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    The Saugus Cafe in Santa Clarita can make a claim no other restaurant can make.  They are the oldest restaurant still operating in Los Angeles County!  The Saugus Cafe actually began as The Saugus Eating House, and was attached to a busy train depot as part of the Southern Pacificrail network. The restaurant…

Private tours have always been a smart way to explore Los Angeles, but especially now during the time of Covid when you only want to be near those friends and/or family whose health history you are comfortable with. I recently hosted a private tour, my first since March 13. It was a family of six…

Pizza, there’s plenty of it around the city of Los Angeles, for all different personal tastes.  Thin crust, thick crust, sourdough crust, cauliflower crust, pizza by the slice, pizza by the cut and more.  But in spring 2019, Los Angeles’ most famous neighborhood, Hollywood, welcomed possibly the most talked-about pizza on the big screen since…

When one of my friends asked where I would visit first when restaurant restrictions were lifted, I did not hesitate. I would visit Greenblatt’s Deli for a pastrami sandwich followed by a scoop of ice cream from Mashti Malone’s ice cream parlor. Both of these family-owned Hollywood eateries have been on our Hollywood Sites and…

    Dear John’s restaurant has been a familiar site in Culver City since 1962 when it opened as a steakhouse on Culver Boulevard down the street from then MGM, now Sony Pictures Studios.  Legend says that Frank Sinatra convinced actor pal Johnny Harlowe to open the restaurant and it became a popular watering hole…

Mother’s Day 2020 will be unlike any other, considering we are still in the midst of the Covid-19 social distancing restrictions.  We regularly hear this period called our “new normal” but whether our actions of recent months are only temporary or will be implemented for months to come, is anyone’s guess.  So here are a…

It’s that time of year when we start thinking of creative gifts to give to those we love.  On this Small Business Saturday, I decided to put together my own gifting list for the foodie in your life.  And if not a foodie, perhaps your friend or family members enjoy an adventure.  In these times…

Musso & Frank Grill is the oldest restaurant in Hollywood, debuting on Hollywood Boulevard on September 27, 1919.  Which means this year 2019 marks their big Centennial celebration!  This now landmark restaurant was opened by two gentlemen Joseph Musso and Frank Toulet (the restaurant namesakes) and quickly became a favorite of Hollywood’s most famous movie…

If you are a chocoholic like me, you are always in search of the best chocolate in Los Angeles.  I even put together a Chocolate Indulgence Tour to showcase the best chocolate in Los Angeles.  This came about early in our tour business when local friends suggested I do a themed-tour such as featuring cupcakes,…

I first visited the new Eataly in Century City when they opened in November 2017.  A culinary combination of walk-up food counters, self-serve markets and sit down restaurants, this place has something for everyone.  Since my first visit, all the sit-down restaurants are now up and running with the newest and most beautiful, Terra, located…

Private tours are a really smart way to explore Los Angeles.  Hiring a private tour guide like me gives you a front row view into the areas you are most interested in seeing, and not just a cookie-cutter tour of the highlights and basic landmarks.  There are many reasons to book a private tour with…

Many times I am asked for suggestions of where to eat near The Hollywood Pantages Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard near Vine Street.  This is a live performance venue, founded in 1930 and built by vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages.  I myself have seen many live theatrical performances there from Lion King to Motown the Musical, Hamilton…