Project by Project’s Plate by Plate 2011 Vibiana 214 S Main St Los Angeles, CA 90012 Dining date: 8/6/11 Project by Project is a national nonprofit focusing on issues in the Asian-American community. They host an annual benefit called Plate by Plate (this is the 9th) which features a host of local restaurants and drink purveyors. Each…
LudoBites 007 Gram & Papa’s 227 E 9th St Los Angeles, CA 90015 Dining date: 8/3/11 With a new show on the Sundance Channel, LudoBites continues to get more and more popular (along with its share of haters too, it seems). This is the seventh LudoBites (not including the one-night Ludo Bites America dinner), and a…
Din Tai Fung 1108 S Baldwin Ave Arcadia, CA 91007 Dining date: 7/30/11 Din Tai Fung is the type of restaurant I hear about even when I go home to San Francisco. “Have you heard of this restaurant in Arcadia…” or “you should try this dumpling place called Din Tai Fung.” It’s no wonder why…
Gjelina 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice, CA 90291 Dining date: 7/20/11 I’ve wanted to visit Gjelina for some time now…though, not enough to drive all the way across town. Until now. Opened in 2008, Gjelina has been consistently popular during its lifetime. So popular, in fact, that when making a reservation two weeks in advance, only 6pm and…
Totoraku 10610 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064 Dining date: 7/9/11 I first went to Totoraku last August but had yet to return. The “secret beef restaurant,” reservations can only be made by those who have gotten a business card from the chef. I am not one of those people. However, I had the…
Sushi Nozomi 1757 W. Carson St. Torrance, CA 90501 Dining date: 7/2/11 I heard about Sushi Nozomi a little while ago but hadn’t had a chance to stop by until now. I’ve read some pretty strong reviews, particularly about the uni. The head sushi chef (Yasu) has a close connection with the boats in Santa…
Picca 9575 West Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035 Dining date: 7/1/11 I knew I’d return to Picca soon, but I didn’t think it’d be this soon. Eight days separated this visit from my last (during the Test Kitchen preview), but I was eager to try more of the menu. Add to it the fact…
Wolvesmouth Beer Belly 532 S. Western Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90020 Dining date: 6/28/11 I first went to a Wolvesmouth dinner in January and have been itching to return. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to – it continues to get more and more popular and, thus, seats are even harder to come by. As a…