California Winery Visits

I am planning a quick jaunt out west to visit the kosher wineries (Herzog, Four Gates, Covenant, Brobdingnagian, Hagafen and Shirah). Planning to do it in three days mid-week toward end of August. Other than eating at Tierra Sur for lunch and dinner the day I visit Herzog, I have no plans. Given that I have never been to California, any planning suggestions/recommendations for lodging, transportation (current plan is flying into LAX, then flying to SFO but was considering the scenic driving route - driving from LA to SF - thoughts) and eating would be most welcome/appreciated!

Leave lots of time for Four Gates. It's more than just a winery you drop by at for an hour or two--you'll have a great time with Benyo.

Nice trip... OK, restaurant recommendations for California:

San Francisco: Shangri-La, 2026 Irving St. Between 21st & 22nd Ave. This is a real chinese AND kosher vegetarian restaurant, very inexpensive with very good food. It is owned and run by non-jewish chinese people and carries also a kosher certification (at least it used to have one in October 2010, dunno about now but don't think it has changed since) but is open on shabbat. I had 3 meals there and enjoyed very much.

Los Angeles:

Fine dining:

Shiloh's, 8939 W. Pico Boulevard in the famous Pico-Robertson area. shilosrestaurant.com - My favorite together with Tierra Sur. Gastro pub burger, Parve blue-cheese crusted beef filet, head cheese, tarte flambee... And yes Yossie, even there in LA the owners are French!

La Seine - The restaurant row, corner of La Cienega and Wilshire blvds. Opened early 2011, http://www.laseinebg.com/ Some very good food, nice design. The service is a bit slow and reservation is recommended.

The famous Pat's, also on Pico is ok but a bit stuck in the 90's...

Milk n' Honey: Also on Pico, a bit old-schoolish but great pizzas (the one with the sun-dried tomatoes is amazing).

Milky Way - still Pico, Lea Adler, Steven Spielberg's mom's restaurant. The food (dairy) is ok but it's more for Miss Adler...

Kolah Farangi - if you're interested into kosher persian cuisine. Not bad but nothing to write home about.

Re: hotels, if you want a 5 stars I might be able to arrange for a discount at The Peninsula in Beverly Hills depending on occupancy.

Enjoy your trip, looking forward to read the reports...

GG

In LA

one must go to La Gondola for a fancy meal that is awesome.

Jeffs grill for the only real BBQ experience in the Jewish zone

& Fish Grill for the best value. $12.99 Salmon plates that are Mesquite BBQ

In LA

one must go to La Gondola for a fancy meal that is awesome.

Jeffs grill for the only real BBQ experience in the Jewish zone

& Fish Grill for the best value. $12.99 Salmon plates that are Mesquite BBQ

La Gondola (Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills): Been there 3 times. 1st was very nice, the next two were disappointing.

Jeffs Grill: Not great. I love Pico Kosher Deli (PKD) one or 2 blocks away. Get the awesome Renee's Hot Roast Beef Special sandwich!

Fish grill (corner Beverwil and Pico): Not pricey but nothing special.

I think I should calm down by now, Yossie will have only one or 2 meals in LA so that's already quite a lot to pick from... Perhaps some of this thread should be moved to the food forum.

GG

In LA

one must go to La Gondola for a fancy meal that is awesome.

Jeffs grill for the only real BBQ experience in the Jewish zone

& Fish Grill for the best value. $12.99 Salmon plates that are Mesquite BBQ

La Gondola (Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills): Been there 3 times. 1st was very nice, the next two were disappointing.

Jeffs Grill: Not great. I love Pico Kosher Deli (PKD) one or 2 blocks away. Get the awesome Renee's Hot Roast Beef Special sandwich!

Fish grill (corner Beverwil and Pico): Not pricey but nothing special.

I think I should calm down by now, Yossie will have only one or 2 meals in LA so that's already quite a lot to pick from... Perhaps some of this thread should be moved to the food forum.

