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Add ingredients to an ice filled cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Strain into ice filled glass. Garnish with orange peel and cherry. Serve and enjoy!
1. In a pitcher, combine apple juice, pears, thyme and liqueur. Stir together, then refrigerate for 2 – 4 hours to allow the pears and thyme to infuse the juice with flavor.
2. Divide between 6 champagne flutes, discarding thyme, then fill remainder of each glass with champagne. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh thyme. Bottoms up!
This beachy entrant by the Rustic Canyon group was meant to host happy hour crowds. The menu available weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. offers steep discounts on favorites like the nachos sencillo, alongside new dishes like steak tostadas and a variety of tacos. Of course, there’s a requisite $8 margarita.
This modern Indian restaurant just steps from the beach in Santa Monica features happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays with mini kabob burgers and two kinds of dosas either stuffed with fried chicken or mozzarella, tomato, and basil chutney. Burgers or dosas come with a beer for $11.
E.P. & L.P. have a new rooftop happy hour on weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. with $8 cocktails and $5 Asian-inspired street snacks. Bites include fried chicken sliders, szechuan fish tacos, and soy caramel popcorn to go along with a drink called Pineapple Skies, with tepache pineapple liqueur, ginger beer, and lime.
This Southern-inflected restaurant has all the mores of a chain restaurant, which it is, but with an expansive Beverly Center dining room and a wide menu of comfort dishes, it’s hard not to recommend as an after work hangout. It serves $7 bites from 3 to 7 p.m. such as brisket biscuits, barbecue shrimp, and disco fries, plus cocktails like a Frenso watermelon mojito for the same price.
There’s a new late night happy hour for West Hollywood denizens at Santa Monica Boulevard mainstay Connie & Ted’s, with $1 oysters Sunday to Thursday evening from 9 to 10 p.m. Connie & Ted’s also has an afternoon happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m., but the late night is the only time to get those dollar oysters. Afternoon happy hour features $5 beers, $6 wines, and a $7 margarita, too.
There’s a new happy hour at this high-ceiling Italian restaurant on West Third from 5 to 7 p.m. daily with $10 pizzas, 6 oysters for $12, and the excellent polpette al forno for $8. Nab an Aperol spritz or Negroni for $7, which makes a post-work hangout pretty darn affordable.
West Hollywood locals have a new after-work go-to thanks to Gesso’s weekday happy hour. From 5 to 7 p.m., an eclectic set of everything from hummus plates to anchovy toast to pate banh mi is all on the menu for $10. Specialty cocktails and wine by the glass also float around the $7 mark.
This Melrose standby encourages diners to get social with its extended “Social Club,” available all day Monday and at the bar Sunday through Thursday. It’s surely a pleasant way to bring people together over $8 classic and specialty cocktails and $5 antipasti.
This intimate cocktail lounge in Little Tokyo has a low key bar bites menu that’s even more reasonably priced during happy hour. Running from 5 to 8 p.m. daily, drinks are $1 off while the kitchen churns out some snacks like nori guac and pickled eggs. For something more substantial, there’s tangy chicken wings at just $1 each.
With a sleek dining room and welcoming bar, Bone Kettle prepares Indonesian-inflected bites from 5 to 6 p.m. in Pasadena with $7 drinks. Food includes the highly regarded oxtail dumplings, steak tartare, bone marrow with scallion confit, and chicken wings.
Courtesy of Eater LA
Mornings are best spent starting off with a perfect caffe au lait, in Brentwood there is no shortage of options. Stop by Caffe Luxxe and get your morning pick-me up within the historic Brentwood Country Mart.
The eatery picks and roasts their own coffee giving new meaning to hand-crafted. Select from freshly baked delights courtesy of Red Rooster Bakery and be on your way.
After your AM charge, explore some of Brentwood’s architectural masterpieces for a light dose of dream home FOMO.
Between the Hunt, Sturges, and Nesbitt house, you’ll have quite the day exploring these post-war artfully designed properties. A Paul R. Williams design, the Hunt Residence was built in 1921 with elements of the Regency Revival style. The George Sturges house, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in 1939 features Wrights Usonian style.
After geeking out on home design of the retro times, venture off to see a different style of art at the Getty Center. A wonder on the scale of both culture, art, and design, the 24-acre Richard Meier designed campus boasts panoramic city views and renowned collections. Once you reach your afternoon craving stop point then have a seat in their lush garden for a midday picnic. The Getty Center boast exceptional dining options and a plethora of seating choices.
