What You're Eating - The Best Of DineLA 2015

There is only one thing bigger and better than award season here in Tinsel Town this January, and it's fondly referred to as: dineL.A. That's right, it's time to place those new year's resolutions on the back burner and loosen that designer belt. This is your opportunity to try something new. A chance to dine like Hollywood royalty on a college student's budget is rare, especially if it is a sampling of a special menu prepared by L.A.'s top chefs.
 
So what are the exact details of this year's 14-day (yes, 14!) culinary extravaganza? Beginning January 19th, 2015 and ending on February 1st, locals, transplants and visitors of the L.A. area have the opportunity to wine + dine while enjoying a special prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus at a fraction of the normal cost. Sounds like a win win to us!

Ford's Filling Station Downtown LA
900 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 765-8630
www.chefbenford.com

Chef Ben Ford's popular Gastropub located in the lobby of the JW Marriott Los Angeles, L.A. Live, is a unique blend of West Coast flavors and Southwest influence. Drawing his culinary inspiration from the fresh produce, artisanal meats and dairy which California farms are famous for, Ford's Filling Station L.A. Live is "the perfect addition to the downtown Los Angeles neighborhood's burgeoning culinary scene." So what can we expect to see on this January's dineL.A. menu? Chef Ford is preparing the likes of: Bacon Wrapped Dates with goat cheese and mozzarella, Fresh Chickpea Tartine with spicy greens, pickled onion and toasted garlic bread, and Lemon Roasted Jidori Chicken with canary lentils, tomato, carrots and chorizo crumb. To complete the meal, guests will melt over the Butterscotch Pot de Creme with mascarpone cream, pecan, candied bacon and sea salt. $25 lunch / $50 dinner

Cafe Gratitude Venice
512 Rose Avenue
Venice, CA 90291
(424) 231-8000
www.cafegratitudevenice.com

What are you grateful for? For starters, L.A. has an enormous appreciation for Cafe Gratitude and it's menu which promotes "consciousness and sustainability for the planet and all of its inhabitants." This 100% plant based, organic vegan restaurant serves gourmet raw and cooked cuisines daily, and is offering lunch and dinner throughout dineL.A. Noteworthy dishes are "Celebrating" two collard spring rolls with daikon and wakame filling, carrots, sunflower sprouts, avocado, Japanese pickled vegetables, sesame wasabi and Thai almond dipping sauces; "Resolved" black-eyed pea "Hoppin' John" with sprouted probiotic brown rice, pureed garnet yams and citrus collards; "Warm-Hearted" grilled polenta with mushroom ragu, baby spinach, cashew ricotta, brazil nut parmesan and fresh basil. Finally, for dessert, you will adore the "Adoring" signature tiramisu with raw almond biscuit, coconut cashew cream, espresso, and raw cacao. $20 lunch / $30 dinner

Ocean Prime
9595 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 859-4818
www.ocean-prime.com

In the heart of Beverly Hills, Ocean Prime is a true modern American Supper Club where the surf meets the turf and there is a starlet at every table. Everything on the menu is worth mentioning, however these are a few items you really must try while dining at the restaurant during dineL.A. For the first course, it might be hard to choose, but the bowl of lobster bisque with sweet corn fritter and the sushi tuna roll are exceptional, so is the Point Judith Calamari which is flash fried, and tossed in a sweet chili sauce with candied cashews. For the second course, the filet mignon with creamy whipped potatoes and harticots verts is divine, but the sea scallops served on a bed of parmesan risotto, with English peas and a citrus vinaigrette; and blacked pacific grouper with corn spoon bread and a jalapeno tartar are out of this world. And lastly, the chocolate peanut butter pie covered in a bittersweet chocolate ganache. $25 lunch / $50 dinner

The Church Key
8730 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(424) 249-3700
www.thechurchkeyla.com

There has been quite the buzz circling the modern american cuisine at The Church Key lately. All great things of course, so it's the perfect time for you to be the judge. This West Hollywood eatery has a three course dinner menu planned that will place smiles on the faces of foodies throughout Los Angeles. Dishes like the Chicken Liver Parfait with Huckleberry "Jell-o" on a toasted brioche with smoked sea salt; and the rigatoni pasta served with fennel sausage with a "red sauce", new olive oil and parmesan espuma will kick-off the meal, while the tapioca crusted tai snapper with green papaya salad, nuoc cham, and crispy shallots, or "Tikka Masala" with dehydrated mango, cilantro, raita and basmati rice are served as entrees. Finally, choose from Brioche Donuts with brown butter glaze and cinnamon caramel or Coconut Panna Cotta with passion fruit and basil seeds to satisfy even the biggest sweet tooth. $40 dinner

