booost02

What's up all. I'll be visiting the LA area beaches next week from Phoenix. I'm unfamiliar with the area and am considering taking my S assuming I conclude that 10 gallons of E85 in my trunk will suffice to make it there.

I'll be staying in Culver City on Sepulvenda Blvd. Is this a good, safe area? I have a good alarm and such. Also, any E85 stations in that immediate area? I have an app but it doesn't show any directly in the area.

I'll be hitting the obvious beaches and cruising the coast a bit but any other must see places? Any good places to eat? Breakfast by the beach? Also a nicer place for a dinner reservation would be great. Have a preference for a steak house or Italian food but open to all possibilities.

Thanks!

ketchup!

What kind of food do you like?

booost02

I have a preference for Italian food and steak houses but also love Thai and don;t mind stepping out of my typical eating realm

Sebring AP1

Stop by Mama D's in newport. Good drive down PCH, one of the best italian venues, and great views. Can't go wrong.

Lummie

There are a lot of good restaurants around the area you're staying at.

Venice Beach:

For Itallian food I suggest C&O's Trattoria http://www.cotrattoria.com It's right next to the beach so you can take a nice walk before or after dinner. Don't get this confused with their other location C&O Cuccina which is on the same street but a couple miles inland.

There's another restaurant across the street called the Whaler that has a nice outdoor patio bar to hang out at. Their food is pretty good too. http://www.venicewhaler.com/

Culver City/ Sepulveda: - Here are some restaurants that are probably closer to where you're staying that are good.

El Rincon Criollo - Cuban food http://www.bestcubanfood.com/

Pho Show - Decent Vietnamese food http://www.phoshow.net/

Johnnies Pastrami - Good pastrami sandwiches and hot dogs http://www.johnniespastrami.com/

Tito's Tacos - It's a popular taco restaurant with a cult like following but I think their taco's are horrible. http://titostacos.com/

Cinco De Mayo tacos - Next door to Tito's Taco's and Johnnies Pastrami. It's a mexican dive restaurant but I like their food and they're open 24hrs. http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/5-l...o-de-mayo/menu

Downtown Culver City: There are a lot of good places to eat here as well as a theater http://www.downtownculvercity.com/


I suggest trying Honey's Kettle - Good fried chicken http://www.honeyskettle.com/

Hope this helps.

tooncreations

Donuttery in Huntington Beach for awesome anytime (24/7) donuts. Red velvet is a must and maybe the blueberry one too!

RMurphy

As far as if your hotel is in a good neighborhood, it kind of depends on where on Sepulveda it is located. Obviously, any hotel parking lot is going to be a place you have to be a little concerned about. Which hotel? I live and work in the area so I'm quite familiar with most locations.

Someone suggested downtown Culver City for good places to eat. Yes. Agreed. I went to Honey Kettle place a few years ago a couple of times within the first year of it opening and I didn't care for it. Perhaps it has improved.

Go check out Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, of course. Lots of parking in the local structures on 2nd and 4th streets.

You should definitely go cruise the canyons in the Santa Monica mountains. It would be a shame to be so close and NOT go to The Snake on Mulholland Highway (note that's HIGHWAY, not Drive -- two different roads). http://www.twistypedia.com/roads/usa...lland-highway/

For some great roads:

http://www.pashnit.com/motoroads.htm#santamonica

Check Latigo, Stunt (watch for cops!!), Yerba Buena (way out in the stix though), Piuma, Las Flores, Saddle Peak (watch for the locals and driveways though), Mulholland Highway, and Tuna Canyon (ALL downhill so mind your brakes... it's a long drop down and there are no locals so if you are alone and go off the side into the heavy brush, ain't nobody gonna find you for DAYS, if ever).

MisterNickG

+1 for Mama D's.

RMurphy

e85locator.net says Conserv Fuel in Brentwood has e85. That's not far from Culver City (depending on time of day you go... traffic and all). I would call and confirm they do still carry it, if I were you.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Cons...es&safe=active

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Culver+City,+CA/Conserv+Fuel,+11699+San+Vicente+Blvd,+Los+Angeles, +CA+90049/@34.0303172,-118.4451409,14z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2ba1edb7773 9d:0x3185e9d14beb59fe!2m2!1d-118.3964665!2d34.0211224!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c2bca0634ee 49d:0x6739ad2bc974cdb7!2m2!1d-118.465727!2d34.053934

RMurphy

And if you don't have an OpenTable.com account, get one. It's worth it for the quick look-up functionality alone. However, the fact that you can use it to make reservations, get points, and get priority at the restaurants are wonderful additions as well!

It's free.