L’Epicerie 9900 Culver Blvd Culver City, CA 90232 Dining date: 6/21/11 L’Epicerie opened in December, a French restaurant/marketplace in Culver City from Thierry Perez (Fraiche). There’s a little bit of everything on offer in the marketplace, from wine & cheese, to oils and vinegars, charcuterie, and pre-made meals. On the restaurant side, the food is rustic French. Just…
Picca 9575 West Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035 Dining date: 6/23/11 Picca has been a long time coming. Ever since Test Kitchen closed its doors, we’ve been waiting for Sotto (downstairs, opened March) and Picca (upstairs). Although Picca’s grand opening is technically Saturday the 25th, there have been a number of preview dinners this…
Chaya Downtown 525 S Flower St Los Angeles, CA 90071 Dining date: 6/16/11 Given that I work downtown, I’m no stranger to this place. Chaya Downtown is one of my favorite happy hours in the area, largely for its well-priced food and the outdoor patio. In the summer, they have a ‘Japanese Beer Garden’ theme,…
Urasawa 218 N Rodeo Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Dining date: 6/18/11 Urasawa was the perfect meal to cap off an already-memorable food week, starting with Taste of the Nation, and including a dinner with Thomas Keller at Bouchon. I love this restaurant, and it’s always my response to people who ask what my favorite…
KCET Uncorked! Bouchon Beverly Hills 238 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Dining date: 6/13/11 Anyone who knows me (or has read their fair share of posts from this blog) knows that I’m a huge fan of Thomas Keller. Huge. Borderline obsessive. So, when I was invited to a seven-course dinner (with wine pairings)…
Taste of the Nation Los Angeles 2011 Media Park 9070 Venice Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232 Dining date: 6/12/11 Taste of the Nation is a series of nationwide culinary benefits, with 100% of proceeds being used by the charity Share Our Strength to help end childhood hunger. In LA, the annual event is essentially a…
2011 Grande Marque Champagne Tasting Presented by Wally’s Wine Le Merigot Hotel 1740 Ocean Ave Santa Monica, CA Dining date: 6/5/11 My friend Lilly has been going to this annual event ever since she turned 21 with her mother (who has an even longer streak running). She’s been raving about it for a couple of…
LudoBites America Casa Pulido 228 Avenue I Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Dining date: 6/1/11 There’s not much more to say about the sensation that is LudoBites. In their latest venture, the Lefebvres have been traveling across the country, doing one-night pop-ups in various cities as part of their upcoming TV show on the Sundance Channel,…