Tuesday, March 20th officially marked the first day of spring…and it also marked the launch of Naya Lounge’s new springtime cocktail menu! Black LAB Ventures Mixologist Joel Black, who has worked with more than 30 restaurants nationwide including downtown’s Caña, lent his expertise to bring Indian-inspired craft cocktails to this lounge, nestled in Los Angeles’ eclectic Silverlake neighborhood

The 94.7 The Wave radio station surely knows how to put on a concert, as seen from its highly popular Wavefest jazz concerts and romantic Valentine’s Concert series. So when it was revealed that The Wave would introduce yet another concert series – this time, the 1st Annual Winter Wonderland – we excitedly rushed over to the Universal Gibson Amphitheater this past Saturday night to see how it would be.

Locanda del Lago is a quaint, inviting restaurant that proudly claimed the corner of Santa Monica’s Arizona Ave. and 3rd Street. Bringing the tastes, wines and sights of Northern Italy to Los Angeles for twenty years now, it’s managed to find the perfect balance between preserving its roots and traditions, and yet gracefully making way for new, innovative ingredients, dining experiences and culinary concepts.

What did you do this weekend? We, here at Haute Living , had the pleasure to travel to the wine-making countryside of France, all while staying within the comforts of the Beverly Hills Country Club this past Friday, November 18th.

Napa Valley Grille, centrally located in the heart of Westwood, is an official participant of the Westwood LIVE series. Kicking off this past spring for the first time ever, this monthly series features a variety of local restaurants, bars, lounges and shops opening their doors every third Thursday of the month to offer exclusive discounts, live music, art-related performances and other entertaining activities throughout the evening, starting at 5 p.m.

On Monday, April 25th, we joined several Los Angeles-based journalists and bloggers at BREEZE, the acclaimed restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, to taste the newest menu additions for Spring 2011: vibrant vegan lunch and dinner options.

Restaurant owner Deep Sethi is not new to the Los Angeles restaurant scene. He’s managed to launch two successful Indian restaurants that just happen to directly face each other, one on each side of Wilshire Blvd.: the extravagantly lavish Bombay Palace and the more secluded yet posh Nirvana Beverly Hills. Since 2004, Nirvana Beverly Hills has been one of the most sought out destinations, serving exquisite Indian dishes to throngs of high-end clientele and A-list celebrities on a regular basis. And it’s been quite some time now that it’s offered the Bliss Hour – its unique interpretation of happy hour, Monday – Friday, 5-7 p.m. where all cocktails and appetizers are only $6.

Living in Los Angeles, a city with countless dining and cocktailing options, we have our particular destinations for our particular appetites. And when we’re craving that ultimate, wow-this-is-so-good dining experience, Café del Rey is the first place we head to. The ingenuity of this Marina del Rey hotspot is that it has done what so many restaurants have failed to do: it has seamlessly merged artistic, tasty culinary expressions with price points that are beyond reasonable for all that you get. It is truly fine dining at a spectacular price.

With an address in a neighborhood where a venue is fortunate to survive for one year and heroic to prevail for two years, Hollywood’s Geisha House has boldly claimed the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Cherokee Avenue for more than seven years. Known for its vivid Japanese pop art décor, its high-end clientele and lively scene, it’s been a staple for those seeking delicious traditional Japanese dishes with modern twists and exceptionally exquisite sakes, wines and cocktails.