Editor's Picks: Kelly Wardle

4002 Lincoln Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 (map)

My go-to spot for inexpensive, delicious Italian food. This location underwent a minor renovation a few years ago, but the decor still has all the charm of an old shoe. Despite that, it's always packed, and the long communal table is a fun way to meet new people. The waiters start you off with bread served with a bowl of minced garlic in olive oil. To say it's strong is an understatement, but if you don?t eat so much of it that the garlic starts to burn your tongue, you're doing something wrong. The eggplant parmesan is my favorite dish here, and you can BYOB without a corkage fee--if you forget to bring a bottle of wine, there's a 7-11 conveniently located in the same strip mall.

301 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292 (map)

This cute restaurant tucked next to the Venice canals serves delicious Thai food. It's pricier than some of the nearby Thai restaurants, but the great food, charming outdoor patio and intimate booths inside make up for it. The crispy spring rolls and pad thai--extra spicy, please!--are great.

2947 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405 (map)

This spacious wood-paneled pub thankfully lacks the typical china plates, teapots and random antiquities decorating the walls of more traditional taverns. Nevertheless, it's British through and through, with a red telephone box outside, Oasis on the jukebox, fish and chips on the menu, and Jimmy and David, the salty Brit-born bartenders. Two pool tables and real horsehair dart boards make it a fun bar game destination.

60 N Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 (map)

Another great local spot, conveniently located a two-minute walk from my apartment. The scene gets a little too meat-markety on weekends, but during the week it's a laid-back place for a drink and a snack. There's a good selection of wines by the glass, and the bartenders have heavy hands--they serve the best wine pour on the Westside (no measly four-ounce glasses here). The mac and cheese on the late-night bar menu is also one of my faves.

11700 National Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 (map)

I love dive bars and avoid anywhere super-crowded, sceney or with velvet ropes--to me Winston's is a brand of cigarettes, not a trendy bar. Lost & Found is one of the few true dives left on the Westside. Hidden in a nondescript strip mall, it has padded booths, a pool table, and the cocktails are strong and cheap (really cheap, not L.A. cheap). Every person I've taken here has been suitably impressed with its divey charms.

27400 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265 (map)

I haven't been to Geoffrey's in awhile, but it's a great spot for a special night. Getting there is fun--a long drive up the PCH with the ocean on your left, and if you're lucky you'll see dolphins jumping out of the water, or windsurfers and surfers skimming the waves. The restaurant is on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and even after the sun goes down you can hear the waves crashing on the rocks below. I'd love to go back (hint, hint).

1512 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291 (map)

Have I mentioned I don't really cook? I have the best intentions to start doing it more, but in the meantime I'm having a passionate affair with Mao's Kitchen in Venice. Ordering food from there has become a Friday night ritual if I'm staying in. I love their vegetables over lo mein, Sichuan eggplant (I add fried tofu), the spring rolls, and the spicy hot and sour soup--actually, I love pretty much everything on the menu. It's also inexpensive and super-quick, everything you want in a delivery place. I'm on a first-name basis with the weekend delivery guy. It's kind of a problem.

11020 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230 (map)

I buy almost all of my home decor items from T.J. Maxx. You can find some really cute things there. I just moved apartments and went shopping for new kitchen items, and found some white bowls with a retro black bird and floral silhouette on the exterior that look like they're from Anthropologie. Except there they would have cost $15 each, and I bought them for $3 each. Score!

1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049 (map)

Need to entertain visitors for a day? This free (yes, free!) museum houses well-known works of art, but almost as impressive are the buildings themselves and the sweeping views of the city from the balconies. Take one of the architectural tours to learn how the museum was constructed--all that stone was shipped across the Atlantic, unbelievably!

15601 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 (map)

I like the hiking trails of Temescal Canyon, just a short drive north on the PCH. From the top of the trail there are views across the Los Angeles basin from the Hollywood Hills to Palos Verdes, out to Catalina and up the coast to Malibu (on a smog-free day, at least). I go here when I need to escape the fact that I live in a sprawling city with 10 million other people.