Admit it, you dipped your hand into the Halloween candy bowl more times last night than you're proud of. You enjoyed the immediate gratification that comes from processed sugary food-stuff, but if you're anything like me, now you crave a wholesome treat. Thankfully, National Fig Week is here to remind you that mother nature can satisfy that sweet tooth with this often overlooked fruit. more ›

If all those late night Wurstküche Foursquare shout-outs and Staples Center Gowalla check-ins are beginning to feel passé, Downtown LA just got check-in worthy again. Downtown's Center Business Improvement District (DCBID) has launched a holiday scavenger hunt that highlights eight downtown locations. At each check-in, participants are presented with a challenge that requires a correct answer to earn points, discounts, and special offers at each of the locations. more ›

Wednesday night LAist accepted a dinner invitation to test out the dineLA menu. The first thing we noticed were the vegetarian options, assuming the risotto is cooked without chicken broth. The menu seems basic upon first glance, but the high quality of the ingredients and careful execution made the simplest-sounding dishes exquisite. more ›

Yes, I said fruit. Let's get that out of the way immediately, shall we? The tomato--versatile, plentiful, flavorful, and local--is a fruit. It's also something that is in season right now (although you can conceivably make a go of growing your own right now and celebrating a little later on). The Patina Group of restaurants is celebrating this stellar ingredient with Tomato Festival menus at nine of their eateries, and to show off the spoils of the season they brought together a crew of food bloggers and Paul and Maryann Carpenter (the couple who operate Coastal Organics, the 17-acre Santa Paula farm from which the Patina Group sources produce) for a caravan tour of three Downtown eateries, with one course per stop, each showing off the tasty tomato. more ›

Love is in the air, suddenly hearts and roses seem to populate the world and the movie theaters are showing nothing but romantic comedies. It's enough to drive anyone to drink, singles and couples alike. Fortunately, there are bars in L.A. that feel ya and have created many Valentine cocktails that you can either toast your love with or use to drink this red-and-pink day away. more ›