Upscale dining at an elegant restaurant like Nobu West Hollywood may seem unrealistic for some of us, especially these days. But as we have learned, the frugal diner's secrets for eating beyond their reach is to arrive for lunch and/or to eat from the bar menu. Nobu's new "Chef's Tasting Tapas Menu," or Omakase, for those of us who like to sound cool, allows us a taste of pure heaven for only $40 a person. We are talking about pure heaven. Your palate will grow little wings and fly around the room in ecstacy. more ›

Some of us have a longstanding love affair with sushi. For many that means loyal repeat visits to a beloved spot, and for others its a never-ending quest to taste and try new places. One favorite way to enjoy a sushi meal is to hand yourself over to the chef and to say "omakase," which translates into "it's up to you." This is how LAist Featured Photos pool contributor djjewelz approached a recent dinner at Sushi Toshi in Little Tokyo. He left us some images to ogle, and we had to follow up with him to learn more about what appeared to be a beautiful meal. He explains: more ›

I love the idea of tapas--the leisure of sitting down to a meal, getting a good drink and having someone bring you small yummy things to eat. But somehow, tapas never turns out to be as good as it sounds. In fact, my husband has declared that tapas are “crapas” and refuses to go. So when I get in that mood, we go to Echigo. Echigo’s not for everyone. It’s one of those no salad,... more ›