If one prefers to head back into town for their afternoon meal, the Farmshop is the perfect destination. Founded by Chef Jeff Cerciello, the eatery is a staple of the Brentwood Country Mart. With imaginative recipes and locally sourced ingredients, its the best afternoon pick me-up.
Once, day turns to night, a show at the Skirball Cultural Center is almost a given. Just north of the Getty, the center explores heritage, culture and ideals through permanent collections, rotating exhibits, film screenings and live performances.
Finally, we recommend for your evening conclusion to dine as locals do, at Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s acclaimed Tavern. The destination restaurant features a tastefully prepared seasonal menu with a who’s who of patrons.
Location: Beverly Hills
Chef Mirko Paderno has a new gig at the fancy culinary edition to the BH dining scene. There’s only one hook: It’s not open to the public. Spring Place restaurant is part of a private co-working/art community of the same name (sort of like a Soho House) which recently debuted it’s west coast outpost in 90210. The cuisine will offer the same rustic Italian cuisine those familiar with Chef Paderno are used to(think Estrella). Still, the place is rather upscale with some 200 seats indoor and out, so apply for membership and call it your new business go-to.
Location: Santa Monica
Breezy Australian import Little Ruby has all the friendly vibes that makes it a morning meal go-to. Thankfully it serves “brekkie” daily, which means the restaurant’s airy ricotta hotcakes layered with honeycomb-inflected butter and fresh bananas can be had on the regular.
Location: Culver City
Destroyer, whose name references a comet, is a tiny, 16-seat breakfast and lunch space in the Hayden Tract, an industrial zone turned design district known mostly for its experimental architecture. The café is counter service only, with a menu that changes daily. For breakfast you might have a slice of Icelandic rye with cultured butter and preserves, or a bowl of oatmeal — which looks more like a Scandinavian snow globe than a bowl of porridge — studded with wild foraged currants and topped with a frozen disc of skyr.
“Brunch, Lunch, 2nd breakfast?!”
Location: Santa Monica
This reasonably priced pasta destination in Santa Monica takes a lot of inspiration from Italy’s greatest restaurants and puts them in a casual, bar-like setting. Using pasta hand made by artisans in Italy then flown in weekly, Uovo serves tonnarelli al arrabiata, tortellini in brodo, and ragu around $16 to $18 a serving when they can go for nearly twice as much in other restaurants.
Location: Sherman Oaks
Sherman Oaks option Mizlala has taken the Valley lunch scene by storm. Owners Danny and Justine Elmaleh are turning out Middle Eastern fare that competes with the best that LA has to offer, and all from one very colorful space.
Location: Los Angeles
Right in the heart of Pico-Robertson’s predominantly Jewish neighborhood, the Lodge Bread team has opened up Hasiba, an Israeli cafe with hummus, pita sandwiches, and more, in a casual, reasonably priced storefront. Everything’s vegetarian too, with a few vegan options as well, which makes it a great pick for those avoiding meat.
Location: Santa Monica
Chef Miles Thompson is steering a pretty big boat these days with Michael’s in Santa Monica. The long-standing restaurant has been in the hit-making business for decades, helping to launch the career of countless well-known chefs, but it’s all now in the hands of the eager wunderkind who navigates between classic menu items like foie gras and all-new interpretations like hamachi collar with fish-sauce caramel. Add in the gorgeous leafy patio, the always eclectic crowd, and the fun-loving Michael McCarty himself working the room, and it’s smooth sailing at one of LA’s most iconic restaurants.
Location: Los Angeles
Niki Nakayama’s phenomenal California-Japanese kaiseki might possibly be the most impressive restaurant to visit in Los Angeles. If the Michelin Guide were still rating in LA, n/naka would be a strong contender for three stars. The hidden-in-plain-sight building in Palms hosts one of the warmest, loveliest dining rooms, with fantastic wine pairings and pristine seafood prepared with a master’s touch. Reservations required, often weeks in advance.
Location: San Gabriel
There are so many phenomenal restaurants in San Gabriel Valley, but this one has a great mix of hand pulled noodles, stir-fried specialties, and regional Shaanxi favorites with plenty of space to bring a crowd. Order the biang-biang noodles, lamb “burgers”, and more.
What better way to start your morning then amongst the art found at Getty Villa. Based on the remains of Villa Dei Papiri in Herculaneum, the faux villa is the home of J. Paul Getty’s Mediterranean antiquities. Hours could pass as you tour through roughly 1,200 artifacts on display at any one time.
If your historical interest is peaked then head to the next famed abode, Eames House. Designed by couple Charles and Ray Eames, it stands as one of Southern California’s most beloved examples of modernist design. The Pacific Palisades abode stuns with its Mondrian-style color-block exterior and environmentally-sensitive siting.
