NICOLE KLEIST
Staff Writer
Since 2003 the Dolce Group has been serving up style in generous proportions. With restaurants sprinkled throughout Los Angeles, the group has made a name for itself by attracting not only attention-thirsty celebrities but also those looking for cuisine with a little something more.
The restaurants in the Dolce Group include Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante, Geisha House, Les Deux, Bella Cucina Italiana and Ketchup.
Geisha House, located on Hollywood Boulevard, is a modern Japanese restaurant, Sushi Bar and Sake Lounge that brings together traditional food and a hip, mysterious atmosphere suitable for an edgier L.A. crowd.
With a tall red beam in the center of the restaurant containing several fireplaces inside, restaurant goers are instantly assured this is no ordinary restaurant. Multi-colored lights illuminate throughout the restaurant and play off the candles arranged at each table.
The menu provides delicious alternative options like Grilled Mongolian Lamb Chop, Grilled Chicken Yaki, Grilled Filet Mignon Steak and Grilled Kobe Rib Eye Steak.
Geisha House is popular for its rolls and for good reason. They range from $9 to $22 and are served in decent proportions. The Hollywood roll made of crab, avocado and cucumber, is served tempura style and is a favorite of many Geisha-goers.
Just blocks from Geisha House lies Hollywood’s own taste of Europe: Les Deux, located on Las Palmas Avenue.
Les Deux has become one of the latest hotspots in L.A. with luring European décor and an even more luring menu. With peach-tinted mirrors, black leather seating and burnt red interior walls, patrons can take a trip to a European café without leaving the comfort of Hollywood.
Although the venue is more drink-oriented, there is a small selection of delicious food that ranges from the De Lux salad to a fettucine alfredo with broccoli. The food is decently priced from $10 to $22.
After a night of feasting and grooving with the Dolce Group, what better way to start off the day than lunch with another Dolce Group restaurant, Ketchup?
Ketchup, located on Sunset Boulevard, takes the American grill and steakhouse concept and gives it an unpredictable, new-age vibe that attracts many of those looking for cuisine you can pronounce.
A white luminescent floor greets those who walk upstairs into this extraordinarily stylish restaurant. Red orbs that hang from the ceiling light the restaurant while music such as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Green Day and The Black Crowes rocks in the background.
Conventional menu options such as Fire Grilled Mini Chicken Tacos, chicken wings, grilled salmon and the 21st Century Cobb Salad are all sure to please.
The American Comfort, however, is not so comforting. Stated innocently enough as rich tomato soup and sharp white cheddar grilled cheese, this dish is mom’s grilled cheese gone wrong. They prepare the sandwich with Dijon mustard and sliced tomatoes producing a slimy taste to something designed to be straightforward.
Making up for their bad grilled cheese, however, Ketchup offers an attractive bar for those aged 21 and up. With intimate seating and even more intimate standing when busy, the bar features ceiling to ground windows that display the stunning Sunset Strip.
To visit these or other Dolce Group restaurants, visit their Web site, www.dolcegroup.com, or make reservations through www.opentable.com.
04-10-2008
