I'll have the Apple iPhone 4S with a side of Samsung Galaxy Nexus, please. It's the end of dining etiquette as we know it. Prompt check-ins on Foursquare and Facebook are obviously imperative to an enjoyable, fulfilling dining experience. And at least one restaurant in Los Angeles has surrendered to the smartphone and is catering to connected customers in an unbelievable way.
Now On The Menu: A Plate For Your Cellphone
Mohawk Bend Promises Craft Beer Revolution in Echo Park
Echo Park's Mohawk Bend is so well thought out, such a carefully executed vision, that more than a few minutes in the long-shuttered former theater will have you smiling at owner Tony Yanow himself and saying “I’ll have what he’s having”.
New 'Food For Thought' Supper Club Pairs Philanthropy With Pop-Up Dining
A new pop-up dining event is teaming up good work and good food and drink for where the 100% of the proceeds benefit a high-profile cause. "Food For Thought" kicks off tomorrow night with its inaugural event, pairing Echo Park's City Sip Wine Bar and Large Marge Sustainables with Medicines Global for a dinner at The Green Beacon Foundation in Elysian Heights, where each of the dinners will take place.
LAX's Gourmet Food Court to House--Wait For It--a Food Truck!*
Arriving soon at Los Angeles International Airport's Terminal 4: A Gourmet Food Truck. Yep, you read that right. Capitalizing on a trend that may have peaked in late 2009, HMS Host is planning to include a food truck "parked" inside the terminal's "Gourmet Food Court" that is slated to open in summer 2012.
Dining Choices at LAX Could Soon Reach New Heights
Lamill coffee, Nick & Stef's steaks, tacos from the Too Hot Tamales, soul food, 25 Degrees burgers, Buttercake Bakery treats, Mexican comfort classics from La Serenata di Garibaldi, macrobiotic food, Korean BBQ and more may soon be some of the options travelers using Los Angeles International Airport will have for layover or pre-flight eats, if the five City Council members who comprise the Board of Referred Power give the go ahead to a major food-service overhaul.
City Wants More Outdoor Dining, Pedestrian Feel
Instead of approving a $300-every-two-years fee for restaurants that want sidewalk dining, the city council yesterday sent the idea back to study because they believed it was a disincentive to restaurants to offer such a service, according to the Daily News. "At a time like this, when businesses are struggling to survive, I just think it sends a wrong message of 'Here comes the city again, with yet another fee,"' Councilwoman Janice Hahn said. "I know in my district, we have been trying to encourage this, to get a more pedestrian feel. This just seems the wrong time to be imposing another fee on businesses." The proposed fee would cover the costs of inspection to make sure chairs are not blocking access to the sidewalk. A $1,200 one-time fee to set up sidewalk dining is still on the books.
New Recession Bar Menu at Craft LA
Are you subscribed to Lesley Balla's new foodie newsletter, Tasting Table? Well, you better be, because this former EaterLA editor is proving to be the fastest finger on the foodie trigger. To wit: the latest message in our inbox, regarding a fantastic new deal at one of the city's most expensive restaurants. Craft LA, brainchild of Top Chef's Tom Colicchio, has just unveiled a downright economical new menu featuring small plates, with nothing over $9.
Pencil This In: Career Advice for Journalists -- Or, 'Would You Like Fries With That?'
Newspapers are dying. And the LA Press Club knows it: Tonight’s panel discussion is bluntly titled, "What to Do After You Leave Your Job in Journalism." Moderated by LA Weekly’s News Editor Jill Stewart, former LA reporters (Brent Hopkins, Gayle Pollard-Terry) will offer their personal stories on pursuing a life after journalism. Other panelists will offer career advice and talk about the opportunities out there right now. The program begins at 7 pm and will be held at the Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood. The event is free to press club members (R.S.V.P. here). All others: $10 prepaid, $20 at the door and students $5. The fee includes all drinks and appetizers.
