I will be in L.A. for work this Thursday and am catching a red-eye back to Dallas late that night. My work stuff will end in the afternoon so I am free to have dinner wherever i want. I have not been to L.A. in 6+ years so i am just looking for a WOW experience. I understand that there are countless taco places and dim sum houses but i am not looking for that, as i will need to come back and spend more time for that.
Thanks in advance…
Also, if anyone is available i would love to get together and drink and eat…I will have a car.
As a reference here is what I am looking at:
Animal
Hinoki and Bird
ink.
A- Frame
one of Brooke Williamson’s joints
Thurs. is the toughest night for me, and if I were free this Thurs. I’d prob. head over to wineHouse for the Pinot Days grilled cheese and pinot tasting.
Looks like you have a chef-driven list.
Ink is really disappointing to me considering the great potential of Voltaggio. Went twice, neither was great, a couple of dishes were downright flawed. Plus they have a little 'tude there.
Have not been to Hinoki. I’ve heard very good (not great) things.
A-Frame is another huh? to me. The food is tasty but really pedestrian in concept to me and unlikely to wow anyone.
I haven’t been to Brooke’s Hudson House. I have been to Tripel. Again, I think both are very pubby and I wish she had a more ambitious place. I heard she was trying to snag another spot in Playa. Something like her cooking at Zax would be great as I really like her chops and she’s really nice.
Animal would be my choice of what you’ve suggest and the flavors there might wow you. Lot’s of tasty stuff there. It IS a pretty casual gastro-pub styled place though.
Don’t worry john. I’ve adopted him for the night 
(nevermind)
In good hands.
Out of that list I’d choose Ink or Hinoki. Here’s some other suggestions I’d favor instead:
Alma
Red Medicine
n/naka
Patina
So yea i should probably edit this whole thread now that Charlie has me under his wing, but i still have a lunch to figure out that is going to be location based due to my meetings. Here are my thoughts:
Plan Check
Hart & the Hunter
Sycamore Kitchen
Any advice
Id pick them in the order you just listed.
Alma would be my first choice.
Alma would be my last choice. I would wish that restaurant on no person who is looking for a wow experience. Been three times, never had a fine dining experience where there were dishes I thought tasted awful, but they managed to do it more than once on different days. And the service. Omg. Hipsters running a restaurant. Zero enthusiasm and no hustle. Just drop the food and go kind of attitude.
Agree with Red Medicine and n/naka for wow and something different. Red Medicine can be very polarizing. Pushes the envelope a bit. n/naka is almost fool proof good.
Hard to think of a more highly rated, totally underwhelming restaurant in recent LA history than Alma.
I’m going to go ahead and have a “get off my lawn” moment and say that I’m not sure what is actually worse; the ditzy starving actress/model server, or the self-absorbed hipster. At least the actress is easy on the eyes.
Where did you all end up last night? We dined at Connie & Ted’s for the first time last night. Good but not great IMO
Looks very good, I’ll have to check that place out!
Charlie,
Thanks so much for the including me Thursday. A great time meeting you guys and some really good wines. I thought the food was outstanding with the highlights being the sea eal, toro, and the bonito with the onion relish. Some of the best rice I have ever eaten.
Cheers,
Alston
What does a place like that cost Charlie?
Whats with the golden dildo Fu???