Photo credit to sebastian.b (altuwa) on Flickr

I’ve been eyeing the St. Patrick’s Day specials going around Twitter all week and have finally decided on one – in Hollywood. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a ton of other options available. Whether you’re looking for a few special Irish menu items, a pub to knock back a couple ales, Irish music or happy hour pricings (or any combination of the aforementioned) – these round-ups got them all:

Alternatives to Green Beer: St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails + 2 Cocktail Recipes – Caroline on Crack for LA Weekly Food

• includes Drago Centro, 8 Oz. Burger Bar, Chaya, Comme Ca, The Edison, Pitfire Pizza, Rush Street, 25 Degrees

Pubs in Los Angeles – Google Maps

Where To Drink Green Beer – Elise Thompson for LAist

• Elise of LAist put together this Google Maps mashup of pubs – because sometimes you just need to know where to get a pint of ale. Also check out her green beer post.

Where To Get Shamrocked – LA Times

• includes Redwood Bar & Grill, Brennan’s, Bigfoot Lodge and even The Standard (er?)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day – The Happy Hour Tour

• includes Blue Palms Brewhouse, Henry’s Hat, Bodega Wine Bar, Liquid Kitty, Saints & Sinners, Cabo Cantina and Tom Bergin’s

Also, don’t forget Pourtal Wine Bar in Santa Monica, serving up $5 Vinho Verde (green wine that is ironically Portuguese) starting at 4PM. Verdugo Bar in Glassell Park is serving up Devil’s Pie late-night; wash it down with a brew on-tap. Hungry Cat in Hollywood - where I’ll be – is offering $4 Murphy’s Irish Stout Irish Slings and $6 Picklebacks (whiskey with a chaser of pickle juice). Also, Allston Yacht Club in Echo Park will be serving up Corned Beef Sandwiches for $6 each and pints of Guinness for $4. All food is $5 as they integrate St. Patty’s with their Wicked Wednesday.

Erin Go Braugh, Los Angeles!!

The Bar at Las Perlas

There may or may not be enough places to eat or drink in the block on 6th Street in Downtown Los Angeles. The problem: Where is the bar in all of Los Angeles specializing in tequila at which the drink menu isn’t automatically reduced to a range of flavored margaritas? Las Perlas – which only last Tuesday has joined the neighborhood of Must Bar, Nickel Diner, The Association Bar, The Varnish and Cole’s – is the answer to all your tequila and mezcal needs. The gag-inducing reputation tequila ill-earned with you during college thanks to all those discounted bottles of Jose Cuervo is light years away.

400 Rabbits (I have no idea)

In this latest Cedd Moses (Seven Grand) venture, the space is comfortable and the atmosphere is casual yet festive. But the most important part – the elaborate drinks are made with utmost precision and the drink menu, written in marker on construction paper, is small but has something for everyone. The green backlit bar is impressive while the colorful plastic covering the tables retains that cantina feel. Pop in a few quarters in the personally-approved, brand new jukebox for the perfect, smoky mezcal-sipping soundtrack. Or play a round of pool on a table as brand new as the bar itself (I’m 2 for 2).

Jalisco

Though I’m unsure how often the drink menu changes (I’m inclined to think hand-written infers somewhat regularly?) – the first installment seems to show Julian T. Cox (Rivera) and Raul Yrastorza (El Carmen) have in mind all the corners of your palate. My Jalisco was made of El Jimador Anejo Tequila, Carpano Antica Vermouth, orange bitters, Liquor 43 – complete with a brandy cherry at the bottom of my coupé glass. It brought me back to my most favorite cocktail I consumed my last trip to New York at Mayahuel. It was delicious and complex – appropriately complimenting the anejo-aged tequila – and contrasted the sweet 400 Rabbits (Antiguo Reposado tequila, blackberries and port wine floated with pinot) that Fiona ordered. Certainly, the cocktail I will order on my second visit will be the Pablano Escobar (Sombra Mescal, muddled poblano chiles, pineapple) – a drink I witnessed being made for my neighbor at the bar and which seemed the most complicated recipe including the most garnishes. A spicy cocktail? I’m in – again and again.

Further reading:

Las Perlas Flickr Set

Las Perlas, Cedd Moses’ Mezcal & Tequila Bar Opens in Downtown LA – LA Weekly Food

Q&A With Bartender Raul Yrastorza – Food GPS

Las Perlas
107 E. Sixth Street
Los Angeles, CA
213.988.8355

Dim Sum Truck

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I was in Westwood without a car and without access to any of the great Chinese food I had been hearing about. I have fond memories mooching rides all the way to Monterey Park for the sole purposes of late night, greasy Chinese cafe food and pre-Boba Explosion Era boba milk tea. There was so much as one or two Lollicups in the area. The ritual of a Saturday or Sunday morning at NBC Seafood was to get there before 11:30 to minimize the wait for a table. But the tastes that resulted were always worth the labor for us Westside college students – especially this Midwestern one.

