Posted by Normally I like to use the space in my Tuesday column to tell you about the best food happenings in Los Angeles, but this week we’re going to focus on just one: dineL.A. Now back for its 10th anniversary, dineL.A. highlights our city’s finest restaurants through special lunch and dinner menus offered over a two-week period from January 12 through January 26.
The winter edition includes 300+ eateries with menu deals that are affordable for all budgets. Lunch menus run $15, $20, or $25 depending on the restaurant and $29, $39, or $49 apply to dinner menus. The only exception is a small set of experiential menus from the Exclusive Series which are priced at $95 and up. Even that is a small price to pay when you can dine at Michael Cimarusti’s award winning Providence or Wolfgang Puck’s iconic Spago in Beverly Hills. Now the only question is, where to begin?
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It’s a tough call, but I’ve scoured every single menu to narrow it down to the 20 most drool-worthy options I think deserve your attention (and tastebuds!) Below you will find all recommended menus organized into sections for lunch, dinner and exclusives with details on what’s being offered and what to order.
One other quick note: American Airlines will help commemorate the 10th anniversary with a contest, “dineL.A. Golden Dish” will award one lucky winner with 100,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® miles. Simply participate in dineL.A. this year and if you get served a dish on a gold commemorative plate you’ll be deemed the winner. Obviously the more dineL.A. restaurants you visit, the more chances you’ll have to win. Good luck!
Top Lunch Deal Picks
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1. Redbird ($25)
Chef Neal Fraser has created a two course brunch/lunch menu for dineL.A. Guests can dine on creations that any curious eater would want to try including Salmon Pastrami, Bacon Wrapped Trout and Rabbit Tinga. Other options include: Liberty Farms Duck with gochujang friend rice, Salmon Pastrami, Bacon Wrapped Trout and Rabbit Tinga. –> Full Menu Here
2. spring ($25)
Elevate your lunch without compromising your wallet during spring’s dineL.A. lunch menu. The three course prix fixe opens with a salad or soup and moves onto main courses like Branzino with lemon confit and pickled grapes. Your choice between a Louis XV or an Apple and Tea Crumble Panna Cotta will end the meal on a sweet note. Other options include: Branzino, Pasture Raised Flat Iron Steak and Panna Cotta. –> Full Menu Here
3. Cosa Buona ($20)
Zach Pollack’s Echo Park pizzeria is as good as it gets if you like a nicely burnt, chewy crust with a just-sweet-enough red sauce to top it off. Diners can get a two-course meal plus marinated olives to snack on for $20. Other options include: Pasta Salad, Broccolini, Margherita Pizza and Sausage Pizza. –> Full Menu Here
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4. Badmaash ($20)
Hip Indian mash up eatery Badmaash will offer a dineL.A. lunch menu on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Choose an appetizer of Bean Sprout “Bhel” Salad or a Punjabi Style Onion Fritter and your choice from four main courses served with a side of daily pickles, yogurt raita and basmati pilaf. Other options include: Classic Butter Chicken, Goan Pork Curry, Good Ol’Saag Paneer and Punjabi Style Chickpeas. –> Full Menu Here
5. Kali ($25)
Chef Kevin Meehan creates a hyper seasonal and local dineL.A. menu this winter. The three course meal will have diners choose between a Charred Avocado Salad or a Black Barley Risotto made with black garlic and local cheese for starters. As for the main course it’s a tough choice when Mary’s Chicken and Uni Pasta is involved. Lastly, there are two options for dessert, a Meringue Gelato with sugar cured egg yolks or a Chocolate Cremeux. Other options include: Charred Avocado Salad, Black Barley Risotto, Uni Pasta and Meringue Gelato –> Full Menu Here
6. Nick + Stef’s ($25)
Patina owned steakhouse Nick + Stef’s will offer a decadent lunch where you get a starter and a main course like a hanger steak with your choice of a side (there are four to choose from.) Guests will also have the option to make an entree “Oscar Style” where jumbo lump crab is topped on your dish for $10. Other options include: Oak Grilled Salmon, Hanger Steak and Jidori Chicken. –> Full Menu Here
7. The Stalking Horse ($15)
New to dineL.A. the British pub inspired restaurant will serve a two course lunch that’s fitted for vegans or carnivores. Options like their American Burger and Chicken Pot Pie can be made sans meat. Other options include: Chicken Pot Pie, American Burger, Welsh Rarebit and French Onion Soup. –> Full Menu Here
8. Gratitude Beverly Hills ($25)
Elevated plant-based eatery Gratitude’s special lunch menu starts with a small bite of chips & gauc and moves onto a starter then an entrée and ends with dessert. Other options include: Kelp Thai Noodles, Gratitude Blue Plate Special and Key Lime Pie. –> Full Menu Here
Top Dinner Deal Picks
9. Rossoblu ($39)
