I remember very few childhood outings in the 1960s with my rather sickly grandfather Charlie, but I do remember Norms. For a rare treat he’d take a few of his many grandkids to the now-gone Norm’s in Los Feliz, and we thought it was just swell. Today 17 branches remain, most notably the parent in [...]
My not-so-secret vice is a plate of baby back ribs and an order of the neon-orange garlic cheese bread at Burbank’s Smoke House Restaurant, but the price of that dinner has crept up in recent years. Happily, this Toluca Lake mainstay, founded in 1946, is currently offering some specials that make dinner out much more [...]
Good-value Sunday-night menus are all the rage in town, and it’s a trend we applaud — especially the one at Church & State in Downtown’s loft district. The prix-fixe menu is $39 a head for four courses, served in a way that allows for sampling a lot of good things. Three of us went last [...]
The team of L.A. food journalists behind our book EAT: Los Angeles 2010 is appearing at Book Soup in West Hollywood on Saturday, February 20 at 5 p.m. to talk about the L.A. food scene, sign books and share tastes from two great sources. Attendees will get to sample Thai street food treats from pioneering West [...]
Will the recent pricing pinch on cult Napa wines mean more affordable local wine pairing dinners from top wineries in 2010? We sure hope so. Tuesday night’s $59 dinner at the view-rich Takami Sushi & Robata in a Downtown L.A. high-rise is a good start, with a five-course tasting menu prepared by executive chef Stan Ota [...]
If we’re lucky, most of us get one, maybe two years of white truffles and $150 bottles of Champagne on Valentine’s Day before we settle into true love — and real life. (Actually, we’re quite fond of shitakes and $10 Prosecco.) But occasionally, we all get that sentimental longing for a romantic dinner on Valentine’s [...]
Just when you thought it was time to diet and swear off three-course meals, along comes DineLA, the ever-popular prix-fixe-a-thon that gives budget-conscious diners a chance to try new restaurants for less.
The city-sponsored DineLA Restaurant Week is in fact two weeks, from January 24 to February 5 (excluding Saturdays). To participate, restaurants offer three-course lunch [...]
It’s a rainy Sunday night, the Golden Globes are on, and most Sherman Oaks restaurants are half-empty at best. But Marché is not only full, it’s overbooked. The reason? Chef/owner Gary Menes is debuting his first Sunday supper. Instead of the usual eclectic, market-driven menu of cocktail nibbles, small plates and excellent desserts from pastry [...]
Tired of the same old gouda? Ready to move beyond brie? Then head to Vroman’s Bookstore on Friday evening for a guided cheese tasting by Alex Brown of South Pasadena’s Nicole’s. A multiple grilled-cheese contest champion, Alex calls himself a “certifiable cheese nerd,” and he doesn’t do the usual food-pairing thing. Instead you’ll learn, as [...]
The 12 days of Christmas will be celebrated with 12 days of $5 sparkling wine at Vertical Wine Bistro, the swank second-floor boîte in Old Pasadena. In-house wine expert David Haskell (they call him the “Wine Dude,” but we just can’t do that) will have two choices of quality bubbly each of the two weeks [...]
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