Eye on L.A.'s Tina Malave visited the eclectic www.SLShotels.com in Beverly Hills, designed by the famed Philippe Starck. The hotel provides luxury accommodations including the full service 5000 square foot Ciel Spa, rooftop pool and lounge, state-of-the-art gym, complimentary 3-mile radius car service, and complimentary yoga and boot camp classes for hotel guests [Watch video].
If you want to live large on a budget, head to Technique Restaurant
in Pasadena, run by the advanced students at the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. A three-course lunch runs $10 and a five-course dinner is only $15, with a menu that includes items like filet mignon, miso salmon and lobster endive salad [Watch video].
Eye on L.A.'s Albert Lawrence caught up with Grammy Award winner Monica and NBA player Shannon Brown over a quick bite at the Kitchen for Exploring Foods in Pasadena [Watch video].
Here's what Monica and Shannon chose for their wedding reception menu:
- Fresh corn fritters with chipotle sauce
- Wagyu beef and cheddar cheese sliders on a toasted bun with arugula, grilled cipollini onions and dijon
- Sausage bites with dijon sauce
- Kosher pigs in a blanket with a mustard-horseradish sauce
- Spicy shrimp with sriracha and lime
- Miniature gruyere cheese sandwich with a pear-fig compote
Eye on L.A. toured a few of the most jaw-dropping, multi-million dollar homes in Los Angeles. Realtor Joyce Rey (one of the most recognized and respected real estate professionals in the world) showed us around a luxurious two-acre estate on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, and realtor Sally Forster Jones (who specializes in luxury real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air and Holmby Hills) takes on a tour of an incredible Tuscan villa-style mansion in the Malibu hills [Watch video].
High rollers know that to really "live large" you've got to have some awe-inspiring wheels. Tina paid a visit to the one-of-a-kind Fletcher Jones Motorcars, where Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods have bought their rides, and every customer gets the red carpet treatment. But if buying a new Mercedes is not in your budget, you can still live large for a day or two by renting a luxury car [Watch video].
Tina visited the Barkley Pet Hotel & Day Spa, a resort-style retreat for dogs, cats, birds and exotics, which combines home-like amenities with recreational activities. The state-of-the-art facility features a clean, secure and fun-filled environment which exceeds all kennel industry standards for boarding, grooming, obedience training, and doggie day camp [Watch video].
Renowned party planner Jo Gartin spoke about her company Love Luck And Angels, which offers clients an a la carte menu of everything one could wish for when planning an event [Watch video]. Gartin has created events for such notables as Brooke Shields, Kate Walsh and Courtney Cox Arquette; she also created the Bachelor wedding event on ABC.
BORBA, led by beauty visionary Scott-Vincent Borba, has revolutionized the industry with its groundbreaking "Inside-Out" approach to skin care. BORBA believes that good health and beauty are one in the same, so they pair luxurious topical skin care with vitamin and antioxidant-packed supplements that heal the body from within [Watch video].
Tina met up with "Dancing With The Stars" pro Karina Smirnoff to talk about the two-time world champion's new dance studio in Woodland Hills and her own boots line, Aleska Boots [Watch video]. Tina got green with envy of the dancer's massive, Louboutin-filled shoe closet [Watch video].
Lifestyle expert Theodore Leaf of GinghamCottage.com took Tina to the Rose Bowl Flea Market in Pasadena to show how you can live large with big designer finds at a fraction of the cost [Watch video]. The Rose Bowl Flea Market is one of the most famous flea markets in the world, and one of the largest vintage clothing vendors in the country. Open the 2nd Sunday of every month, the flea market features over 2,500 vendors.
Get contact information and addresses of all the restaurants featured on this week's episode.
[Original air date: July 2, 2011]
