Best Of LA - Week Of January 18

This week kicks off with the return of winter's highly-anticipated, and always super popular, dineL.A. week. Along with the Angeleno-favorite, a new artisan ice cream shop will join the Abbot Kinney scene, and a new food truck offering a truly authentic New York slice will not only be dishing up tasty pies, but will be serving up a free treat on opening day. Not to be outdone by all the exciting new eats, the arts are in full-swing this week too. An Italian ensemble performs music taken from the personal diary of an orphan who studied with Vivaldi, a new exhibit opens at the GRAMMY Museum dedicated to the life of Otis Redding, and a full day of art, performance, and all-ages activities at UCLA's Fowler museum will round out a week full of activities for everyone to enjoy.

dineL.A. Winter Restaurant Week
Various Locations Around Los Angeles
www.discoverlosangeles.com

It's the time of year L.A. foodies have been salivating for: dineL.A. Restaurant Week! The biannual, two-week event spans across Los Angeles County, as over 300 restaurants present specially priced lunch and dinner menus. Prix-fixe lunch menus (ranging from $15 - $25) and dinner menus ($29 - $49) offer a great way to try out some of the city's best eateries at a great price. New to this winter's Restaurant Week, dineL.A. will partner with OpenTable to donate $1 of every seated reservation booked here to The Midnight Mission, an organization that provides food, shelter, and essential aid to the city's homeless. The Week kicks off today, and runs through the 31st.

Get Your Ice Cream Fix At Salt & Straw's Newest Location
Salt & Straw
1357 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90291
(310) 310-8429
www.saltandstraw.com

Portland-based ice cream shop Salt & Straw is making a new home right in the heart of Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice. The chef-driven ice cream company, which offers small batch scoops handmade with all-natural ingredients from local producers and farmers, has become a huge hit since it hit the LA scene in the Larchmont Village. Flavor combinations at this artisanal ice cream eatery are as eclectic as the city itself, ranging from classics like Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache, to Black Olive Brittle & Goat Cheese. Seasonal, monthly-rotating flavors will also be available, such as this month's "Happy Birthday Elvis!," featuring a bacon, banana, and peanut butter combination fit for a King, as well as Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie and Candied Clementine & Vanilla Beans, celebrating California's citrus season.

Europa Galante
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(323) 850-2000
www.laphil.com

Walt Disney Concert Hall's season is in full swing, as is this season's Baroque Variations series. Tonight, Italian period instrument ensemble Europa Galante will perform a program revolving entirely around music from the personal diary of Chiara. An Italian violinist who studied with Vivaldi, and for whom many Baroque pieces were written, Chiari was raised in a Venice orphanage that became one of the most famous musical centers in Europe during the 18th century. Europa Galante is led by its founder and musical director Fabio Biondi, who will also be performing a concerto for viola d'amore, a six or seven stringed viola bowed in such a way as to add a shimmering vibration sound when played. It's sure to be an evening of unforgettable music.

Giant Robot Biennale 4
Japanese American National Museum
100 N. Central Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 625-0414
www.janm.org

Asian American super pop culture brand Giant Robot is currently enjoying its 4th installment at the Japanese American National Museum. The recurring art exhibition is dedicated to showcasing the diverse creative works brought together by the Giant Robot ethos, and will fill both of JANM's temporary exhibition spaces. The lower level will feature a variety of drawing styles ranging from comic books to street art to illustration. A "Giant Robot Room" will be filled with 50 iconic objects from the brand's history, including books and toys, and a replica of renowned artist Edwin Ushiro's studio will offer visitors the chance to try their own hand at drawing. The upper level will include photographs, paintings, and installations from a range of accomplished artists. Today is the perfect day to visit, as every third Thursday admission is free, and the exhibit closes Sunday.

New Food Truck Opening (+ Free Garlic Knots)
Made in Brooklyn Food Truck
1228 Glendon Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
www.mibpizza.com

Any east coast transplants lamenting over the loss of their beloved classic New York slice will want to head straight to the opening of the new food truck 'Made in Brooklyn.' Chef, owner, and native Brooklynite Sean Popock is passionate that pizza is "meant to be eaten the right way: with your hands," and will be preparing the pies with fresh, high-quality ingredients. House-made tomato sauce, sausage, meatballs, and pizza dough will be prepared in a truck tricked out with a double-deck pizza oven, and all the same equipment found in New York's best pizzerias. The truck officially opens today, and celebrates their grand opening by offering free Garlic Knots to all guests who show they are following the truck on Instagram (@madeinbrooklynnypizza) from 11:30am - 2:30pm. Like its food truck brethren, you can keep up with the location of the Made in Brooklyn truck on Instagram and Twitter (@MIBpizza).

Respect! Otis Redding and the Revolution of Soul
GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE
800 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 765-6800
www.grammymuseum.org

The GRAMMY Museum is unveiling a new exhibit honoring the life and career of multiple GRAMMY award-winning singer/songwriter Otis Redding. Credited as helping bridge the gap between rock and soul music, as well as the racial divide of the 60s, Redding has made a lasting impact on music and pop culture despite an early end to his life. The museum's fourth floor will be filled with a collection of diverse artifacts from Redding's life, including pieces from the private collection of the Otis Redding Estate. Items include Redding's 1968 GRAMMY Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance, Male for "(Sittin' On) The Dock of The Bay," original stage outfits, rare photographs and performance footage, and more. The exhibit will offer visitors a unique look at Redding's influential career, and what made him the legendary King of Soul.

A Day of Art, Performances, and Activities
Fowler Museum at UCLA
308 Charles E Young Dr. North
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 825-4361
www.fowler.ucla.edu

Today the Fowler Museum invites you to take part in a full day of art, performance, and activities for all ages. Photographer Cindy Bendat will offer a gallery talk where she will share the stories behind the images of cultural celebrations and political rallies in her compelling "Celebrate/Demonstrate: Photographs of Global LA" exhibit, followed by light refreshments. A Family Jam activity will take inspiration from the video works of "Disguise," and encourage you to transform your body with exuberant dance and style. A workshop on making your own dance accessory will follow. Lastly, four in-gallery performances will take place in the "Disguise" exhibition, where UCLA World Arts and Cultures Dance students will encourage viewers to consider cultural difference in a new light among Saya Woolfalk's "ChimaTEK: Virtual Chimeric Space" installation. All activities are free.