idiosyncratic i.
Los Angeles, CA
Ca Del Sole
It was recommended by a friend of my boyfriends... it wasn't too crowded, but mostly an older age group. The interior of the place has a very "home" like setting and it's quite comfortable.. the food was great as well as the service.
It's in the mid-to higher end in price but when you decide to treat yourself or a significant other, it's worth it.
Don't forget: you need cash for the valet.... :) otherwise, they hold your license hostage until you return from the ATM. .... haha.
Groundwork Coffee Co
Sundays mornings are the BEST! I love waking up early, riding my bike to be welcomed by a beautiful and empty downtown LA, and biking to Groundworks for a cup of coffee and to do some studying. They have a little study area up the concrete stairs, the coffee is always delicious and the staff has always been super friendly. Most of them play really good music and overall, it's a friendly, relaxing environment... WITH FREE WIFI!
Now that i've given away my little secret... i hope others can enjoy it as well. it's sheer relaxation.
PROS: comfortable, friendly staff, great coffee, free wifi
CONS: parking is free only on sundays by meter, restrooms are located at the pizza place next door
Cafe Des Artistes
My boyfriend of two years took me to this restaurant for our second date....It took us 30 minutes to find it and we kept having to call and push back the reservation, but once we did, it was definitely worth the wait. It's on a small street and almost invisible to the naked eye but once you walk into the lobby area and through the double doors you enter the coziest, darkly lit room with a friendly staff and romantic ambiance.
The food was delicious! I had a salmon dish and my boyfriend had a juicy chicken dish. It was perfectly cooked and tasted like nothing I'd ever had before. My boyfriend is a very picky eater but as his first experience with salmon being a very positive one, he still eats salmon to this day. It was a great place for us to eat, chat and enjoy our second date! I liked it so much that I've been looking at their sister restaurants....
I highly recommend this place if you're looking to impress a date... we still look back and it's one of our favorite first memories, shared at Cafe Des Artistes...
Diddy Riese Cookies
My out of town boyfriend had heard about the cheap and delicious ice cream cookie sandwich shop in westwood from his friends. One visit, I decided to surprise him by taking him there after dinner and it was the perfect cherry topping to end the night.
They don't overwhelm you with a variety of fifty three choices of ice cream and cookies, but they definitely give you enough choices so that anyone who walks in will be satisfied. From a few ice cream choices to a matching few choices of freshly baked cookies, the price is ridiculously worth it. Nothing is as close to feeling free as the $1.50 you pay for an ice cream cookie sandwich. You almost walk out feeling guilty!
My personal favorite is french vanilla ice cream with one chocolate chip cookie for the top and a double chocolate chip cookie with walnuts for the bottom and I enjoy it with a hot cup of coffee.... the hot & cold contrast is amazing! My boyfriend enjoys the mint chocolate chip ice cream with M&M cookies.
