Summer is warming up in the on-deck circle. And if you've been indulging in Farmer John foot-longs all spring, you're probably not going to get as far as second base. So here's a half-dozen of my favorite healthy options around town to help you get back into the ballgame.

With summer rapidly approaching, it's time to explore your ice cream options in the beach-adjacent parts of town. Assembled here, in no particular order, are five of my favorite purveyors of top-quality, small-batch ice cream that won't melt before you hit the beach (not intended as a guarantee given local...

Ever since his days as an offensive lineman at the University of Michigan, John Prepolec has found himself in the role of protector. Today, the former football star works as a tireless advocate for children's health. No longer does he keep quarterbacks upright; instead, he is keeping school-age children in...

Mac 'n five kinds of cheese; deviled eggs and bacon; BLT flatbread -- decadent, right? And don't get me started on the butter, made with a coffee-and-bacon reduction. It would be wasted on ordinary bread, but on Chef Jonathan Moulton's biscuits, it's a match made in food heaven.

These...

"The oven is the heart and soul of this kitchen," Tar & Roses chef/owner Andrew Kirschner told Los Angeles magazine.

"My whole thing was to have a wood oven and never put a pizza in it. It can get really, really hot. You have to...

The running marathon was winding down just as the drinking marathon was getting started. The Bungalow, at the corner of Wilshire and Ocean in Santa Monica, offered an ideal view of the finish line of the former and the starting line of the latter.

There was plenty of green...

The secret's in the dough. That's what Wildcraft Sourdough Pizza co-owners Chris Stone and Michael Barson tell me (partner Jed Sanford was busy at the time, actually working.)

"What differentiates us," Stone says, "is the yeast in our sourdough."

In fact, the "Wild" in "Wildcraft" derives...

Mark your calendar now for May 31. That's the launch date of Palm Springs Restaurant Week (a misnomer, not only because it includes the surrounding cities of La Quinta, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Cathedral City and Indian Wells, but also in that it runs through June 16, still,...

An old Italian dish is inspiring a new trend here in L.A. You'll find it at some of the finest restaurants in town, as well as a local butcher and even a food truck. It's porchetta (pronounced por-KEH-tuh) -- and for the uninitiated, it's a traditional dish from central Italy;...

With a comprehensive menu designed for any appetite, if it weren't for the minimalist décor, Bamboo Izakaya would feel as much gastropub as sushi joint. There are myriad tastes for the adventurous palate to sample.

To provide a sense of the scope of the menu, consider these...

Eighteen stories above Second and Wilshire, you'll find one of the best dining experiences in Santa Monica. The Penthouse at The Huntley Hotel not only offers panoramic coastline and city views, but great food and drinks, as well.

The 360-degree bar is packed nightly with attractive Westsiders. Uptempo background...

Somewhere between the hustle of Los Angeles and the bustle of San Francisco, there lies a sanctuary of relaxation and recreation: Monterey.

The historic city on California's central coast, 320 miles north of L.A. and 112 south of San Fran, was once home to the sardine canning industry of...

Since the days when Beijing was known in the West as Peking, MR Chow has been the go-to place for Chinese cuisine. And until last month, that meant enduring the flash bulbs of the paparazzi in Beverly Hills' Golden Triangle. But now, the famed restaurant has set up...

Beginning in 1876 as a two-story adobe guesthouse, The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in historic downtown Riverside, approximately 55 miles east of Los Angeles, now occupies an entire city block that encompasses 320,000 square-feet.

I made the short trek out the 60 Freeway to the 91 interchange recently...

For the last six years, Matt Thomas has been delivering the old-school pizza of his native New York to the good people of Santa Monica.

Despite the eruption of ever more California pizza kitchens around town, Thomas's Joe's Pizza has maintained a loyal following of avid pizza...

Gimme a break. Gimme a break. But don't break me off a bite of that KitKat bar because it's destroying the habitat of the orangutan. Or haven't you heard? The fact of the matter is palm oil, listed in the ingredients of the popular candy bar and other common grocery...

PARK CITY, UT -- There is no synergy quite like that created by the combination of food and film (wrote the L.A.-based food writer). And the best of both worlds were on display at this year's 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

As an intrepid journalist bent on unearthing the gritty...

Dorothy Parker once remarked of Los Angeles that it was 72 suburbs in search of a city. But twice a year, it unites around the table as a grand one-of-a-kind metropolis. And what powerful force can bring such disparate people together under a single banner? Food, of course. And the...

It's called "America's Finest City." And if your idea of a fine city includes near-perfect weather, great beaches, scenic beauty, fine dining and a lively downtown, then San Diego will rank at the top of the list.

Located about 125 miles south of Los Angeles, the city is a...

The Helms District in Culver City, renowned for its art scene, is now establishing itself as one of the latest culinary hot spots, and proof that there's more to the city than its already-discovered downtown.

With great chefs moving into the neighborhood and the Expo Light Rail stopping nearby,...