Need Valentine's Day Plans?

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. I'm currently on a short trip to Hong Kong, but for my L.A. readers, here are some ideas for your V-Day or Single Awareness Day out with Friends! DineLA may be over, but here is your next chance! 

For lovebirds who are true foodies at heart, the Downtown Center Business Improvement District  has put together a few “Romance in the City” dinners, including:

• Four-course Valentine’s Day Dinner – For fun and flirty Mexican food, Border Grill is offering its V-day package for $65/person excluding tax and gratuity. MentionDowntownLA.com when making a Valentine’s Day reservation and get a Free Border Guacamole with purchase of a prix-fixe dinner.
• Fine Dining on Historic Bunker Hill – At the Omni Hotel, couples can celebrate Valentine’s Day at its romantic Noé Restaurant & Bar. Executive Chef Glen Ishii has prepared a special four-course menu for $75/person (excluding tax and gratuity) that includes entrée choices of Maple Leaf Duck Breast, Petite Filet or Butternut Squash Risotto. Receive a free glass of champagne by mentioning DowntownLA.com.
• Downtown’s “Most Romantic” Dinner – Try the best in al fresco dining at Café Pinot, which offers a contemporary California menu all in a setting situated in Maguire Gardens with landscaped lawns shaded by olive and jacaranda trees and underneath the grand Central Library.
• The Edison’s Valentine’s Celebration – Go back in time for a night of romance and entertainment in this world-class lounge with the Francesca Vannucci band. Complete Lover’s Dinner for two, complimented by Perrier Champagne, is $115 excluding tax and gratuity.
• Chaya’s Love at First Bite – Chaya Downtown is offering a three-course selection of Chef Kenjo’s favorite romance-inspired menu for two topped of with a Valentine’s dessert medley that includes peanut butter soufflé glace with chocolate sauce; chocolate-dipped strawberries and a heart- shaped strawberry shortcake for $65/person excluding tax and gratuity. 

For the full list of love-ly Valentine’s Day dining, hotel packages and activities in the heart of the city, visit DowntownLA.com/valentines. 

Happy Eatings! 

The Start of DineLA 2013!

Anyone that loves food, knows that eating well is quite an expensive hobby. Fortunately and unfortunately, Los Angeles is one of the most unique and dynamic cities for food. Luckily for us, twice a year, many restaurants participate in a two-week period known as DineLA.

For those unfamiliar, DineLA is when a number restaurants in L.A. have a special discount prixe fixe menu for patrons. The menu includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. What makes DineLA great is that it allows foodies that normally wouldn’t eat at high-end resturant to experience a taste of their food without blowing their budget. Lunches are priced at $15, $20, and $25, and dinners at $25, $35, and $45.

 Complimentary Meat Balls from the Waiting Room. For me, Lawry’s Prime rib is the best DineLA deal. Typically at Lawry’s, the cheapest prime rib is approximately $40. Everything is a la carte-sides, dessert, etc. If you add in a drink, a side order, and dessert your typical cost would be about $70.

The Lawry’s DineLA meal is $45 and includes complimentary bread, salad, 8 ounce prime rib, lobster tail, and dessert! What a steal!

 Lawry’s famous spinning bowl salad.

 Here is the bulk of my dinner. You have the prime rib, the Yorkshire Pudding, and the lobster tail!

English Trifle for dessert!

DineLA runs from January 21 to February 1^st. You can find the entire list of restaurants participating here. I’ll probably be going to a few more DineLA resturants before it ends.

Do you have a favorite? Have you been taking advantage of the deals?

Steak, Bread, Lobster Mashed Potatoes, Oysters, & Cake

Mastro's Steakhouse has been on my list of must-go places for awhile now. For me, it was choosing between the pretentious Beverly Hills location or the Thousand Oaks location in the San Fernando Valley. Plus, if you follow Chelsea Handler, you know that she loves Mastro's. Is that a good enough reason to eat there? No. I'm picky about who I take food advice from. Trust me, Chelsea Handler didn't do it. But here I was anyhow...

 The atmosphere was a little too dark for me. I  don't like dark lightening. It's a personal thing. Also, they have a live band in the middle of the restaurant. I personally don't care for a live band. I was there for the food. And I love bread! The bread basket was great. It came with pretzel rolls, garlic cheese crisps, sourdough, and a few others I never got to. 

 Raw oysters are a must! I personally would rather go to a cheaper place like Boathouse for the oysters.

Ta da! So I was about to order a rib eye or another cut until the waiter told me about their specials. Damn them! Once he said that Waygu Rib-Eye was on there. I caved. I have an obsession with Japanese anything even if it's just the name. It was American Waygu steak for  $96. Zero Japaneseness aside from the name but I caved. 

I ordered it raw. Yes, bleeding steak sounds great. Anyways the bone was humungeous. I actually was able to take it home. The Waygu was good, but nothing great. Not $96 great. 

 The Lobster Mashed Potatoes for $34 - filled every bite with a clump of lobster in it. Between two people, it's plenty to share. There's a huge chunk of melted butter that comes with it as well. It's a big portion. You'll have to take it home. 

 Chocolate Layer Cake was presented. It is super good. We took a couple bites and had them pack it up.  We had wanted to try the famous Butter Cake but we were way too full. 

And their home-made whipped cream. Yum! 

2087 E Thousand Oaks Blvd
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362


Happy Eatings!