Originally reported by Curbed LA.

Through the hotel lobby and up the elevator to the garden terrace, we arrived in a delightful and relaxing garden setting. Waterfalls, ponds and a Japanese garden welcome you into either the Garden Grill, a Teppan-Yaki style restaurant, or Thousand Cranes, a Japanese cuisine, sushi and tempura bar.

We inquire about the tempura and we are seated at a table near the window. Quite a nice view of the garden, although the music coming in over the airwaves was smooth jazz. I thought some traditional Japanese music would have been more apropos.

We look over the menu, in English and Japanese. I find the tempura selection. Not as much as I had hoped in terms of choices and go with the shrimp tempura ($27.50) selection. Large prawns, with some other vegetables sprinkled in. A shiitake mushroom cap, small sliver of carrot, a broccoli floret, lotus root, tomato, zucchini and eggplant. Hot oil bubbled out with each crispy bite.

Unfortunately, I’ve come to find out after doing a little proper research, there indeed is a real tempura bar but we were never offered that choice. At least according to the website, the tempura bar should have been open on this Saturday evening. Perhaps chef Hiroyuki Shiono was out? Sigh. It was good regardless, but I feel a little cheated, having not gotten the whole experience.

The Canadian Deep Sea Cod ($29) was succulent, moist and flavored with miso and soy. It came with a side of sweet, slightly dry, pumpkin mash and grilled veggies.

It’s a very authentic Japanese experience, the waitresses in traditional kimonos, the decor inside, the gardens outside, and even the Japanese patrons having dinner there. Overall a good meal but with small servings at a stiff price (we paid $12 for two servings of rice and miso soup), I might try something a little more down to earth (i.e., less expensive) next time I have a craving for deep fried fish and veggies.

Aug 20-24 Walking With Dinosaurs - Live (7pm Wed, Thu & Fri, 11am 3pm 7pm Sat, 1pm 5pm Sun)
Honda Center, Anaheim
You’ve seen it on Discovery Channel, now experience it live! At Walking With Dinosaurs - Live features 15 full size dinosaurs. With a 20 million dollar budget, the show depicts the dinosaurs entire 200 million year lifespan on earth. The stars of the show include the T-rex, Stegosaurus, and the Brachiosaurus at 36 feet tall and 56 feet long. Ticket prices start at $22.50 and go on up to $79. Tickets can be purchased here.

Aug 22, 23 & 24 - Fiesta La Ballona Days (6pm-9pm Fri, 9am-9pm Sat & Sun)
Veterans Memorial Park, Culver City
For 57 years, “Fiesta La Ballona Days” has been celebrating the region’s early settlers. Enjoy a beer and wine garden, food vendors, live music, dancing, carnival rides, vendor booths and a petting zoo. For more info and a listing of events check out their website. Admission is free.

Aug 23 - Paso Robles Olive Festival (11am-4pm)
Downtown Paso Robles City Park
If you’re looking to get out of town this weekend, check out the Olive Festival in Paso Robles. Olive oil tastings, great food, local wineries, olive cooking contest and more. Admission is free.

Aug 23-24 - 1st Annual Long Beach Ho’olaulea (10am-7pm Sat, 10am-4:30pm Sun)
Long Beach, Belmont Shore
Formally the Tiki Beach Festival, the Ho’olaulea festival in Belmont Shore, features everything Hawaiian and tiki. Including music, traditional fire & knife shows, tiki carving, canoe rides, traditional dancing and more. Admission is free.

Aug 23-24 - Sunset Junction Street Festival (10am-11pm Sat, 10am-10pm Sun)
Sunset Junction, Silverlake
Oh yeah, in case you haven’t heard, this weekend is the Sunset Junction Street Festival. Enjoy food vendors, stuff you never knew you didn’t need, and music by The Black Keys, Cold War Kids, Broken Social Scene, Stephanie Mills, plus a tribute to Issac Hays by legendary soul man Sam Moore. Tickets are cheap at $15 ($20 at the door). If you feel like dealing with parking, crowds and the weekend heat, tickets can be purchased online.

Aug 23, 24 & 25 - Western Foodservice And Hospitality Expo (10am-5pm Sat, 11am-5pm Sun, 11am-4pm Sun)
Convention Center, Downtown Los Angeles
Ok, so maybe you’re not in the food service or hospitality industry. But where else can you eat for 3 solid days on $50? There will be hundreds of food and kitchen supply booths offering free samples galore. Check out their interactive listing here, and sign up for tickets here.

