BOA: 5 Stars and one superstar - Smokey Robinson

BOA
9200 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles CA.

I've always had something of a conflict with the traditional mahogany steakhouses, local legends like Manny's (Minneapolis), Alfred's (San Francisco), Gibson's (Chicago),  Plaza III (Kansas City), Gallagher's (New York) as well as the Ruth's Chris-Morton's-Capital Grille-Fleming's chains. In addition to being monstrously expensive (a meal with two drinks, two family-style side orders an entree and dessert cost roughly $100 per person), the food is always delicious, but sturdy, more muscular than creative.

And the ambiance of these restaurants can be old-school, everything from yesterday except the cigars. In a nose-thumbing to class and caste, I've always had the urge to act up in these places, tossing shrimp into the mouth of my co-conspirators, Blues Brothers-style.

BOA is different. It is located in West Hollywood, a sprawling decor of soft neons, tropical plants and outdoor heat lamps. It feels exclusive and it is, on the Zagat's scale, $$$$$ expensive, and of course is inhabited by rows and rows of the The Beautiful People.

I haven't yet perfected my rating system, but BOA is a winner, if you don't mind coming to a restaurant to GO BIG for a true dining experience. I would give it five stars. It caters to "event dining" meaning it is a destination for an evening and it delivers. Wished I had sampled dessert, but the table was fading...

And of course, there was the celebrity sighting: Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who took pictures with patrons, one exclaiming, "OH MY GOD. I'M GONNA DIE."

I didn't take pictures, naturally. But it was fun.
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