If you’ve had your fill on architecture and art, fresh air should do the trick by making your way to Will Rogers State Historic Park. The grounds originally served as the former home of writer and first honorary mayor of Beverly Hills-Will Rogers. Maintained as it was in the 1930s, the 186-acre park is a destination spot for ocean views, polo matches, and horseback riding lessons if your feeling indulgent.
By the time the afternoon hits, famished is an understatement. Make your way to the new Pacific Palisades Village for a range of dining options to appease your midday cravings.
General Porpoise is L.A.’s first concept from James Beard Award-winning chef Renee Erickson. The famed Seatle doughnut shop brings L.A. rows and rows of sugar-coated goodness freshly baked daily.
Blue Ribbon’s first take on the sports bar fits cozily into one end of the Palisades Village complex at Hank’s. With the eatery brings flat-screen TVs, beers, cocktails and some serious burgers to the neighborhood.
Before you leave be sure to check out the shops as the village also includes first time L.A. flagships from Rachel Zoe and Jennifer Meyer Jewelry.
If you prefer to grab a bite a bit closer to the cliffs then Gladstone’s will serve as your landmark destination. Situated where Sunset Boulevard meets the Pacific Coast Highway, it’s become a place of Southern California legend. Gladstones offers a menu plucked from the very ocean it overlooks, serving modern renditions of classic dishes.
With what is likely a day of bites, sites, shopping, and Palisades fun, your evening should be spent somewhat scaled down. On the weekend catch a stage performance at Theatre Palisades. While the 2018 season comes to a close with E.P. Dowdall’s Parfumerie holding the spotlight through December, the 2019 season is sure to wow.
If your looking for your nighttime feast, indulge at Il Ristorate di Giorgio Baldi. This Pacific Coast Highway-facing trattoria has welcomed everyone from Tom Hanks to Tom Cruise. Once you’ve sampled the kitchen’s fresh pastsa dishes like the agnolotti with corn and white truffle sauce, you’ll understand why.
For after dinner drinks we recommend anchoring down at Shore Bar, a cape cod inspired craft cocktail favorite for Palisades locals. Swim through a sea of sophisticated cocktails, designed by Master Mixologist Vincenzo Marianella of Copa D’ Ora.
Thanksgiving to-go? We aren’t talking about featured bites on Grub-Hub. This curated list of LA restaurants offering an entire feast to your door will save you time on learning how to bast a Turkey and more time avoiding awkward family questions. Hang up your apron and call ahead because these birds are flying fast(last corny joke of the year…maybe).
Beverly Hills
This fall, The Belvedere’s iconic Thanksgiving at Home is back by popular demand. Offering complete reprieve from the kitchen, the family-style feast will feature three hearty courses and a bottle of Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne. Created by Executive Chef David Codney, the plentiful spread combines Thanksgiving classics, such as a 12 lb. Roasted Free-Range Natural Turkey, with Belvedere favorites like the Charred Caesar Salad and a Whole Baked Pumpkin Pie with our House-made Vanilla Ice Cream.
Price: $390 for 4 guests
Order by: November 19th
Pick up: November 23, at Valet 11:30am-4pm
This Studio City BBQ outpost is going full-on comfort food for this year’s Thanksgiving menu, offering the full spread à la carte and brimming with hearty classics. Opt for an entire smoked turkey, then fill your table with hoe-cake stuffing, green bean casserole, mac and cheese, candied sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and more, for an indulgent and smoky Southern feast.
Price: whole turkey, $80; sides, $10-$45; whole pumpkin pie or apple crisp, $35
Order by: November 22 at noon
Pick-up: November 23, noon-2pm
Leave it to a restaurant with its heart in the butcher shop to do Thanksgiving right. Belcampo’s Luxegiving is one of this year’s most decadent options, with a full spread for up to 14 people and a bottle of champagne. Begin with a Belcampo-made charcuterie board, then proceed to a menu of butternut squash soup; kale salad; a roasted 22-to-26-pound Belcampo Farms turkey; truffled mashed potatoes; mustard-and-whiskey-braised Brussels sprouts with guanciale; green bean casserole with a trumpet mushroom Béchamel; and both a pumpkin pie and caramel apple pie, among other dishes.
Price: $899
Order by: November 13 by 5pm
Pick-up: November 23, by around noon, at Belcampo in either Santa Monica or Larkspur. DoorDash delivery is available in select zipcodes within 15 miles of either location.
