Over Memorial Day, we traveled to one of our favorite cities, Los Angeles, for some much needed R&R. LA is a must-visit city for us every year – there is always something new to see and do, and we’re pretty obsessed. We typically stay in West Hollywood with family, but we highly recommend any of the cute boutique hotels in this neighborhood, especially the Palihotel on Melrose for its rustic and bohemian vibes.
We arrived Thursday night with just enough time to dine at one of LA’s up and comers, Norah. Our jaws dropped immediately at the decor – a more feminine take on the ever-popular industrial design. It was obvious that every minute detail was taken into consideration from the eye catching art pieces to the quirky light fixtures. We considered ourselves lucky to arrive with enough time to see the sun still flooding into the building from the floor to ceiling windows. The food was even better – we’re still dreaming about the corn bread. It may sound strange, but it’d be a shame for anyone to miss out on this as a starter. Another favorite of ours was the pork belly and octopus.
Although the traffic in LA is a total bitch, road tripping around the eclectic neighborhoods of the city is always a must for us. We spent Friday morning exploring Echo Park and Silver Lake, and of course, stopping by Alfred Coffee for an early pick-me-up. By mid-morning, we made our way over to Malibu for a light lunch at Malibu Farm. We loved the healthy farm-to-table fare, and the views weren’t too shabby either. The rest of the day we roamed Venice Beach, and got lost on the cutest street, Abbott Kinney – perfect for shopping, browsing, and grabbing a snack. Our afternoon pick me up consisted of a couple juices from The Butcher’s Daughter – absolutely to die for!
Our best dinner, by far, was Friday night’s spectacular meal at Republique. We were originally drawn to the restaurant’s spectacular interior design and were sold after reading stellar reviews. There really aren’t enough compliments in the world worthy of this dinner – it really was out of this world. We felt like each bite was better than the next, and the flavor profiles were nothing short of outstanding (namely the hamachi crudo, the bucatini alla carbonara, and the pork chop and belly). If we could only drink one drink for the rest of our lives, it’d be the strawberry cocktail concoction from Republique. We even agreed that we could have eaten here every night of our trip.
Of all the times we’ve been to LA, we’ve never tried In and Out Burger. We were SO excited to see what all the hype was about on Saturday, and it did not disappoint. Although it wasn’t the healthiest, it sure was a great start to the day. We spent the afternoon roaming Melrose and browsing the stores of our favorite designers.
We headed over to DTLA to dine at Faith & Flower for dinner. The interiors here were gorgeous, and the food was delicious. The scallop ceviche and oxtail agnolotti were standouts, and the desserts were incredible. If you ever eat here and the strawberry shortcake is on the menu, order it. Don’t miss out.
After dinner, we did a bit of bar hopping to make our way back to WeHo. We started with a craft beer from Angel City Brewery, located in an oversized warehouse. The vibe was super casual – think twenty somethings hanging on couches, playing corn hole, and catching a bite at the food truck outside. Next, Mohawk Bend. If you’re a beer junkie, this place is for you. We ended up staying for a while due to the insanely long list of brews on tap – oh, and the buffalo cauliflower bites. Last but not least, we found ourselves back in West Hollywood at Melrose Umbrella Company. It was so much fun here! We managed to squeeze our way in to the bar to enjoy a few Manhattans (they have a few different styles on tap)! An awesome nightcap, without a doubt.
After a few days in LA, it was finally time to spend time with family on Sunday. The farmer’s market at 3rd and Fairfax makes us want to pack up everything and move there. We picked up some food, and enjoyed a little backyard barbecue by grilling up some of the best carne and chicken asada ever – still drooling over it now. The barbecue also served as a pregame to our Sunday Funday festivities. We stopped by Toca Madera, The Churchill, and Laurel Hardware to finish our trip on a high note.
We crawled out of bed Monday morning to enjoy one last meal at our go to brunch spot, Joan’s on Third. From there, it was sadly straight to the airport for us. Our short, but much needed, trip came to an end quickly. See you one day soon, LA!
