The Penthouse
Photo by Jonathan Rouse
Built in a century-old power station on a back street in Downtown Los Angeles,
The Edison, a hyper-trendy American, is an exercise in retro-chic with a midpriced menu that leans toward old-school dishes like deviled eggs and oysters Rockefeller; its opulent decor evokes legendary LA watering holes like the Cocoanut Grove and Ciro's.
Situated on the 18th floor of the extensively remodeled Huntley in Santa Monica, The Penthouse, a stunner from chef Michael Reidt (Sevilla in Santa Barbara) features an Eclectic menu of steaks, chops and seafood with the tastes of Asia and South America; with decor straight out of a magazine, this design-statement-in-the-sky boasts white textured walls playing off floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the coastline.
Think of Izaka-Ya by Katsu-Ya Japanese fast-fooder in the Beverly Center as the antithesis to its Brentwood parent, the ultrastylish Katsu-Ya designed by Philippe Starck; the storefront space is just a counter and some plain-Jane tables, where fans can gobble the original’s trademark dishes at a fraction of the price.