20 dineL.A. Menus You Need to Know About for This Month

Now back for its 10th anniversary, dineL.A. highlights our city’s finest restaurants through special lunch and dinner menus offered over a two-week period from January 12 through January 26.

The winter edition includes 300+ eateries with menu deals that are affordable for all budgets. Lunch menus run $15, $20, or $25 depending on the restaurant and $29, $39, or $49 apply to dinner menus. The only exception is a small set of experiential menus from the Exclusive Series which are priced at $95 and up. Even that is a small price to pay when you can dine at Michael Cimarusti’s award winning Providence or Wolfgang Puck’s iconic Spago in Beverly Hills. Now the only question is, where to begin?

Below you will find all recommended menus organized into sections for lunch, dinner and exclusives with details on what’s being offered and what to order.

One other quick note: American Airlines will help commemorate the 10th anniversary with a contest, “dineL.A. Golden Dish” will award one lucky winner with 100,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® miles. Simply participate in dineL.A. this year and if you get served a dish on a gold commemorative plate you’ll be deemed the winner. Obviously the more dineL.A. restaurants you visit, the more chances you’ll have to win. Good luck!

dine la 2018

Photo Credit: Discover Los Angeles

Top Lunch Deal Picks

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1. Redbird ($25)
Chef Neal Fraser has created a two course brunch/lunch menu for dineL.A. Guests can dine on creations that any curious eater would want to try including Salmon Pastrami, Bacon Wrapped Trout and Rabbit Tinga. Other options include: Liberty Farms Duck with gochujang friend rice, Salmon Pastrami, Bacon Wrapped Trout and Rabbit Tinga. –> Full Menu Here

2. spring ($25)
Elevate your lunch without compromising your wallet during spring’s dineL.A. lunch menu. The three course prix fixe opens with a salad or soup and moves onto main courses like Branzino with lemon confit and pickled grapes. Your choice between a Louis XV or an Apple and Tea Crumble Panna Cotta will end the meal on a sweet note. Other options include: Branzino, Pasture Raised Flat Iron Steak and Panna Cotta. –> Full Menu Here

3. Cosa Buona ($20)
Zach Pollack’s Echo Park pizzeria is as good as it gets if you like a nicely burnt, chewy crust with a just-sweet-enough red sauce to top it off. Diners can get a two-course meal plus marinated olives to snack on for $20. Other options include: Pasta Salad, Broccolini, Margherita Pizza and Sausage Pizza. –> Full Menu Here

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4. Badmaash ($20)
Hip Indian mash up eatery Badmaash will offer a dineL.A. lunch menu on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Choose an appetizer of Bean Sprout “Bhel” Salad or a Punjabi Style Onion Fritter and your choice from four main courses served with a side of daily pickles, yogurt raita and basmati pilaf. Other options include: Classic Butter Chicken, Goan Pork Curry, Good Ol’Saag Paneer and Punjabi Style Chickpeas. –> Full Menu Here

5. Kali ($25)
Chef Kevin Meehan creates a hyper seasonal and local dineL.A. menu this winter. The three course meal will have diners choose between a Charred Avocado Salad or a Black Barley Risotto made with black garlic and local cheese for starters. As for the main course it’s a tough choice when Mary’s Chicken and Uni Pasta is involved. Lastly, there are two options for dessert, a Meringue Gelato with sugar cured egg yolks or a Chocolate Cremeux. Other options include: Charred Avocado Salad, Black Barley Risotto, Uni Pasta and Meringue Gelato –> Full Menu Here

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Photo Credit: Nick + Stef’s

6. Nick + Stef’s ($25)
Patina owned steakhouse Nick + Stef’s will offer a decadent lunch where you get a starter and a main course like a hanger steak with your choice of a side (there are four to choose from.) Guests will also have the option to make an entree “Oscar Style” where jumbo lump crab is topped on your dish for $10. Other options include: Oak Grilled Salmon, Hanger Steak and Jidori Chicken. –> Full Menu Here

7. The Stalking Horse ($15)
New to dineL.A. the British pub inspired restaurant will serve a two course lunch that’s fitted for vegans or carnivores. Options like their American Burger and Chicken Pot Pie can be made sans meat. Other options include: Chicken Pot Pie, American Burger, Welsh Rarebit and French Onion Soup. –> Full Menu Here

