Monday, January 19:
dineL.A. Winter Restaurant Week
Discover more than 300 top Los Angeles restaurants (including newcomers Alimento, Butchers & Barbers, and Gracias Madre) during this biannual food event. This year expect a twist to the regular discounted three-course menus, in addition to $15, $20, or $25 lunch menus and $30, $40, or $50 dinner menus, participants have been challenged to either create an exclusive menu item or offer a menu that is 15% off the existing price. Monday-February 1
L’Assiette Steak Frites‘ New Lunch Menu
Get a taste of Paris l’après-midi with dishes including: Salade Maison au Saumon withsous-vide chilled salmon, chopped little gem lettuce, goat cheese, almonds, and citrus balsamic vinaigrette; Sandwich de Poisson with salmon served on a freshly-baked baguette with choice of salad or pommes frites; andPortobello Frites with marinated grilled Portobello mushrooms, served with peanut oil pommes frites. Monday-Friday, 11:30 am – 2:30 pm; 7166 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046; 323.274.2319
Newport Beach Restaurant Week
Newport Beach is cooking up a fresh new Restaurant Week in 2015, and expanding the renowned culinary celebration to two full weeks of delectable dining January 19 – February 1, 2015. Whether you’re craving international cuisine, locally sourced seafood or a perfectly sizzled steak, mark your calendar to reserve your next delicious Dine Newport Beach experience. Participating restaurants will be serving up special prix-fixe menus, with lunches available for just $10, $15, $20 or $25 and dinners for $20, $30, $40 or $50.
Alvin Cailan’s Ramen Champ Opens
Ramen Champ is a simple, arty space that seats only 22, so get in line early. Living on the second floor of the Far East Plaza, follow the neon arrow pointing the way. Once inside, you will find art from New York artist Mike Houston, who’s done work for Lucky Peach, Mind of a Chef and more. Monday, 4 pm; 727 N. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA
Del Frisco’s Grille Irvine, New Happy Hour
Enjoy select appetizers starting at $5 with $6 draft beer, select wines by the glass for $7 and a pair of signature martinis for $8 each in the restaurant’s bar. Savor a selection of appetizers, including Deviled Eggs for $5, Flatbreads or Cheesesteak Eggrolls for $7, Ahi Tacos for $9, and the Signature VIP martini, made with Sweet Hawaiian Pineapple-infused Svedka Clementine Vodka, or Apt. 5D featuring Tito’s Vodka, muddled strawberries, lemon sour, simple syrup and a dash of balsamic. Monday–Friday, 3-6 pm; Spectrum Center Dr., Irvine, CA 92618; 949.341.0376
National Popcorn Day
Barton G. LA, the theatrical West Hollywood eatery, offers a playful Laughing Bird Popcorn Shrimp starter which pairs popcorn shrimp from the Laughing Bird Key in the Caribbean with Old Bay-spiced popcorn and a duo of Sriracha aioli and sesame sweet chili dipping sauces (all in a retro popcorn maker). Chef Jason Fullilove at Malibu Pier Restaurant & Bar is dishing up Organic Nori Popcorn popped with olive oil and tossed with Malibu sea salt and ground nori sheets. Chef Phillip Frankland Lee at The Gadarene Swine is popping Roasted Garlic and Fresh Thyme Popcorn with hand pressed garlic oil, sea salt, sugar and fresh thyme. The Whisper Restaurant and Lounge and Chef Anthony Jacquet are serving Jalapeno Parmesan Popcorn. Monday
Target Free Holiday Monday
Visitors of all ages are invited to a free day at the museum, with bilingual tours, free programs, art-making activities, and live music by Minyo Station at 12:30 and 2:45 pm. At the forefront of a movement. Free; All day; LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
Tuesday, January 20:
National Cheese Lovers’ Day
Santa Monica’s FIG Restaurant is serving up Cheese & Charcuterie from Chef Eric Brazel, who is preparing a special “stash” paired with a flight of wine. “Eric’s Stash” is a selection of cheeses (Cow, Ewe, Goat, Blue-Veined, and Stinky) that appear on each dinner menu. $26/Flight of cheese, $20/Optional flight of wine; Tuesday, 5 – 10 pm; 101 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401; 310.319.3111
Dominick’s 60 Minute Wine Class
The class will highlight a tasting of Le Marche region wines and feature light bites and an informative discussion by renowned sommelier Susan Brink. Featured wines include: 2012 Belisario Vigneti B Verdicchio di Metelica, 2011 Luigi Giusti Lacrima di Morro d’Alba, 2012 Piantate Lunghe Rosso Conero, and 2011 Poderi San Lazarro Podere 72 Rosso Piceno. The wines will be paired with a savory barley porridge with puffed barley, sprouted rye berries, dried chive blossoms, pink peppercorn, dried apples and thyme for $18. $30; Tuesday, 6:30 pm; 8715 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90048; 310.652.2335
Wednesday January 21:
Tam O’Shanter Celebrates Robert Burns