Turnip Cakes - 2 for $3

Enter: 2008, 2009 and now, 2010 – where specialized food trucks join the movement that Kogi BBQ singlehandedly initiated. Well, it’s now come to dim sum – and though some may feel the truck movement has gotten “a lot” out of hand at over 75 food trucks (and counting), I myself can’t complain. If it’s a choice between Subway sandwiches or Trimana sandwiches every Monday through Friday at my 9 to 5, who am I to argue with entrepreneurs who choose to expand those choices – and so widely - for me?

Sticky Rice - $3

I admit, I had reservations about a truck that would hold a monopoly on an entire sub-genre of Chinese cuisine on the Westside. Sorry - I would sooner die than eat dim sum I didn’t drive at least 15 miles for, and being wrong about that generalization was worth the risk of cold shu mai or stale-skinned har gow.

So when I got invited to check out the Dim Sum Truck on a preview during one of their soft openings, Alex – the U$C grad who put the pedal to the metal when everyone else (including myself) only talked about how there should be a dim sum truck – was gracious enough to give me a sampling of everything from their soft opening menu. Apparently, there will be more menu items on the cart in the truck once it officially rolls out tomorrow night at The Brig on Abbot Kinney – but half the food that I got was enough to put me in a truly authentic post-dim sum food coma…without the 15 mile drive west.

Gow Choy (shrimp & chive) 2 for $2.50

I am a big fan of turnip cakes. My mom makes turnip cakes and the Dim Sum Truck’s turnip cakes are pretty much as good as my mom’s. The sticky rice was also one of my favorites, with perfect flavoring, stickyness and a good amount of pork, peanuts, mushrooms and even a shrimp thrown into the mix.

To make things simple, Alex has concocted a mildly spicy, medium sweet and certainly soy sauce-based, well, sauce to dip all your treats in. It works, and though I asked “Where’s the mustard?” I was informed that it would be available upon official launch. Nice.

The difficulty (or ease, you pick) with a food truck that serves dim sum is perhaps that its food can’t carry all the authenticity by virtue of not being surrounded by its traditional environment. Har gow and shu mais typically come served in their piping out, steaming metal tins when you sit down to eat in a restaurant, but when I had finally driven back to work and got to my desk with my styrofoam containers – I had somewhat wished my dumplings, including the gow choy (shrimp & chive dumplings), were hotter. But there was a decent amount of filling in each and they were solid for the most part. The chicken & mushroom buns, however, could have been a bit more fresh overall and were wet on the bottom. The pork bun (golden and glazed) was solid on the bun but like the chicken & mushroom buns, could have used a little more filling.

But ah, dessert – all of which were devoured before I could remember to snap shots. The sesame balls with sweet lotus paste were perfectly crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The egg tart crusts were multi-layered and awesomely flaky. Win.

Now, if you’re a Westsider with a dim sum fix to remedy, you can chase down the truck at lunchtime or otherwise. It’s a solid solution, for the most part – just don’t be expecting chicken feet. Yet.

All aforementioned food was hosted.

Further reading:

Sum for the Road – A Taste of Dim Sum Truck – LAist

The Dim Sum Truck – Thrillist

Dim Sum Truck – Los Angeles – Gastronomy Blog

Follow @dimsumtruck

Official launch:

Saturday, February 27, 2010

7 – 10 PM

The Brig
1515 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291
310.399.7537

Shu Mai (pork-shrimp dumplings) & Har Gow (ginger shrimp dumplings) - 3 for $2.50

I may or may not have a Super Bowl favorite (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Got a place to watch the Super Bowl this year? If not, you have a few options around town. These are great if you’re the kind of fan who doesn’t like to clean up afterwards. And there are other great lists which include those I’ve forgotten (see notes) on teh internets LA food pubs so don’t forget to check these out:

Eater LA’s round-up – including The Hungry Cat (Hollywood), Wolfgang Steakhouse (Beverly Hills), The Dugout at X Bar (Century City), POP Champagne & Dessert Bar (an “anti-Super Bowl” party in Pasadena – no TVs!)…

Also, Grub Street LA has a compilation which includes Seven Bar & Grill (DTLA), Locals Sports Bar (Mid-Town) and Morton’s Steakhouse (La Cienega)…

Added: LAist also has suggestions for The Big Game.

The Super Bowl is as good an occasion as any to stock up on cheese. Squid Ink at LA Weekly reports that if you say (scream at the top of your lungs), “Who dat,” at Beverly Hills Cheese Store, you’ll get 10% off your purchase. Store hours have been amended to 10 AM - 2 PM.