8. Gratitude Beverly Hills ($25)
Elevated plant-based eatery Gratitude’s special lunch menu starts with a small bite of chips & gauc and moves onto a starter then an entrée and ends with dessert. Other options include: Kelp Thai Noodles, Gratitude Blue Plate Special and Key Lime Pie. –> Full Menu Here

Top Dinner Deal Picks

9. Rossoblu ($39)
An Authentic Italian meal can be found at Chef Steve Samson’s Rossoblu. His Downtown eatery has become one of the most popular places to dine in the last year, landing at #10 on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Resturants. For dineL.A. diners get a three course meal that include comforting Chopped Winter Vegetable Soup, Lasagne Bolognese, Roasted Lamb Shoulder and Zuppa Inglese an Italian dessert layering custard and sponge cake. Other options include: Warm Calamari & Clam Salad, Chopped Winter Vegetable Soup, Lasagne Bolognese, Roasted Lamb Shoulder and Zuppa Inglese. –> Full Menu Here

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Photo Credit: Marie Buck for The Bellwether

10. The Bellwether ($29)
Dinner at Ted Hopson’s Studio City restaurant will usually run over $30 but during dineL.A. The Bellwether will let diners choose three items from a list of ten tasty choices. Other options include:  Tempura Cauliflower, Saffron-Mushroom Ragu, Cheese Platter and Jameson Bread Pudding. –> Full Menu Here

11. Petrossian ($59)
If you enjoy caviar you can get it in three courses and even have dessert in the end for a shocking $59 at Petrossian. The three course menu featuring decadent dishes like Crème Brulée made with Foie Gras will also offer a Tsar Imperial Caviar Flight for a $50 supplement. Other options include: Caviar Flight, Foie Gras Crème Brulée and Caviar Risotto. –> Full Menu Here

12. Manhattan Beach Post ($39)
Michelin-starred Chef David LeFevre’s much beloved M.B. Post will offer a four course meal sectioned by vegetables, seafood, meat and sweets. Simply choose from each section of the dineL.A. menu and expect to be surprised by his flavor combinations like lamb belly with plum sauce and trout with Fuji apple chimichurri. Other options include: Weiser Farm Roasted Sunchokes, Japanese Hamachi Sashimi, Milk Braised Pork and The “Elvis” a chocolate pudding with peanut butter mousse and bacon brittle. –> Full Menu Here

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Photo Credit: Ray’s Stark Bar

13. Ray’s & Stark Bar ($29)
Create a full day event around dineL.A. by heading to LACMA for a museum day and having dinner on campus at Ray’s and Stark Bar. The special set menu includes a Black Kale Salad, a Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza and a signature cocktail of your choice. –> Full Menu Here

14. Herringbone Santa Monica ($49)
Find Big Eyed Tuna Carpaccio, Buffalo Octopus, Whole Roasted Branzino and other seafood options on the special three course dinner menu during dineL.A. at Brian Malarkey’s Herringbone. –> Full Menu Here

15. Same Same ($29)
The prix fixe menu at Silver Lake’s Thai eatery Same Same includes your choice of two courses that include Thai Dim Sum, Beef Panang Red Curry and desserts like Sweet & Spicy Pineapple and a cooling Coconut Flan to combat the heat from some of the deliciously spicy dishes. Other options include: Sidewalk Pad Thai and Chicken Katieam. –> Full Menu Here

16. Westbound ($29)
Speakeasy bar and restaurant Westbound will offer market pickles to cleanse the palate, a vegetable forward snack choice and a protein as the main course. Other options include: Chickpea Artichoke Fritters, Boneless Short Rib and Mary’s Chicken with Spatzle. –> Full Menu Here

dineL.A. Exclusive Series ($95 per person)

17. Providence ($100)
Dining at a two Michelin star restaurant for $100 is rare. Take full advantage to try one of the most decorated American seafood restaurants in the city when they roll out a tasting menu designed just for dineL.A. Also important to note, for a $40 supplement you can get a taste of the rare a5 Wagyu, the highest grade given to beef in world. Other options include: Amuses, Sea Scallop, Liberty Farms Duck and Salmon. –> Full Menu Here

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18. The Arthur J ($95)
The Manhattan Beach neighborhood steakhouse will feature a three-course menu where diners will start with something chilled like a Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail or Beef Sirloin Tartare and move onto warm starters like Swedish Meatballs or a Farro Risotto with Black Truffles. As for the main course, guests can choose from a Petit Filet, Ribeye, Tuna Loin or Braised Lamb Shank. Steak entrées come with a choice of topping from a classic mushroom to a decadent seared foie gras or buttered crab. There’s also three different desserts to choose from. You’ll probably leave with leftovers as portions here are generous. –> Full Menu Here

