photo taken by Jen Maiser at the Santa Monica Farmers Market

I’m heading to LA today to visit some dear friends and take care of a few business meetings.  Every time I plan to travel, I spend far too much time researching new restaurants and adventurous chefs that are spicing things up.   We have so many great restaurants in NYC but, as it has been said many times before, there is just something different about California cuisine.

Here are some of the restaurants I’d like to try:

Rustic Canyon:  Their menu is Farmers’ Market-inspired dishes with ingredients that come from local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen who practice sustainable agriculture.  I feel like we don’t have enough of these kind of restaurants in NYC.

Huckleberry Cafe:  I’d get the Cumin roasted baby carrot salad with avocado, mixed greens and a citrus vinaigrette

Animal:  Look at this menu.

Fig: On their menu they list what produce has “just arrived,” what’s “in peak season” and what is “coming soon.”  I’d sit at the communal table and order the local halibut with ramps, fava beans and a morel jus.

Lucques:  I think the Sunday Supper sounds like a perfect way to end the weekend and begin a week.

I won’t have time to visit all the places I discovered but they’ll certainly go on a list for the next visit.  However, one thing is for certain: a visit to the Santa Monica Farmers market.  They have the most amazing produce.  It makes me wish I had a farm, just so I could grow the beauties they do.