Picking five of the hautest locale s in any city isn’t easy, but Haute Living likes a challenge. In this issue, we’ve selected the best spots in Los Ang eles to go for a romantic meal, where to bite into a juicy hamburger and the hautest pools to take a dip in any time of the year. For the full reviews of our top 5 choices, head over to www.hauteliving.com/los-angeles

Al Gore’s commitment to the environment hasn’t gone unnoticed: the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability feted the former Vice President at their second annual gala. Gore and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Lyn Lear were honored at a ceremony held at the Beverly Hills home of Jeanne and Anthony N. Pritzker on March 5th.

Diamonds were definitely a girl’s best friend on Feb. 19, when Hollywood’s hottest stars stepped out in Beverly Hills to fete Elizabeth Taylor’s rare collection of Bvlgari baubles. Julianne Moore turned heads wearing the $6.1 million emerald and diamond pendant that Richard Burton gave to Taylor as a wedding gift, while other actresses wore modern-day pieces from the Italian jewelry house.

Haute fashion lovers united at Cecconi’s Feb. 13 to herald the arrival of LA’s flagship Topshop location. Sir Philip Green marked the occasion with a private dinner for his celebrity friends that featured pink neon lights and Union Jack flags.

Haute on the heels of his new exhibition at LA’s Prism Gallery, fashion photographer extraordinaire Mario Testino was further feted at a party in his honor by none other than Gisele Bundchen. The Brazilian supermodel, along with Prism’s PC Valmorbida and Jared Jajjar, brought together a crowd of celebrities, art world luminaries and fashion notables at the lavish Fleur de Lys estate in Beverly Hills on Feb. 23.

During the hustle and bustle of Oscar week, there’s always one thing that can get a star out of the house: a good cause. Adrien Brody, David Arquette, Moby, Heather Graham and Madeleine Stowe were among the guests who attended Bovet 1822 & Hollywood Domino’s Pre-Oscar Gala & Tournament at the Sunset Tower Hotel Feb 20. Gerard Butler acted as host for the evening, which benefitted Artists for Peace & Justice.

The Weinstein Company’s party was the place to be following the 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Feb. 13. Harvey Weinstein celebrated his company’s nominated films such as Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained and The Master at the Chopard-sponsored event.

Here are the Haute Secrets of Sally Hershberger's Hollywood stylist Sulekha Hilton.

As the annual countdown begins for this year’s Coachella music festival, foodies are turning their attention to the amazing dining options that will be available for those purchasing VIP tickets. Check out what you can expect at this year’s festival.

Tamara Ecclestone, daughter of British F1 racing mogul Bernie Ecclestone, has been reportedly browsing luxury homes in Holmby Hills, including the old Walt Disney estate, which features 35,000 square feet and a $95 million price tag.

According to new reports from Deadline, NBC executives recently approached Anderson Cooper about replacing Matt Lauer at the end of 2013. The site claims that NBC reached out to Lauer to get his blessing about the changeover, but received resistance from the “Today” veteran. Supposedly, Lauer even contacted Cooper directly to express his disapproval. Even […]

This week we spotted actor Jake Abel wearing the Master Grande Tradition à Tourbillon 43 watch at the Jaeger-LeCoultre sponsored premiere of the new sci-fi film The Host. We have a hunch that costar Diane Kruger, who is the face of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s feminine collection, might have influenced this stylish choice. Abel and Kruger were joined at the New York premiere by fellow cast members Saoirse Ronan and Max Irons.

Enjoy proper private luxury shopping with Modewalk's newly launched Boudoir in Union Square, San Francisco. See pictures of the exclusive launch luncheon and a sneak peak of Boudoir as well!

The Flavors of Los Angeles culinary event will take place on May 5 at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. Back for its seventh year, the culinary experience provides each table of attendees with a local chef who will prepare a multi-course dinner tableside.

Brad Garrett celebrated the one-year anniversary of his eponymous comedy club at the MGM Grand on Wednesday night.

Two superchefs are joining forces for a cause this April. Suzanne Goin, the force behind LA's A.O.C., Lucques and Tavern will team up with Alice Waters of Chez Panisse to host a fundraising event for the Larchmont Charter School of West Hollywood.

Amidst the fizz of Moët Imperial Gatsby champagne cocktails and the enthusiastic chatter of guests under the blush lighting of The Rose Club, one could envision F. Scott Fitzgerald himself lounging in a plush chair, a sugar cube slowly melting at the bottom of his glass. “A Taste of the Gatsby Era” celebrated famous Plaza patron Fitzgerald […]

Jon Schwartz is the Partner of Strategic Group/Tao Group in New York City. After graduating from Quinnipiac University in 2005, Schwartz started his own events and marketing company called JRS Entertainment Corp. Shortly after, he joined Noah Tepperberg and Jason Strauss as the Marketing and Hospitality Director for Strategic Hospitality Group, where he worked on […]