The Ride-Along Report: First Takes From Last Night’s Dinner

"What It Is: A second location of the Melrose Place staple Croft Alley, inside The Standard Hollywood Perfect For: Breakfast, Casual Weeknight Dinner, People Watching The original Croft Alley on Melrose Place is one of the best daytime eating spots in West Hollywood, so it’s not surprising that The Standard Hollywood has brought them in-house to take over the restaurant at the Sunset Strip hotel. The space looks the same as it did when this was Alma - like a very cool Scandinavian diner - but now the menu is Croft Alley classics like the lettuce wraps, yoghurt with chlorophyll, and triple chocolate cookies we’ll go out of our way to eat. Because they’re open all day, they’ve also added bigger dishes like chicken pho, a cheeseburger, and prime rib. Breakfast is the best time to check this place out - there aren’t many places on this part of Strip where you can get an excellent breakfast for under $20. The Verdict: A great place for good, not-too-expensive food on the Sunset Strip." - jess basser sanders, brant cox, brett keating