Put an entirely kosher and dairy-free meal on the table with a little help from Fairfax’s Got Kosher? This Tunisian and Moroccan restaurant is preparing a prixe-fixe meal that includes salt-roasted turkey with rosemary pan gravy; cranberry sauce with orange, almonds and dates; spinach gratin; roasted vegetables; pretzel rolls; apple, pecan and cranberry cornbread stuffing; and three choices of dessert. There are even plant-based alternatives to the turkey, which makes this a killer vegan option, to boot.
Price: $40 per person
Order by: November 20 at 5pm
Pick-up: 10am-1pm
The Culver City BBQ restaurant will be offering whole wood-smoked, all-natural, free-range, antibiotic-free turkeys in three sizes, so you’re covered no matter your party size. And hey, if you order the largerst—a 17-to-18-pound bird—you’ll probably have some for Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches the next day. Score. Don’t neglect the bevy of sides. Think: cornbread-and-sausage stuffing; buttermilk biscuits with whipped honey butter; roasted root vegetables; braised greens; and of course the dessert, chocolate bread pudding.
Price: turkey, 12-14 pounds, $217; turkey, 15-16 pounds, $252; turkey, 17-18 pounds, $276; sides, $14.50-$90; dessert, $45-$90
Order by: November 15
Pick-up: November 23, noon-3pm
Wexler’s Deli usually serves hefty pastrami sandwiches and bagels with lox, be it in Grand Central Market, Santa Monica or Century City, but this Thanksgiving, they’re offering an entire 10-to-12-person dinner that includes an entire smoked turkey, challah stuffing, gravy, salad, squash soup and cheesy pull-apart rolls.
Price: Smoked bird Thanksgiving Dinner, $350; whole-pie add-on, $40
Order by: November 19, call 424-744-8671, ext. 1
Pick-up: Available for delivery or Santa Monica pick-up on November 23
Marcel Vigneron’s thoughtful and hyper-seasonal dishes are getting ready to land on your home table. Choose the more traditional brined-and-spatchcocked turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy, or swim upstream and opt for the salmon with cauliflower cream and romanesco. Either way, you’ll also enjoy kale salad, squash soup, cranberry sauce, chestnut stuffing and roasted root vegetables, and to top it all off, a pumpkin-and-banana bundt cake.
Price: dinner for 2, $250; dinner for 4, $300; dinner for 6, $450
Order by: November 19 by 9pm
Pick-up: November 22, noon-5pm or November 23, noon-3pm
This year, why limit yourself to turkey? Prime-rib and spice institution Lawry’s is giving you the best of both worlds with full Thanksgiving feasts that have a little something for all. Opt for turkey or prime rib, whether you’re buying your mains à la carte or as part of a family-style meal. Then add your sides, including the options of Yorkshire pudding batter, extra jus, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, whipped horseradish, creamed corn, cranberry sauce and cornbread stuffing.
Price: Family-style turkey dinner, 10-12, $255; family-style prime-rib dinner, six-eight, $300; family-style prime-rib dinner, 12-15, $495; sides $3-$20; whole pie, $25
Order by: November 21 at noon
Pick-up: November 23, 11am-4pm
Courtesy of TimeOut LA
Culver City
This Thanksgiving-Akaska in Culver City is dishing out their take on modern California inspired fair. The menu is pre-fixe and full of items like the persimmon-and-pomegranate salad, gluten-free cornbread and herb-roasted organic turkey. In the mood for dessert, enjoy an entire “pie buffet”. Need we say more? Reservations are from 1-8pm and prices are listed as $80 for Adults; $35 for Children (10 and under).
Beverly Hills
Nothing is more quintessential Beverly Hills then the Polo Lounge and Thanksgiving in the Pink Palace is nothing short of luxury. Also offering a pre-fixe menu selection(like most restaurants in L.A. on a holiday), the pairings do not disappointment. Opt for the traditional Turkey-organic of course-or take a chance with something outside the box, there menu always pleases. And be sure to save room for dessert as the Sweets buffet will be serving a range of customer confectionaries courtesy of their in-house pastry team. Their Brunch will be hosted 11am-3pm with dinner commencing at 5pm-8pm, with the fixed menu priced at $175 per Adult, $60 per Child.
Glendale
If Glendale is your local, Bourbon Steak is your destination this Turkey Day. Their three-course dinner will feature traditional-roasted heritage turkey with sage stuffing and cranberry compote. Or opt for the exotic like pan-seared scallops with roasted cauliflower and tamarind brown butter. Not feeling the bird, there’s also an 18-ounce dry-aged, bone-in ribeye. If that catches your feasting eye, reservations are available from 2-8pm at $75 with wine pairings available at an additional cost.