Aug 24 - Pacific Classic Day at Del Mar Racetrack (2pm)
Del Mar
With a $2.3 million purse, it’s the biggest purse in the tracks history. Experience the beautiful race track that is Del Mar, enjoy a day of racing starting at 2pm, plus a free swanky button-up shirt with an embroidered Del Mar logo. Then at 7pm, whip it good with a free Devo concert with your paid admission. Minumum bets are as low as $2, so you can still have fun, without losing much. Del Mar is about 100 miles south. The drive down there is delightful with great views of the ocean and it makes a great day trip.

The Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation at UCLA has launched a new program called Dining Out to End Cancer. You can purchase $25 gift cards to be used at various restaurants around town during the month of October. Anyone who presents a Dining Out to End Cancer card at a participating restaurant will receive a discount on your bill, either 15%, 20%, or 25% off (excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity).

The following restaurants are participating and new restaurants are encouraged to sign up. They make great gifts for friends too! Buy yours online now, and enjoy dinner while you help out a great cause.

Pastis
West Restaurant and Lounge
Il Carpaccio
Enzo & Angela The Italian Restaurant
Nirvana
Bombay Palace
Antonello Ristorante
JJ Steak House
Factor’s Famous Deli
Ita-Cho
Carousel
La Fonda on Wilshire

Aug 14 & 15 - Grand Wine Tasting at Vino 100 (6pm-8pm)
Hollywood
Vino 100 at Hollywood and Highland, is a boutique wine store that features wines from world’s little-known, but superior quality vineyards. For $10, experience 10 boutique wines from around the world (5 whites and 5 reds).

Aug 15-17 - America’s Best: Celebrity Food Show (12pm-5:30pm Fri, 10:30am-5:30pm Sat & Sun)
Anaheim
Sample Gourmet Food and Wine from across the nation at the Celebrity Food Show. 200 plus companies will be displaying items, sampling and selling gourmet products and services to inspire and indulge your culinary spirit. Cooking sessions will be held daily on our Celebrity Stage by top TV Network Celebrity Chefs. $10 per day or $15 for a weekend pass.

Aug 15 - Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano Concert (7pm)
Santa Fe Springs
Enjoy an evening of two-time Grammy Award-winning Los Angeles based mariachi ensemble Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano at Town Center Plaza. The cost is $50 for non-Santa Fe Springs residents and $40 for residents. Proceeds benefit La Familia, a fund to assist families residing in the city of Santa Fe Springs and surrounding areas in emergency crisis situations.

Aug 15 - Friday Night Sing-Alongs, 80’s hits! (7:30pm-9:00pm)
Downtown Los Angeles
Friday Night Sing-Alongs is taking you back to your favorite mixtape with hits by hits by Wham, Kool & the Gang, Berlin, Heart, Madonna, Stevie Wonder & Michael Jackson. Singers of all levels are welcome. Limited seating capacity. First come, first served so arrive early. This event is free and takes place at the Music Center Plaza.

Aug 16 - Once Upon A Canyon Night (7:30pm)
Beverly Hills
TreePeople is reviving its popular “Once Upon a Canyon Night” summer series of live entertainment after a 4-year hiatus. This Saturday, enjoy the roots rock sound of Tom Freund (The NY Times calls him “an unexpected gem”). Offering “kids music for the whole family,” from the James Brown style of “Freezedance” to the Woody Guthriesque “Bakin’ a Cake” and more. Tom will play a selection of music from his past albums and bring along some special guests, too. Admission is $10 for members and $15 for non-members.

Aug 16-24 - 68th Annual Nisei Week Japanese Festival Little Tokyo (9am Sat)
Little Tokyo
This nine-day festival in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo district highlights Japanese and Japanese American culture and 2008 marks its 68th year. There will be lots of food, car show, a “going green” street fair, sumo demonstration, karate tournament, gyoza eating contest and more. Admission is free!

Aug 17 - “Taste of the Beach” festival (4pm-8pm)
Hermosa Beach
The Kiwanis Club of Hermosa Beach hosts their third annual “Taste of the Beach” food and wine festival. 28 restaurants and wineries will be on hand. Tickets are $50 and proceeds benefit Project Touch for at-risk teens. The event takes place at the Hermosa Beach Community Center.

