LOVE ANGELES

Roxy 365: A Year at the Roxy Theatre

Daytime Staycation in 90210

I've been meaning to catch up with Sam, one of my best friends from college, for some time now. Sam and I traveled together through Greece and Paris when we were twenty-one and crossed paths in Croatia a few years after that. Our shared passion for travel, live music, hot sandy beaches, people watching and deep relaxation take up the majority of our conversations, which lately seem to be too few and far between. It seems like yesterday that we were "opting-out" of Mechanical Aeronautical Engineering 5 for Poolside Bathing 101! The bottom line is that whenever and wherever Sam and I get to hang, it feels like vacation.

I would normally say that it has to do with the reminiscing of stories (usually hilarious) from abroad or maybe simply because at any moment we both know exactly what the other would be up to if he needed a break from living/chasing his dreams. But this beautiful Beverly Hills afternoon the air of vacation was alive and from the external. Sam has been working finance in 90210 for the last couple years and I thought I would come to him for lunch. Not really a big shopper myself (except for a little Fall item of need from James Perse today), I rarely make it out to the theme park known as Rodeo Dr., so I truly enjoy it when I do. What exactly do I enjoy then, you ask?

The culture alone, in all of it's flash and extravagance, is enough for me to take in and enjoy, not because I'm supportive or in harmony with the reality of worldly goods and extreme superficiality, but because I'm in awe and respecting of how powerful the notion of free will can be, especially over time and when many many people get behind the same concepts, thought patterns, ideas & desires. As a dreamer, it actually motivates me. It reminds me that if someone's initial idea can unfold and evolve into a world-renown over-the-top shopping eco-system, the same is possible for just about any inspired thought you can think up!

Sitting on the patio, we ordered Persian Kabob for lunch and topped it off with some delicious gelato down the street. Sure, there was a lot of bio-synthetic parts and pieces walking around attached to human beings, nothing wrong with that! I say way to exercise your free will!!! At any rate, I remember smiling this afternoon, with the sun in my face, while thinking only in Love Angeles!    

Villa Blanca Beverly Hills

theguide - Imagine yourself reclining lazily in a soft white chair in an airy restaurant in the south of France, the curve of a crystal wine glass resting in the space between your thumb and index finger, a plate of golden beet salad in front of you. Blink. You're not in St. Tropez, you're in Beverly Hills at a new Mediterranean restaurant called Villa Blanca.

"The only thing we're missing outside is the ocean," says co-owner Lisa Vanderpump Todd about her latest project, which has been open for nearly five weeks. Todd, who designed the space herself, tried to conjure the feel of a restaurant she favors in France called L'Escale.

Indoor melts into outdoor via a bank of open glass doors at the restaurant's front. Layered white tablecloths, white chairs, thick-cut white stone wall hangings, a busy bar, plush cushioned benches topped with overstuffed pillows and thoughtful flower arrangements come together to create a general feeling of escape.

The menu, created by Todd and chef Francis Dimitrius, traffics in pan-Mediterranean cuisine, with a healthy dash of Asian fare tossed in for good measure. (Dimitrius formerly worked at Koi.)

Tender, broiled black cod brushed with a sweet and salty miso glaze beside a fluffy pile of Parmesan polenta; pepper-crusted Ahi tuna with a pomegranate-pink center, sliced and served with a side of chopped asparagus and wild mushrooms; buttery beef carpaccio drizzled with a tangy white truffle vinaigrette; spaghetti Lolita tossed with shredded chicken, toasted pine nuts and a light white wine sauce; and a refreshingly light Champagne sorbet are among the kitchen's many offerings.

"I wanted to bring a different energy to Beverly Hills," says Todd, who, with her husband, Ken, owns SUR in West Hollywood as well as more than 20 restaurants and clubs in London. "There are lots of Italian restaurants in the area so I wanted to do something a bit more eclectic." Villa Blanca itself is actually located in the shell of the old Italian favorite, Trilussa.

For the moment, it seems Todd has hit on a formula that is working for the area.

The place is packed for dinner and lunch and is particularly energetic during happy hour when it attracts young professionals from CAA and William Morris.

The bar offers a wide variety of specialty cocktails, including chocolate martinis and slightly sweet mint juleps, but its real draw is the intriguingly complex sangria. Offered in both white and red, and chock full of fresh fruit, it's the perfect summer drink.

The service is straightforward, relaxed and attitude-free, making the restaurant feel more like a neighborhood destination than a hoity-toity place to head on special occasions only. And that's just how Todd wants to keep it.

"I've got quite a captive audience in Beverly Hills," she says. "Some people will eat here four or five times a week, so I strive to keep things interesting."