socialite's » Los Angeles, CA

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Melrose Avenue may have momentarily lost its reputation as Los Angeles’ best shopping enclave to its pricier neighbor, Robertson Boulevard, but it still has Dolce, a warm, cozy Italian restaurant partially owned by Ashton Kutcher. Like its celebrity backers, Dolce is hidden from view and requires some searching to locate. (Hint: the cross-street is Sweetzer.) Inside, all is dark – save the shimmering candles that sporadically light your way to the loud, welcoming bar. You’ll feel as light and airy as a real starlet here; a single stiffer-than-stiff Cosmo topples anyone under 150 pounds. Nibble-sized starters such as duck prosciutto are inexpensive and surprisingly rich, and the pumpkin ravioli with butter and sage out-yums Wolfgang Puck’s version hands-down. The intimate tables for two snuggle a bit too close to one another (by the end of the evening you may have some new, exceptionally attractive buddies). Wait staff and clientele are nearly indistinguishable, as everyone’s groomed to perfection, ready and willing to make the leap from the fringes of the entertainment world into prime time. You won’t see Demi’s boy-toy or any That ‘70s Show castmates; they rarely make an appearance. Still, the people-watching and fruit-accented desserts are quite dolce.

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