Brad A. Johnson
  • Blog
  • About
  • Photography
    • Food Photography
    • Travel Photography
    • Restaurant Photography
    • Hotel & Resort Photography
  • Writing
  • Contact
Brad A. Johnson

Food & Travel

Brad A Johnson
  • Blog
  • About
  • Photography
    • Food Photography
    • Travel Photography
    • Restaurant Photography
    • Hotel & Resort Photography
  • Writing
  • Contact

California Restaurants

76 posts

Closer Look: Del Rey at Villa Royale, Palm Springs

  • June 4, 2022
  • Brad A. Johnson
Del Rey is a sexy little speakeasy and tapas bar tucked inside the beautiful estate of Villa Royale in the heart of Palm Springs. Both the drinks and food are very good.
View Post
View Post

Hotel Review: Villa Royale, Palm Springs

  • May 30, 2022
  • Brad A. Johnson
Villa Royale originally opened in 1947 in the heart of Palm Springs and became a magnet for Hollywood stars of the era. New owners brought it back to life in 2018. Although not exactly 5-star quality, it is rather fabulous.
View Post
View Post

Motel Review: Cuyama Buckhorn, New Cuyama, CA

  • December 27, 2021
  • Brad A. Johnson
The 21-room Cuyama Buckhorn is a mid-century motel redux in the boondocks of California’s high desert, midway between San Luis Obispo and Maricopa. Nobody travels to this remote hideout by accident. You really must make an effort to get here.
View Post
View Post

Quick Look: Hotel Cerro & Brasserie SLO, San Luis Obispo

  • December 26, 2021
  • Brad A. Johnson
Although its debut was inauspiciously timed (coinciding with the beginning of the pandemic), the 65-room Hotel Cerro and its beautiful Brasserie SLO have breathed new life into downtown San Luis Obispo on California's Central Coast.
View Post
View Post

Closer Look: Stonehouse Restaurant at San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito

  • December 18, 2021
  • Brad A. Johnson
I don’t believe there’s a better restaurant in Santa Barbara than Stonehouse at San Ysidro Ranch. The food is truly outstanding. The service, impeccable. The wine list, world-class. And the…
View Post
View Post

Hotel Review: San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito

  • December 17, 2021
  • Brad A. Johnson
San Ysidro Ranch is a world unto itself. It’s that unique place on the outskirts of Santa Barbara where Southern California merges with the European countryside. It’s where John and Jaqueline Kennedy honeymooned...
View Post
View Post

Review: Addison, San Diego

  • December 4, 2021
  • Brad A. Johnson
Nine years had lapsed since my last visit to Addison in north San Diego County, so when the restaurant recently earned a second Michelin star, I wondered what has changed. I fondly remembered chef William Bradley as an absolute master of French haute cuisine. Apparently, a lot has changed since I was last here.
View Post
View Post

Quick Review: Valle, Oceanside CA

  • November 19, 2021
  • Brad A. Johnson
Inspired by Baja’s Valle de Guadalupe where the chef first made a name for himself, Roberto Alcocer’s cuisine at the new Valle in Oceanside is intensely farm-to-table. It is uniquely Mexican, distinctly Californian and not always what it appears to be.
View Post
View Post

Drink of the Week: The Bilbao at Fellow, Los Angeles

  • November 16, 2021
  • Brad A. Johnson
At Fellow in Los Angeles, The Bilboa is a modern riff on a gin martini made with rosemary-lemon-infused vermouth. It is herbal and citrusy and floral and fresh yet also surprisingly viscous and creamy, making it extremely enjoyable to sip.
View Post
View Post

Hotel Review: Downtown LA Proper

  • October 31, 2021
  • Brad A. Johnson
The Downtown LA Proper is the fourth outpost of Kelly Wearstler and Brad Korzan’s Proper Hotel brand. (The first debuted in San Francisco in 2017, followed by Santa Monica and Austin.)…
View Post
This is the new Lao restaurant in Westminster that everyone will soon be talking about. The pork sausages, the barbecue chicken thighs, the sticky rice, the khao piak (Lao chicken noodle soup)...⁠ Link in stories. 176 5
Finally got around to discovering Del Rey, a super-sexy little speakeasy and tapas bar tucked inside the estate of Villa Royale in Palm Springs. Very tasty. Very cool. More details on the blog. ⁠ 121 4
Villa Royale, Palm Springs. Really cool vibe. Quick review on the blog. Link in stories. Will definitely be back. ⁠ 118 1
A few more scenes from my annual 75 Best Places to Eat in the @ocregister. Hungry yet? ⁠ 238 3
Today's the day! My annual dining guide to the 75 Best Places to Eat in Orange County is live. (The OC Register's print subscribers will find the print supplement in tomorrow's home delivery; unfortunately, the printed version is not available on newsstands.) The ranked list is back for the first time since 2019, plus a big new twist this year. It's behind the paywall, sorry. ⁠ 353 45
#JoshuaTree #Camping #Airstream #vacation #roughingit 87 4
Brad A. Johnson
  • Blog
  • About
  • Photography
  • Writing
  • Contact
Writer. Photographer. Traveler. Restaurant Critic.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.