Beverly Hills is a nice place to live or visit

Beverly Hills, California got major media attention yet again when Jeff Bezos bought a true mega-mansion from David Geffen for a staggering $165 million dollars. But then again Beverly Hills, California has long been known for its great mansions, many of them occupied by major movie moguls and top A-list actors. Jennifer Aniston, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Lawrence, Jack Nicholson, Jessica Alba, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Jay Leno and Sandra Bullock are just a few of the celebrities who call Beverly Hills home.

That reality is one of the many attractions of Beverly Hills for the tourists is to maybe see or even talk to one or more of their favorite stars. Well that might happen, but what does happen every single day is a steady stream of tour buses take tourists to see celebrity homes in Beverly Hills. The true majesty of it all is indeed mind blowing. But there is much more to Beverly Hills.

A stroll down Rodeo Drive offers an opportunity to see some of the finest designer clothes and stunningly beautiful jewelry on Planet Earth. And yes you may very well see a celebrity in the process. And by the way it is pronounced Row DAY Oh and absolutely NOT Row DEE Oh. And it only makes the experience even more enjoyable when you realize that the weather in Beverly Hills is most often excellent.

Sure other major cities such as New York and Chicago also have many high end shops with beautiful merchandise but it is far less enjoyable to walk around in freezing rain or snow. But for me, a “tourist” from nearby Burbank, one of the greatest attractions are the many superb restaurants in Beverly Hills.

One of the most popular restaurants in Beverley Hills is The Cut by Wolf Gang Puck located at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California, 90210. As the name suggests it is considered to be a premium steak house. True. But in addition to abundant premium steak options they also offer superb sea food selections as well.

Also one of my personal favorites is The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, 9644 Sunset Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California. The Polo Lounge is one of three restaurants to be found at the Beverly Hills Hotel but it is my favorite. It offers both inside and outside seating options and on Sundays you will enjoy live jazz music along with an absolutely delicious meal. And on any given day it would not be at all surprising to look over at a nearby table and see possibly Brad Pitt and perhaps Angelina Jolie enjoying the ambiance and mouthwatering food.

But without a doubt my absolute favorite restaurant in Beverly Hills, California is the utterly amazing “The Stinking Rose.” Huh!?! How the heck can a restaurant named for a Rose that Stinks be good? The answer to that comes from the one element present in every single dish offered. That one item is garlic.

On my most recent visit to The Stinking Rose I enjoyed a roasted half chicken with garlic mashed potatoes. Also on the plate were at least two dozen cloves of garlic. But even before the entrees arrived we were offered many delicious little buns with an abundance of garlic spread to put on the buns. Yum yum to the max.

Then came a truly amazing surprise for dessert. We were presented with a serving of chocolate covered garlic ice cream. This is no typo, it really was “garlic ice cream” and to my complete surprise and total joy it was also delicious.

You will find The Stinking Rose at 55 North La Cienaga Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California, 90211. Food is obviously one of the most important elements for every restaurant but so is ambiance and in that department The Stinking Rose also excels. It is a little bit hard to describe properly but I can say with complete confidence that you will feel warm and at peace within the walls of The Stinking Rose.

One other very pleasant element you will find at The Stinking Rose is an off street parking area available to guests at no cost. That is truly amazing in a part of the world where just about everything costs a lot. Great food, superb service, magnificent ambiance and excellent value — why not give The Stinking Rose a try when next you visit Beverly Hills.

Beverly Hills, California is one of the most unique places on Planet Earth. It is a place committed to the best of the best in everything. The most common word heard spoken by visitors is “Wow!”

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Photos by Ron Irwin except the top photo by Tim Forkes