Eat Out. Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill.

The best sandwich I've had in recent memory was from Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill at L.A. Live.

From the lunch menu, it was roasted turkey, on grilled sourdough, with balsamic onions, and fontina cheese. And I ate it while driving--not actually driving, but riding in a car, with a boy. Not getting the sandwich to-go nor devouring it on the hectic 110 freeway could take away from its incredible flavors. I usually find turkey sandwiches so boring that I avoid them, but this one, I'd get again in a heartbeat.

The rest of the items on the menus look equally delicious. Creamy cauliflower soup with wild mushrooms and crispy parsley, almond crusted salmon with celery root puree and port-red wine sauce, dulce de leche parfait ... you get the idea.

Note: Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill does not have to-go cups for to-go drinks, but Lawry's Carvery (also at L.A. Live) does. And their turkey sandwiches are likely very good too.

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is located at 800 West Olympic Boulevard in downtown Los Angeles. Info: wolfgangpuck.com, (213) 748-9700

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: wolfgangpuck.com

Drink It. Sightglass Coffee.

Sometimes morning coffee at home is the simplest, most satisfying, and overall best way to start the week.

I recently bought a bag of classic Central American beans from San Francisco's Sightglass Coffee. It was roasted just days before it arrived in my mailbox, and the few cups I've enjoyed so far have been nothing short of delicious. I like to heat some milk in a ceramic mug first, then fill it up with steaming freshly brewed coffee.

Other favorites for home brewing:

Dean & Deluca French Roast

Stumptown Coffee Roasters French Roast (their Hair Bender blend in a limited edition jar may be my next Stumptown purchase though)

illy Dark Roast

next up:

something from Blue Bottle Coffee Co. (either the Giant Steps blend, Guatemala - Zemoch, or Mexico - Chiapas)

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Eat Out. Deluca's Italian Deli.

During an afternoon of shopping at Glendale's Americana at Brand on Saturday afternoon while the boys were at The Los Angeles Gun Club, Mrs. Elizabeth Katz (Hank's lovely sister) and I popped into Deluca's for a bite to eat.

I've been really wishing L.A. had Dean & Deluca lately, so I was quite excited to see what I hoped (and expected) was some form of the famed gourmet grocer. Unfortunately it's just a case of the same name, but this little spot isn't bad! The front of the shop has a deli case with several tasty-looking salads, then there's hot food, drinks (including Veuve Clicquot and 1/2 and full bottles of Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio), Italian treats (like panettone), and panini galore.

The Panino Vegetariano (pictured above), which we shared, was quite tasty and satisfying. It was warm, on grilled wheat bread, and the olive spread was especially delicious. My lemonade however was nothing special.

The bar-height wooden tables and stools were perfect for a casual lunch, and the atmosphere was pleasant. Also worth noting: they sell packages of sometimes-difficult-to-find garganelli pasta.

Deluca's Italian Deli is located at 781 Americana Way in Glendale, Calif. Info: delucasdeli.com, (877) 701-DELI.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Advance Notice. L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade.

After an impromptu yet long and decadent meal (cheese plate with honeycomb, soft-shell crab with grits and fried green tomatoes, chocolate bread pudding, a sidecar, and a greyhound) at the Hungry Cat the weekend before last, with the bill arrived with a postcard invitation to a cool-sounding charity event benefitting childhood cancer research.

L.A. Loves Alex's Lemonade is taking place Sunday November 7 at noon at the Culver Studios in Los Angeles. Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne (Lucques, AOC, Tavern), and David Lentz (the Hungry Cat) are bringing together top chefs for an afternoon of great food for a great cause.

While you can enjoy dishes by Giada De Laurentiis and Nancy Silverton, there will also be drinks by bartenders from the Varnish, Comme Ça, and of course, the Hungry Cat, among others. These are three L.A. institutions with seriously fresh, delicious cocktails.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation, founded by Alexandra Scott (1996-2004) raises money for childhood cancer research. She started with a lemonade stand, and stands are still part of how the foundation operates today.

Tickets aren't cheap ($150 and up) but it's all in the name of charity--and epicurean delights.

