The Penthouse Restaurant Atop The Huntley Hotel, Santa Monica... Another Review

You can click on any of the pictures to see full size, so click away...

On Sunday (during our trip to Santa Monica) our daughter had a soccer game she couldn't miss and was likely going to play another after that (if they won, which they did), so we were on our own for Sunday Brunch. That meant I could take my sweet time getting ready without anyone getting mad at me or irritating me by constantly prompting me to hurry.

We had reservations for Brunch at The Penthouse Restaurant which sits atop the lovely Huntley Hotel. It was also the first day of Restaurant Week in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. We had rather forgotten about that little bonus so we were pleasantly surprised.

During Restaurant Week in L.A., every chef is scrambling to put out their very best cuisines, with a Restaurant Week Special Menu and mostly affordable prices. Of course, you can still order off the regular menu if you don't find something you like, but you'd be crazy to pass up the amazing food at affordable prices. Everyone offers more affordable delicacies during RW.



Since we were on vacation, Mr. Snoots ordered a vodka martini up, while I was bit more adventurous and had the Aperol Smash which consists of:

(Hand Pressed Green Grapes & Fresh Local Organic Mint Kissed With Ketel One Vodka, Aperol Italian Bitters & Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice), which was quite tasty.



Mr. Snoots had the Caesar Salad and the Salmon, which were both truly delicious. I chose to order the Sirloin Burger with Arugula, tomatoes and crispy fried onions, served with the most delicate little french fries ever. I almost ate the entire burger, which is unusual for me. I usually can't finish a burger of any size.

For dessert (which is included in the $22.00 Brunch Special) Mr. Snoots had the Molten Chocolate Devil's Cake (with dark Grand Marnier chocolate) and I chose the Vanilla Creme Brulee (with Madeleines and fresh fruit). It was a total food orgasm, trust me. And the views! The views from atop the Huntley were more than spectacular. They were truly breath taking.

Aside from the fabulous food, I was absolutely certain that the guy sitting behind hubby was a famous rock star. Did I consume any martinis? Well, ummm, yes, I did. So, you might not want to believe me on this celebrity sighting either. However, go ahead and click on the image for a larger view. Perhaps you recognize him. Apparently, martinis impair my vision as well as my already sketchy ability to spot actual real celebrities. Anyone recognize him? Yeah. Me neither.

Once we were finished we went walking around the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade, which I found to be a delightfully cutting edge, trendy area filled with great eateries and places to shop. They also have all these incredibly beautiful, multiple topiary of dinosaurs that were also shooting fountains, which truly fascinated me. We did a lot of *window shopping* and *people watching*, with which we were more than happy.

It wasn't long before the martinis forced us to retreat to the hotel room for naps. Whew! What a splendid light bulb above my head that turned out to be. We were thoroughly refreshed by dinner time.