The Ivy

See and be seen at the Ivy in Beverly Hills. (Actually, just see; unless you’re a star, it’s easy to blend into the background here and people-watch.) This is where you sit back and soak up what everyone else in the country thinks L.A. is all about. The cluttered shabby chic interior with its somewhat un-ironic proliferation of American flags is the perfect frame for the pricey menu of upscale, down-home comfort foods -- including corn chowder, crab cakes and grilled vegetable salads – which are good enough to almost distract you from the action on the patio. It’s the perfect launching (lunching?) pad for an excursion to Robertson’s finest:  Kitson, Lisa Kline, and newcomer Dolce & Gabbana. On the other hand, if the tab at the Ivy has nearly emptied your wallet, you might feel more comfortable in the uber-democratic American Apparel outpost or the Kitson Warehouse Sale boutique.