L.A. LIVE!

Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, L.A. LIVE is the newest trendy spot to grab a bite to eat or drink or catch a game or a show. Known as the “campus,” you will find great restaurants located around a few of downtown’s main attractions – Grammy Museum, Nokia Theatre and the Staples Center; and if you are too tired after the previous night’s concert, game, etc., spend the night in one of the campus’s great hotels – JW Marriott or The Ritz-Carlton.

Two great restaurants I visited in L.A. LIVE were The Farm of Beverly Hills and Rosa Mexicano. Here’s the scoop:

• The Farm of Beverly Hills – A California-only chain featuring upscale, home-style cooking. The Farm offers every meal – breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner – as well as catering and ‘grab & go’ foods. A good word that first comes to mind when dinning here – charm. It’s a midsized restaurant where all the staff wears plaid shirts and look like they’ve been out working on the family farm. The food is tasty, the staff is friendly and the atmosphere is laidback and casual. Price wise – of course it’s going to be a little expensive because of where the restaurant is located. But if you are a downtown resident, you receive 10% off! A few dishes I tried:
  • Country Kurobuta Pork Chop – YUM! The bone-in chop was served alongside pear compote, sautéed broccoli and covered in a white balsamic glaze. I substituted my sage stuffing for sweet potato fries. After a day of traveling this was a great choice, because I had a big appetite. Overall I would give the dish two thumbs up; it was filling but not heavy.
  • Truffle Mac & Cheese – a good choice when looking for something salty and delicious to split. Mac & Cheese made with truffle oil will not disappoint; it is pretty rich though!
• Rosa Mexicano – An upscale chain found in seven different states. When I went to DC a few weeks back, I had heard great things about the food; I was excited to try it for myself. So when you go, be sure to bring an appetite and try the guacamole. It’s prepared tableside; it was good, but I did need to ask for extra lime – but everyone likes theirs different. Also, the beverage menu is detailed; lots of fun ways to serve up a tequila drink! I should have stuck with the tequila, but instead decided to try the house red wine Sangria; not my favorite. It was good but not great and there was a lot of it!  
  • Salmon Filet with Tropical Fruit Mole – I must say, it was my first time trying Mole sauce and I really liked it. My dinner was great! The salmon was super fresh. But not what I had expected based on the description. I was expecting more whole veggies rather than pureed. Oh well, still tasted great; I would go back again!

LA Live has several other great restaurants in the campus including Yard House (great place to get a brew), Trader Vic’s, Flemings and Wolfgang Puck. The campus is a fun place to stroll through on a sunny day – great people watching and music playing.