Brentwood Travel Guide

Not in Brentwood, but very close by, ...here's another SoCal / LA guilty pleasure:

From Brentwood take the short drive down to Venice Beach some late afternoon and walk the whole scene.

Skating is still happening in Venice. Get loose some afternoon and go for a walk through Venice Beach.

One of my favorite memories in my whole life took place one day in Venice in Oct. '79.

My band was recording an album in North Hollywood. We got a day off, and drove down to Venice.
Around sunset, I was walking thru the beach scene, when I came upon a group of roller skaters. They were dressed in then-typical tight cutoffs and small halter tops, skating to music.

It was "magic hour" as sun was setting into the Pacific, and they were doing "scissor-moves" around a line of pepsi cans, skating briskly & beautifully with ease and grace to a boombox playing "Good Times " by Chic.
It was one of those timeless, beautiful & magical "california moments:"
ya' had 2 be there..

There's a restaurant / Seafood broiler called "The Fish Co." at 174 Kinney St. in Santa Monica close to Venice that serves up decent broiled fish.

"No... wire... hangers.... EVER!!! "

The Joan Crawford House

Please don't bother the current residents.

Here is a view of the front of the house:
Mommie Dearest Crib

Life at Home with Mummy D
At this link below, a hilariously boring and typical Hollywood b.s. article about how Joan raised her kids:
Mommy Dearest Parenting Tips

Here's a Brentwood Bogieman story:

When she was a child, Christina Crawford saw and heard phantom children in this Brentwood house. Her mother, Joan Crawford, arranged for an exorcist to "cleanse" the house after she, too, heard the ghostly voices.

Since Joan's death, an evil presence has allegedly permeated the atmosphere of the house. Unexplained fires sometimes erupt in the house on the wall behind Crawford's bed. Even after four days of investigation, the Fire Department couldn't explain the mysterious blaze.

(Courtesy of Hollywood Hauntings .. )
Hollywood Hauntings

Sources:

Hauck, Dennis William. The National Directory of Haunted Places.

Steiger, Brad and Sherry Hansen Steiger. Hollywood and the Supernatural.

(To all regulars of Peppone's Brentwood:
Please do not kill me for bragging on you)

If you love traditional; hearty; old-school, kick-butt Italian.... try Peppone's.

and the old-style Italian-american ambience (see website) makes it even better.

Peppones, unlike some of the usual LA showbiz/suck-up restaurants, practices equal courtesy, treatment and service for all.

Even Gwyneth Paltrow & Madonna have to wait in the bar if they don't have a reservation (true story)

Peppone's is always busy after 6:30pm
so make sure YOU have a reservation of your own.

Just try it, you will like it.

Vua bene, si, si SI!

Favorite Dish: Here's what I usually get:
antipasti: fried calimari and marinara;
the minestrone soup is excellent;
secondi: veal casa d'oro, the veal chop, or the chicken casa d'oro;
and tiramesu or a cannoli with bartender Rudys "funny coffee," (essentially a specially spiked espresso mocha)

At the website posted below they have the whole huge menu.
Peppone menu .. click on menu to enlarge..

I hate it when I ask someone what is good and they say, "everything." But at Peppones, that is not B.S.

In general terms, the food here is not light. It is killer, traditional, robust Italian. Portions are large (notice I don't even order a pasta course) but quality is even better.

One of the great things about Peppones is they are flexible, meaning they will "tweak" anything on their menu to fit your specific taste. Their menu is excellent, but the chef will be happy to adjust or customize any dish to your wishes.

As per favorite dish, there are so many here, (check the menu on the website listed below), and then if still undecided, surrender to your waiters recommendations and go with the flow.

Even the calimari marinara appetizer w/bread and a glass of wine at the bar is a good meal here.

Wine list is world class +.