you want a cheaper option, head to the restaurant’s full bar for a drink.

Stalk It

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"Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli"

My title might be a bit in poor taste, but it seems Robert Blake followed just that advice on a fateful day back in May 2001 after dining at Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City. Although a jury found him not guilty, it is pretty widely assumed that Blake murdered his wife Bonnie Lee Bakley after eating at Vitello’s, while the two were parked just around the corner from the restaurant. So this weekend, while in Studio City, I dragged my boyfriend and my parents to do a little Vitello’s stalking.

Vitello’s had long been a favorite of Blake’s – he dined there at least 3 times a week – and the restaurant even named a dish after him – Fusilli a la Robert Blake (I’m not kidding!). On May 4, 2001, after finishing dinner and leaving the restaurant, Blake returned to Vitello’s claiming he left his gun in the booth where he had just eaten. While he was searching for his gun, Blake claimed his wife was shot while sitting in their parked car on Woodbridge Road, just around the corner from Vitello’s. Although Blake was charged with Bakley’s murder, he was aquitted of all charges on March 16, 2005.

At first I was a little hesitant to eat at the restaurant, thinking it might be a morbid stalking trip, but as soon as I walked in the door and was greeted by the Maitre D and the hundreds of autographed celebrity headshots on the entryway wall, all my fears were put aside. Vitello’s is a very charming place with AMAZING food at completely reasonable prices and absolutely FABULOUS service! It’s not too hard to see why the restaurant is a favorite of celebrities – it is definitely a place I will dine at again.

Robert’s house, where he lived with Bakley during their marriage, is located just a few blocks away from Vitello’s. Apparently, while Blake lived in the main house, Bakley stayed in a guest house located on the property. After the murder, Blake sold this house to Alex Kingston of ER fame. Alex had the home completely remodeled and subsequently sold it to another buyer. She never lived there.

Until next time, Happy Stalking! 🙂

Stalk It: Vitello’s Restaurant is located at 4349 Tujunga Avenue in Studio City. Try the cannoli’s – they are amazing!! You can visit their website here. After dinner, be sure to hit up Pomm, a super cute boutique and art gallery located right across the street at 4330 Tujunga Avenue – the Jenn + Jane jewelry they sell is adorable!! Robert Blake’s former home is located at 11604 Dilling Street in Studio City.