Hollywood Archives | A Travel Foodie's Journey

June 19, 2023 in Local Eats

Ann’s Wine Bar at the Hollywood Bowl

Reservations at Ann’s Wine Bar had eluded me in our prior visits to the Hollywood Bowl. I somehow missed the window to reserve prior to the event and by the time I figured it out, either they were fully booked or the available times were during the show. By some miracle, I happened to check Open Table five weeks prior to the concert and booked the first available reservation seating. On the day of the event, we arrived at the gate 30 minutes before our reservation. I found out after waiting a bit that the gates were opening at 6 p.m. but nobody would be allowed in prior to that time except the VIP for the separate party next to the entrance. Once we were allowed to enter, we were about 15 minutes late for our reservation and shockingly, upon our arrival, many people were already seated. Luckily, our reservation wasn’t given away or cancelled, and we were seated immediately.

Unbeknownst to me, the entire venue was beer and wine only so I opted for a chilled sauvignon blanc which was actually quite lovely. There was a short wait for starters and sides, but once they were ready, they arrived one right after the other.

The salad was served slightly chilled. The lettuce was fresh and crisp. The grapefruit added a bit of tartness while the avocado gave it a bit of creaminess. The sugar snap peas were added a burst of pop and flavor.

Next up was my husband’s favorite dish. The potatoes were buttery and had a mix of mealiness and silkiness.

Third on the list was the farro which had a nice blend of sweetness from the raisin but also had a bit of heat.

There was an extended delay between the starters and the main entrees so I opted to get in line for the tour merchandise which probably took about 30 minutes to reach the front. As I was walking back up to the restaurant, the entrees were finally served.

The fried chicken was served piping hot at 7:13 pm. It was crispy, savory from the BBQ sauce with a slight tomato creaminess from the dipping sauce.

The sea bass smelled smoky and was lovely and flaky served on a bed of cool julienned strips of carrots, zucchini and beets adding a contrast of texture.

Reserving one of the first seating times was definitely the right way to go because parties lingered at their tables, and we definitely would have missed the opening act of the concert. All in all, despite the staggered service, we had a great experience and would definitely return as the quality of the food was exemplary.

September 5, 2022 in Local Eats

The Legendary Musso & Frank

Musso & Frank is a historic dining establishment in the heart of Hollywood.

I had been several times before, even during lunch, which apparently is no longer an option during these post pandemic times. We were there for our pre-theater meal and it did not disappoint. They opened promptly at 4 p.m. and sat each party at their pre-designated tables. Ours was table 227.

Our server came by immediately to take our drink order and as we waited, we observed as each table and party were swiftly seated. They had service down to a science with impeccable choreography and precision.

Our drinks arrived, our dinner orders were taken and we were immediately served our first course.

The caesar salad was crisp, lemony and perfectly dressed.

Next to arrive were the sand dabs, which had a bit of coating and with a squeeze of a lemon, had a nice tart flavor.

My husband’s legendary fettuccine alfredo was served with thinly sliced chicken breast. It was served al dente and had a rich creamy sauce.

Desserts arrived in the form of a light fluffy cheesecake and two scoops of nice, cold creamy ice cream, the perfect accompaniment for the current heatwave.

All in all, Musso & Frank was and still is a winner in my book. I’m happy to report that we’ll be returning in a month’s time for a friend’s special birthday so that we’ll have another opportunity to sample their delicious food.

August 8, 2019 in Local Eats

Wood & Vine

Our first introduction to Wood & Vine came by way of friends who had a theatre subscription to the Pantages. They frequently ate dinner at the restaurant prior to the evening’s performance. My friend made a point of letting me know that their meal set-up was a great value and the food was actually quite good as well. I made a mental note to make reservations the next time we had theatre tickets.
The opportunity presented itself when the touring company for Miss Saigon announced it would have a short residency at the Pantages. As we had not seen the musical yet and I was offered presale tickets, it was an easy decision which was quickly followed by pre-theatre dinner booking at Wood & Vine though my Open Table app.

Last Saturday night we finally experienced both. Wood & Vine is conveniently located diagonally across the street from the Pantages. They had a few high tops and bar stools by the front, the upstairs dining room had a traditional dining set-up with several tables with quite a few more at the outdoor patio which had the added bonus of a large rectangular table set-up around a fire pit. We opted to sit inside right by the window adjacent to Hollywood Boulevard and the Walk of Fame.

Our first order of business was toasting the start of our evening and taking the obligatory photos of and with the Pantages sign.

Drinks were quickly followed by some very tasty appetizers which came in the form of Crispy Brussels Sprouts with a sherry dijon vinaigrette and Shells and Cheese with aged cheddar and a moderate topping of crumbled cheez-its.

The sprouts were savory and smoky all at once. It was a solid dish and a decent sized serving which seemed more plentiful than anticipated so we wisely asked for it to be packed up to take home with us after the show so that we could continue to enjoy what was yet to arrive.

We also opted to bring the mac & cheese home with us as it was quite filling and unique. It’s definitely a dish you want to try again on a different day to make sure that your taste buds weren’t misguided or possibly tainted by alcohol. The cheez-its added a layer of eclecticism to the dish and as strange as it might sound, the combination actually worked! It served as a nice crispy cheesy crust, much like breadcrumbs, on top of a smooth, silky, savory pasta but with a tangier and crunchier texture. It’s true ingenuity stemmed in childhood creature comforts.

As our friends previously mentioned, the dinner entrees were truly a great value. They had quite a few options but we opted for The New Standard which was a shareable platter with 2 short rib, brisket and chuck cheeseburgers and a side of delicious crispy fries. I opted for animal style and was quite happy with how simply it was prepared.

Having consumed a very filling meal, to stay awake during the performance, we ordered a French press coffee which was followed by two very decadent desserts.

We started with the butterscotch which was light and rich at the same time. The maple ice cream with the sprinkles of sweet thyme crumble gave it that a bit of crunch and savoriness.

We also had the dark chocolate cake which looked like a chocolate comet flying off the plate. It came with coffee ice cream and caramel tuile to give us the added boost of caffeine and sugar to keep us alert for the theatre experience.

We were so impressed with the quality and creativity of Wood & Vine’s offering as well as the impeccable service that we booked our next pre-theatre dinner after completing our meal. Our gracious hostess/server/manager, Adriana was kind enough to let us know that Pantages would not allow us to bring our leftovers so she offered to store our sprouts and pasta until after the show. That solidified our loyalty to her and the restaurant.

Once the performance was over, we returned and decided to have a nightcap outside on the patio. It was a very comfortable evening and we could feel a bit of a breeze as we sat and enjoyed our drinks underneath the night sky, listening to the laughter of the large group sitting close around the fire pit. Under the canopy of lights strung between the trees, the patio had quite a romantic glow and was a beautiful and peaceful way to end our evening.

We look forward to many delicious experiences at Wood & Vine in the very near future. It’s a fantastic pre and post-theatre choice as the prices are quite reasonable compared with its neighbors, APL and Katsuya.