HELLO WORLD!
I’m a columnist for the Los Feliz Ledger newspaper in Los Angeles where I write about interesting places to dine and visit as well as interesting people you should know- Formerly, I wrote for the Beachwood Voice . I started this blog to share with the rest of the world some of the articles which are printed monthly and quarterly – this gives me places I visit in my travels as a journalist and co-author of the new book, ” The Complete Filmmaker’s Guide to Film Festivals” available April 1st 2012 from MWP as well as the
Your All Access Pass to Launching Your Film On the Festival Circuit
critically acclaimed, “I Liked It, Didn’t Love It (Screenplay Development From The Inside Out) “ now in its 2nd edition as well as my day job as a film producer and assistant professor. I also have a column in the NEWORLD REVIEW called Rona’s Reel Take. It’s a New York quarterly where I get to rant and rave about the film industry.
It is here that you’ll find interesting articles on some cool places to eat in theLos Angeles area but I won’t just limit it to Los Angeles, wherever I go, I try to find great dining experiences, places to visit and they don’t have to cost a lot of money – they run the gamut from the best hamburgers on the island of Kauai to the best gelato in Los Angeles – to fine dining experiences and great places to just get a libation. I’ve been all over the world and have eaten in some very cool places. and have visited some
wonderful areas. I want to share them with you.
So join me as I start my blog and I’d like you to share with me your thoughts as well.
I plan to not only write about places to eat but I will also focus on places of interest and spotlight extraordinary people all around the world.
Here’s a toast to all of you out there who enjoy life as I do – one fork at a time, one drink at a time, one plane ride at a time. I look forward to a world full of writing and sharing. Good Eating!
All articles on this site are owned by Rona Edwards. Please do not duplicate any of them without the express permission of Rona Edwards. All content on the website copyright 2005, 2006, 2007 , 2008, 2009, 2010,2011,2012
Great! Can you help me? Does anyone know a place on the westside where I can get some good cannoli?
Comment by Debbie — July 24, 2006 @ 11:23 pm |
Why yes, Debbie, I do. Unfortunately Anna Maria’s is no longer there in Santa Monica – I heard she moved back to Italy but her Cannoli was legendary. However, Il Tramezzino on Canon Drive near Little Santa Monica not only has the best pressed sandwiches but also the best Cannoli flown in from Italy so you know it’s authentic – what makes this different is it is dipped in chocolate so if you love the dark stuff, you’ll get a nice satisfying sweet cheese, crispy shell dipped in chocolate like a biscotti – doesn’t get much better than that!
Comment by rebelrona — July 24, 2006 @ 11:30 pm |
Thanks! I’m on my way!
Comment by Debbie — July 25, 2006 @ 9:18 am |
Oh my I do miss Anna Maria’s. . . both locations! Let’s hope there is as much love in the cannoli you find elsewhere.
Comment by redhawkjg — July 26, 2006 @ 9:15 pm |
Dear Rona,
Where can I get the best meatball sub in LA? There was a great place on 3rd St. just SE of the Beverly Center, but I think it’s gone now. I do like the meatball subs at Bay Cities Importing in Santa Monica on Lincoln (love that store), but I would like to know your opinion.
I love pizza, too, and the best I’ve found (thin crust style) is Albano’s New York Pizza on Melrose. Where do you think the best New York thin crust pizza is?
Buon Appetito,
Janet
Comment by Janet Marie — July 26, 2006 @ 10:52 pm |
Meat ball sandwiches you think would be easy to find – but there’s a lot that goes into making a good one – first the sauce, then the kind of meat (no fillers) and last but probably most importantly is the bread – you want it crisp on the outside and the inside should mesh the sauce and meat (and cheese if you desire) into a perfect complement. To be honest, I haven’t found that perfect Meatball sandwich in Los Angeles – so if there’s anyone out there who has suggestions – let’s hear them and I will go try them and report back.
Regarding thin crust new york style pizza – I would say that the Village Pizzeria in Larchmont serves great thin crust New York style pizza as does La Monica’s in Westwood (thought La Monica’s is greasier). However, my favorite thin crust pizza is a Roman style pizza baked in a wood-burning oven (not greasy) and that is without a doubt found at La Farfalla Trattoria on Hillhurst in the Los Feliz area – it’s like eating in Rome.
There are many kinds of pizza to satisfy my palette – New York, Roman, California, Sicilian, etc and many variables like the crust, the sauce, the cheese and the toppings themselves so it’s always hard to pick out the best – maybe I should do a pizza exploration too and pick the best in each class of pizza – I’m all ears to hear what your favorites are too.
Comment by rebelrona — July 27, 2006 @ 10:20 am |
Rona, Do you know where can I get some good chicken kebab? And with it, some of those yummy middle eastern salads? Not too spicy though! Thanks.
Comment by Debbie — July 31, 2006 @ 7:51 pm |
Ironically, Deb, I just ate at a small family-run Persian restaurant next to the Fine Arts theatre in Beverly Hills called the Pistachio Grill – it’s patio dining off Wilshire Boulevard and I was quite impressed with their chicken kebab – white meat ,marinated just right and pure protein – no vegies with it though – just rice and a roasted tomato – the owner, also the cook, taught us to smash the roasted tomato over the kebab and mix it into the rice for extra added taste along with some spices (paprika) – the other tasty tidbit at the Pistachio Grill is pistachio hummas!
I love middle eastern food and their salads are the best – for an inexpensive fast food chicken greek salad – Daphnes, a chain is opening all over the city and offers healthy greek cuisine – though they can be stingy on the kebab plates and their steak kebabs are a bit chewy – stick to chicken there.