And if you can stand the clean-up and are really an entertainer at heart – starting in the kitchen - you can always check out these Super Bowl appetizer recipes from the LA Times.

Pass the nachos…and watch the game at these spots (take-away after the jump):

Added: Big Wang’s (Downtown LA)

According to Blogdowntown on Twitter, Big Wang’s is set to open its new downtown location ON Super Bowl Sunday. No word as to “specials” – my prediction is they won’t need any since South Park residents will be curious enough to stop by as it is. My recommendation? Get the wings. Simple.

Big Wang’s
801 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Added: The Spanish Kitchen (La Cienega, West Hollywood)

The Spanish Kitchen is celebrating The Super Bowl by hooking up a massive projector-screen for the game. How does $5 margaritas and $10 bottomless Micheladas (described as “Bloody Mary but with Tecate”) sound? Appetizers are $5 the entire day.

The Spanish Kitchen
826 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA, 90069
310.659.4794‎
@thespanishkitchen

Added: Pourtal (Santa Monica)

Wine with The Super Bowl will never be the same (Pourtal has artisanal beer, too). Take notice of the notes in your wine glass while cheering on your team into the red zone and munching on tater tots. The game will be broadcast on 3 flat screens as you order from their Happy Hour menu, which is available until 7 pm.

$5 Wine & Beer
$4 Appetizers

2 – 7 PM

Pourtal Wine Bar
104 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.393.7693
@pourtal

Chaya (Venice)

Chaya has four big-screen TVs located throughout the restaurant so everyone is ensured to have prime view. The entire space will also adopt the Happy Hour Sushi & Bar menu usually exclusive to the lounge area. To sweeten the deal, they’ll also be giving away $25 gift cards at the end of each quarter.

$5 Albacore Sashimi Salads and Chef’s Special Rolls
$3 Domestic Beers
$5 Margaritas

Enjoy bar bites such as Classic Housemade Beer-Battered Onion Rings with Spicy Mayo and Braised Short Ribs with a Red Wine Sauce and Potato Purée.

2 PM

Chaya Venice
110 Navy St.
Venice, CA 90291
310.396.1179
@chayarestaurant

XIV Restaurant (Sunset Strip, West Hollywood)
The restaurant-club on The Sunset Strip currently occupying The Corner That Bumps will be putting the dance party on hold to go all-out for The Super Bowl. Watch the game on big screens and projectors while enjoying $45 ($40 + ~$5 service charge for ticket) all-you-care-to-eat BBQ from 1 – 6 PM. Pony kegs will be available for purchase, as well as burgers and mac n’ cheese.

1 – 6 PM – All-you-can-eat BBQ

XIV Restaurant
8117 W. Sunset Boulevard
(at Crescent Heights)
West Hollywood, CA 90046
310.656.1414
@xiv_restaurant

Verdugo Bar (Glassell Park)

Watch Super Bowl XLIV projected live on Verdugo’s outdoor patio or on one of two flatscreen TVs inside the bar. Food and drink specials will be available all day and DJs will be spinning live (not sure how that’s going to work – perhaps during half-time? Maybe you don’t like The Who, so much). BBQ is available all day from the Tasty Meat Truck.

1PM

Verdugo Bar
3408 Verdugo Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90065
323.257.3408‎
@verdugobar

Hudson House (Redondo Beach)

Hudson House will also have available a special Superbowl menu – as well as $3 Bud and Budlight on tap. Tasty options include:

Bags of Roasted Peanuts & Spicy Popcorn – $2 each
Bag of Garlic Fries – $3
Boneless Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese, Carrots & Celery Sticks – $5
Hawaiian Sliders with Teriyaki Sauce & Pineapple on King Hawaiian Bread – $2 each
“The Works” Hot Dog with Sauerkraut – $4

These are available from 1 PM until food runs out, so guests should be sure to get there before kickoff. The regular menu will be available starting 5 PM with beer and cocktail menus available all day.

1 PM

5 PM – Regular menu

Hudson House
514 North Pacific Coast Hwy
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
310.798.9183
@hudsonhousebar

The Lab Gastropub (USC campus)

Guests of, and not of, the college variety can enjoy the Super Bowl while showing off their science and math skills. What is the likelihood their team will win if they’ve scored two touchdowns in the first quarter? Nah. No need to spoil the fun. Put down the calculators, ignore the buzzkill “lab” theme and know you only need to remember just one figure: $5 – what the game specials will cost you, each.

$5 – Trojan Blonde beers – a brew made exclusively for The Lab Gastropub and served in a beaker
$5 – Wings – Boneless Buffalo Hot Chicken Wings or Wings Tossed with Mango Sweet & Sour Sauce
$5 – Spinach Artichoke Dip

The Lab
3500 Figueroa Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
213.743.1843

Take-Away

If you like post-Super Bowl clean-up but want to outsource the delicious eats on which your guests will graze, the deli at Little Dom’s – Dominick’s younger brother in Los Feliz - is offering a take-away menu.

