Back to Basics @ Billingsley's

Billingsley's on Pico @ Sawtelle, WLA

I've been going to Billingsley's Restaurant in West L.A. since the 70's. They serve plain and delicious food...more importantly, the martinis are faboo! One of Barbara Billingsley's sons owns and runs the place (Barbara, of Mrs. Cleaver TV fame). Barbara's other son ran the Billingsley's Restuarant at the Van Nuys golf course that closed about a year ago. The Billingsley boys' father, Glenn Billingsley ran The Stork Club in New York before coming out to L.A. and opening other restaurants. When you visit Billingsley's, you can read all about the history on the back of the menu.

Mmmmmm....Green Goddess Dressing

This is one of those "red leather booth" places....old-fashioned and comfy. The martinis are very reasonable and positively perfect. You can actually sit in a dark booth and talk to your companion over drinks and cheese bread.

Mr. Larry and I went to Billingsley's for Valentine's Day dinner. If you go early, you'll see the senior set, along with their grandchildren. If you wait until after 7pm, the crowd is more middle-aged....like us.

I usually order the prime rib dinner, but for this evening I ordered the Yankee Pot Roast (delicious) and Larry had the Chicken Cordon Bleu. You can't get away from the Cheese Bread. It's decadently ladened with butter (see photo above) and some sort of other-worldy cheesy goodness....carbolicious. This is one of the few places in town that serves Green Goddess Dressing on their salad. They make the croutons out of old cheese bread! Dessert looks quite ordinary...just like Mom used to make. Larry had a scoop of lemon sherbet and I had the tapioca pudding. This is not a diet or health-food restaurant....it's old-fashioned and familiar.

There are banquet rooms in the back....I'm thinking this might be a perfect spot for a special birthday party celebration and it wouldn't break our bank account either!

11326 West Pico Blvd., @ Sawtelle, WLA

310/477-1426