RockSugar
10250 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 552-9988
www.rocksugarpanasiankitchen.com

We hope you're ready because RockSugar Pan Asian Kitchen is offering three-course dinner for parties of two or more during dineL.A. that has so many options, there is something to satisfy even the pickiest taste buds. Guests have a choice of appetizers featuring: Crispy Samosas, Indian Stuffed Flatbread, Potstickers, Crisp Vegetable Spring Rolls, Crunchy Calamari, Grapefruit Jicama Salad, Chicken Satay, and a Green Mango and Papaya Salad. Many of the dishes offer vegetarian options as well. For the main course, diners will pick from the Curries, Meats and Seafood items which include: Nam Prik Rice Flaked Snapper, Claypot Beef, Princess Chicken, Flat Rice Noodles with Shrimp, Thai Basil Cashew Chicken or Mixed Vegetables in Red Curry; and for dessert, the best Caramelized Banana Custard Cake you could possibly imagine with milk chocolate ice cream, malted creme anglaise and nut brittle.

a.o.c.
8700 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 859-9859
www.aocwinebar.com

It's always good thing when you spot a.o.c. on a list, especially when it comes to dineL.A. This year, a.o.c. is offering a special lunch-only menu filled with seasonal and locally sourced California French goodness from Chef Suzanne Goin. The first course consists of a two cheese plate & coppa plate, Spanish fried chicken with romesco aioli and chili-cumin butter, or Chopped Dijonnaise, apples, Niman bacon, roquefort and wallets; followed-by a choice of Farmer's Lunch-Winter Vegetables with muhammara, chickpea puree, burrata and grilled toast, Torchio with Baby Broccoli served with roasted tomato chili and bread crumbs, or Roast Turkey Focaccia Sandwich with mozzarella, green harissa, avocado, castelvetrano with a side of salad or fries. $25 lunch

Stir Market
7475 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 879-8283
www.stirmarket.com

In honor of dineLA restaurant week, Stir Market is debuting their bistro-style prix-fixe dinner menu showcasting California-Mediterranean flavors. From January 19th through February 1, the newly opened boutique food hall gives Angelenos the chance to enjoy their three-course tasting menu for just $30 per person featuring delicious options like their Merguez Sausage Flatbread with Roast Tomato, Ricotta Salata, Arugula, Crispy Pig Tails topped with Fennel Pollen, Lemon Zest, and Tarragon, a Rotisserie Chicken Pappardelle, with Lemon, Parmesan, and Chicken Jus and much more. For dessert, the restaurant will be offering a blood orange sorbet as well as a croissant bread pudding.

Hakkasan
233 North Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 888-8661
www.hakkasan.com

Helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Ho Chee Boon, the Hakkasan Beverly Hills Dine LA menu is a great option to consider during this event. The ultra-swank L.A. hotspot with the fantastic vibe and great music is featuring: Hakka Steamed Dim Sum Platter with har gau, scallop shumai, Chinese chive dumpling and black pepper duck dumpling, Crispy Duck Salad, or Stir-fry Mushroom Lettuce Wrap with pistachio and pine nut for the first course, a Stir-fry Black Pepper Beef Rib-eye with merlot, a Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with Chinese honey or Spicy Prawn with lily bulb and almond as an entree. Each main course is served with stir-fry pak choic with garlic and choice of steamed Jasmine rice or brown rice, and a selection of homemade macarons or ice creams and sorbets for dessert. $50 dinner

Water Grill
1401 Ocean Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 394-5669
www.watergrill.com

The Dine L.A. Menu at the Santa Monica location on Ocean Avenue is three-courses spotlighting all the wonders of the uber-hip seaside city. Perfect for the cold-winter California day, the first-course ranges from New England Clam Chowder with manila clams, applewood smoked bacon, and creamed parsnip soup with curry and roasted shrimp; to Roasted Beets with Organic Apples served with grilled 'Cuyama Farms' apples and shaved manchego cheese, or Wild Maldives Island Big Eye Tuna Crudo (our favorite!) with fennel orange puree, diced oranges and fennel pollen. For the main course, Water Grill is serving Wild Costa Rican Mahi Mahi with baby beets and carrots with a celery root puree and sherry, Wild Pacific Swordfish with charcoal grilled eggplant, tomato, black olives and rosemary oil, and for dessert: Key Lime Pie with milk sorbet, and pomegranate seeds. $25 lunch / $50 dinner