The new hot spot on Sunset in Hollywood.... THE EVELEIGH

How refreshing to find a Sunset Strip hot spot that is not Philipe Starcked out (not that we don't love Starck's sleek, minimal, modern style, but change is good!).  Instead of white hard angles everywhere, Eveleigh is a cozy inviting space with wide planked wood beam floors, a roaring fireplace flanked by armchairs and crowned by a painted steel cow's head, linen covered booths and a covered outdoor patio that has staggering views of Tinseltown.

Last night a group of seven girls had a Ladies Night to suss this spot out-- one of our group is an Aussie who knows the Australian owner, Nick Mathers.  Nick also owns the popular restaurant, Kingswood in NYC.  Bicoastal all the way.  We were not disappointed.  We virtually tried everything on the menu-- all of it was delicious and our favorites were the lightly fried calamari, the rib eye steak, the eggplant salad, mac & cheese, the french fries with garlic mayo dipping sauce, and the doughnuts for dessert.  Nobody said it was a healthy dinner!!  We shared a bottle of the Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir which was light and went well with the variety of dishes we sampled.

The service matched the quality of the food-- everyone was friendly and hip without being self-conscious.  Our only complaint was that the bartender was very stingy on his wine pours by the glass-- and for $10 and up a glass, a full glass should definitely be poured!

We'll just order bottles on our return visits!!!