Seven Questions with The Dolce Group
LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..."
Better Than In-N-Out? East Coast Burgers Come to LA
Nancy Luna of the OC Register's fantastic food blog, Fast Food Maven (it's more than just fast food), took a field trip out of Orange County to the East Coast last year and while there, visited Five Guys Burgers to taste test the talked-about nosh that many compare to In-N-Out. However, her findings led her to say that they are actually more comparable to The Counter.
Fin Fish Cooking Class With Michael Cimarusti
Providence, Michael Cimarusti's culinary temple celebrating the wonders of seafood, has quickly become a byword for exquisite dining in Los Angeles. One can hardly fathom the pleasures of eating wildly creative and delicately presented dishes like razor-clam risotto or sea urchin scrambled eggs, let alone preparing them yourself.
DineLA @ Simon LA
We've been hitting DineLA's Restaurant Week pretty hard over here at LAist, but I just wanted to make a few quick observations about my great experience at Simon LA last night. We arrived about half an hour early for our reservation, but the hostess seated us promptly, in a friendly and welcoming way. Our waitress got our drink orders in quickly, and our appetizers came out within minutes of placing our order. This place is ready for Restaurant Week. I saw quite a few other tables with the prix-fixe menu -- Simon LA has been getting some good marks on the boards for its great R-Week experience.
Restaurant Week Coming to LA This Month
The meals are being offered at great prices -- only $15 for a three-course lunch at Luna Park, for instance, or dinner at Sushi Roku for $34 (prices vary according to restaurant and meal). American Express cardholders (yes, they're the event's major sponsor, along with the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, aka LA INC.) can make their reservations now; the general public has to wait until January 16th to save their spots.
What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – The Crepe Escape
After a five-week hiatus, LAist is back to taking you on its weekly trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line.
Talking Terroni
It seems every where you look in local food blogging or restaurant reviewing, the buzz word of the moment is Terroni, a Canadian import that just opened up an outpost in West Hollywood serving up affordable Southern Italian fare. Natalie Houghton of the Daily News (via LA.com) sums it up on both sides of the scale: "At its best: Prices are reasonable, sharing is not a problem here, and sampling a variety of Italian...
Foodie Round-Up: Striking Writers Still Eat Better than Most People in LA
People with too much time on their hands: Amy Ephron and other striking writers have whipped up a food blog. Our current food blog obsession: Luxeat, a Parisian model who eats at the finest restaurants in France and takes luscious pictures. Of the food. Over at the LA Times, food editor Leslie Brenner is really sticking it to the new Michelin Guide. Among her criticisms? "The book that purports to be the bible of...
ESPN's Eric Neel Spotlights USC's Pete Carroll
One of the things that sports fans in Southern California should be grateful for as they warm up last night's left overs is the fact that ESPN.com's Eric Neel moved to LA this year from Northern Cal because now his excellent writing is being more focused on our teams. Yesterday he posted a glowing feature on the USC football head coach who appears every bit the Golden Boy that he looks in photos. In...
Extra, Extra: Thanksgiving at LAX
Phew! Today, be thankful this is not you. Apparently, Arnold Schwarzenegger said this at one point: "I love Thanksgiving turkey... it's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts." Parking in Beverly Hills is now a little better, just in time for Holiday shopping. Four parking structures will double their free parking from one to two hours. Residents, merchants and New York City retailers are rejoicing. 167 people in Riverside County...
Thanksgiving Thanks - What Was & Almost Was
Another year - another turkey. Last year, on Thanksgiving weekend, my fiance and I were in the car with my brother and some dear friends, all dressed up to go do Patina "on the cheap" - apps and drinks only. (Still not cheap.) On our way there, a man screeched up in his car, rolled down the window, and started screaming at us. Screaming. Waving his arms and gesturing. He got out of his...
