What's New: An Online Update for Frommer's Los Angeles

L.A. and Madonna have a lot in common: They're always one step ahead of the trends. Trying to keep up with the constant changes in this amorphous metropolis is a full-time job because what was in last year is probably out this year. But fear not, fellow adventurers, because I've crammed Frommer's Los Angeles 2005 with dozens of new clubs, restaurants, hotels, special moments, and insider tips.

Accommodations

It seems like wherever you turn, L.A.'s hotels are upping the ante with multimillion-dollar face-lifts and mood-enhancing feng shui elements. The new Ambrose, 1255 20th St., Santa Monica (tel. 877/262-7673), for example, blends the Arts and Crafts movement with soothing Asian influences such as a tranquil Japanese garden, a koi pond, and trickling fountains. Rates start at a very reasonable $165 for an upscale boutique, so book a room while it's still a bargain.

Also new to this edition is Le Merigot, 1740 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica (tel. 800/228-9290), a low-key luxury hotel and spa that's right on the ocean. Package deals include convertible Porsche Boxster or BMW Z4 Roadster rentals, surfing lessons, and full-session Swedish massages -- if you can drag yourself out of your "Cloud Nine" bed.

If you like big hotel rooms with great views, the regal Park Hyatt Los Angeles, 2151 Avenue of the Stars, Century City (tel. 800/778-7477), is all over it. The private balconies have great views of the city, the location is central to everything, and the executive suites are so big that I didn't even notice the other bathroom.

I also discovered a great budget motel: The Farmer's Daughter, 115 South Fairfax Ave., Midtown (tel. 800/334-1658). It's a cheery little lodge with lots of bright colors, a country-kitsch theme, and plenty of free perks. It's right across the street from the Farmers Market -- easy access to an entire block of inexpensive foodstuffs, great shopping, and some wild weekend entertainment

Dining

It's been an insane year for the L.A. restaurant scene, with so many excellent restaurants opening in the past 12 months that they're calling this the "Golden Age" of dining in L.A. I couldn't get them all in this year, but I've included 10 of the best, such as Le Dôme, 8720 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood (tel. 310/659-6919), an old Sunset Strip hangout of Frank Sinatra that recently reopened after a $2 million makeover by designer du moment Dodd Mitchell. Feast on Japanese black pig baby back ribs and Kumamoto oysters with L.A.'s pretty people at the outdoor terrace while the tourists walk by.

Maple Drive, 345 N. Maple Dr., Beverly Hills (tel. 310/274-9800), has a new look and a new menu by chef Eric Klein, the former executive sous-chef at Spago. Celebrities and entertainment bigwigs arrive nightly to dine on Klein's signature thin-crusted tarte flambées while listing to live jazz.

I finally made it to La Cachette, 10506 Santa Monica Blvd., Century City (tel. 310/470-4992), a very elegant and romantic French restaurant presided over by Jean Fran?s Meteigner, one of America's most influential French chefs. His cuisine naturelle is light on cream and butter but heavy on flavor (the braised Kurobuta black pork shank with braised baby back ribs and Banyul vinegar sauce is le bomb).

Being a fan of a good steak, I've included two great steakhouses this year: Mastro's Steakhouse, 246 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills (tel. 310/888-8782), where even big eaters have trouble finishing the Fred Flintstone-size slabs of hand-cut USDA beef; and Arnie Morton's Steakhouse, 735 S. Figueroa at Seventh, Downtown (tel. 213/553-4566), a classic old-fashioned Midwestern-style steakhouse where tuxedoed waiters perform show-and-tell presentations of the main courses.

Some of the finest and most authentic Mexican food I've ever had is being served at Frida, 236 S. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills (tel. 310/278-7666), a newcomer to the Beverly Hills dining scene (the mole dishes alone are worth the drive over here).

Joachim Splichal's Patina, 141 S. Grand Ave., Downtown (tel. 213/972-3331), has relocated to the new Walt Disney Concert Hall and is more popular than ever. The après-show crowd creates quite a din as they dine on sautéed black-truffled Brussels sprouts with a sweet potato puree and crispy skinned yellowtail snapper served on a bed of fava bean puree.

