Urban
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New Orleans
Los Angeles
Stay: The Roosevelt Hotel, considered by the planning company
Clandestine New Orleans "the nicest hotel in New Orleans. They
really know how to take care of their guests. And their hotel pool is a
wonderful litle oasis."
Stay: The London West Hollywood is an all-suite luxury hotel on
Sunset Strip between Sunset and Santa Monica boulevards. Enjoy
one of the private cabanas at the roofop pool. Order cocktails and
dinner prepared by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's culinary team. Los
Angeles Magazine suggests going to the hotel's London Bar and asking
for a "Final Ward," made with bourbon, green Chartreuse, Luxardo
maraschino and fresh lime.
For a lively city and a kickin' taste of the South.
Drink: Spiked frozen lemonades at the hotel.
Eat: Sylvain Restaurant on Chartres Street near Jackson Square. Its
contemporary take on a gastropub ofers everything from Brussels
sprout salad to sweetbreads. Make a reservation for brunch on
Sunday at Atchafalaya, just outside the Garden District, where the
grits and grillades are among the best in the city.
Do: The Maple Leaf Bar, which opened in 1974, features nightly jazz,
funk, blues and R&B; shows. Go to Magazine Street for local color and
a taste of diferent shops and bars. Take a day trip to Cajun country,
have beignets and Bloody Marys at Café des Amis in Breaux Bridge
and dance to live Cajun music.
Source: Clandestine New Orleans, run by Kelley Troia and Kim
Sayatovic. The two create tailored experiences in the Big Easy.
18 Spring | Summer BRIDE
For West Coast glamour and California cool.
Eat: Chateau Marmont, which the Los Angeles Times calls "low-key
glamour," ofers small plates such as oysters and calamari and main
dishes such as hanger steak bordelaise. Paradise Cove Beach Cafe in
Malibu serves lobster tacos and seafood buckets.
Drink: Sip on margaritas at The Bungalow, an eclectic Baja-style joint
in Santa Monica.
Do: Rent bikes and ride along the beach from Santa Monica to
Marina Del Rey. Go wine tasting in Malibu. Stroll down Abbot Kinney
Boulevard for shops, art galleries and history.
Source: Amanda Guy Duf, London West Hollywood representative;
Emily Chan, Los Angeles resident.