I have to bring the wife and kid to the French Consulate near the Westfield Mall on Wednesday, any outdoor lunch recs nearby? I don’t want to go too far (ie more than 1-2 miles) so I don’t risk missing our 3pm appointment at the Consulate. I have an RSVP at Hinoki & the Bird, but figured I’d ask here for any other recs. We eat everything, but prefer hole-in-the-wall delicious food to fancy places.
That’s really a dead zone, especially for outdoor dining… Apple Pan for burgers (or off-menu patty melt or tuna melt) and pie if you want super casual. But Hinoki is probably the best option.
i’d just eat at Eataly rooftop and call it a day
The damn bar pizza at Quarter Sheets was amazing. The salad and sides were also very good. The thick pizzas are not my style but were also good.
The current chef at Melody Wine Bar came from Kinkan. Really enjoyed his food.
We had quite the weekend in LA!
Apple Pan, Hinoki and Eataly are all solid recs, I’d also throw out Clementine as another option. It’s across the street from Westfield on the north side of Santa Monica Blvd. Small neighborhood cafe, they have a few tables outside. Picture your perfect picnic lunch - sandwich, sides, salad and baked goods for dessert. Always tasty.
There is also a Din Tai Fung in the mall, but I don’t recall if they have outdoor seating.
no outdoor seating =( it was my first thought for Michel
We have a (pretty decent) Din Tai Fung down here in UTC, they too have no outdoor seating. I think we’ll stick with Hinoki unless something else comes up, thanks for the recs.
Got this in a promotional email:
"Tatsu Nation!
Our friends at Leopardo have an amazing intro offer just for you to celebrate our partnership.
Stop by Leopardo and ask for the Tatsu Secret Menu which includes your choice of Caesar Salad or Cali-prese Salad, a Margherita Pizza or Napoletana Pizza, and a cocktail of your choice for $49 (reg. over $100)."
I think it’s more like $10-30 off but nice if those items interest you.
cali-prese 2010 (v, vg) $29
napoletana $39
cocktails b/w $20-38
This might finally get me to try the place. thanks for posting.
Sunnin Lebanese. Westwood Blvd, just north of Santa Monica Blvd.
Monte Alban Oaxacan, Santa Monica west of Bundy
Neither is fancy; both are good for lunch.
Dang. What a deal.
A pizza place with those prices in SF wouldn’t last a week. It would get laughed out of town.
Yeah, there’s a love hate relationship for many. Skenes is the former Angler chef. He’s ingredient and technique obsessed. The opening PR framed the restaurant as a neighborhood joint, which caused a lot of public reaction.
For all of you that loved Kinn
Coming soon to little Tokyo
Who’s heading up Meteora now?
Thanks everyone, we really enjoyed our lunch at Hinoki and the Bird (my son’s hamburger was as big as his head, and my wife’s salmon was perfectly cooked, I wasn’t too hungry so opted for a eggplant sando), and had time to stroll through the Century City mall (our first time there) before heading walking over to the Consulate. Afterwards, we met some local friends Eataly’s rooftop terrace place, Terra, which was surprisingly delicious. The list was pretty well chosen if a tad pricey, so I picked a 2022 Piero Mancini Vermentino from Sardinia that was outstanding with most of our shared dishes.
I’m looking forward to our next visit to LA to explore more of the local scene.
Any recs for low-key/casual dinner in La Brea/West Hollywood? Will be going solo, and don’t need to blow it out.
That’s a broad category. If you can narrow down to cuisine and pricing.
A.O.C perhaps.
Republique for more $$