L.A. STORIES — PART TWO

What will I remember most about the second half of our L.A. trip?

Our week visiting my mother-in-law Ruth was so jammed packed with eats and mini-trips about town that I’ll only show you part of it now, but there are some real doozies here.

Highlight One. The Real Estate.

The drives around town, taking in all the spectacular homes in Beverly Hills and Hollywood Hills and beyond loom large in my memory; the winding Mulholland Drive with the spectacular views and stomach-turning drops left a strong imprint on me.

Same so the long, leisurely drives around the nicer parts of the neighborhood; the economy of movement in a condo stay makes one hungry for activities outside and adventures around town.

L.A. is such a funny place– wealth is rampant but there are different ways people to choose to live with it.

Some put it proudly on display, and the visuals can be stunning.

Coming from such a verdant place, it was stunning to see how dry everything looked — and yet even with some evidence of the drought, the eye candy was everywhere.

Some of the houses look old-world, like a Chateau or part of a grand estate.

Some houses are just grandiose.

To me, this one screamed “I AM IMPORTANT. BOW BEFORE ME, MINIONS.”

And then there are the houses that seemed just right.

This house was even deeper than it was long, but walking by it, it looked lovely and lux, but also homey— if that can be said about a house with probably a dozen bedrooms.

Oh, and the roses wrapped around the white picket fence? Swoon-inducing.

And these are the houses on display.

It’s fun to imagine the estates behind the hedges or down the long arbor-lined private driveways.

These kind of hedges in this section of L.A. are everywhere.

On the drive down Mulholland I saw an elaborate gold gate that probably cost more than my Portland house, and the most fleeting of glimpses of the estate beyond looked like Versailles.

I wasn’t envious — just intrigued. Who? What? How? And Why?

And because we are who we are, there was a lot more deliciousness to be found.

A second highlight on this trip was finding two new discoveries in Beverly Hills.

The first find was a place called Sugarfina.

A reader (and friend of my sister’s) named Lori alerted me to this small chain of candy boutiques and even astutely surmised my location by my last post — and founded me the closest one to our nest.

Thanks, Lori!

When I read that Yelpers called Sugarfina The Tiffany of candy shops, I knew I had to check it out.

From what I’ve gathered, Sugarfina gathers some of the finest candies in the world and then packages them up in the most stunning way.

Although a few candies are available in tiny bags for purchase, most of the candy is available only in small acrylic boxes which can be purchased separately or added to a Tiffany blue box (they come in different sizes) for what they call “candy bento.”

There is every kind of small confectionery you can imagine, from mini caramels and dark chocolate enrobed nuts and fruits to the world’s most sought-after black licorice — and more.

All the candies are tiny, and pristinely packaged.

There are gummies and chews and many wee wonders.

Just take a look at these lovelies from France.

These delicate sugar discs reminded me of Monet’s Water Lillies.

Don’t they look just like the serene settings depicted in his Giverny watercolors?

Charlotte and I spent a half hour in this jewel box of a shop, ooh-ing and ah-ing over every single detail, allowing ourselves to be treated to samples on gleaming silver trays with silver tongs and succumbing to the candy reverie.

This was a twelve foot high display, all made up of 2 inch high candy boxes, and it was stunning to see it from both far away and close up.

We picked the size of box we wanted to buy, and then we needed to decide which candies we wanted to put in it.

This last choice was based on looks alone; sure, there were many gummies, caramels, and assorted fruit candies that could fit the last spot, but only one was this starkly beautiful.

Imported from Japan, these candies caught the light and shimmered in the most lovely, calming tones. This holiday I think I will make a shortbread or butter cookie worthy of their glimmer atop.

Gloriously feminine little sugar crystal stars, these Kyoto blossoms look like stalagmites from heaven.

And here’s how our box looked all put together.

I think I will save it for Christmas and give it to myself as a present (I can’t wait to dig into it).

Okay, that’s Beverly Hills Find No. 1.

Find No. 2 was a place called Lemonade.

I gather it’s now a chain in the area, but I cannot believe that in the twelve years I’ve been visiting my mother-in-law I’ve not been to one of their cafes before now.

It’s an interesting concept; in their new cookbook, they refer to their places as modern day cafeterias.

Order from the counter any of one of twelve or so highly inventive prepared salads,

and if you’re still hungry, pick larger sides in hot station (with choices ranging from buttermilk fried chicken to ahi towers, like this one).

Or skip those two first stations altogether and go straight for the braises and soups on the other end.

I loved this place so much that I went twice in three days — once trying the above tuna tower alongside a shaved Brussel sprout salad (interestingly, with dates and almonds) and a chicken and green bean salad (both fiery and pleasingly coconut-y)…

… and the other day I got their famous miso beef short ribs and mashed potatoes with an arugula, blue cheese and pecan salad on the side.

Magnificent.

They even make eight kinds of their signature drink; both their Cucumber-Mint Lemonade and the Blood Orange was mouth-wateringly refreshing and vibrantly flavored.

BEST LEMONADE EVER.

Oh, and Seasoned Kettle Chips?

Only if you insist.

I think if I lived in L.A., I might just give up cooking altogether and just sign my paychecks over to this chain.

They do such a bang-up job — and I can’t wait to get their cookbook and try some of the recipes on my own.

Okay, time to wrap it up — we just made it back into town and a million chores await.

Stay tuned for the final L.A. update in a couple days.

I haven’t yet told you about the lobster rolls, the fried clams, the other amazing food shop we frequented — and yes, even the Ice Cream Laboratory in which ice cream was made on the spot (who knew liquid nitrogen could be so much fun?)

A special thanks to all the people who wrote me privately to tell me their favorite places in L.A.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving All!