The Tam’s celebration of the poet’s 256th birthday (he was born on January 25, 1759) will feature over 40 varieties of single malt scotch on display and available for tasting, specially prepared Haggis, and performances by authentic bag pipers, drummers, Scottish sword dancers, and more. Burns introduced the character of Tam O’Shanter in a poem in 1790, and the term came to be associated with a large Scottish-style wool hat worn by men. Burns also is known throughout the world for writing the Scottish folk classic,Auld Lang Syne. Dr. Neil MacLeod hosts the event at The Tam and has been doing so for 32 years. During the celebration, the Haggis is served using a sword to cut the meat and you will drink out of goblets. There will be a playful take on Burns’ poetry, as read by actress Koni McKurdy. Additionally, Chef Ivan Harrison, a Haggis aficionado, will be the celebrated cook for the evening. Chef Ivan started working at the Tam in 1958 and retired after 42 years of service. Wednesday & Thursday, 5:30 & 8:15 pm; 2980 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90039; 323.664.0228
FROZEN at FLIX at FIG
FIGat7th is teaming up with MAC Cosmetics and hairstylists to host a complimentary beauty bar for guests to get FROZEN inspired hair and make-up services to get everyone prepped before watching the movie. Beauty Bar hosted on the first level next to TASTE & the screening is held inside TASTE. Wednesday, 4-8 pm; FIGat7th, 735 S Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90017
Foie Daddy at Chop Daddy’s
To celebrate the return of Foie Gras to the LA eating scene, Adam Fleischman of Advantage Restaurant Partners and Chop Daddy’s have created the Foie Daddy sandwich, which features seared foie gras on top of Chop Daddy’s special thinly-sliced 12-hour smoked brisket and on a buttered brioche roll. $20.15; Wednesday, 11 am – 2 pm (while supplies last); Venice and Culver City
Pistola‘s Scotch Tasting Dinner
Italian steakhouse Pistola is hosting an exclusive The Glenlivet scotch-tasting dinner. Hosted by Rick Edwards, Master of Scotch, the event includes three-courses from Executive Chef Vic Casanova accompanied by two cocktails and a tasting of four rare Glenlivet expressions. $125 (includes tax, gratuity, food & drink); Wednesday, 8 pm; resys: Alysa.Braswell@Pistola-LA.com.
Thursday, January 22:
Desert Bighorn Sheep, Wilderness Icon With Mark Jorgensen
Desert bighorn sheep expert Mark Jorgensen will provide details about sheep, their habitat, and the struggle to restore and maintain the wild populations of desert bighorns in the U.S. and Mexico. His talk is illustrated by photographs featuring rare behavior, sheep in their rugged desert habitat, ewes nurturing newborn lambs, and massive rams in stunning ritualized combat for dominance. Jorgensen will explain how well-regulated hunting programs in the U.S. and Mexico have in recent years generated millions of dollars in revenue that have been directed to bighorn management and conservation programs. Copies of Desert Bighorn Sheep: Wilderness Icon will be available for purchase in the Museum Store. Free; Thursday, 6:30-9 pm, lecture at 7 pm; RSVP: info@nhm.org.
Dog Café
Sarah Wolfgang will be hosting a Pup-Up, a pop up of The Dog Café, with the mission is to unite potential adopters with their future dog. With beverages supplied by Grounds & Hounds, the coffee company that donates 20% of its proceeds to local animal rescues, dog lovers can spend some quality time with animals in need of a new home all while sipping a cup of coffee. $20 (includes a cup of coffee) or $15 without coffee; Thursday-January 25, 10 am-7 pm; 838 S Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, CA 90014
Stonehill Tavern’s Vegetable Discovery Tasting Menu
The New Year means eating lighter, healthier and more nourishing meals. Eating well doesn’t mean sacrificing fine cuisine and that’s where Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Comes in. They have a Vegetable Discovery Tasting Menu featuring innovative preparations of seasonal vegetables. Highlights from the six-course menu include porcini mushrooms and burdock root roasted over White Binchotan Japanese charcoal, wrapped in cherry blossom leaves, and served with house-fermented chia-hemp seed moromi miso; farmhouse coddled egg with caramelized sunchokes and freshly shaved winter black truffles; and 21 vegetables simmered in their own juice prepared en papillote and cut tableside. Biodynamic wines from Booker and Bonny Doon Vineyard, herbal-infused specialty cocktails, kombucha tastings and hand-tied teas will accompany the discovery menu. On the launch, you will be treated to live music, interactive stations from local purveyors, herb-infused specialty cocktails, biodynamic wines, and more. $125, $75/beverage pairings; Thursday through March 31; The St. Regis Monarch Beach, 1 Monarch Beach Resort North, Dana Point, CA 92629; 949.234.3200
Live Reads: Goodfellas
The January installment of director Jason Reitman’s much imitated—but never equaled—landmark program, in which he selects a classic film script and stages a reading before a live. Thursday, 7:30 pm; Bing Theater, LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036; 323.857.6000
