You know the Los Angeles dining scene has always had a special place in my heart.

Many years ago, I used to write for LA Foodie. And, while I was there, I wrote many reviews for many different eateries and festivals while I was also working for Wheel of Fortune. It was basically how I segued into working in digital media.

So, it’s nice to be back and writing again. And, writing in Los Angeles…

Anyhow, so on a crisp nearly Spring evening, 4 friends gathered at West Hollywood’s Drake’s Hollywood restaurant… for some delicious bites. I had no idea what to think because I had never heard of this spot. Sometimes LA can give you food through smoke and mirrors. Gimmicky. But this place actually served up some pretty solid Italian food.

We ordered a lot of food for the table, and honestly, that turned out to be the right move because everything we got was really good. Starting with the caesar salad with a kind of deconstructed vibe. It was quite nice. And in typical LA fashion, they gave crumbs instead of croutons. I guess everyone is on a diet here and everyone doesn’t drink now. I find that interesting, but maybe I should take a memo from that learning. LOL!

For our main course, my friend Lizzy and I got the Hot Papi’s pizza (which was peps, onions, and HOT HONEY… baby, that is MAGIC on a pizza). The others at the table got the Salmon and mashed potatoes and Snapper on top of raviolis.

We also got two pasta dishes, lobster mac and cheese and a tasty pasta vodka dish (pictured below).

Both were quite nice, but I’d say the lobster mac was my favorite of all the dishes we tried and the pizza was crispy and gooey… I love that. It hit perfectly.! 🤤

Parmesan Crusted Snapper with Smoked Mozzarella Raviolis

Big Glory Bay Salmon with Mashed Potatoes

Then, of course, to close out the epic meal, we had to wash everything down with an ice cream sundae. And, that was bomb AF.

All in all, the meal was tasty, filling, the service was great.

Food: 10/10
Vibe: Kind of dark, think old Hollywood glamour
Will I Go Again: Listen, I’m not normally a person that’s going to be dropping 100+ dollars on a meal. Period. But I think if it were for a nice occasion — I would go back here. Its probably great for a nice date night spot, too.