Another fabulous trip to LaLa Land. Love it here and enjoy it more and more every visit. This time around I stayed with a good friend who lives right in Hollywood. A change for me as I had been spending most of my time at the beach in the last couple of years. For those who have not visited LA, there is so much to do and see. Great hiking, amazing food, friendly people, and lots of sunshine. Hard to go wrong. Yes, there is traffic, and yes, lots of concrete, but there is so much to do, it's definitely worth more than a stopover. I still have so much to discover, like Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrored Room at the Broad, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, or having a picnic while watching a show at The Hollywood Bowl. However, this trip was just for hiking, sunshine, and, well.. eating. More for next time. :) Below are a few of my new favorite food spots.

Lindsay XO

Reupublique LA - Photo cred from Hypebeast.

Republique 624 La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles 310.362.6115

Beautiful space on La Brea, excellent service and delicious food. Fun wine list too. Excellent experience. Open daily from 8am if you only have time for a coffee and pastry. We went on a Monday at 8:45pm for dinner. The place was PACKED. Why I love big cities... Great vibe, delicious and innovative plates.

Son of a Gun 8370 W 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 323.782.9033

Incredible flavors and super fresh seafood in a nautically inspired dining room from the owners of Animal, another top LA joint. The yellowfin tuna with leche de tigre, avocado and tortilla was so good I ordered a second.

Hamachi at Son of a Gun: Galbi vinaigrette, pink lady apple, radish sprouts.

SQRL 720 N Virgil Avenue #4, Los Angeles 213.394.6526

Delightful little hot spot for breakfast or lunch or anything in between. Tried the Avocado toast piled high with pickled carrots, green garlic crème fraîche, wood sorrel and house za'atar as well as the white fish tartine with cauliflower baba ganoush, cucumbers and fennel fronds. Just the kind of menu I was looking for. Yum. Be prepared to wait under those beautiful cherry blossoms though, as the line up can get LONG. Alternatively you can call ahead to pick up, but experiencing the buzz is half the fun.

Lunch at SQRL: avocado toast and white fish tartine.

Birch 1634 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles 323.960.3369

Simple, elegant, clean yet interesting and harmonious menu. "Imagined" and interesting.

Lassens Natural Food Market 2080 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles 323.660.0052 (Silverlake) + multiple locations.

Loved this grocery store. Great pit stop after a hike for a juice and lunch to go. Fresh, clean and healthy. Friendly staff.

Happy hour with snacks from Erewhon. I think the chips and salsa verde were more expensive than the Champagne. But... ;)

Erewhon 7660 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles 323.937.0777 (Beverly Hills) + multiple locations.

The celebrity go-to organic food store and where I saw Jeremy Piven buying yogurt, oh wow. They're just like us you know.. This place was amazing for a health food lover like myself but unbelievably expensive and so crazy busy. Loved it anyway and our lunch to go was delicious! Worth the price tag and the chaos, I think...

Early evening buzz inside the rustic interiors of Gjelina.

Gjelina's mushroom toast - buttermilk crème fraîche, white wine, grilled bread & thyme.

Outdoor terrace space at Gjelina, Venice Beach.

Gjelina 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice 310.450.1429

If you are taking a trip to the beach, this restaurant is a must. Definitely one of my favorite dining spots. Every time I am in LA, I have to go here. It's always so good and the vibe is so great. If you don't manage to plan ahead and get a reservation they are open every day from 8 am until midnight so stop in and have a drink and a bite, or even breakfast or brunch. Some of my favorites are the squash blossom pizza, the Tuscan kale salad and the amazing mushroom toast (pictured). The menu is seasonal and ever changing but a few standby's seem to stick around, and the wine list is stellar. Always something new and fun to try. GTA (Gjelina Take Away) is next door in case you need a quick fix and not too far away down the street they have recently opened Gjusta, a fabulous bakery café.

Moroccan baked eggs, merguez, chili, tomato sauce, cilantro & spiced yogurt brunch at Gjelina.