I recently went to L.A. for a quick weekend to see my dad. It was great seeing him, and getting out of the cold weather for a few days. I was able to go for a jog outside every day while I was there, and tried to soak up as much sun as I could; it was so nice! You just can’t beat 80 degree weather in the middle of January.

Every time I’m in L.A., I love finding delicious restaurants to try, and wanted to share these spots with you in case you’re in the Brentwood/Santa Monica area any time soon.

FORMA

Attention  all cheese lovers out there! If you want to know what it is like to die and go to cheese heaven, this wine and cheese bar is for you.

Forma is a quaint little restaurant on Montana. The chef at Forma does a great job of modernizing classic, Italian dishes, creating a very enjoyable dining experience. One of the main attractions at Forma is the “Dalla Forma” way of serving some of the pastas. It is a unique preparation method, where fresh pasta is tossed in a large cheese wheel prior to being served.

We started out with the Bruschella, a new take on your classic Bruschetta. It was a deconstructed bruschetta-style appetizer that consisted of grilled bread squares, heirloom tomatoes, mango, and goat cheese, with a balsamic reduction and fresh herbs. Talk about a flavor explosion in your mouth, it was so good. I am definitely going to have to try to recreate this one at home this summer.

After savoring our appetizer with some red wine, we went on to the main course. I had the Tortellini – a four mushroom tortellini, with light cream, truffle oil, and tossed with bella lodi cheese – it was so rich and creamy. Probably one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. My dad got the Trofie Al Pesto, which is fresh pasta, with basil pesto, vegetables, pine nuts, and parmigiano cheese. It was also very delicious. Pesto pasta is always so light and refreshing. Everything was so fresh and delicious.

To top it all off, my dad ordered a pizza to go! I did enjoy a slice as a late night snack. I always love a fresh pie made in a stone oven. It was so good.

If you’re wondering about how they keep those giant cheese bowls clean day after day, don’t worry. After inquiring about them, we were informed that every day the cheese bowls are properly cleaned by scraping giving the bowl a good scraping down, to remove any food and other debris. Then it is sanitized with a blow torch and properly covered.

Top: Garnet Hill (On Sale Now!) | Bracelets: Accessory Concierge | Necklace: Restoration Hardware | Glasses: Amazon

Forma was` so good, I will definitely want to go back. If you have any gluten restrictions, don’t worry. They have several gluten free options on the menu as well.

Be sure to check this place out. Buon appetito!

DON ANTONIO’S

Because you can’t go  to California without eating some good Mexican food, we also had a delicious meal at Don Antonio’s. When we got there we decided to eat on the back patio, because it was such a nice day.

We grabbed a beer and enjoyed some fresh chips and salsa while we decided what to get to eat. Their salsa was so fresh and spicy! Very good. I decided on a variety platter, the #4, which consisted of an enchilada, a chile relleno, and a taco, served with rice and beans. Dad decided on the shrimp fajitas. Both were delicious and very filling!

Here are some extra pictures from my trip! We spent Saturday afternoon at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and also checked out the Labrea Tar Pits. I hadn’t been there since I was a little kid! My favorite thing to see is always the Monet’s, but the place is filled with awesome installations like The Art of the Pacific.

Where are your favorite places to eat in L.A.? Comment and let me know!

Cheers,

Ship