The year-old Villa Blanca got a celebrity infusion from owner Lisa Vanderpump, one of the newest stars on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The combination of all white décor and a buzzy outdoor patio always felt more like a hidden gem in the South of France than a busy Beverly Hills intersection, but when we stopped by for a drink the other night (there's a new daily happy hour from 4 to 7 P.M.) none-other than Sly Stallone was having a birthday party.
Executive Chef Francis Dimitrius—and alum of Chez Melange, Koi and Matsuhisa— is putting an Asian spin on the Euro menu with rock shrimp tempura and spicy tuna over crispy rice sushi. Other signatures include baked king crab rolls, cherry miso duck breast, rock shrimp in asparagus risotto, and seafood paella. A new L.A. dessert menu staple, sticky toffee pudding, was one of the highlights served with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice-cream.
[The Feast]