19. Union ($100)
Current Top Chef contender Bruce Kalman’s California/Italian inspired eatery will take diners on a five course journey that starts with his popular bread service and moves onto cured fish, little gem salad, Agnolotti, a Flannery Holstein Beef Ribeye and Olive Oil Cake with a salted honeycomb gelato to end. Other options include: Citrus Cured Pacific Yellowtail. –> Full Menu Here

20. Spago Beverly Hills ($125+)
A special California Tasting Menu will be offered during dineL.A. Normally $145, the menu will be priced at $125 for a limited time. Guests will feast on 13 courses that include Hand Made Agnolotti with the option to add French Black Truffles for a $20 supplement. Other options include:  Snake River Wagyu Beef, Ikejime Black Cod and Slow Braised Pork Belly in Korean Gamjatang Soup. –> Full Menu Here

Article by We Like LA. 

The Best Places To Eat On Ventura Boulevard

Not only are there great classic spots all over the Valley, but the past few years have brought a food renaissance to the SFV, which is why Thrillist has updated their list of the best restaurants on Ventura. Of course, there are also great cuts deeper north, but the Boulevard’s where much of the action happens, and is also way easier for any friends coming from over the hill to get to.

BLACK MARKET LIQUOR BAR

STUDIO CITY

Strong cocktails and killer brunch from a Top Chef alum
The just-off-Cahuenga section of Ventura is one of LA’s trendiest gastropub havens, but one of the first to set up shop on the block was Black Market, which combines the efforts of Top Chef alum Antonia Lofaso with lauded barmen Pablo Moix and Steve Livigni. It’s jam-packed on weekend nights, thanks to the tremendously tasty drinks (the spicy/grapefruity Chilero is a favorite) and some of the city’s best wings, as well as an egg-laden brunch.

BLUE DOG BEER TAVERN

SHERMAN OAKS

Divey spot with pub fare and 60+ taps
Not only does this (yes, again) gastropub have one of the best burgers in town that you’ve never heard of, but it’s also got an insane beer list, and is walking distance from the Galleria, where you’ll smirk at the people waiting in line at The Cheesecake Factory… right before you stumble up to the ArcLight.

CASA VEGA

SHERMAN OAKS

Late-night Valley institution with terrific margaritas
Is this the best Mexican food you’ll ever eat? No, it is not. Still, it’s been a Valley classic for over 50 years, due in one part to amazing margaritas, and in another part to incredible chips-and-guac, and, in yet another part, to that old-school charm-y Mexican restaurant decor that falls flat when anyone tries to modernize it. And the oven-style burritos — wet with sauce and covered with drippy cheese — are pretty excellent too, all told.

BAMBOO

SHERMAN OAKS

Classic, family-style Chinese food
If you’ve got friends who grew up in the Valley, it’s likely that their taste for Chinese food started at this mid-Boulevard staple. But it’s not just nostalgia that keeps the lights on here: Bamboo’s a Zagat-rated favorite, with reliably delicious takes on classic dishes like well-salted wonton soup and sizzling hot beef & scallops.

SUGARFISH

STUDIO CITY

Reliable reincarnation of a sushi classic
The transformation from Sushi Nozawa to Sugarfish — the most consistent chain of any kind we’ve ever eaten at, with some of the best sub-$50 sushi you’ll find anywhere — has not gone unnoticed. Sugarfish is great, and unequivocally so.

SADAF

ENCINO

Middle Eastern spot with excellent kebabs
Sure, it’s as far west as you’re likely to go, but it’s worth heading under the 405 for this Persian treasure. In addition to melt-in-your-mouth skewers of beef and chicken, you’ll also want to try the rice boiled with sour cherries and chicken, and the juicy, thick savory stews of veal and eggplant. As an added bonus, there’s plentiful, under-the-405, shopping cart parking nearby!

BONEYARD BISTRO

SHERMAN OAKS

Barebones space with barbecue and a massive beer selection
This long-standing BBQ spot is a classic for a whole host of reasons. It serves up tender, drool-inducing ribs, features a wide-ranging and ever-changing craft beer list (42 taps long), offers a half-priced wine special every Tuesday and Wednesday, and has a daily happy hour. Oh, and the Kobe beef & chili-filled donuts here are life-affirmingly good.

