Before stepping foot into Saddle Peak Lodge, one must stop and admire the beauty of this log-cabin-inspired restaurant. The faintly lit rooms and vintage oil lamps on every tabletop create the illusion that one is indeed dining at a hunter’s woodsy getaway. The tranquility of the fireplace and forties jazz music add the finishing touches to the soothing atmosphere.
The decor of the 
restaurant includes heads of moose and ducks on the walls, allowing customers to feel as though they are in a hunting lodge burrowed deep within the forest.
The menu ranges from roasted salmon, complemented by succulent beets, citrus, Tarragon Beurre Blanc, pistachios and sautéed beet greens to golden brown French toast with candied pecans and Bananas Foster, topped off with whipped cream and warm Vermont maple syrup. This restaurant supplies a flavorful medley of meals able to satisfy anyone’s palate. The nature-enriched location and serenity of the surroundings combined with quality food dishes create the ideal experience. If one is in search of a journey outside suburban life and wishes to travel into the woods for a dining adventure, Saddle Peak Lodge awaits.
419 Cold Canyon Road, Calabasas
–Danielle Padilla – Staff Writer
Welcome to Duff’s Cakemix, a place where fantasies come to life with icing pipers, rows of decorative candies and a sprinkle of imagination. At Duff’s Cakemix, cakes of all forms and flavors are lined and prepped, ready to be decorated and devoured by customers who eagerly await the store’s opening.
Duff Goldman, owner and host of the Food Network phenomenon Ace of Cakes, has brought Willy Wonka’s factory to life through his newest cake shop. The vibrant colors of ornamented candies and sweet aromas catch one’s attention immediately but are only a small display compared to the shop’s vast collection of decorating materials. Flavors of cakes and cupcakes range from chocolate, marble and vanilla bean to carrot cake and even rich red velvet. Along with decadent cakes comes something even sweeter. The friendly staff at Duff’s Cakemix is always willing to assist with decorating and teaching inventive piping skills.
One will exit this sugar paradise with a new status of accomplished cake decorator, certain that they belong on Ace of Cakes as one of Goldman’s trusty team members. Goldman himself is even there for daily meet and greets. All scrumptious dreams come true at Duff’s Cakemix.
8302 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles
Though exotic summer vacations are quickly fading into distant memories and intricate scrapbooks, students are still able to enjoy some international treats not too far from home. Mozzarella is the ideal option for students in search of a fast and easy off-campus lunch or after-school bite to eat. Anyone can enjoy a hearty 
lunch and still make it back to school before the tardy bell rings.
This cozy and quaint bistro offers a variety of Italian delicacies. The café offers choices for everyone, as it serves allday breakfast and lunch cuisine. Restaurant goers can take their pick from gourmet baguettes, crepes, omelets, paninis, salads, wraps and fruity smoothies. One of the many customer favorites is the Italiano Baguette. This sandwich is packed full of roasted zucchini, spinach, onion, fresh mozzarella and eggs and is paired with a toasted whole-wheat baguette. The Banman smoothie, another preferred choice, consists of a delicious blend of banana, mango, vanilla ice cream and apple juice.
The first rate service, comfortable setting and divine food make this restaurant getaway a favorite among locals and visitors alike.
4917 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Woodland Hills
From the outside, this mysterious restaurant hidden inside the V Lounge looks as though it is just another place to grab a meal. However, Opaque is a fine-dining restaurant with qualities just as its name suggests. The moment customers make their way into the dining area, they are engulfed in darkness. Completely void of 
light, sight is stolen and they are forced to rely on their other four senses. With heightened senses of taste and smell, an ordinary meal is transformed into a unique and sensational dining experience.
Although the idea of “dining in the dark” may seem questionable, it is undoubtedly a dining experience unlike any other. While the customers are only deprived of sight for the duration of their dining occasion, the waiters and waitresses are all legally blind. Their familiarity with lack of sight allows them to maneuver through the restaurant with ease.
While any eatery is capable of serving exquisite food, Opaque offers a meal different from the rest. It may not be one’s nightly hang out, but there is no doubt that Opaque is an unusual and remarkable experience. Though nights spent there are ones that cannot be looked back on, they are ones that will never be forgotten. Get excited to go on an official blind date!
2020 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica
Photos Courtesty of Sam Cohen – Photographer, Lauren Sloan – Photo Editor, Ivory Ventura – Photographer and Google Images