GG

Yes for Deli PKD is the Best..

Like the Pastrami Salad or Pastrami Sandiwich.. Nice big stack

In LA

La Gondola (Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills): Been there 3 times. 1st was very nice, the next two were disappointing.

GG

Gotta agree, La Gondola isn't what it used to be... LA has amazing sushi but I can't remember what the place is called.

Yossie: Was in LA a couple of weeks ago. best pastrami I had was at Jeff's Gourmet on Pico. Only problem was that it was served on a French roll instead of rye, but the meat was better than at the Pico Deli.

If you have any time in the SF area, would love to meet you. Driving up is nice, but on the quick route (Int. 5) it still takes at least 6-7 hours and on the other routes much more. With only 3 days you don't have much time for distance driving.

In the SF area we have only a couple of kosher restaurants and Shangri-La (Chinese vegetarian) is the best IMO.

I live in LA, used to live in the Bay area. Here, I have heard good things about Beverly Hills Thai (RCC), which is a true, Thai owned Thai restaurant, and I dearly want to take my family there (we will do so when my youngest son gets back from doing a SEED program in Atlanta, before my daughter leaves for seminary in Israel). I have heard good things about Mexikosher, but the time I ate there, the food was copious and mediocre. I think Pat's does grilled meats as well as anyone, but their braises I'm not as into. La Gondola is nothing, haven't eaten at any of the French bistro-style restaurants, and not much interests me at this point except for Beverly Hills Thai. I have heard some good things about Nana's cafe (dairy). Of course, I love Jeff's (evidently unlike some here), and I especially love their sausages. Not a PKD person. LA is known for its Jewish-style pastrami at Langers, supposed to be the best in the USA, but of cours e it isn't kosher. Not impressed with the sushi anywhere here- all uniformly ordinary. I have had some good burgers in LA, at various places. Fish Grill is not what it used to be, which was a very good value. If they didn't overcook the fish, you might end up with a nice, cheap meal. OF course, Tierra Sur, if you're up for it. It excites, but it's expensive. Only had Todd's food at the Herzog thing, because I can't afford to go, but I'm a big believer in him and his culinary approach. Often, he's not on site anymore.

Up north, where you eat depends upon which hechsher you trust. Sometimes, it comes out to which mashgiach you trust, in the case of what you perceive to be marginal hashgachas. Everyone trusts the Vaad of the Bay Area. Otherwise, who knows? I have nothing to add.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I am only going to be in LAone day and, given its reputation, am planning on having both lunch and dinner at Tierra Sur so I think I'm good for LA (unless someone has any great breakfast recommendations for Santa Monica before I head to LAX for my flight to Sonoma...

Other thanShangri-LA in San Fran, there doesn't seem to be much so it looks like I will bring some snacks with me. Only going for three days total, so I should be fine.

Really appreciate al the suggestions!

Yossie, I assume from the phrasing of the first sentence that you're interested in kosher attractions only, am I right?

Lior

Yup - thank you Lior

Not being Jewish, I have no recommendations for food or drink.
If you're thinking of driving from LA to SF, I'd strongly suggest taking Highway 1. (State highway 1, that is.) It's a beautiful, unhurried drive up 400 miles of some of the finest coastal views (in my arrogant opinion) in the world. Allow a good 12 hours. It's fully 400 miles and you will want to stop.
Hearst Castle is on the way, and if you want to stop there, it'll eat up another half a day. You'll go past old missions, the 17 Mile Drive in Carmel, Monterey, the San Luis Obispo wine area, Santa Barbara with its wine region nearby, and so much other stuff. Surfing? 41st Avenue in Santa Cruz is there. Seafood? Santa Barbara, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay/Princeton are just a few towns with really good seafood.

I do understand that you might have to fly. If you want to drive anyway and take I-5 (most of the way), it's about 9 hours of total boredom. I'd rather fly, and I just love to drive.