What does Chipotle mean? It's a Jalapeno pepper that is dried and smoked, having a smoky sweet flavor, and as a rule it's paired to a dark red sauce. The gourmet Mexican Grill is a burrito restaurant with many faces. You will find it at the intersection of Culver and Washington boulevards. It's snuggled among the mostly independently owned upscale eateries.

Some days it seems as if all of Los Angeles is lined up in front of the Donut Man’s modest shack in Glendora, an outlying suburb of this sprawling city. People crowd the two rickety wooden benches on the tiny front porch and snake around the building, sucking in the aromas of ripe fruit, sugary glaze and yeasty dough.

The fabulous new Lobby Court is akin to a magnificent outside living room, with fabulous cushioned couches; some circular and all are stylized. Every piece of furniture is woven, and there are heaters under the most unusual drop lamps I've ever seen. The tables are glass topped, and although it's outside, there are black framed windows with a peek-a-boo look of the pool and landscaped grounds. There's also a permanent canopy to create a room-like atmosphere.

Remember when Las Vegas was only a few flashily adorned hotels plopped smack-dab in the middle of the desert sand, offering inexpensive food and a few ramshackle clapboard wedding chapels guaranteed to exacerbate your early mistakes? Boy, has that ever changed.

Our evening at Tokyo Table was an unforgettable experience, from beginning to end while dining in a most gorgeous room. I couldn't take my eyes off  the magnificent chandeliers, each a work of art, with some larger than the booths! There are two other rooms for privacy and special events along with the popular bar. The colors of the room are blended by various booths, some in black, brown or white, over shiney wooden blonde floors.

Entering the Mosaic Hotel looks and feels similar to visiting someone's home, very boutique. After walking through the reception area, a snapshot view opens to the dining room and intimate bar, leading to a mosaic wall of candles with a decorative padded and mirrored wall. Beautiful cherry wood tables, (some covered in gold colored cloths) are paired with comfortable padded chairs and banquettes to accommodate the lovely mirrored tall tables used for larger parties.

The successful Buggy Whip is one of Los Angeles' oldest fish‑steak houses, still handsomely showy with Old World sophistication after being at the same location for over 50‑years. It's endowed in the Fox & Hounds tradition of upscale vogue restaurants, circa l950's. Diners that remember the dark woods, brick, and red leather booths of that era, will feel nostalgic about the hidden enchantment that exists in vintage bits and pieces of the past.

Melvyn's Ingleside Inn in Palm Springs has romantic nostalgic appeal with expert service and leisurely dining served with eleganc. In addition, Melvyn's (an Icon in his own rights) personally brings "Joie de vivre" to the diners whose affluence has them surfing on expensive waves. The ambience of the room could best be compared to the glamour of the Sunset Strip during the "40s" squeezed into a thimble! But the food is better than anything served during that alluring period. 

Nirvana Indian Bar & Grill is also a lounge, and probably one of the most creatively unusual restaurants I've been to. It's like a movie set of different moods and scenes. In fact, all one has to do is come in with a mood and find the room to suit it!