John and I are foodies. We admit it. We love a cool restaurant with great food and a cool atmosphere. We love all kinds of restaurants and we've been to our fair share. This list will be a bit of a hodgepodge because, as my brother-in-law put it "One nice thing about being middle class is you can go to Denny's and The Tam 'o Shanter and enjoy them both equally." There's bound to be something here to fit your taste and your budget.

Click on THE LIST to see the complete list of JLM Restaurant Picks

If you feel like having Thai food and an uptown experience without going into LA, try Chadaka Thai.

Chadaka Thai
$$
Burbank, CA
http://www.chadaka.com/

It's trendy, vibe and tasty.

I recommend:

Sate
Chicken or beef skewered, marinated in coconut milk and spices, served with peanut dipping sauce and cucumber relish.

Tom Kha
Aromatic coconut soup with cilantro, galanga, lemongrass and mushrooms.

I had lunch with my friend, Jessica, here the other day. Loved it! Thanks Jess!!

Aroma Cafe
$$
Studio City, CA
http://www.aromacoffeeandtea.com/

It's cozy, quaint and trendy. Lunch was fantastic and I hear their famous cakes are delicious. There is outdoor, garden-style seating wrapped all around the building and a great little bookstore inside.

I recommend:

Turkey Hummus Melt
Sliced Carolina turkey breast, aged cheddar, hummus, basil and your choice of bread


Guess who else likes to eat there? Corbin Bernsen!! He was leaving as we were coming. Currently, Corbin plays "Henry Spencer" on one of my favorite shows - Psych

♫ Roy! Roy, Roy Roy! ♫

Roy's
$$$$
Rancho Mirage, CA
http://www.roysrestaurant.com/

To quote my pastor, Rick Holland, "It will change your life!" Roy's is Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine that features "fresh ingredients, assertive flavors, deliciously wrapped in a Hawaiian state of mind." I agree. The atmosphere is relaxed, tropical and classy, the food....exquisite.

We recommend:

The Seasonal Prix Fixe Menu - $35 for 3 courses!
Choose 1 of each course
Appetizers
Grilled Hawaiian Satay Skewers 
 Curried Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Miso Eggplant & Shrimp with Wasabi Dipping Sauce

Entrée
"Pulehu" Style Hawaiian Barbecued Sirlion
 Sake deglazed with a Green Peppercorn Sauce

Grilled Tiger Shrimp
 with Asparagus & Shiitake Mushroom Risotto

Cracked Black Peppercorn Crusted Salmon Steak
 with a Caramelized Maui Onion Pale Ale Sauce

Dessert
Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé
 Flourless Chocolate Cake with a Molten Hot Center served à la Mode

I ♥ Brazilian BBQ

Picanha Churrascaria
$$$$
Burbank/Palm Desert, CA
http://www.picanharestaurant.com/

If you've never been to a Churrascaria before, what you need to know is that you should come starving. I mean haven't eaten for a couple of days starving. You see, the way it works is that everyone has a disc at their table with a green side and a red side. After you've gotten your sides from the fresh salad bar and you're ready for your meat, turn the disc to the green side and enjoy as the servers bring delicioius meat after meat after meat to your table and carve it at your table. When you need a break (trust me you will) you just turn the disc to the red side and the servers skip your table until you turn your disc great again. This is not just going out to eat - it's going out for an eating experience.

The bill is pretty steep, unless you tally up all the food that's available - another reason to come starving.

Excerpts from the website

There is no menu at Picanha; it’s all you can eat. Choices include a salad bar featuring over two dozen selections and a hot food buffet with soups, feijoade (black beans), mashed potatoes and rice. Lamb, beef, pork, chicken and Brazilian sausage are prepared on a three-level rotisserie grill, skewered on swords and carved continuously until a patron cannot eat another morsel.Beware of the basket of the pao de queijo, the soft, slightly sweet Brazilian bread filled with cheese. These small nuggets are fabulous but might dull the appetite for the treats ahead. Also don’t fill up on marinated hearts of palm, fresh tabbouleh, chicken and potato salad, grilled vegetables, tomatoes with fresh mozzarella.

Saddle Peak Lodge
$$$$
Calabasas, CA
http://www.saddlepeaklodge.com/


This rustic, hunting lodge style restaurant was highly recommended to me. Apparently they specialize in gourmet wild game. The menu looks delicious and delightful, definitely on the spendy side. I think we'll do brunch the first go 'round.

No plans to go yet, but can't wait!



Vibrato Grill Jazz
$$$$
Bel Air, CA
http://www.vibratogrilljazz.com/


Audra found this super cool Jazz club up in the hills in Bel Air. We stopped by to see what it's like inside and are SUPER excited to go back and try the food. The atmosphere was warm and cozy and the music was great! It was definitely a Bel Air crowd and they seemed to know that we were not from Bel Air, but that won't stop us!

I just found out that Herb Alpert owns this place!

Our new favorite place that we recently discovered (thank you Ryan and Michelle!) is Chaya in Beverly Hills.

It's French-Asian Fusion or as John called it, Frasion.



Chaya Brasserie
$$$$
Beverly Hills, CA
http://www.thechaya.com/bhindex.htm

The restaurant decor is a cool sophisticated Japanese feel. The main dining room has very tall ceilings and an open floor plan. A cluster of tall bamboo juts out of the center of the room and on the walls are hung various Japanese artifacts and paintings. There is an outdoor patio that looks very inviting, but we haven't been seated out there yet. The food is FANTASTIC.

We recommend:

The Grilled Filet Mignon in a Black Truffle Sauce and Potato Filled Soba Crêpes

The Roasted Sliced Venison with Black Peppercorn Sauce and Chestnut Purée & Champignon

The Pan-Roasted King Salmon with Pinot Noir Sauce and Slow Roasted Baby Beets, Brussels Sprouts, Winter Root Vegetable Goat Cheese Purée

The Seared Bluefin Tuna with Ginger Plum Wine Sauce with Broccoli Rabe, Shrimp Spring Roll & Wasabi Risotto

The Lobster Ravioli with Basil Pesto Cream Sauce

BEST BREAD PUDDING EVER!!
Warm Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding and Caramel Ice Cream

This section is for restaurants that we recommend you DON'T go to.

First on the list

The Asian Tasty
Home Depot Plaza
San Fernando, CA
--The owners are definitely playing fast and loose with the word "tasty"