Emma Hearts LA Blog Tour: Keris Eats LA by Keris Stainton

When I sent the first draft of Emma Hearts LA to my editor, one of her comments was "Emma and her sister eat a lot of burgers…" I hadn't noticed. But they totally did. As did I on my research trip to LA. And not just burgers - all the food was fabulous and it's definitely made its way into the book. 

One of the main characters, Oscar, works at a noodle bar called Wok the Boat. I got the idea when I bought myself Pad Thai at a noodle bar called Wok & Go in Liverpool. Our local Chinese takeaway is called Wok Star and once I started thinking about other pun names, Wok the Boat appeared (I asked my Facebook friends for other pun suggestions, a few of which also appear). In the book, I plopped Wok the Boat down in the space that is, in reality, occupied by Perry's where my friend Stella and I ate sweet potato fries, looked out across the beach, and said, "This is the life…" more than once. 

Perry's 

Also heavily featured in the book is the Sidewalk Cafe. Because it's awesome. Sitting on the terrace, listening to the buskers, watching the world go by, drinking margaritas, eating burgers - it's now my happy place. I think pretty much everyone in the book goes there at least once. 

Talking of margaritas, I had the best one EVER at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co on Santa Monica Pier (honestly, just typing that gives me a thrill. Santa Monica Pier! Get me!). It may be a theme restaurant, but the atmosphere is fabulous, the food delicious (I had Lt. Dan's Drunken Shrimp) and the margaritas… *goes into a reverie*

The Terrace

One restaurant that didn't make it into the book - well, it was in the first draft, but it's now on the "cutting room floor" - is The Terrace Cafe in Venice. We passed it on our first night and it not only smelled and looked amazing, it had some sort of animatronic creature moving up and down the roof. I don't know about you, but that's what I look for in a restaurant ;) Also it's right on the beach with an outdoor terrace. Looks like a perfect place for the first date of a couple of fictional characters...

*** 

Thanks for this Keris, I hope you haven't made too many readers hungry! I really want to go to LA and find some of these places, they sound yummy!! 

Keris' new book, Emma <3's LA will be released on June 7th by Orchard. You can read my review of Emma <3' LA here and Keris' previous two books, Jessie <3's LA and Della Says OMG here and here. Find out more about Keris on her website. 

Also if you are in the North West and are free next Thursday check out this blog post from Keris discussing her launch party!