Century City
Tom Colicchio’s acclaimed restaurant rings in the day of thanks with family-style starters like their pork belly with butternut squash and sage, and entrees like braised lamb, fish and pasta. Share a range of family-style sides such as sausage-and-raisen stuffing and Brussels sprouts. Lastly is of course a premium selection of Fall-inspired desserts, artfully whipped up by pastry chef Shannon Swindle. Reservations are available 1-8pm with menu pricing offered Ala Carte.
Melrose
For the none Turkey-Eaters (and just non-meat eaters in general), Crossroads is a perfect plant based option. While the idea of such may seem oft for this particular Holiday, Crossroads is a cut above the rest in offering dishes that beguile its patrons as to wether or not its just plants. This year’s menu is four courses of autumn-appropriate dishes like butternut squash bisque with nutmeg creme fraiche; spiced chickpea cake with cranberry cabernet sauce, and mashed potatoes with porcini gravy. Stimulate your dessert senses with delights like their pumpkin mousse verrine. Hours for the evening are noon-5pm with the menu priced at $75 pp.
Hollywood
You didn’t think we’d mention the famed chef with out spotlighting his holiday menu? Chef Curtis Stone’s Hollywood outpost-Gwen already amazes with decadent classic fare every day of the week and the Thanksgiving Menu holds to that tradition. Dishes like the white onion veloute pair perfectly with traditional heritage turkey and his green bean casserole. Finish off the evening with a selection of perfectly prepared pies and your absolutely acceptable 4th glass of wine. This festive fete is offered 2-6pm at $75 pp.
Melrose
Your possibly thinking, Italian for dinner how strange? While the famed West Hollywood eatery dishes out the best southern Italian fare in the L.A. area, their thanksgiving feast is every bit as traditional as you would hope and savor over. Served family style, the courses provide the same familiar heartiness found in their comfort dishes mixed into America’s favorite cuisine. Indulge on porcini corn bread stuffing, squash tortellini and truffle mashed potatoes, as well as a selection of seasonal sweets including apple-pecan crostata. Thanksgiving with an Italian touch is served at $95 pp from noon-10pm.
DTLA
This California-French restaurant with a gorgeous, tree-dotted patio will be serving your choice of a three- or four-course prix-fixe dinner with both traditional fare and a few brow-raising dishes, to boot. Find sliced turkey breast with heirloom cauliflower and mole; sunchoke soup with a red wine and shallot jam; and filet mignon au poivre. Finish with pumpkin mousse or an apple crumble to really get into the fall spirit. Dinner is served 2-8pm, with a $70 per three-course meal, $90 per four-course meal; and $29 per child 10 and under.
Playa del Rey
Take Turkey to the beach at Playa Provisions, which is offering a downright steal of a meal: just $38 to feast on roast turkey or honey mustard ham, plus a variety of sides, including chicory salad, roasted acorn squash and cranberry sauce. Finish with a selection of seasonal desserts including but not limited to pumpkin pie and cran-apple pie. This is a highly kid-friendly option, but if you’re looking for something a bit more adult, round the corner to Playa Provisions’ whiskey bar, Grain, which will be offering à la carte holiday specials in liquid form. Satisfy your turkey cravings from3-8pm at $38 per adult, $20 per child.
Calabasas
Start off the day from noon-8pm, with the menu priced at $105 per adult, $65 per child 12 and under.
anana-huckleberry bread pudding.Brentwood
Suzanne Goin, Caroline Styne and chef de cuisine Joel Walsh are bringing a little something for everyone to their Thanksgiving table, with options for omnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. Settle in for a three-course meal that offers herb-roasted organic turkey breast and stuffed leg with mashed potatoes, gravy, Brussels sprouts with pancetta and thyme, cranberry sauce with mint and orange, sweet potatoes with sherry, and sourdough stuffing with turkey sausage. There’s even the “vegan thanksgiving extravaganza” option, which offers sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, fingerling potatoes, Italian broccoli and Suzanne’s stuffing and wild-mushroom persillade. Your day at the Tavern starts serving 1-8pm, with pre-fixe at $95 per adult; $45 per child 10 and under; free for children four and under.
Santa Monica
Enjoy your Turkey Day seaside at Catch in the Hotel del Mar, because chef Gemma Grayis whipping up all the classics and even a few contemporary plates right at the beach. Look for a prix-fixe involving slow-roasted organic turkey with apple and chestnut stuffing, as well as roasted cauliflower pie with wild mushrooms, and Japanese snapper crudo with pumpkin vinaigrette. Spend the day seaside from 11am-10pm at $110 pp.