Notes from the Culinary Underground: Ghetto Gourmet
"Didn't you all feel really cool tonight driving over here?" Jeremy Townsend, founder of the underground supper club Ghetto Gourmet, posed this question to a diverse group of about forty foodies, all sprawled out on cushions on the floor of a beautiful Venice home. And as we opened our bottles of red wine, stretched out our legs, and gazed down at a beautifully crafted shooter glass filled with warm squash soup, we had to...
What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – A “Mil”from the Heart
Every Friday, LAist is taking you on a trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line. Here in LA, we are blessed with embarrassing riches when it comes to Latin American food. Just about every country is represented by at least a couple of places that truly embody the cuisine and spirit of the local culture. Venezuela is no different....
Bank Heist: Not Quite a Steal, But a Criminally Good Time
I was struck this weekend by a most wonderful thought: my neighborhood, the NoHo Arts District, is getting to be a fun place to walk around at night. I used to jokingly refer to the District's studiously "fun!" new moniker as "merely an exercise in public relations rather than a reference to anything 'real,'" but after getting out and about on Friday night, I have to say that this stretch of Lankershim Boulevard really...
What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – Darling I Love You But Give Me Park Ave.
Every Friday, LAist is taking you on a trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line. Saying the name ‘Park Avenue’ evokes images of wealth, of tony living, of elegance and class (or of crappy Buicks if you’re into cars). Kinda like Rodeo Drive. It’s the antithesis of the working class, the regular everyday lifestyle that most of us experience....
Late Night Eats: e3rd Steakhouse
e3rd Steakhouse isn't your average late-night dining spot. Its vibe is less "let's go soak up all that alcohol" and far more "let's have a fabulous meal post-theatre." Located in the growing Arts District downtown, e3rd's premise is promising: a steakhouse owned by the guy who owns Zip Fusion Sushi, the most popular sushi restaurant in the area. When we asked owner Jason Ha why a steakhouse - and why a steakhouse only steps from his famous sushi mecca - he said he's always loved steak prepared differently, but that everytime he put steak dishes on the menu at Zip, no one ever ordered them. (Which makes sense, why order steak when you've come for sushi?)
What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – Grubbing Before the Rooster Crows
Every Friday, LAist is taking you on a trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line. This month, LAist has brought you daily coverage of some of LA’s finest late night dining spots from all over the Southland. So we’d be remiss if we didn’t throw in at least one spot from OC. Some of you readers that have probably...
Foodie Round-Up: Go to a Farmer's Market This Weekend!
Would you pay $85 for truffle mac n' cheese? Or would you rather enjoy the cheaper, classic versions at Larkin's or Lucky Devil's? The Glutton over at the LA Times samples the goods for you. What do we want? Conservation programs, access to healthy food, and promotion of renewable energy! When do we want it? Whenever the Senate gets around to voting on the Farm Bill. There's still time to make your voice heard....
What’s Cookin’ Behind the Curtain – Blimey, Thar Be Some Cajun Grub to Pillage
Every Friday, LAist is taking you on a trip down to Orange County to uncover the unique dining experiences that await adventurous eaters willing to explore beyond the county line. Every week, we present you with a unique OC dining experience. Sometimes that means excellent food at an underappreciated local spot. Other times that means an interesting atmosphere or eating environment. And then there’s Claws Restaurant. A newly-opened pirate-themed, Vietnamese-run Cajun joint. In the...
Daniel Boulud, After Hours in Los Angeles
Daniel Boulud is one star-studded chef: he's got a small pile of Michelin stars and James Beard awards, and his New York restaurants are consistently ranked as the country's best. His TV show "After Hours" is equally star-studded: celebs and famous chefs show up to join Boulud on an intimate tour of kitchens and homes. The new season, which premieres tonight at 9:30 tonight on the HD channel MOJO (if you don't have HD, you can watch the first episode online here), finds Boulud exploring one of the world's capitals of adventurous, robust, modern cuisine: Los Angeles.

