Our trip to Los Angeles was excellent. We can't wait to go back again.

Here is my review of the places that we went:

1) The Stinking Rose(on La Cienega in Beverly Hills) - I would definitely go again. The food was excellent and the garlic smell was pleasent. You must definitely like Garlic as it is laced into everything they cook. The atmosphere and decor is Kitschy and the prices are reasonable. It is a cool place for a date if you know that your date likes Garlic. The only this is you wont be kissing him/her after that without brushing First

2) Nate 'n Al's(Beverly Dr S of Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills) - It is a good deli and very reasonable for breakfast. It is full of entertainment types(agents, aspiring actors, etc) for breakfast. Larry King goes there for breakfast every morning(according to the waitress) and we saw him the morning we were there. He is even UGLIER in person

3) Pink's Hot dogs(La Brea off of Melrose) - The hot dogs were very good but it was a 45 minute wait on line to order. There is good seating but very little parking. There is parking on the side streets.

4) Micelli's (Las Palmas off of Vine in Hollywood) - The area is very seedy but the food was excellent. Don't let the area deter you. It is excellent southern italian food in the old style(Red Checkered tablecloths and dark). We saw Mark Wahlberg the night we were there having dinner with friends. I would definitely return again.

5) O'Briens Irish Pub(26th and Wilshire in Santa Monica) - We had lunch there and it was excellent. They have great sandwiches and salads and they have a $6 lunch special(which is what we had). The portions were big and the quality was excellent. Its about a mile and a half from Santa Monica beach. I would definitely recommend this place for lunch. I'm sure dinner is good as well although i've not had dinner there.

6) Koi - The sushi was excellent and we had a nice waiter. He was not uppity (as other people have said the wait staff is) and he also made some good sushi recommendations. It is filled with Celebrities. The night we were there we saw Carol King, The Wayans brothers, Babyface and Omar Epps.
We sat on the Patio which is nicely decorated and is a good vantage point for celebrity sighting. There is always paparazzi at the front of the restaurant and they will gladly tell you which celebrities are in the restaurant.

7) The Ivy(on N. Robertson in Beverly Hills) - This place is a total waste of money. We went there for lunch. A Hamburger is $23. I have no problem paying this for a burger if it is worth it but the food is not good and the staff(hostess and waitstaff) is not interested in helpg unless you are noteworhty or a regular. My wife and I had 2 Salads(Caeser and Chopped) and a small plate of calamari and it was $43. This was before drinks and tips. Save your money and go elsewhere.

8) Neptunes Net(On Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu) - This is a little shack close to the Ventura/LA Border on PCH. It is right across from the beach and has outdoor seating so you can eat and watch the waves. The food was excellent. It gets crowded on the weekends when the beach is busy. The food was very good. It is either Fried or steamed. We had a fried platter and it was good. I would recommend sharing 1 platter for 2 people as they are pretty big.

I recommend driving down PCH from Santa Monica to Malibu. It is a nice scenic ride and the areas and homes along this stretch of PCH are breathtaking. There are some nice little shops and plazas to stop along and sightsee as well.