Wilson

You wouldn't guess it, but Wilson on Washington Blvd. in Culver City is an epicurean dream with a retro flare. I've had my eye on this place (and their menu) for several months - certainly predating eatingoutla, and had a date here with Chase last night. He had browsed an online menu somewhere and was really looking forward to a sausage dish he had seen, but it wasn't on the menu when we arrived. We started with a glass of wine (I wasn't crazy about either the pinot grigio or the saviognon blanc Chase had) and paired it with a sea bass carpaccio. The sea bass was a little tougher than I would have liked, but perhaps that's just the nature of the fish. For our entrees we shared the fig & potato tortelli with brown-butter sage sauce and the Dungeness crab mac & cheese with four or five cheeses (I was a little tipsy when I ordered and this dish is not listed on the online menu). I really only wanted one tortelli because I was so in love with the mac & cheese. Chef Wilson's choice of noodle was a penne so it really didn't feel like eating mac & cheese at all. We finished off the evening with a lemon cake topped by merengue and a Wilson cocktail. The cake was a little dry for me, but the cocktail was just right! It was a mixture of tequila, blackberry lemonade, triple sec, and pineapple juice in a sugar-rimmed martini glass. The restaurant seems really small from the front with their small front patio and interior, but there are several more tables in the back. The space maintains the theme of the neighboring architecture museum and is overall a really laid back atmosphere with a great menu.

http://www.wilsonfoodandwine.com/menus.html

Luna Park

Thinking that Luna Park on La Brea and Wilshire was too expensive, Griffin and I had avoided dining here in the past. However, after a recent trip, we have discovered that we were wrong and the menu prices are actually pretty decent. On our last visit we started with the goat cheese fondue which comes with Granny Smith apple slices and warm, crispy grilled French bread slices. We love goat cheese, and this dish is phenomenal. It's definitely something you'll crave when you are still thinking about it a few weeks later. For our main dish, we ordered the El Camarone pizza to share, topped with Rock shrimp, chili flakes, aioli, Parmesan and baby arugula. Though we were somewhat wary of ordering shrimp on pizza, it was delicious! Apparently seafood pizzas are pretty popular overseas I found out later from a totally unrelated conversation. We weren't sure if the one pizza would be enough to fill both of us, but we ate until we were full and we still had leftovers to take home. For a $12 gourmet pizza, that's really a better deal than most chain pizza joints. We were so full we didn't even have room for desert, but we had been here before just to get the ever popular tableside smores. Yum! For this camping favorite, they bring out a small pot of melted marshmallow and also provide you with all the other necessary ingredients to make a great smore. Perfect little graham crackers and chocolates on a plate at your table eager to be anointed by the creamy marshmallow melt. If you prefer your mallows burned, this might be a little too gooey for you, but it will certainly fill anyone with a sense of nostalgia from their days as a cub scout. Other honorable mentions on the dessert menu that I am yet to try include deep fried apple pies smothered in caramel, coconut creme brulee, and Valentino pie (blackberry chocolate pie with a graham cracker crust). In the ways of additional entrees, Luna Park is largely known for being a hot lunch spot serving up great gourmet burgers. Pizzas, pastas, and Continental fare comprise the dinner menu and even the most expensive item is just under $20, with the glazed short ribs coming in at $19.50. For other entrees expect to spend around $15 per person. There are lots of metered spots on the street around Luna Park, but they offer a reasonably priced valet. Best of all if you don't feel like going out, Luna Park delivers!

http://www.lunaparkla.com/index.asp