Not the Waffle House that many of you who have visited the South, have spent drunken moments after the club, but The Waffle.  Located on Sunset just east of Vine St., near the soon to re-open Palladium, lies The Waffle, styled like a typical breakfast diner, but suited to fit the fast paced lifestyle of Southern California.  The menu has all the breakfast , lunch and dinner classics, as well as a section of Waffle Burgers and Sandwiches.  Just imagine your cheese burger with held between Waffles instead of Buns (pause).  Have a late night snack or breakfast before the shotgun start to your day. 

The Waffle
6255 W Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
323.465.6901

Sunday – Thursday :6:30am -2:30am
Saturdays & Saturdays: 6:30am -4:30am

I know that picture may not be appetizing but i promise, Crustacean’s Roasted Garlic Crab is the one of the best seafood dishes i have ever tasted.  Located in Beverly Hills Crustacean’s which is a Euro-Asian Restaurant creation by the An Family.  I went earlier this summer for my birthday, and felt it only appropriate to take my mom for her birthday, before we checked out Wicked at the Pantages  Impressed both visits by not only their food but the ambiance, with multiple dining areas, that include two private lounges, not to mention a river style fish tank flowing through the floor of the restaurant.

An interesting note Crustaceans is that within in their kitchen is the Secret Kitchen, where only members of the An Family may cook .  The restaurants specialty items one being the Roasted Garlic Crab, which is pictured above.  Some what pricey, but a great meal for a special occasion or a night when you want just want some really good food.  If nothing else be sure to try the Garlic Noodles.

Crustaceans Beverly Hills
9646 Little Santa Monica Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.205.8990

There is more to do on Melrose than just shop, especially if  5 miles of smedium Ed Hardy style T-shirt stores are not your speed.  If your out with the boo and want a break or in the area and just plain hungry, stop by Goofellas for good Italian food with no frills, bells, or whistles.

Nestled right on Melrose Avenue, Goodfellas seems fresh off the streets of Sicily, with al fresco style dining and cafe windows that open to the bustling shopping district. The walls are adorned with black and white portraits of famous gangsters, hence the name.  I suggest the Chicken Milanese - a breaded chick breast topped baby greens, tomato, red onion, balsamic vinegar and basil oil, served on fresh baked pizza bread. It comes with a side house salad or fries.

Goodfellas
7455 Melrose Ave

Located in the streets of Downtown Culver City, this small southern style eatery gives “Roscoe-Lovers” a run for their money.  The menu consists of Hotcakes (pancakes), fried chicken, catfish, and their famous “Honey Biscuits”.  Whichever entree you order, I strongly suggest choosing a side of honey biscuits and/or hotcakes for the full experience!  The portions are moderately sized, but after eating those mouth-watering oven baked honey biscuits you won’t have much room for dessert.  Expect a line out the door if you show up on the weekends, but quick and easy service.  I love this spot because you can expect to pay $7-$10 per meal and you have the option of dining inside or grabbing a table on their outside deck.  Hope you enjoy!

Honey’s Kettle
9537 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: (310) 202-5453

No this is not about the presidential race, but about a few other people that need your vote, coincidentally all at the same time. Read the step by step guide on how to help.

A few weeks ago we posted on Fonzworth Bentley’s video for his new single Everbody featuring Kanye & Andre 3000, with the MTV Video Music Awards around the corner, the call has been set forth to nominate this classic for Video of the Year. Click here and scroll down Fonzworth and provide your vote.

Everybody - Mr. Bentley w/ Kanye & Andre 3000

Also on the MTV VMA Ballot is Los Angeles’s own U-N-I, whose song Supreme has been on our music player for sometime now, has been nominated as one of LA’s Best Break Out Artist. The winner will be revealed at the awards and we want to make sure they take the title. Check out the song & Click here to vote, and represent for U-N-I.

U-N-I - Supreme

Last but certainly not least, we [elevatedla.com] need your help.The 2008 Black Web Black Awards nomination process has begun and we need nominations & votes in the categories: Best Blog Design, Best Food Blog, Best Group Blog, Best Photo Blog, & Blog to Watch. Nominate for one category or ALL.

It will only take a few minutes for this and this can serve as some early practice for the big vote in November, but more on that later!

Satisfy your sweet tooth at Sprinkle’s in Beverly Hills, off of Santa Monica Blvd.  This modern bakery is bound to have a line out the door when you arrive, but trust me when I say, “It’s well worth the wait.”  Not to worry, the line moves quickly so make sure you’ve decided upon the cupcake of your choice by the time you get to the front!  Most Sprinkle-goers would agree with me that you can’t go wrong with the southern style Red Velvet cupcake, topped with a rich cream cheese frosting.

Sprinkle’s endless selection of mouth watering cupcakes include staples such as their Vanilla Milk Chocolate, Carrot, and Cinnamon Sugar, all of which are baked fresh throughout the day. Look good and send a box of a dozen or more cupcakes to the office or your “sweetie” and Sprinkle’s will deliver just about anywhere in the Los Angeles area (48 hours notice required).  Sprinkle’s even offers dog-friendly cupcakes for sale, so whether your picking up something sweet for you or your pup, I strongly advise ordering online before you leave the house.  Order ahead of time, avoid the line, and indulge! 

Tips:  Opt to park in the metered lot on Santa Monica and Camden (street parking is limited).  The cupcakes can be pricey so expect to pay $36 for a dozen or $3.25 per cupcake (maybe it’s because the chocolate sprinkles are imported from France?)

