they aren’t terribly busy so i have a feeling they’d welcome all diners. I was talking to chef about doing a wine dinner there and he was down.
Normally, I think they have a 2 btl limit, $40 per.
wife and i have a wedding sans child in santa monica this summer. im looking for 2 dinners on the west side that are places i can only experience in LA. we live in downtown nyc and will be in italy the following week so not italian ideally. i dont mind a scene if the food and service are solid.
im thinking rvr and dudley market (no one seems to mention that on the board). and better ideas?
thanks in advance!
Yes!
Anajak or Jacaranda
Lielle - a bit closer to what you can get in NYC but still very good.
I would also highly recommend Baroo but it is DTLA. Not really a big deal to get there.
1 Like
RVR is fantastic, so go. I would swap out Dudley for Si Mon! You could also check out Broken Spanish Comedor and/or Hachet Hall. They are 100 ft apart.
1 Like
Love Hatchett Hall.
I find getting to DTLA from Santa Monica a big deal especially if not a Sunday. I’ve been amazed at your ability to criss cross LA so cheerfully😀
4 Likes
I have no limits for great food!
Went to corridor 109 for the first time this past weekend.
Set inside a beautifully appointed dining room that rings around the chef. Almost like a spotlight on the kitchen as you’re serenaded by one of the best playlists I’ve ever noticed/listened to at a fine dining restaurant. I was shazaming all night long.
Lots of highlights in a protein led meal. The aji toast is incredible and one of the best dishes in Los Angeles. The mango sorbet was like biting into a fresh ripe mango.
Service was on point, precise but not over bearing and well put together.
9 Likes
Do you know/remember Si! Mon’s corkage policy?
It was $40, not sure about current $.
1 Like
Just wanted to shoutout Beethoven Market - my wife and I went for the first time on the night when their liquor license was being debated, and even without the wine program, had one of our favorite meals in LA this year. Not earth-shatteringly innovative, but executing extremely well, and loved the feel of the space also. Excited to go back as I understand their liquor license was reapproved.
Other recent restaurant visits:
-Tried two restaurants with the same chef, Osteria Mozza and Lapaba. Mozza was clearly superior but neither knocked it out for me
-First time back at Anajak post-reno, food even better than we remembered, ate great with Adrien Renoir bubbles
-Revisited Saffy’s after a visit where I was underwhelmed a while ago — really enjoyed it this time. Yes it’s a scene but found the food to be excellent
-Found Oyster across the street was another of our highlights this year — the famous crudo is epic as is the crab cocktail
4 Likes
Hope that Chevy showed well, bold move
Current corkage is $45
I spent 2 days in LA for work, and had time to hit 3 places that made for fun dining experiences:
- Din Tai Fung Santa Monica= authentic? Probably not enormously so, but the food was surprisingly good for a chain that has expanded furiously. Service was very good, and the famous soup dumplings lived up the hype. The vegan options (a member of our party was vegan) were also quite fresh and delicious. I wouldn’t go out of my way for it, but if you’re in Santa Monica with a large group it’s a fun place.
- Quarter Sheets= I’m not usually a fan of thick crust pizza, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the ingredients and care that went into the dough here. They offer Detroit style pizza, which is similar to Sicilian grandma pies, and they were quite good. I sat at the bar and enjoyed a leisurely solo dinner with a lovely glass of rose Barbera. The wine list is compact and leans clean natural, and service was excellent and warm. There was a line but since I was dining solo they sat me at the bar rapidly.
- Republique= yes, it’s a tourist trap, and yes, there was a line to get in. We sat out front after ordering and it was quieter on the streets of LA than inside this cavernous institution. That said, the food was good, though I was disappointed by the chewy chocolate chip cookie (more of a brownie that lacked enough chocolate). Again, if I was in the area I’d pop in happily.
I wish I had had more time to explore the city’s culinary scene but I was running between meetings.
1 Like
Din Tai Fung a guilty pleasure. They rock.
4 Likes
they also have $15 corkage at the sm location if i recall correctly.
1 Like
Curious why you’d think Din Tai Fung wasn’t authentic? AFAIK it’s still based in Taiwan, and beyond some of the over-the-top gestures like truffle XLB, the menu isn’t fusion-y. They’ve expanded a great deal and to some extent I miss the homey nature of the original two in Arcadia, but the consistency of the food hasn’t changed in my experience and I’ve never seen any Chinese/Taiwanese person cast aspersions on its authenticity despite it being much different in ambiance than it used to be in the SGV.
Glad to see the Quarter Sheets shout out. I’ve wanted to try their bar pies which are only dine-in and a thinner crust style. You didn’t mention their cakes/pastries which are maybe even more renowned than their pizzas. QS is also now right next to the Echo Park location of Monkish, if you’re looking for solid beers.
Curious about you mentioning Republique as a tourist trap. While I miss the memories there, I will never go back after they revealed their political leanings.
3 Likes
I miss the original of those two more than the second and was amused that they had two stores back to back, but yes to your larger point. The food was consistently better at the first two in Arcadia than it is elsewhere around town since they expanded to almost every regional mall.
DTF seemed a tad fusion-y but I did enjoy the meal. As for Quarter Sheets, their bar pie was tempting, but I was solo that night and didn’t feel like eating that much (granted, 2 slices of Detroit style pizza aren’t a “light” meal either). As for Republique, there was a line and it’s been in all the tourist guides, and it certainly seemed like a tourist mecca. I was not aware of their politics, however, but after looking up that issue I see your point.