The Counter has a very simple, albeit sometimes complex, process. They give you a clipboard to order your burger. You then mark the order sheet up and had it off to the waiter. Deciding on beef, turkey, chicken or veggie burger, you then choose from a 1/3, 2/3 or one pound patty, your cheese, up to four toppings, 18 different sauces and the type of bun you want. They have a variety of premium toppings for an extra buck each if you’re so inclined.

The decor, pale blue walls to match their other locations, along with large roll away windows that open to the outside. Photos of old rockers and skateboarders are placed against the walls. Flavor Flav is proudly displayed over the bar area. Maybe because their food has lots of flavor? I don’t know, it’s a long shot. They also have a selection of beer and wine if you feel like washing your burger down with a nice lager or pinot.

Creating the perfect burger can be tricky at times and can lead to a less than average experience. You wouldn’t want to mix a pineapple slice and scallions with the southwest caesar dressing. At least I wouldn’t. You’re toppings should complement each other, tailored to your specific tastes. I almost always order mine with an English muffin and beef. Then mix it up from there. On this visit I added a slice of slightly tangy horseradish cheddar, pickles, lettuce, fried onion strings, avocado, and the Peppercorn Steak Sauce. The mix of the spicy cheddar, onions, avocado and peppery steak au jus was a Flavor Flav-orful combo. The fries are perfectly fried lightly powdered with seasoning salt and served with a tangy horseradish dipping sauce.

The burger was slightly overcooked for “medium”, but they just opened a couple of days ago so I won’t hold that against them. They actually sit you before taking your order at this location, and I have to say, I prefer it over the stand and wait with your number situation at the Santa Monica location.

Other upcoming dinners are paired with Rojas from Spain on Aug 20 and Southern Italian wines on Aug 27. All dinners are $55.00 pp (does not include tax and gratuity). Reserve by phone in advance at (310) 231-0316

The restaurant is quirky, with a pleasant outdoor patio and inside dining room. A very loud and warm inside dining room. Note to self, wait for a patio seat next time. The food, which has been deemed California Comfort food by it’s creators, was pleasant, fresh and comforting, but they won’t be winning any awards for presentation anytime soon. The Egg Sandwich, with fried or scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese on toasted croissant (overly so) with a delicious dill butter. The Friggin’ Amazin’ French Toast comes with your choice of croissant or raisin bread coated with cinnamon vanilla mix and cooked to golden brown served with maple syrup, pecans, raspberry butter and fresh fruit.

The service is skewd towards the sassy, with the loud dining room, I would say it’s right on par with Fraser’s personality that you saw on Top Chef. And for some reason we weren’t offered their signature bowl of sugary cereal to munch on while we were waiting for our food. Which took a while to come out and would have been a nice snack to enjoy with our coffee. And it’s good coffee, for $2.95, if they offer you a refill, my advice is you take it. They may not be back to refill it for a while. They are open Sun-Sat, with breakfast served on the weekends and lunch during the week. Oh and the 2 bedroom apartment above the restaurant is available for $2600 a month and includes $100 a month in spending cash at Grub!

8oz, beautiful spark of Gods,
Daughter of Estancia,
We enter, fire-grilled,
Heavenly, thy burger bar.
Thy magic cocktails re-unite
What my knife has divided
Onlookers become friends at the next table
Where thy duck fat fried wing abides.
– Chorus –
A serene hour of eating!
Sweet rest in a food coma!
Govind –a wonderful meal
From the mouth of this final judge!

No seriously though, the cocktails are A+, the Crispy Chicken Confit are wonderfully prepared buffalo chicken wings fried in duck fat and the moist and flavorful 8oz burger needed no expensive condiments. The patty, a nice rounded size with a bun that held up well. If you want, feel free to fork out an extra buck or two for toppings like purple mustard, heirloom tomato ketchup, house cured bacon and fried green tomatoes. But this burger is best in it’s purest form.

Our Grilled Cheese with Short Rib had the perfect blend of meat and Bel Paese cheese but needed something to enhance the sandwich. No to mention it was slightly greasy. I seemed to have missed the onion marmalade on it, but the menu says it was there. Upon entering you might get a little Bowery feel, but its so much brighter and more open than the Bowery and had more of a neighborhood tavern feel. I could see myself coming here a lot. The service was fine, I felt neglected a couple of times, but overall it was passable.

The beer list is outstanding with several west coast breweries, and a few over the pond beers, featured on tap and by the bottle. Their classic and original cocktails, like the Aquamiel (Herradura Silver Tequila, Lillet Blanc, fresh lime juice, almond extract, honey syrup), are made with fresh squeezed juices and hand made bitters. I felt like the wine list left something to be desired. Like the people sitting near us, I may bring in my own bottle next time. Not sure what the corkage is though.

