First trip to LA - need recommendations please!

[yyuen]

my hubby and I are visiting LA for our anniversary and I wanted to get recommendations for just about everything!

We are staying at the Westin Bonaventure and we won't have a car so somewhere within walking distance or a short cab ride away would be ideal. we aren't picky on cuisine - we are arriving from Toronto so we're used to different cultures of food.

I'm looking for suggestions for:

- pastries/cafe
- brunch
- any local 'must-eats' hotspots
- dinner (between $15/$25 per entree)
- dessert/confectionery

We are also going to Santa Monica pier; if there are any good places to eat, please let me know!

Thanks CH'ers for your help!

[wienermobile]

This link is a good place to start:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/735378

Welcome to LA.