If you love sushi as much as I do, you're in luck: I've included two new Asian restaurants that are fantastic. Koi, 730 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood (tel. 310/659-9449), is one of L.A.'s hottest new restaurants, with regulars ranging from George Clooney to Jennifer Garner, the Osbournes, and Demi and Ashton. Start with the baked crab roll with edible rice paper and a glass of Koi sake.

Dodd Mitchell strikes again at the opium den-like Zen Grill & Sake Lounge, 1051 Broxton Ave., Westwood Village (tel. 310/209-1994). Bathed in an soothing amber glow, this sexy new restaurant serves wonderful pan-Asian cuisine and more than 50 brands of premium sake.

What to See & Do

There's all kinds of exciting new stuff to see and do in L.A. in this edition. Universal Studios Hollywood (tel. 818/662-3801) has a new thrill ride called Revenge of the Mummy, a super-high-tech indoor roller coaster with really creepy animatronics Warrior Mummies that drop down and scare the hell out of you. Six Flags Magic Mountain (tel. 661/255-4500) beefed up its thrill ride selection as well with Scream!, a coaster in which riders are strapped into a "flying chair" and raced upside down seven times at 65 mph.

The stunningly beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall, First Street and Grand Avenue (tel. 323/850-2000), design by world-renowned architect Frank O. Gehry, now offers 45-minute self-guided audio walking tours narrated by actor John Lithgow.

I'm not sure if they consulted the Singing Cowboy on this one, but the Autry Museum of Western Heritage has been renamed the Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way (tel. 323/667-2000). It's still one of the country's finest and most comprehensive museums of the American West.

Red Line Tours (tel. 323/402-1074) is now offering two 90-minute great walking tours of Downtown L.A.: the Inside Historic Downtown L.A. tour and the Contemporary Downtown L.A. tour, which includes the new Walt Disney Concert Hall

Paramount Pictures, 5555 Melrose Ave. (tel. 323/956-1777), the only major studio still located in Hollywood, is once again offering a 2-hour walking tour around its Hollywood headquarters on a first-come, first-served basis, giving visitors a real-life, behind-the-scenes look at working movie and television facilities in day-to-day operation.

I've also added a few fun day trips, including visiting scenic Topanga Canyon, where the itinerary includes guided horseback riding, great shopping for vintage clothes and accessories, and plenty of cold margaritas; betting on the horses while enjoying a picnic in the infield of the historic Santa Anita Racetrack, 285 W. Huntington Dr., Arcadia (tel. 626/574-7223); and spending the day lounging under a big oak while watching polo matches at the Will Rogers Polo Club, 1501 Will Rogers State Park Rd., Pacific Palisades (tel. 310/573-5000).

On a final note, the Griffith Observatory is still closed for a major renovation and expansion, and probably won't reopen until 2006. However, a temporary Griffith Observatory Satellite, located just south of the Los Angeles Zoo at 4800 Western Heritage Way (tel. 323/664-1181), hosts planetarium shows and provides a telescope to view the moon and planets at night.

Shopping

This year I enlisted my resident L.A. shopping expert, Tracy Larrua, to fill me in on all the hot new stores. There are far too many new entries to list here, but some highlights include: the new TASCHEN bookstore in Beverly Hills, 354 N. Beverly Dr. (tel. 310/274-4300), displaying a wide selection of art, design, and erotic books within a dramatic interior by French designer celebre Philippe Starck; Cloud's, 2719 Main St. (tel. 310/399-2059), where you'll find the most heavenly scented candles; Arts & Letters, 2665 Main St. (tel. 310/314-7345), a stationery haven that includes invitations by the owner herself, Marilyn Golin; Sun Precautions, 1600 Montana Ave. (tel. 310/451-5858), specializing in 100% UV protection apparel; and GR2, 2062 Sawtelle Blvd. (tel. 310/445-9276), and Giant Robot, 2015 Sawtelle Blvd. (tel. 310/478-1819), two Japantown stores specializing in Asian-American pop-culture items ranging from T-shirts and books to music, stationery, and toys.