The prices are very reasonable as long as you don’t get out of control with the extra toppings. They have a great Suds and Sliders sampler that I want to try on my next visit. For $15 you get three 5 oz draft beers, then one each of a beef, lamb and boar slider. Meat, it’s whats for dinner.

Aug 8 - 88BoaDrum at the La Brea Tar Pits (5pm-10pm)
Los Angeles
Nike Sportswear presents 88BoaDrum featuring Boredoms at the La Brea Tar Pits- an unprecedented aural and visual experience. Beginning precisely at 8:08 PM PST, the 88-minute experience at the historic La Brea Tar Pits will feature 88 drummers selected by Boredoms and 88BoaDrum artistic director, Hisham Bharoocha. Admission is free, but you need tickets. For ticket information click here.

Aug 8-10 - Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl (8:30pm Fri & Sat, 7:30pm Sun)
Los Angeles
For three nights only, Boublil & Schönberg’s Tony-winning Les Misérables, the world’s longest-running musical, will be presented in a staged concert adaptation, featuring the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and an all-star cast, including Brian Stokes Mitchell, J. Mark McVey, Melora Hardin, Rosie ODonnell, Lea Michele, and John Lloyd Young. Tickets are priced from $10-110 and can be purchased online.

Aug 8-10 - Long Beach Jazz Festival (5pm-10:30pm Fri, 11am-10:30pm Sat & Sun)
Long Beach
In it’s 21st year, the Long Beach Jazz Festival is the only Southern California Jazz Festival staged on a gorgeous grassy knoll in a beautiful Lagoon setting. The festival features some of the top artists of the year and includes VIP seating in an incredible outdoor setting with a great selection of food, art and much more. Tickets are $50-$175 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.

Aug 8-10 - Sunland-Tunjunga Watermelon Festival (5pm-11pm Fri, 12pm-11:30pm Sat, 12pm-10:30pm Sun)
Sunland-Tunjunga
A the Sunland-Tunjunga Watermelon Festival relax and watch the free entertainment from the pavilion or the Beer Garden or shop in the Festival Marketplace and check out the carnival rides. Eat in the Festival Food Court, cool off with the free watermelon, enter the seed spitting and watermelon eating contests, and visit the petting zoo. There is something for the whole family to enjoy. And admission is only a buck.

August 9 - 10th Annual Winemakers’ Cookoff (6pm-9pm)
Paso Robles
Taking place at the River Oaks Hot Springs and Spa, the Winemakers’ Cookoff features over 25 Paso Robles winemakers as they serve their grilled culinary creations paired with some of their finest wines. Competition for “People’s Choice” and “Judge’s” awards. Includes: food, wine, live music. Proceeds benefit Harlow Ford Scholarship Foundation. Admission is $75 and tickets can be purchased online.

Aug 9 - Wine tasting with Brian Harlan at the Wine House (1pm-4pm)
West Los Angeles
Join Brian Harlan at Taste, the Wine House’s in-store automated wine tasting room. Brian will be on hand to guide you through some of their top selling wines from one of Germany’s top producers, Dr. Loosen. All Loosen, J.L. Wolf, and Villa Wolf wines will have specially discounted prices for the event. Price is $10. No reservations required.

Aug 10 - Lucques 8th Annual Rib Roundup (1pm-10pm)
West Hollywood
Lucques’ Sunday Supper becomes a barbecue for one night only. The menu might include pork ribs, lamb ribs, corn bread, greens and other sides, as well as specialty cocktails. Bluegrass and country tunes playing in the background should set the mood. Be sure to reserve well in advance. $45 per person call (323) 655-6277 for reservations.

Aug 10 - LA BBQ Tour (10am-2pm)
Los Angeles, CA
Join Trekking LA for a BBQ and music adventure in Leimert Park, in the third stop on their LA BBQ tour. Come and taste secret BBQ recipes handed down from generation to generation and hear the fascinating stories behind the sauce. And, eat your “Q” and cobbler while enjoying the multi-textured rhythms of Leimert Park at the World Stage Jazz Festival. Artists and musicians will guide you through the neighborhood visiting galleries and gift shops with unique objects, collectibles, jewelry and clothing imported from locales throughout the African diaspora. Cost is $20 and tickets can be purchased on their web site.