I really enjoy a good lasagna, but I’m pretty picky. It seems every Italian establishment has some variation of the dish, and they vary widely in types of meat, types of cheese, vegetables, mushrooms…you name it. I like my lasagnas heavy on the meat and the noodles, so I often find my homemade dish the…
Saam Room at The Bazaar SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills 465 S La Cienega Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048 Since opening in late 2008, The Bazaar has received very positive local and national acclaim. The brainchild of renowned chef Jose Andres, it’s been awarded 4 stars by the LA Times and recognized as one of…
Scarpetta Beverly Hills Montage Beverly Hills 225 North Canon Dr. Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Scarpetta is one of the more notable restaurant openings in LA this year, largely because it’s associated with celebrity chef Scott Conant (both as a restaurateur and on TV: Chopped and 24 Hour Restaurant Battle). Scarpetta is Conant’s interpretation of rustic Italian…
LudoBites 6.0 at Max 13355 Ventura Blvd Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 I don’t think Los Angeles’ dining scene has ever seen anything quite like this. Now in its sixth incarnation, LudoBites continues to grow in interest not just in LA, but nationwide. No restaurant in LA has garnered quite as much acclaim or hate in…
La Botte 620 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401 I first went to La Botte during the last DineLA “season” and I really enjoyed the meal. La Botte is one of the few Michelin-starred restaurants that participates in this promotion (Spago and Ortolan also come to mind), giving just one more reason to go…
Test Kitchen: Ricardo Zarate 9575 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035 I’ve tried Ricardo Zarate’s cuisine once before at his restaurant Mo Chica. I enjoyed my meal there, which was centered around traditional Peruvian dishes. Zarate has been one of the hottest chefs in LA in 2010, so I’ve been itching to try more…
JiRaffe 502 Santa Monica Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90401 I’d been hearing a lot about JiRaffe over the past few years, so it was about time I dropped by to try it out. Helmed by chef Raphael Lunetta, the restaurant has been around for almost 15 years, consistently garnering very positive reviews. DineLA was still…
Drago Centro 525 S Flower St Los Angeles, CA 90071 For me, Drago Centro is consistently one of the most frustrating dining experiences. The frustration doesn’t stem from the food (it’s consistently fantastic) but rather from the consistently poor service. Since it’s opened, I’ve probably dined here close to a dozen times. The food continues…