I've also added new stores along my favorite shopping street, Abbot Kinney Boulevard: For one-of-a-kind designed jewelry (aka "metals with an edge"), check out Nagual, 1326 Abbott Kinney Blvd. (tel. 310/396-8500). Strange Invisible Perfumes, 1209 Abbot Kinney Blvd. (tel. 310/314-1505), can make a custom scent to match your own. Firefly, 1413 Abbot Kinney Blvd. (tel. 310/450-6288), is one store you can go into to find that great baby gift, stationery, books, quirky handbags, and clothing.

And, of course, there's always a new mall to include. The Westside Pavilion, 10800 West Pico Blvd. (tel. 310/474-6255), located on the west side of Los Angeles, attracts a very fashion-conscious crowd with a taste for the finest in women's fashions, handbags, and shoes. It boasts a roster of more than 160 specialty shops and its own Westside Pavilion Cinemas.

After Dark

I'll tell you, there's no shortage of weird and wonderful in this city. I finally checked out a few late-night L.A. legends I've been wanting to visit, such as World on Wheels, 4645-1/2 Venice Blvd., at San Vicente Blvd. (tel. 323/933-3333), a cavernous roller rink (ca. 1970s) with sparkly disco balls where guest DJs spin disco, classic, Top 40, and gospel roller boogie. You can even drink beer while you skate and bowl. Karaoke Night at the Farmers Market, 6333 W. Third St. (tel. 323/549-2140), is another insider hotspot where talented wannabes meet and compete at an open-air beer-and-wine bar (it's a surreal scene). On Friday nights, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist legend Jon Brion plays at Largo, 432 N. Fairfax Ave. (tel. 323/852-1073), making up songs on the spot, usually from titles shouted from the audience.

Other nightclubs I've included are The Avalon Hollywood, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood (tel. 323/462-8900), a good place to imbibe, dance, and cavort until the wee hours of the morning; Babe's & Ricky's Inn, 4339 Leimert Blvd., Leimert Park (tel. 323/295-9112), where great blues guitarists are the rule, not the exception; and Nacional, 1645 Wilcox Ave., Hollywood (tel. 323/962-7712), the hottest dance floor in Hollywood and a magnet for the hip and gorgeous crowd.

As for cool bars, newcomers to this edition include Hank's Bar, 840 S. Grand Ave. (tel. 213/396-7718), a classic Downtown watering hole on the ground floor of the Stillwell Hotel with battered booths and well-liquored patrons; and The Standard Downtown, 550 S. Flower St. (tel. 213/892-8080), an ultrahip rooftop hotel bar where lovely ladies sip exotic cocktails amid waterbeds and bent-plastic loungers.

And be sure to catch a movie at the "The World's Most Private Public Theater," the new ArcLight Cinemas, 6360 W. Sunset Blvd. (tel. 323/464-4226), where each seat is reserved in advance, ushers keep it quiet, late arrivals are forbidden, and there's even a full bar and lounge serving appetizers.

Side Trips from LA

Everything new in the side trips chapter is all about romance and adventure, starting with The Sky Room restaurant in Long Beach, 40 S. Locust Ave. (tel. 562/983-2703). You'll get a sense of what fine dining must have been like during Hollywood's Golden Age at this romantic retro supper club, where spiffily dressed doormen in top hats and coattails escort arriving diners to the penthouse-level restaurant.

Farther south in Laguna Beach is a spectacular new 30-acre resort called Montage, 30801 South Coast Hwy. (tel. 888/715-6700). This neo-Craftsman-style hotel and spa is right on the beach, and everything about it is spacious, immaculate, tasteful, and expensive -- but worth the splurge.

Also new to this edition is the San Ysidro Ranch, 900 San Ysidro Lane (tel. 800/368-6788), near Santa Barbara. Considered one of the most romantic destinations in the world, it's been a hideaway for the rich and famous for decades and was the honeymoon retreat for John and Jackie Kennedy.

As for the adventure part, I risked my life to review Barnstorming Adventures (tel. 800/759-5667), an aviation company in Carlsbad that gives nonpilots the chance to fly in a 1920s-era biplane ride and to actually fly -- as in, control the stick -- a World War II fighter plane. Other toys on the tarmac include a pair of modern prop-driven dogfighters that you fly as well, and a beautifully restored Beech Belle C-45 WWII transport plane that seats eight.