Eating & Sleeping
Newport Beach 2
5 Crab Cooker Seafood $$
(%949-673-0100; http://www.crabcooker.com; 2200
Newport Blvd; mains $11-30; h11am-9pm
Sun-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat; c) Expect to wait
for a heaping paper plate of fresh seafood
at this red-and-white vinyl tablecloth joint, a
1950s landmark. Don’t miss the delish chowder,
loaded with clams.
Sunset Beach
5 Harbor House Café American $$
(www.harborhousecafe.com; 16341 Pacific Coast
Hwy; mains $6-19; h24hr; c) High-school
skaters, beach bums and old-timers mix under
ramshackle walls slapped with movie posters at
this classic neon-lit roadside diner, a quick drive
north of HB.
Venice 4
5 Abbot’s Pizza Company Pizzeria $
(www.abbotspizzaco.com; 1407 Abbot Kinney
Blvd; slices $3-5, pizzas $12-29; h11am-11pm
Sun-Thu, to midnight Fri & Sat; c) Join the flip-
flops crowd at this shoebox-sized pizza kitchen
for habit-forming gourmet bagel-crust pies.
4 Hotel Erwin Boutique Hotel $$$
(%310-452-1111, 800-786-7789; http://www.jdvhotels.
com; 1697 Pacific Ave; r $239-399; aiW)
Steps from the beach, chic rooms feature
contemporary art and honor bars holding
sunglasses and retro sodas. The rooftop sunset
lounge makes up for traffic noise.
Santa Barbara 6
5 Jeannine’s Bakery Café Cafe $$
(http://jeannines.com; 1253 Coast Village Rd;
mains $9-13; h6:30am-4pm Mon-Thu, 6:30am-
4:30pm Fri, 7am-4:30pm Sat & Sun) Nab a table
on the outdoor patio and watch socialites stroll
past. From-scratch kitchen goodness includes
challah French toast with bananas caramelized
in Kahlua.4 Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel $$$
(%805-969-2261; http://www.fourseasons.com/
santabarbara; 1260 Channel Dr; r from $425;
aiWsc) Armani swimsuits and Gucci
sunglasses abound at pretty sunset-view
Butterfly Beach, hidden below this discrete
clifftop luxury hotel built in the Roaring
Twenties.Hollywood 8
5 Musso & Frank Grill Steakhouse $$$
(%323-467-7788; http://www.mussoandfrank.com;
6667 Hollywood Blvd; mains $8-40; h11am-
11pm Tue-Sat) Movie-star history hangs thick in
the air at Hollywood Blvd’s oldest eatery, where
waiters balance platters of steaks, chops and
pastas. Service is smooth – so are the martinis.5 Pink’s Fast Food $
(www.pinkshollywood.com; 709 N La Brea Ave;
dishes $3.50-8; h9:30am-2am Sun-Thu, to 3am
Fri & Sat) Everyday folks have been queuing
here for the specialty hot dogs named after
celebrities since 1939. Lines get long, especially
late at night.4 Magic Castle Hotel Motel $$
(%323-851-0800, 800-741-4915; http://www.
magiccastlehotel.com; 7025 Franklin Ave; d inclbreakfast from $135; (^) aWsc) Renovated
apartment building with family-friendly
courtyard suites also gives guests access to a
private magic club. Cool!
4 Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel $$$
(%323-466-7000, 800-950-7667; http://www.
hollywoodroosevelt.com; 7000 Hollywood Blvd;
r from $249; aiWs) Hosting elite players
since the first Academy Awards were held here
in 1929, the reborn Roosevelt pairs a palatial
Spanish lobby with sleek rooms and a rockin’
poolside and after-dark social scene.
SOUTHERN.CALIFORNIA.
29
.SOCAL POP CULTURE