Diners, Don't Forget Old Favorites in the New Year

With the new year in full swing, I'm looking forward to many new restaurant openings. The much anticipated Tar & Roses on Santa Monica Boulevard and Loteria Grill on the Santa Monica Promenade are just two places I'm excited to visit.

Having eaten at the original Loteria stand in the farmers market and at the Hollywood and North Hollywood locations, I'll be happy when I can enjoy chef and owner, Jimmy Shaw's mole without driving across town. I also think Tar & Roses will be a great addition to the area.

Although the excitement of trying out new restaurants has its appeal, I can always count on a few favorites that have everything from stunning views to elegant style and, of course, good food!

Pacific Palisades

I continue to enjoy , a sleek and elegant restaurant serving farmers market fresh food, prepared in classic French style. Open seven days a week, Alain Giraud's namesake reaturant has become a local gathering spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

is another gathering spot, especially on weekends when the outdoor tables are jammed with families, kids, dogs and strollers. My favorite meal there is a cheeseburger, medium rare with sweet potato fries and a Caesar salad on the side. The burgers are so large, I often bring my friend, Clayton, to share.

You'd think served fast food with the steady stream of customers who have called in their orders. Whether you come to eat in or order to-go, you'll be asked the same questions:

• Do you want sushi or sashimi?
• Do you want Combo A or Combo B?

Combo A is a donburi bowl with a choice of toppings, five pieces of sushi, plus soup or salad for $15.95. Combo B consists of a cut roll, five pieces of sushi and your choice of soup or salad for $11.95.

Whichever combo you choose, the food is freshly prepared and delicious.

Santa Monica

Watching the sun set from the Santa Monica Pier confirms the obvious, we are so lucky to live here. Sit outside at The Lobster with a view of the beach and enjoy a cocktail and a snack. 

Across the street at , Happy Hour regulars know to arrive weekdays between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. to enjoy $5 cocktails. Not to mention, there are full-sized portions from the bar menu, including pizzas, calzones, carpaccio, calamari fritti and bruschetta. Many people come for a Happy Hour drink and a starter, and then stay for dinner.

Dinner at Il Fornaio is especially popular during Festa Regionnale, which the restaurant calls a "culinary expedition." For two weeks each month, the chefs offer a special menu featuring food and wine from a specific region in Italy. The regions change monthly, so for more information about the menu, visit the Il Fornaio website.

The food deck at Santa Monica Place is another great spot to enjoy Happy Hour and the setting sun. serves bottomless bowls of guacamole for anyone willing to disregard caution and calories, as they munch on chips and sip a margarita or two...or three.

Also at Santa Monica Place, is another favorite. With its menu of seasonal vegetables, braised meats, fish and chips, hamburgers, risotto and house made desserts, The Curious Palate is a restaurant devoted to farmers market comfort food.

I recently wrote about my visit to on Wilshire Boulevard at Harvard Street. Primarily a postmodernist pizza joint, the restaurant is more of an annex to the bakery space in back. It's a place where Chef Zoe Nathan creates breads and pastries for the restaurant, as well as Huckleberry and Rustic Canyon. Open from 7 a.m.-11p.m. the staff serves restaurant versions of home cooked food. 

Last week my wife and I had dinner at Milo + Olive. We sat at the counter and got the chance to talk with Zoe Nathan's husband and restaurant co-owner Josh Loeb. While we ate, Nathan moved about the crowded open kitchen. Even though orders were coming fast and furious, she had a smile on her face as she hurried pizzas, appetizers, salads and desserts out of the busy kitchen.

There is such a friendly vibe in the restaurant. It's not unusual to hear Nathan calling out, "Hi, how are you?" And as Loeb and Nathan wave to friends, you'd think they were hosting a never-ending dinner party at their home.

For 2012 I'm definitely looking forward to the new restaurants that will open in the Palisades and Santa Monica, but I'm very happy good dining is easy to find in our little part of LA.