IROHA SUSHI OF TOKYO

SHERMAN OAKS

Longtime sushi spot serving both trendy & traditional takes
OK, props to one more sushi joint: this unassuming, tucked-away spot serves not only hearty helpings of salmon nigiri and crazy-good uni, but also has the best blackened cod on the Boulevard. If you’re lucky, you might even get to see a man throw a 13-foot python at you while you eat your dinner.

THE BELLWETHER

STUDIO CITY

Bistro emphasizing farm-fresh ingredients
This New American spot got a rave review from Jonathan Gold and has become one of the surest bets for great food in the Valley. The dinner menu’s got tempura cauliflower and a patty melt that’s become a local favorite, and chef/owner Ted Hopson’s also got a poached-egg-topped grain bowl and a hot chicken sandwich for brunch on the weekends.

FIREFLY

STUDIO CITY

Romantic spot for a sit-down dinner
This longstanding nice-dinner favorite has an indoor/outdoor vibe, and a pedigreed chef who’s now doing a three-course tasting menu as well as a la carte options like an osso buco and lamb-rib duo. Try to get a seat outside by the fireplace: this is the rare Valley restaurant that feels romantic without being hokey, and the patio vibe goes a long way in establishing that atmosphere.

JOE’S FALAFEL

STUDIO CITY

Counter service standby for lunch or dinner
There is tons of great Middle Eastern food in the Valley, but for the East Valley, Joe’s reigns supreme: their falafel is a lunchtime staple, thanks to a perfectly crisp exterior and a chickpea mixture that’s surprisingly spiced (is that… cinnamon I’m tasting??). Their bowl specials are also exceedingly affordable and always delicious.

THE FRANKLAND LEE EMPIRE

ENCINO

Acclaimed restaurant group by a husband/wife duo
Vaunted Scratch|Bar chef Phillip Frankland Lee and his pastry chef wife Margarita have single-handedly (or is that double-handedly? How does that work?) changed the dining scene in the West Valley with a quartet of restaurants, all located in the Woodley Plaza center. There’s the gastropub-y Woodley Proper, the seafood-centric Frankland’s Crab & CoSushi|Bar (which trounces the Valley’s raw-fish mainstays), and of course the flagship Scratch|Bar, all of which have become destination restaurants in a part of LA that had never really been on the culinary map before.

VERSAILLES

ENCINO

LA landmark serving traditional Cuban dishes
This LA Cuban mini-chain is responsible for one of the city’s most iconic dishes (garlic chicken, yes please), but is also great for sandwiches, casual/inexpensive group dinners, and other events that don’t involve making out afterwards. Plus, you can tell your over-the-hill-friends that you ate at a bona fide LA institution, and then argue over why the hell they don’t believe you when you say the Valley’s every bit as good as the city is.

THE LOCAL PEASANT

WOODLAND HILLS & SHERMAN OAKS

Well-made comfort food in a pub-style atmosphere
Gastropubs started trending in the East Valley nearly a decade ago, and the trend’s welcome crawl westward is exemplified by The Local Peasant’s two locations on Ventura — one in Sherman Oaks, and one all the way west in Woodland Hills. Does that mean Woodland Hills is the next Studio City? Maybe, but until we know for sure, order some chocolate chunk bread pudding and make yourself comfortable.

HUMMUS BAR & GRILL

TARZANA

Addictive Middle Eastern fare inside a shopping center
Worthy of a Tarzana trip all by itself, the bubbly, doughy flatbread at this Middle Eastern mainstay has the perfect consistency to sop up any of the 12+ all-you-can-eat “salads” served with every dish, which include multiple deconstructions of eggplant, a chopped liver pate, and a slew of spiced vegetables. Here’s your go-to move: order one of the skewer dishes for every two or three people at your table, and then go HAM on the salads — and the bread. Oh, and also order the hummus (duh).

Article courtesy of Thrillist. 

DTLA’s newest food hall opening soon

Downtown Los Angeles’ newest food hall is expected to open soon!

Corporation Food Hall will be located down the street from the Spring Street Arcade and Grand Central Market. The new food hall announced its lineup last week.

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Coming to the food hall is Tacos Tu Madre, Poke 2 Go, Pig Pen Delicacy, On the Thirty, Bardonna, Soom Soom, Buddha Belly, and Funculo.

The hall has nine stalls in total with communal seating down the middle. No word on when Corporation Food Hall will open, but it should be soon!

The address to Corporation Food Hall is 724 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles.