The Ivy, Beverly Hills

The Ivy was one of my first California experiences. Years before I knew I would live in LA, my dad took my sister and me to the west coast for a summer vacation. 

Halfway through our trip, I specifically remember him asking me if I could ever imagine living here. I thought about it for a second, and was surprised that my answer was yes. I never thought much more about it until several years later when I was looking into design schools. And as they say, the rest is history!

More than any other restaurant I know, the Ivy gets five stars for perfect ambiance. The over-the-top attention to detail can be seen in all aspects of their décor. From the two dozen rose bouquet at each and every table to the colorful string lights and white picket fence, this place is romantically dreamy. Even if the food was simply mediocre, I would probably still want to eat here!

Luckily for me and you, the food lives up to the beautiful ambiance it's served in and more. Almost every time I'm here, I order the same entree I ordered years ago with my dad and sister. It's the Grilled Vegetable Salad, and it is amazing. 

Topped with asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes, corn, avocado and scallions, this salad is a fresh twist on the fire-roasted taste of a summer cookout. The grilled veggies are chopped up, served warm, and mixed in with baby lettuce. 

Christopher is the adventurous one when it comes to the Ivy, ordering something new every time we are here. Tonight he ordered the burger and it did not disappoint. The meat was perfectly prepared, topped with the best garlic-basil mayonnaise I've ever tasted. The fries were slightly addicting, I couldn't stop myself from sneaking more and more from his plate!

For dessert we ordered the homemade profiteroles on suggestion of our waiter (and partially out of curiosity as to what they were!) The pastries were served as mini sandwiches each stuffed with a different flavor of homemade gelato: caramel, praline, and pistachio. 

My favorite was definitely the praline. Hot fudge was poured all over the top and two chocolate chip cookies were served on the side. Needless to say, we were pretty satisfied after this meal!