Sprinkle’s
9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA

Located atop Cahuenga Ave, one of the primary gateways of Hollywood, is a small French coffee house known as Solar De Cahuenga.  On the corner of Cahuenga and Franklin, Solar is one of the first business you see upon your approach to the bright lights of the city.  The java spot prides itself on being a chill atmosphere with the promise of great food and comfort.  With free Wi-Fi and multiple seating areas and styles, I have had the option to kick back with a pillow and a book, throw the laptop on a table or sit on the patio and enjoy the weather.  They carry an assortment of salads, sandwiches, crepes, and coffees prepared from all natural foods, so you can fill up your stomach without draining your pockets.  Open nightly, you can check out Solar before you hit the club.

Solar De Cahuenga
1847 N Cahuenga Blvd,  
Hollywood

For those of you that reside in California and have never had the pleasure of a good ole fashioned southern cooked meal, Stevie’s Creole Café & Bar has the recipes for your appetite. Located on Balboa and Ventura Blvd this Cajun based restaurant is as good as it gets to Southern dishes. Me, being from Texas I was doubtful at first that a restaurant on the West coast could satisfy my dirty south appetite. The menu has numerous appetizers and entrees to fulfill any taste bud, as well as mixed drinks like their famous “New Orleans Hurricane”(named well before Hurricane Katrina). My entree of choice has been the catfish and grits, if you have never had grits before or never had southern grits I can tell you these are as real as it gets especially with butter and a little salt. Most meals are southern fried and have a little spiciness to it, hence Cajun style restaurant. Other notable options are the calamari with its spicy ranch and many choices of gumbo and po’ boy sandwiches. The prices are pretty high with the catfish ad grits meal priced at $22 but well worth the price. The restaurant itself has a southern feel with wooden tables and chairs, not too comfortable and nothing fancy but they do have a few flat screen TV’s for fight nights and game days. Around the bar area are several pictures of the many celebrities that also enjoy their tasty cuisines. Also, on some selected weekend they have live jazz bands which are perfect for you and your someone special.

Stevie’s Creole Café & Bar
16911 Ventura Blvd
Encino, CA 91316

Now that you’ve probably spent a good chunk of your paycheck on tickets to the UCLA Jazz/Reggae Fest and a new outfit for the weekend, you’re probably wondering how you’re going to afford anything else (i.e. gas, parking, a decent meal, maybe drink or two). Fortunately for the working young adult, Westwood isn’t just a baller’s paradise. Just follow the aroma of fresh-baked cookies & ice cream and you’ll find a line of people stretching out the door of Diddy Riese Cookie’s.

The menu is filled with more than 10 kinds of oven-baked cookies and 12 different Dreyer’s ice cream flavors. I strongly suggest creating your own ice cream sandwiches, with choices ranging from peanut butter Twix ice cream to Sugar Cinnamon. If you are in decisive you can practice by building your own Ice Cream Sandwich online. The pairings are endless and sometimes so is the line, but it’s well worth the wait! If dessert or a late night snack is at hand, then swing bye Diddy Riese and spend your last $1.50 on the best ice cream sandwich in LA .

Diddy Reese Cookies
926 Broxton Avenue
Westwood, CA 90024

In true fat-boy fashion I am working on a top ten burger list. The Counter is definitely in the top five. It is a concept restaurant that focuses on one thing: really good hamburgers! When you’re seated they don’t give you a menu, they give you a checklist-style order form where you can choose from dozens of toppings to build a true meal on the bun. If you are ever on the west side, stop by The Counter.

The Counter
2901 Ocean Park Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90405
310.399.8311

In places like New York you can walk down the street, get a hot dog off a cart and be satisfied. LA, on the other hand, is different; most people are not going to buy any food product off the street. Under drunken influence one may buy a Curb Dog in front of the club around 2:15am, but that’s about as far as it goes. If you take a short drive down La Brea on any given day you can see people lined up in front of a small white building, this phenomenon is called PINKs.  Since 1939 Pinks has served Hollywood, and as the hype has grown, you can be sure to wait on line for at least an hour. With a fully loaded menu with all types of food named after different Hollywood icons and events, there is something for everyone. But you will never see me eating a foot long hot dog, my signature meal is the Chili Cheese Chicken Burrito. Two fresh chicken breast, chili and extra cheese, make this burrito something special. Add chili cheese fries and two classic flavored sodas like Bubble Up or Grape Crush and you have a truly elevated meal.

Pinks
709 N La Brea
Hollywood, Ca

I don’t know if it’s because it’s available on every corner in LA, but I could seriously eat Mexican food every day…and probably do, in some form. So this makes me an authority on quality Mexican food (in my mind at least). Nonetheless, when my two girls and I came from getting massages at Chiang Mai a few weeks back, we decided to stop in at La Cantina Taqueria to grab some food. I ordered the Dos Tacos de Pollo–two chicken tacos, for those of you who failed Spanish 1 in high school–and was pleasantly surprised by the crispy goodness that came before me (soft tacos are also available, FYI). From the chips and salsa to the beans and rice, everything was on point.

I also recommend the fish tacos, enchiladas, La Cantina Fajitas, and any of their wide array of alcoholic beverages. Disclaimer: La Cantina–which is owned by the same company that owns Element Nightclub–isn’t necessarily the most authentic Mexican food you’ll come across, so if you’re looking for “hole-in-the-wall,” go to Lucy’s. But if you want to awaken your taste buds and enjoy some drinks with friends, La Cantina will not disappoint.

The taqueria is also open late for your convenience. Call or visit their website for more details.

La Cantina Taqueria
6541 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.871.1363