Taste of Beverly Hills
Join us as we explore the “foody” side of Beverly Hills. This exciting tour will visit both established eateries, long considered local institutions, as well as those made more recently famous on places like the Food Network or the Oprah Show.
We arrive in posh Beverly Hills, mid-morning, where we first enjoy a Beverly Hills highlights tour. Some of the sites we will see include: Westwood Memorial Park (where Marilyn Monroe, Donna Reed, Dean Martin, Natalie Wood, Roy Orbison, Carroll O'Connor, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Don Knotts, Eddie Albert, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme, George C. Scott, Burt Lancaster, Eva Gabor, Truman Capote and many other celebrities are buried), The Electric Fountain, Beverly Hills High School, the Peninsula Hotel (one of three 5 star hotels in Beverly Hills), Department Store Row, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Museum of Television and Radio, and of course the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, made famous in the movie Pretty Woman. And let's not forget Rodeo Drive itself, perhaps the most exclusive shopping street in all the world!
Next we will visit Edelweiss Chocolate Store where owners Steve and Madlen Zahir will tell us about the colorful history of the store, including celebrities who visit the store regularly and their favorites, as well as a behind the scenes tour to see the workers making the chocolates (all handmade). See the their old fashioned assembly line machine which was the inspiration for the famous episode on the I Love Lucy Show. Edelweiss uses only the world's finest and freshest ingredients to craft these exclusive and extraordinary creations that are guaranteed to please the palate of the most exacting chocolate connoisseur. The store's discriminating clientele includes some of the most recognized names in the World... from presidents to princes, producers, entertainers, and, of course, serious chocolate lovers everywhere, including Sylvester Stallone. This small candy shop dates back to the 1940's and was once owned by the husband & wife team of The Partridge Family's Shirley Jones and Marty Ingels. (1997-2000) It seems that Shirley mentioned to Marty that she loved the hand-dipped chocolates sold by the store, so Marty bought it for her as a Valentine's Day gift in 1997. (Not just the chocolates, the entire store!)
We will also visit the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills to sample a tremendous selection of gourmet cheeses, a favorite stop for celebritie's Barbra Streisand and Nicholas Cage! The Cheese Store, recently featured on the Food Network, is the purveyor of choice for the professional chefs, caterers and restaurants including Bon Appetit at the Getty Museum and Wolfgang Puck's Spago Restaurant. The Cheese Store is the specialist for the rarest, hand made, farm fresh cheeses and hundreds of hard to find cheeses from all regions of France, Italy and other countries. You will enjoy a special presentation on the cheesemaking process as well as an opportunity to sample and purchase.
Afterwards, it's time for an included lunch at the famous Nate 'n Al's Deli. It's a modest little storefront deli, with inexpensive carpeting and even a small market located inside the restaurant. You'd never guess it was a hangout for Hollywood stars and agents. Yet Nate 'n Al's has become a local landmark, attracting a sizable celebrity following since it opened back in 1943. A current favorite of Larry King, legend has it that megastar Doris Day (who lived nearby on Crescent Drive) used to stop by every day in her bathrobe to grab breakfast. Nancy Sinatra calls it "the best deli in the Western world," and likes the lean corn beef & rye. Here we will enjoy one of the deli's famous signature dishes for lunch!
After lunch, enjoy a little time for shopping and additional sightseeing on your own. You may want to do some shopping on Rodeo Drive or Department Store Row or you may want to take a look inside the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Elvis Presley called it home while filming many movies at Paramount Studios in the late 50's and Warren Beatty lived here for 10 years during his bachelor days. Perhaps it's biggest claim to fame though is that Pretty Woman was filmed here in 1990 starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. Perhaps you'll decide to do a little more touring on the Beverly Hills Trolley, where you can see the star's homes as well as the world-famous Beverly Hills Hotel for only $10 per person on an informative 45 minute tour.
Our last stop will certainly not be our least! There is always room for dessert and we know that you will enjoy Sprinkles Cupcakes! You may have seen these cupcakes recently featured on the Oprah and Doctor Phil shows. Everyone will get one of Sprinkle's famous red velvet cupcakes, and you may also want to take some home for yourself!