An Authentic Italian meal can be found at Chef Steve Samson’s Rossoblu. His Downtown eatery has become one of the most popular places to dine in the last year, landing at #10 on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Resturants. For dineL.A. diners get a three course meal that include comforting Chopped Winter Vegetable Soup, Lasagne Bolognese, Roasted Lamb Shoulder and Zuppa Inglese an Italian dessert layering custard and sponge cake. Other options include: Warm Calamari & Clam Salad, Chopped Winter Vegetable Soup, Lasagne Bolognese, Roasted Lamb Shoulder and Zuppa Inglese. –> Full Menu Here
10. The Bellwether ($29)
Dinner at Ted Hopson’s Studio City restaurant will usually run over $30 but during dineL.A. The Bellwether will let diners choose three items from a list of ten tasty choices. Other options include: Tempura Cauliflower, Saffron-Mushroom Ragu, Cheese Platter and Jameson Bread Pudding. –> Full Menu Here
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11. Petrossian ($59)
If you enjoy caviar you can get it in three courses and even have dessert in the end for a shocking $59 at Petrossian. The three course menu featuring decadent dishes like Crème Brulée made with Foie Gras will also offer a Tsar Imperial Caviar Flight for a $50 supplement. Other options include: Caviar Flight, Foie Gras Crème Brulée and Caviar Risotto. –> Full Menu Here
12. Manhattan Beach Post ($39)
Michelin-starred Chef David LeFevre’s much beloved M.B. Post will offer a four course meal sectioned by vegetables, seafood, meat and sweets. Simply choose from each section of the dineL.A. menu and expect to be surprised by his flavor combinations like lamb belly with plum sauce and trout with Fuji apple chimichurri. Other options include: Weiser Farm Roasted Sunchokes, Japanese Hamachi Sashimi, Milk Braised Pork and The “Elvis” a chocolate pudding with peanut butter mousse and bacon brittle. –> Full Menu Here
13. Ray’s & Stark Bar ($29)
Create a full day event around dineL.A. by heading to LACMA for a museum day and having dinner on campus at Ray’s and Stark Bar. The special set menu includes a Black Kale Salad, a Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza and a signature cocktail of your choice. –> Full Menu Here
14. Herringbone Santa Monica ($49)
Find Big Eyed Tuna Carpaccio, Buffalo Octopus, Whole Roasted Branzino and other seafood options on the special three course dinner menu during dineL.A. at Brian Malarkey’s Herringbone. –> Full Menu Here
15. Same Same ($29)
The prix fixe menu at Silver Lake’s Thai eatery Same Same includes your choice of two courses that include Thai Dim Sum, Beef Panang Red Curry and desserts like Sweet & Spicy Pineapple and a cooling Coconut Flan to combat the heat from some of the deliciously spicy dishes. Other options include: Sidewalk Pad Thai and Chicken Katieam. –> Full Menu Here
16. Westbound ($29)
Speakeasy bar and restaurant Westbound will offer market pickles to cleanse the palate, a vegetable forward snack choice and a protein as the main course. Other options include: Chickpea Artichoke Fritters, Boneless Short Rib and Mary’s Chicken with Spatzle. –> Full Menu Here
dineL.A. Exclusive Series ($95 per person)
17. Providence ($100)
Dining at a two Michelin star restaurant for $100 is rare. Take full advantage to try one of the most decorated American seafood restaurants in the city when they roll out a tasting menu designed just for dineL.A. Also important to note, for a $40 supplement you can get a taste of the rare a5 Wagyu, the highest grade given to beef in world. Other options include: Amuses, Sea Scallop, Liberty Farms Duck and Salmon. –> Full Menu Here
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18. The Arthur J ($95)
The Manhattan Beach neighborhood steakhouse will feature a three-course menu where diners will start with something chilled like a Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail or Beef Sirloin Tartare and move onto warm starters like Swedish Meatballs or a Farro Risotto with Black Truffles. As for the main course, guests can choose from a Petit Filet, Ribeye, Tuna Loin or Braised Lamb Shank. Steak entrées come with a choice of topping from a classic mushroom to a decadent seared foie gras or buttered crab. There’s also three different desserts to choose from. You’ll probably leave with leftovers as portions here are generous. –> Full Menu Here
19. Union ($100)
Current Top Chef contender Bruce Kalman’s California/Italian inspired eatery will take diners on a five course journey that starts with his popular bread service and moves onto cured fish, little gem salad, Agnolotti, a Flannery Holstein Beef Ribeye and Olive Oil Cake with a salted honeycomb gelato to end. Other options include: Citrus Cured Pacific Yellowtail. –> Full Menu Here
20. Spago Beverly Hills ($125+)
A special California Tasting Menu will be offered during dineL.A. Normally $145, the menu will be priced at $125 for a limited time. Guests will feast on 13 courses that include Hand Made Agnolotti with the option to add French Black Truffles for a $20 supplement. Other options include: Snake River Wagyu Beef, Ikejime Black Cod and Slow Braised Pork Belly in Korean Gamjatang Soup. –> Full Menu Here
Interested in taking a look at the complete list of participating restaurants? Check out the lineup here.
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