LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA - There are two types of foodies in Los Angeles - those who flock to trendy, celebrity frequented places to see and be seen; and those who avoid them like politicians avoid giving straight answers to questions on controversial issues. To jaded Angelenos -- and count us in that latter group -- trendy spots usually mean parking nightmares, long waits for tables and service, and exorbitant prices for miniscule portions. The quality, freshness and tastiness the food is sometimes great, sometimes mediocre at best.

But sometimes, just sometimes, there's merit behind the hype. La Brea Blvd's Rita Flora -- a unique combination flower shop and restaurant -- is just such a place, although after being in business since 1997, it can hardly be considered just a trend. Instead owner Rita Azar, a third generation florist, has grown, evolved and expanded her flower shop/restaurant at 6th and LaBrea over the years.

Changes at Rita Flora

Well known to Angelenos as one the "the" place to go for breakfast or lunch, not to mention a meeting place for many film and television industry heavies, Azar recently expanded her hours to include dinner. Currently the restaurant is open till 10PM, but Rita gradually plans to lengthen the hours hungry customers will be able to stop in for tasty, high quality dishes made from organic ingredients, as well as a fragrant bouquet or pretty plant to go.

Personally we wish she'd consider making Flora Kitchen at Rita Flora a 24 hour a day enterprise, as the City of Angels is surprisingly light on quality all night dining options.

Rita also plans to begin offering special events in the evenings like music, spoken word and multi-media performances, as well as wine classes and dinners.

Wine has always been an element that distinguished this restaurant from others. The wine list, which includes extensive "by the glass options," is hand picked by Rita herself. Wine tasters will love choosing a wine tasting flight - three 2 oz. pours of any of the wines offered by the glass.

Azar calls her wine list "rebellious" in that it's "not your typical cookie cutter offerings." Indeed, the by the glass list rivals that of most wine bars, including a variety of interesting choices for all tastes and palates.

Rita regularly travels the world, learning about food and wine, and translating the inspiration she finds abroad into an amazing continental café society type experience for her guests.

Yes, There Really is a Rita

The woman behind Rita Flora is amazing to watch in action -- attending to twenty details at once, all while making sure the guests are welcomed and that everyone has everything they need or want.

There is a little bit of Rita in just about everything that goes on at Rita Flora. She chooses the wines, helps develop the dishes on the menu, and personally greets guests and attends to the small details and personal touches that make Flora Kitchen a place you'll want to visit again and again.

As much an artist as a savvy business woman (not to mention a busy single mom), Rita always runs the delicate balance between the practical the creative. She has kept her enterprise thriving and growing all these years by never compromising her core vision of always using quality organic ingredients and products, prepared in an artful, flavorful and aesthetically pleasing way.

The menu at Rita Flora is shockingly affordable - especially when you consider the quality and presentation of every dish. The food is adventurous yet approachable, and the wide assortment of small plates (ranging from about $3.00 - $9.00 as of this writing) makes it fun and affordable to try lots of dishes.

We especially liked (no, make that loved) the Hand Cut Truffle Parmesan Fries with Truffle Mayonnaise (see photo left) and the Ahi Tuna Tartare with Guacamole, Seaweed Salad and Tomato Relish (just $7.00 each, believe it or not).

There are also lots of tapas type plates and panini that will let you and your friends happily graze and savor lots of flavors and textures. We especially enjoyed the Prosciutto and Roasted Pepper Plate, served with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil and a fruity first press olive oil -- all the ingredients were incredibly flavorful and complex, and worked perfectly together. Or try the Bento Plate, a Zen-like artistic presentation of Seared Ahi, Wild Salmon, Aged Filet Mignon, Steamed Rice and Chopped Tomato. The sandwiches include inspired creations like Marinated Figs, Prosciutto and Fontina Cheese; Gorgonzola, Radicchio and Honey Walnuts; and Roasted Chicken with Mozzarella, Salami and Mushrooms.

For those wanting more try some of the meat, poultry or seafood dishes. In these plates, we always enjoyed the garnishes and side dishes as much as, or even more than, the main course. For instance the Spring Lamb Skewers are served with tasty artichoke hearts stuffed with goat cheese on a bed of frisee salad; or the Alaskan Halibut comes with fresh hearts of palm and crisp-tender haricot verts with passion fruit dressing that really shines.

For dessert you can opt to go continental with an "artistic cheese plate" that comes with grilled bread and dried fruit. Traditionalists will find a respectable selection of sweet treats like cakes, pies, cookies, and bars, along with a variety of gelatos and sorbets. Top off your dessert with a glass of dessert wine, Rita always has a nice selection offered by the glass.

Keep in mind that the menus at Rita Flora, like the available flowers, change seasonally. Rita always likes to take advantage of the best organic foods the markets have to offer. The level of quality at this restaurant for the prices truly outstanding - we're not sure how she does it.

If you go at lunchtime, or even at breakfast, you're like to find Rita Flora quite crowded. But the hoardes have not yet discovered that Rita is now regularly open until at least 10PM (as of this writing, Sept. 2005). Once they catch on, dinners are bound to be crowded too, but unlike a lot of other "trendy" LA eateries, Rita Flora is worth the wait. There's almost always easy street parking available. While the décor and atmosphere are stylish, due in no small part to Rita's very hands-on approach to running her business, a visit here almost as warm as visiting a favorite friend's home (only the cooks in Flora Kitchen are much more talented than most of my friends).

The price versus quality quotient here makes Rita Flora one of our favorite LA restaurant finds. yes it's somewhat trendy, but in case you're concerned, most of Rita's celebrity clients have the good manners not to bother you for autographs while you're enjoying your meal.

More Great Los Angeles Restaurants:

• Cezanne -- Los Angeles' Best Kept Restaurant Secret
• Windows -- Los Angeles' Room with a View
  
  .

  Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day and The Low Carb Restaurant Guide, and the co-author of US Citizenship for Dummies. To learn more about Cheri, click here.