Plan for hubby's birthday...

[veebers]

Help! Need a great plan for this coming Sunday, March 28 for my husband's birthday. Outing with our three teenage kids. Can include outdoor activity, nice restaurant, something interesting and original. Any ideas?

[cookie monster]

You could do brunch on Abbott Kinney in Venice (Gjelina, Joe's, Hal's, Axe - last minute reservations may be tough at some of these) then do some window shopping on AK and/or head down to the Venice boardwalk. It's supposed to be a beautiful day.

[Nicole]

Love Joe's for brunch in that area.

[wienermobile]

Saddle Peak Lodge, wonderful food in a one of a kind setting. A great place for a special occasion.
http://www.saddlepeaklodge.com

-----
Saddle Peak Lodge
419 Cold Canyon Rd., Calabasas, CA 91302

[veebers]

Ugh...I'm so upset. I just looked at the menu and it may not work for us. I'm a vegetarian and my daughter only eats chicken, no seafood or beef. I suppose if the atmosphere is worth it, we can order something like scrambled eggs and fries...

[Nicole]

Apparently there are animal heads all over the walls...I doubt a vegetarian would enjoy that atmosphere.

You could go to the Getty and have lunch at the restaurant there. You could have brunch at Anisette and then walk around the 3rd st promenade. These aren't particularly interesting ideas, but I don't think saddle peak lodge would be optimal.

[Jwsel]

Actually, a friend of mine went through a vegetarian phase and he loved Saddlepeak. He used to go and make a meal of salad/appetizer, pasta, and their creamed spinach. Granted, he was not an ethical vegetarian, so he was less likely to be put off by the animal heads and animal-leg lamps.

[westsidegal]

often, creamed spinach has bacon or bacon fat as one of the ingredients.. . .

[degustateur]

How about Champagne Sunday Brunch at Sir Winston’s aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach. Brunch is from 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. $39.00/Adult & $12.00/Child (5-11 years) plus tax & tip. Food and service are very good, but it’s more about the experience. Follow it up with a tour of the ship (the Haunted Encounters Passport tour is pretty cool - $27.95 Adult/& $15.95/Child (5-11 years)) and maybe a walk around Shoreline Village for a full day of entertainment. Great if you haven’t done it before. Don’t forget to bring your camera.

http://www.queenmary.com/index.php?pa...

-----
Queen Mary
1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802

Sir Winston's
1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach, CA 90802

Shoreline Village
419 Shoreline Village Dr, Long Beach, CA 90802

[mocro]

Thanks degustateur for this idea which might work for dinner in June when my NYC aunt's in town. I've done it all w/her on prior visits and am always looking for something new and different. We're taking her to the House of Blues Gospel brunch on a Sunday so maybe we can take a leisurely drive afterwards to LB, tour the ship and have dinner. She uses a walker and I'll check but am sure the ship is handicap accessible.

-----
House of Blues
1530 S Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA

[attran99]

Don't know if it still works, but when I last had brunch there years ago, we actually got to walk around the ship and explore ourselves without paying for the tour. It's creepy, at times, even without the tour guide to tell you about the "ghosts". And foodwise, I don't remember it being all that great...more like okay....for an excellent brunch (and day trip) I would suggest the Mission Inn in Riverside...the food is excellent and the setting is great, too.

[attran99]

Any geographical area or budget you'd like to stick to? What about cuisines? Can't recommend anything without specific information.

[veebers]

Oops, so sorry, I thought I included the area. We live in Woodland Hills so anywhere in L.A., the Valley, beach cities, maybe even as far as Laguna Beach.

I love the Saddle Peak idea. Looking into it now. Thanks!