Tempo in the valley is a great Israeli mid-eastern eatery – has a great mixed salad plate.
Anyone else have any suggestions for great mideastern salads?
Comment by rebelrona — July 31, 2006 @ 11:33 pm |
Hey Rona, Do you where I can get fortune cookies made with fortunes that I write? Thanks!
Comment by Debbie — August 30, 2006 @ 11:47 am |
Hi Debbie
I’ve always thought it would be fun to have a party where the fortune cookies were made up by the hosts. Though I have not used this particular company – they’re website seems to be exactly what you’re looking for. Go to http://www.specialfortunecookies.com/ and check them out.
Hope this helps!
Comment by rebelrona — August 30, 2006 @ 2:38 pm |
Hi Rona,
Great site. Nice to read the back and forth too — kind of blogish and that’s a good thing.
Fran
Comment by Fran Reichenbach — April 3, 2007 @ 5:18 am |
Hello! Good Site! Thanks you!
Comment by urhnbmutjz — July 4, 2007 @ 7:14 am |
Awesome Post. My compliments to the author.
Comment by TearIzUp — September 30, 2007 @ 2:04 pm |
BOYLE HEIGHTS IS BUZZING…. YES BOYLE HEIGHT’S IS BORN AGAIN. THERE IS A A 1940′S CORNER BAR THAT HAS BEEN REDONE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE NEW (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)METRO GOLDLINE SUBWAY STATION & ACROSS FROM THE WELL KNOWN SERENATA DE GARIBALDI RESTAURANT & HOMEGIRL CAFE. THE NAME OF THIS JOINT IS “EASTSIDE LUV WINE BAR Y QUESO”. CHECK OUT THEIR SITE FOR MORE INFO & PIC http://WWW.EASTSIDELUV.COM OR http://WWW.MYSPACE.COM/EASTSIDELUVWINEBAR
Comment by BUDDY REBEL — October 18, 2007 @ 6:13 pm |
Very nice this blog =)
Comment by winstoun — November 27, 2007 @ 7:56 pm |
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.
Comment by sandrar — September 10, 2009 @ 1:56 am |
Thanks Sandrar for your kinds words! There will be more articles to come.
Stay tuned!
R
Comment by rebelrona — September 10, 2009 @ 11:36 am |
I have a sister that lives in Long Beach and i’m planning a trip to California for my vacation. I’m a history junkie, and am quite amazed on how Los Angeles grew so much. As i was surfing the net on the history of Hollywood (since i want to actually take the time and explore the town) i came across your article. I wanted to know that if i go to Beachwood Village if parking is easy to find. Also, when does this area open and close? Lastly, do you have any suggestions on where to visit (and where in the LA area?) Nothing amusement park like… I’m more into scenic views.
Thank you so very much!
Comment by Mari Barron — January 23, 2010 @ 11:36 am |
Hi Mari
Sorry I was out of town last week – In answer to your question – Beachwood Village is a residential area – there’s street parking, etc but it’s a long street – that you basically drive up towards the Hollywood Sign. In the center of the canyon is the village where there’s the Beachwood Cafe, a market (quite a good one actually but small) and the old village gates that was the original entry into the Hollywoodland. If you drive past the village, you’ll come across Ledgewood Drive. you’ll make a left there and keep going up the mountain, always veering left on the streets upward – you’ll see the Hollywood sign get bigger and bigger as you climb the residential hillside. Now you can’t drive up to the sign – and I believe you can’t technically hike to it – so I’m going to tell you to continue up the mountain and around the backside where you’ll come upon Lake Hollywood – The sign will be behind you and you’ll have a wonderful view of Los Angeles in front of you. If you can see a large castle like home to your left that is striped, Madonna owned that home for a long time (in fact as you drive up Beachwood, there are some old Normandy style apartments/ now Condos that are an historic landmark (Madonna lived there as well – guess she liked the area!). You can also see Lake Hollywood the reservoir – residents walk, jog and ride bikes around this beautiful man-made lake.
Another place I’d recommend going to is Griffith Park Observatory (not far from Beachwood) – it’s where Rebel without a Cause was filmed and they’ve just refurbished the whole working observatory – again great views of the city (and on a clear day – you can see downtown and the ocean) but you’ll also recognize a lot of the locations from Rebel without a Cause – go to the Observatory website for details because you can’t drive up there – you have to go to an area in Griffith Park and take a bus up. BTW it’s where the Zoo is and the wonderful Gene Autry Museum which I also highly recommend.
There’s so much to see and do in Hollywood that’s historic -naturally there’s the usual – the Chinese Theatre and the footprints and just walking down Hollywood Blvd is always a kick, even for me who lives here. On La Brea below Sunset Blvd, you’ll find the old Charlie Chaplin studios now home to Kermit the Frog and the Henson Company. You’ll recognize it right away because Kermit stands atop wearing a Charlie Chaplin bowler, in a suit and carrying the signature cane. Paramount Studios is located on Melrose and Gower and you can certainly get a great shot of the gates which have been in countless films – a very art decco feel to it.
Edendale – an area in the Silverlake area was home to one of the first movie studios, and on Glendale Blvd in Silverlake is where you would find the old Mack Sennett Studios (now a storage facility) where the keystone cop movies were shot, it’s also the area where cowboy star Tom Mix owned quite a bit of land – but it’s now shopping malls and not really a pretty area The unfortunate part about Hollywood’s legacy is the city of L.A. has done very little to preserve it.
There’s so much more and I’m sure if you do a google search you’ll come up with more – but hopefully that will get you started!
Comment by rebelrona — February 5, 2010 @ 7:32 am |