Info: alexslemonade.org, (610) 649-3034

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: desicuisine4u

Eat Out. The Mercantile.

Sunset Boulevard has a new restaurant that's something to be excited about. It opened late last year and is quite delicious. What's nice about the Mercantile is, it's gourmet fare in a casual setting.

Chau and I went on a recent weeknight evening with a great coupon from BlackboardEats, which gave us three-course prix fixe dinners for $20 each (drinks not included, and most glasses of wine are $10 and up). We both started with the endive and warm goat cheese salad (pictured above) which had a generous amount of goat cheese, fresh lettuce, dates, and smoked almonds. I totally cleaned my plate, it was a great salad. For our main courses, I had their gnocci (which I think is actually gnudi), and Chau went with their homemade sausage dish, which was Spanish chorizo. The only complaint I'd have is my portion was a bit small! And if that's the only complaint, a restaurant is in pretty good shape.

The restaurant/specialty market has a deli case of meats and cheeses that one can buy for take-away, as well as shelves stocked with wines and condiments such as pepper jelly. Next to the deli case, is an ice cream case with homemade gelato--course number three. After some samplings, Chau went for the white chocolate peppermint, and I for Nutella-banana. Both were flavorful and creamy, perfect gelato. While the check would have been heftier if not for our coupon, I think I'd still go back, with or without help from BlackBoardEats. They're supposed to have a fantastic brunch, stay tuned!

The Mercantile is located at 6600 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Eat & Drink It. Dean & Deluca.

Nothing screams coffee like a Monday morning ...

I first noticed Dean & Deluca in high school while watching my favorite TV show, Felicity. Prime-time's favorite curly-haired NYU student Felicity Porter (Keri Russell) worked there, and while I thought their simple black and white style was cool, I knew nothing of their expansive selection of gourmet goodies. The self-described "purveyors of fine food, wine & kitchenware" are on my mind a lot these days, and it's a damn shame L.A. doesn't have one (California has one, in St. Helena). Thank goodness for the world wide web.

As a Christmas gift, I received a bag of the Manhattan Blend coffee with a set of the super cute diner-style white Dean & Deluca mugs. I'm getting used to the additional step of grinding the whole beans (I'd been a pre-ground kinda gal), but it's all worth it in the end. Next I'm going to give their French Roast a try, as the online description includes the words "dark chocolate, nutmeg and caramel." Yum.

Other D&D favorites--tinned candy, chicken pot pie, and awesome red spatulas.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.seriesaddict.fr

Eat Out. Father's Office [two perspectives].

There’s a reason why Father’s Office (Santa Monica) is often standing room only. That reason is multi-faceted, and, to some, perfect. Their cheeseburger (blue cheese and gruyere, caramelized onions and arugula) has been long renowned as the best in L.A. by the gourmet set. And gourmet it is. At $12.50, some think substitutions should be allowed, but they are strictly prohibited. As is ketchup. But it doesn’t need it. It’s a juicy burst of savory goodness. And the piping hot sweet potato fries on the side and a cold beer make it all the more delicious. Especially if you have a seat. A perfect stop before or after a film at the Aero Theatre.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

I like to think of myself as a cheeseburger aficionado. Well, maybe not aficionado, because all ground beef between buns usually does the trick whether it’s from Rally’s or a ten-dollar jam at Umami Burger, but I really, really like cheeseburgers. And after all the hype surrounding Father’s Office, my burger tooth was prepared for a sublime meaty treat. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met.

The burgers are pan fried, not grilled, and really, I could cook up the same thing at home. The toppings are on point— the melty cheese, sweet onions, spicy arugula and the lovely bun it all floats on—but they have little impact surrounding such an ordinary patty.

Maybe it’s just the idea of spending hard-earned cash on something that tastes like my mom made it for a rushed Monday night dinner, or driving all the way out to Culver City to elbow through some bar-crowd looking for a table, but I think there are some other more satisfying—and cheaper!—burger joints in LA.

My advice? Stick to The Oinkster in Eagle Rock or even good ol’ Fatburger (lazy junk-foodies can even order online to really speed up the gratification) for a truly yummy burger experience.

-- Heather Robertson

Photo credit: Father's Office