Quality Lulu’s restaurants near your holiday location

Excellent Lulu’s restaurant near your holiday destination? The menu is designed, in part, by the legendary Alice Waters of Chez Panisse in Berkeley (although the kitchen is led by Bay Area cookbook author David Tanis). Which explains the seasonally rotating menu, words like “regenerative food sourcing” and “organic agriculture” that pop up on their website, and the overall focus on California cuisine. Although there are prix-fixe menus at both lunch and dinner, we prefer to use Lulu as a snack break, a nice place to eat Weiser Farm melons draped in prosciutto, handfuls of toasted almonds, or a big ol’ hunk of parmesan cheese. Because while larger dishes, like rigatoni and squash blossoms or a steak brushed with tomato-y Romesco sauce, aren’t bad, they can be a bit snoozy. Find additional information at find a Lulu restaurant.

Conscious of its location within a museum, the stripped-down food and ever-so-slightly rustic atmosphere take pains to not distract from the pieces within the Hammer’s walls. Lulu could have felt like just another traveling collection visiting the museum, which frantically rotates from displaying centuries-old works to platforming emerging contemporary artists. Avoiding this pitfall, the restaurant instead heightens the Hammer’s clean, marble exterior, with its simple gray ceramic dishes – made by alumnus Shoshi Watanabe – and soothing green cushions accented by existing red metal lanterns and textile touches over the bar.

Those seeking a raucous time may like to drop by Jumbo’s Clown Room. This small, red-and-black bar has been around since the ’70s and has become something of a Los Angeles institution. These days, it’s famous as a bikini bar, with talented dancers and contortionists conquering the stage nightly. Performers choose songs on an old jukebox, with song selections including metal, ’90s alt-rock, and ’70s and ’80s throwbacks. Guests may not take pictures, and tips for dancers are expected. It’s hard to explain what the Museum of Jurassic Technology is exactly. It isn’t organized in any logical way, and some of the information may not be entirely true. Yet it’s one of the most fascinating museums in LA, containing a surreal assemblage of seemingly unrelated objects. There is a collection of very, very tiny sculptures, each made from a strand of hair; a room full of letters sent to the Mount Wilson Observatory; a gallery consisting solely of paintings of dogs who were involved in the Soviet Space Program; decaying dice from magician Ricky Jay; and a Russian tea room where human guests share the space with unusually tame birds.

The Balboa Fun Zone is a family destination located on East Bay Avenue on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach. Built in 1936 by Al Anderson, the attraction began with a small beach and a Ferris Wheel. The area was rebuilt in 1986 but went into decline until a new owner began reviving the Fun Zone in 1994. Today the area includes Balboa Village with its beach, boardwalks, hotel, restaurants and shops. Amusement rides include an 18 foot tall bungee ride called Ocean Motion, the Ferris Wheel, Fish Pipe, Burt the Bull Shark, and many others. Other attractions include the historic 1905 Balboa Pavilion, arcades, harbor cruises, and more.

On opening day, heart-warming dishes took center stage, such as a $12 hearty black bean soup that was spiced so smoothly its flavors melded into one. Its portion size was larger and its taste significantly more rewarding than the more expensive, smaller eggplant “banh mi” that was placed within a focaccia exterior. Typically served with a Vietnamese baguette, the twist on a Vietnamese dish failed to fuse with its overpoweringly smoky eggplant and clashing textures. The crunch of the focaccia wasn’t as forgiving as the traditional baguette and felt discordant with the much softer eggplant. Balanced in the middle were the pickled vegetable toppings, which emerged as the dish’s saving grace and were one of the few features that remained true to the banh mi’s original form. See additional details at lulusoceansidegrill.com.