Monday, February 9:
Rock & Brews El Segundo‘s Pizza Palooza
Rock & Brews’ Pizza Palooza will offer a taste of Kansas City, Kansas with the Buffalo Springfield Chicken Pizza; The Back in Black-ened Chicken Pesto Pizza from Redondo Beach; The Slider Pizza from Orlando, FL; and Mad Matt’s Chile Pizza from Albuquerque, New Mexico. 143 Main Street, El Segundo 90245; 310.615.9890
$8 Umami Burgers
Umami Burger will be offering their signature Truffle Burger for $8 only until February 15. So go ahead and treat yo’ self this Valentine’s Day! Available at all participating locations.
Charcoal BBQ
This new barbecue spot is serving up smoked pork ribs and small-batch bourbon from the owner of Barbarella. With a wall-mounted boar’s head, cow skin rugs, stacked logs, naked-lady wallpaper over the bar, a 1,700-pound smoker out back, leather stools, its the ideal setting for cocktails like the O’ Bloody Hell (bourbon, blood orange juice and Fresno chilies). The menu has applewood-smoked, candied bacon, an array of handmade kielbasa, citrus-wood-smoked pork ribs and pork loin banh mi with smoked-cola aioli. Opens Monday; 2611 N Hyperion Ave, Silver Lake, CA; 323.300.5500
Peroni Nastro Azzurro’s Game Nights at the Spare Room
During the bars Monday night bowling league join in games. Upcoming games include Staring Contest (Feb. 9), Cards Against Humanity (Feb. 16), DisFUNction (Cards Against Humanity meets The Game of Life), presented by the creators of DisFUNction (Feb. 23), and Jenga (March 2, Championship Night of Bowling Club). Also new Beverage Director Yael Vengroff has put together a special cocktail menu with Peroni Nastro Azzurro which includes the Looking For the Magic with Peroni, Rye, Amaro, Meletti, honey and lemon as well as buckets of Peroni (includes six beers). The full menu is also available and winning teams from each night will go home with select prizes participating partners. Monday, 9 pm; 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028; 323.769.7296
Hutchinson Cocktails & Grill Offers Rijsttafel
Rijsttafel, meaning “rice table”, is a traditional Indonesian feast originating during the Dutch colonization of Indonesia that is served banquet style with anywhere from 12 – 25 authentic dishes. Having grown up enjoying rijsttafel’s, Ian and Justin Hopper, owners of LA’s only Indonesian Steakhouse Hutchinson Cocktails & Grill, are bringing their family tradition to the restaurant. Executive Chef James Trees has prepared a menu that will feature Coconut Rice with Serundeng, Pork and Chili Satay, Chicken Rendang and more. Highlights include Coconut Rice with Serundeng With curried hard-boiled egg, pickles, radish krupuk and peanut sauce;Green Papaya Mango Salad with ground pork and peanuts; Pork and Chili Satay; Pork and Chicken Lumpia; Whole Fried Crispy Dorade with gula jawa lime sauce; Prawn and Pork steamed in banana leaves; Caramelized Bok Choy with sambal, trassi and pork belly; and Butterscotch Tapioca Pot de Creme. Monday, every second Monday of every month; 826 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA; 310.360.0884
Lucha VaVoom
The insane, absurd, over-the-top ode to Mexican wrestling returns, with an aerialist-and-comedian-and-burlesque-featuring Valentine’s Day show. Comedian, actor and writer Ron Funches (current star in NBC’s hit show Undateable and current record holder for most wins on Comedy Central’s late night show @midnight) will be the special guest announcer for both nights. $40+; Wednesday & Thursday, 7 pm; The Mayan, 1038 S Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90015
Tuesday, February 10:
Tuesday Trivia at Andaz West Hollywood
Test your trivia knowledge at Andaz West Hollywood every Tuesday. You can play solo or team up with friends to compete for exciting first and second place prizes. Trivia is free to play and wine, beer, cocktails and food are available at happy hour prices throughout the event. Free; Tuesday, 8-10 pm; 8401 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069; 323.656.1234
The Boiling Crab
This Vietnamese-driven restaurant serves up Cajun-spiced crawfish, crab and lobster in Westwood. The two floor industrial, kitchy place is an extension of the popular spot in Koreatown, where people (including myself) wait up to four hours to get in. The decor includes red brick, corrugated steel, portraits of jazz legends and flat-screens at every table. Little word of advice…dress casual. It gets messy. 10875 Kinross Ave., Westwood, CA; 310.208.4888
The Independence
Welcome the arrival of The Independence at 2nd and Broadway. Santa Monica resident Jonathan Chu (Buddha’s Belly, Copa d’Oro) has created an eclectic atmosphere with a long center bar featuring a bright white subway tiled backdrop, flanked by high-tops and intimate booths. To the left of the bar, is a mural by local artist John Park. By working with design firm WICK, Chu and team have created a new drinking station and dining destination in Santa Monica. Chef Tom Block (BLT Steak, Allen & Delancy, Beelman’s Pub) offers a collection of shareable dishes and entrées. The menu includes Shellfish Stew (clams, mussels, chili, tomato and lime), Chicken Wings with salsa verde, Roasted Mushrooms (62 degree egg, yuzu kosho hollandaise), and dry aged Rib Eye (wild mushrooms, bordelaise sauce, celtuce). There are also elevated sandwiches, like The Independence Burger with Gruyere and caramelized onions, and chili fries. Other menu highlights include Whole Stuffed Trout with almonds, Meyer lemon and breadcrumbs, Venison Ragu with house made papparadelle and pecorino, and Grilled Octopus with smoked beans, grapes and chili. Cocktails, come from Vincenzo Marianella (Copa d’Oro, Providence, Love & Salt), and include the Longshore (bourbon, port syrup, lemon juice, egg white, angostura bitters); the LA Speedway (gin, dry fino sherry, marsala, orange bitters) and the Ocean Stop (mezcal, maraschino liqueur, creme de mure, sparkling wine). GM and Santa Monica native Tatia Oshidari (Orris) has many of the 10 beer taps including local breweries with a nod to the West Coast IPA movement, accompanied by a roster of canned and bottled brews as well as a worldly wine list. 205 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401; 310.458.2500
