The Ivy (Los Angeles, CA)

Thank you Kelly for grabbing me by the ear and dragging me into The Ivy. Given the "hollywood" hype and the rumors of paparazzi lurking around every corner, I was a bit reluctant to dine here, assuming that the food would be mediocre, the service snooty and the atmosphere pretentious. I was right about one thing, there was definitely a lot of neck straining as diners carefully peered around the sunlit room, hoping to make a celebrity spotting. Luckily, I was wrong about everything else. The service was wonderful. We were seated right away, our waiter was very friendly and obviously very experienced. I was dissapointed to find that the menu was void of any exotic ingredients or unique flavor combinations, instead boasting common dishes such as grilled salmon and enchiladas. However, The Ivy's masterful execution of these dishes was impressive, to say the least. The crisp house salad topped with tender crab meat, the flawlessly seasoned crabcakes and the mouthwatering desserts were are all made to perfection. Kelly had a delicious pot of berry cobbler while I opted for the pecan bar a la mode. The decadent pecan bar, topped with homemade praline ice cream and a pot of freshly made chocolate fudge was nutty, buttery, not too sweet and yes, I'm going to say it....divine.
Verdict: Eat

Roscoe's House of Chicken' n Waffles (Hollywood, CA)

We need to talk about Roscoe's. You need to eat at Roscoe's. Even the healthiest eater can surely find a place in their heart (or an artery) for Roscoe's special recipe fried chicken served alongside a perfect, delicious waffle. How you eat it is up to you. Sure, you can stay conservative...alternating cautiously between the chicken and the waffle. However, the real eaters, the adventurers, drench the plate in maple syrup, grab a chunk of that fried chicken, a chunk of waffle, open big and sink their teeth into this mouthwatering peice of heaven. Heaven.........really......heaven. The biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs and hot chocolate served with a heap of whipped cream are all worth mentioning as well. Whether you're stopping by at 1 a.m. after a night of bar hopping, feeding that hangover the morning after, or looking for some good old comfort food....this is it. Just do it.
Verdict: Eat

Yummy Cupcakes (Santa Monica, CA)

These cupcakes are amazing, amazing, amazing. Not only do they taste incredible, they taste incredibly fresh. Top quality ingredients such as real butter, cream and tahitian vanilla combine to make a scrumptious treat. There's a certain taste, a certain texture that I pray a cupcake will have when I bite into it and time and time again I have been dissapointed. Not this time...I have finally found the cupcake of my dreams. This bakery definitely lives up to it's name. I can't wait to get back out there and try more flavors.
Verdict: Eat

Jack n' Jill's (Santa Monica, CA)

What a great little breakfast place! It's a bit small and you may have a short line but it's well worth the wait. Here are the dishes that I tried and ALL of them were fantastic!!!
The Breakfast Panini: Three over hard eggs and turkey bacon, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and avacado all grilled into a crispy cheese panini.
The House Scramble: goat cheese, avacado, basil and sundried tomato
Traditional French Toast: Thick egg bread dipped in eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and cream. Served with whipped butter and syrup.
Jill's Special Porridge: Creamy hot oat and bran cereal, topped with pecans and strawberries.
I can't wait to go back and try more of their delicious dishes.
Verdict: Eat

Sushi Katsuya (Studio City, CA)

I love their sushi. Love love love. It's always fresh and their rolls are always tasty. FYI: If you arrive during peak hours, expect a VERY long wait.
Verdict: Eat

Bob's Big Boy (Burbank, CA)

If you are willing to eat at a rat infested restaurant with crappy food in hopes that you might spot a celebrity, then this is the place to eat.
Verdict: Not To Eat

Fassica Ethiopian (Los Angeles, CA)

Excellent food!  The ethiopian couple that runs the restaurant popped back and made our food.  Very homemade, very authentic, very tasty!  I ordered the vegetarian combo along with an order Yebeg Tibs (lamb).  I have to say that every single item was good and I am looking forward to eating at this establishment again.

Verdict:  Eat

Vanilla Bake Shop (Santa Monica, CA)

Cute and moist little cupcakes. Flavors tested: vanilla bean, mom's birthday cake, fudge brownie, red velvet, black and white and meyer lemon raspberry. Loved vanilla bean and fudge brownie. Was not fond of the red velvet and lemon raspberry. Also tried the chocolate chip cookies....they were awful.
Verdict: Eat

Leda's Bake Shop (Studio City, CA)

I tried a good variety of Leda's mini cupcakes....chocolate chocolate white chocolate, chocolate raspberry, carrot, pumpkin, lemon, dulce de leche (my favorite of the flavors), passion fruit, vanilla and red velvet. They were beautiful cupcakes, decorated to perfection and very moist. I found them to be tasty enough but I just wasn't CRAZY about them.
Verdict: Not To Eat

My Little Cupcake (Studio City, CA)

Dry. Stale dry. Needed water to wash it down dry. Not tasty.
Verdict: Not To Eat

Talesai (Studio City, CA)

The coconut soup, the shrimp curry, and the pad thai were all delicious. However, the portions were small and the desserts were bland. Also, our duck spring rolls were duckless. When we told the waiter, he spoke with the chef, who claimed that sometimes the duck moves to the ends of the roll. So...we dissected our roll and still no duck. Still, the entrees were great.
Verdict: Eat

Arunee House (North Hollywood, CA)

I went to this restaurant twice. And twice I was dissapointed. The food was okay, and by okay I mean very below average. The service, however, was horrendous...not once, but twice. I couldn't believe how incredibly rude EVERYONE that worked there was. My whole group left very unsatisfied. It was an incredibly negative experience.
Verdict: Not To Eat

Jumpin Java Kitchen (Studio City, CA)

Okay, so here's the deal on this place. The wait is soooo long to get a table. It's always packed. However, the breakfast, especially the pancakes (try the almond oat) are worth the wait. I'm not even a pancake person but their pancakes really are delicious! The breakfast potatoes are the best I have had and the hot chocolate is quality.
Verdict: Eat

Cafe Crepe (Santa Monica, CA)

Their savory crepes are absolutely awful! The chicken looked like it had been chewed up and spewed out and the taste was terrible! I am still queasy days later. The sweet crepes were fine but nothing special.
Verdict: Not To Eat

Chez Nous (Toluca Lake, CA)

I love trying new bakeries. However, I find myself going back over and over again to Chez Nous. Nothing in the Los Angeles area compares. The taste of the cheese croissants is one of the most heavenly flavors I have ever encountered. It is mouth watering delicious. But get there early because they are almost always out of them by 2 pm. As for the food, it's good but I avoid eating at the restaurant there because a) I'm not too fond of the wait staff (they could be quite a bit friendlier), b) it is overpriced for what it is and c) they don't take kindly to substitutions. That said, back to the bakery. When you do go, don't stop at the croissants...the cookies, cakes, danishes....they are all fantastic. And unlike the restaurant, the bakery is very reasonably priced.
Verdict: Eat

Papoo's Hot Dog Show (Burbank, CA)

Okay so the food here is definitely not anything special but it is inexpensive, there's a television, some old video games, red and white checkers, and friendly service. It is an old school diner.
And when I mean old school I mean prepare to potty in an outhouse.
Verdict: Not To Eat