a tale of two restaurants

There seems to be a mini-trend with Los Angeles restaurants; re-invigorating old, established eateries that either don't have a very good reputation for their food or have simply fallen off the radar but seem to stay in business because of their location or their age. The most recent examples are Gladstones, Saddle Peak Lodge and Inn of the Seventh Ray.

I recently had a friend visit so we tried two of these.

SADDLE PEAK LODGE

I'd heard a lot about this place, mostly how expensive it was. But a new chef came up with the idea of a happy hour menu that is a fraction of their normal prices along with half price drinks. It was superb! The menu is all about game so you can't be a vegetarian here. Now I want to go back for the weekend brunch.

Read the LA Times review here.

INN OF THE SEVENTH RAY

Don't bother! Our obnoxiously precocious waiter tried to explain how duck could be vegan, then let it slip that it was really tofu. The food was OK but not great. The prices were way too high. We probably won't go back.

Read the LA Times review here.

Still to visit is Gladstones, which has probably undergone the most extensive face-lift.