Get Resys for Alma’s Pop Up
Alma downtown, the home of Ari Taymor (Food & Wine Best New Chef) and Ashleigh Parsons is having a guest dinner by Mads Refslund. Refslund is a co-founding chef behind Noma, and is currently at ACME in New York City. The popular chef is often credited alongside René Redzepi with bringing foraging and New Nordic cuisine to the forefront. His current restaurant ACME earned two stars from Pete Wells of the NY Times when it opened in 2012. $110/February 20;
Tione’s on Main
Head to the old Dr. J’s Vibrant Cafe location for a two-week run to test his New York-style Italian deli on one of the busiest restaurant corners in Los Angeles. It’s only two weeks because Page is still waiting on the full liquor license to come through. Enjoy sandwiches and pasta, like the Bogie, loaded with salami, coppa, provolone, salami, and house giardiniera on a sesame seeded hoagie roll and the carbonara, mixing sugar snap peas, pea tendrils, and bacon into an egg-laden black pepper spaghetti. Monday-Friday, 11 am-3 pm; 334 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013
Wednesday, February 11:
Andaz West Hollywood Wine Tasting with V Wine Room
Each month, Andaz West Hollywood teams up with the experts at V Wine Room to guide wine-lovers through a selection of curated red and white wines from boutique California wineries. This upcoming tasting will highlight a selection of sparkling rosés perfect for Valentine’s Day entertaining. The event will take place in the Wine Gallery on the first floor. Free; Wednesday, 5-7 pm; 8401 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069; 323.656.1234
Thursday, February 12:
Coin de Rue
Executive Chef David Féau is partnering with AdVantage Partners’ Adam Fleischman to open this Parisian-style bistro pop-up. A James Beard nominee, Chef Féau most recently helmed the kitchen of The Royce restaurant at the Langham Hotel, where he developed his light French cuisine. Located in the former Red Medicine space, Coin de Rue will showcase Chef Féau’s signature clean method of preparing French cuisine, avoiding heavy ingredients such as butter and cream that are traditionally used. Instead, Chef Féau prepares Bistro classics while keeping the food light, focusing on highlighting the ingredients’ subtle flavors using his signature method of cooking. Prix fixe menu items include Vegan Onion Soup; Cabbage and sea urchin soft scrambled eggs; Monkfish Bouillabaisse, aioli “tradition,” root vegetables; Roasted Duck Apicius; and Apple tart Tatin with crème fraiche sorbet. Additional bar bites will be available, such as Beef tongue Tartine; Rabbit terrine; Caramel peppercorn puff with chicken Liver foie gras mousse; and Roquefort Tartlet. Classic cocktails by mixologist Cody Summer (Varnish, Seven Grand) will also be available throughout the night for $12 each. $55 for four courses, with a supplemental bar bites menu available à la carte, $25/wine pairings; Thursday (February 12-14, February 19-21, and February 26-28), 6-9:30 pm; 8400 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA; 310.943.9650
WP24 Restaurant’s Chinese New Year
Enjoy a festive dinner rich in culinary custom, folklore, and ritual and seek good fortune inside the red envelopes that adorn the restaurant’s Wishing Tree. From an abundance of dumplings (to ensure a year filled with wealth and treasure), an array of seafood dishes (which signify a surplus of prosperity), and an indulgent reinvention of the mandarin (a symbol of luck and wholesomeness), the eight-course menu ($180) at WP24 has well-wishes for the year ahead. The tasting menu features “Hot & Sour” Oxtail Soup with field mushrooms, choy sum, and ginger; Crispy Maine Diver Scallops with black bean sauce, glass noodles, and mustard greens; “Szechuan Style” American Wagyu Ribeye with Shanghai noodles and a Mandarin Orange dessert. Guests looking for additional good luck can rub the belly of the Lucky Buddha, an “enlightened” brew making its debut at WP24 during the Chinese New Year celebrations, or toast to the year ahead with the Soaring Goat cocktail, crafted with 10 Cane Rum, housemade Chinese Five Spice simple syrup, Fevertree Ginger Beer, and lime. Thursday- Thursday, February 26; 900 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015; 213.743.8824
Shape Play
At its first-ever solo exhibit, Seattle-based design house Ladies & Gentlemen Studio will showcase a vast range of its flawless designs and overall knack for pairing objects with atypical materials. Aside from being a treat for the eye, the show will likely leave you with a few great home-styling tips for when you next redecorate. Thursday through the end of the month; Poketo, 820 E 3rd St.; 213.537.0751