Deli at Little Dom’s (Los Feliz)

Salads (serve 6-8 people)

Fregole Salad – $40.95
Farro with Grilled Squash – $40.95
Wood Oven Roasted Romanesco – $40.95
Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan – $38.95

Main dishes

Sicilian Tuna on Baguette (serves 3-6) – $27.95
Prosciutto & Mozzarella on Baguette (serves 3-6) – $28.95
Mozzarella, Romesco & Arugula on Baguette (serves 3-6) – $23.95
Truffled Chicken Salad & Arugula (serves 3-6) – $25.95
Turkey & Avocado on Ciabatta (serves 6-8) – $45.95
Brooklyn Dodger with Turkey, Pepperoni, Fresh Mozzarella, Shredded Cabbage, Pickled Sweet Peppers & Balsamic Vinegar (serves 6-8) – $48.95
Muffaletta (serves 6-8) – $48.95
Meatball & Provolone (serves 6-8) – $46.95
Sausage & Mushroom Focaccia (serves 6-8) – $23.95
Roasted Tomato & Pesto Focaccia (serves 6-8) – $23.95
Lasagne (serves 6-8) – $48.95
Meatballs – $2 each
Zapps Potato Chips – $1.75 each

Desserts

Pistachio Shortbread (1/2 dozen) – $4.50
Little Dom’s Cocoa Cupcakes – $2.75 each
Chocolate Chunk Cookies (1/2 dozen) – $5.50
Shortbread (1/2 dozen) – $4.50
Truffles: Earl Grey & Milk Chocolate Nib – $1.75 each
Gelato: Vanilla, Dark Chocolate & Caramel (1/2 pint) – $5.50 each

Little Dom’s Deli
2128 Hillhurst Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323.661.0088

So knock those beers back – however and wherever you decide to watch the game – and cheer for your team. Or the team you hate the least. As for the team you really care about, there’s always next season.

Last week, the food and restauranteur community of Los Angeles gathered at The Hollywood Roosevelt to celebrate the launch of the winter installment of Dine LA – a two-week-long collaborative effort to offer diners three-course lunches and dinners at six specific price points.

$      Deluxe Dining   $16  $26
$$    Deluxe Dining   $22  $34
$$$   Fine Dining       $28  $44

Burger Slider

The red carpet was out and almost 100 chefs – many donning their white jackets straight from the kitchen – were the stars of the night. Oh – plus Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Writers, journalists, bloggers – what have you – were or weren’t donning our white “PRESS” badges. The purpose was clear: To celebrate food’s imminent role in Los Angeles culture – and the accessibility every man has to fine dining. And why don’t we enjoy some fixins from Dakota Chop House and 25 Degrees with cocktails from Matt Biancaniello of Library Bar to wash them down while we’re at it? Pork belly, tacos, quesadillas, salads, burger sliders and even a shiitake mushroom-infused Manhattan were passed around – but the hits of the night were undeniably the spicy burger sliders and Biancaniello’s arugula gimlet.

Arugula Gimlet

If you haven’t already, make your reservations soon; Dine LA runs Jan 24 – 29 and Jan 31 – Feb 5. The bevy of restaurants this round tops 243. Schedule a lunch in there to save a few dollars – it’s a great occasion to take an extended break from work. Eva (lunch or dinner), Palate (dinner), Cube (lunch or dinner) and Petrossian (lunch or dinner) rise to the top of my personal list.

And don’t forget to enter the daily contests Dine LA is holding: Starting 10 AM and running all day, answer a trivia question to be entered to win $100 gift certificates to participating restaurants (today’s is Petrossian, lo and behold). Also follow @dine_la on Twitter for updates.

Bonus: If you’re an American Express card holder, all you have to do is “do” Dine LA three times and you get a $20 credit on your statement. Just spend more than $21 per time.

And if you’re interested in the names behind the scene in Los Angeles food, it might interest you to peep the Dine LA Family Tree to see how they – and we – are all interconnected. Food brings us all together, doesn’t it?

Further reading:

DineLA Flickr Set

Restaurant Deals Ahead: It’s dineLA, the winter version; plus a “family tree” of L.A. chefs & restaurants – LATimes

DineLA Restaurant Week Kicks Off With Celebri-Chef Party – LAist

Dine LA Restaurant  Week Launch Party – ShopEatSleep

Jan 24 – 29 and Jan 31 – Feb 5, 2010

Dine LA Website
Various locations throughout Los Angeles
Call early for reservations

Lindsay, Dawson and Sabrina

Photo credit to Stephanie Hillberry on Flickr

It’s not even Christmas Eve but if New Year’s plans give you a fraction of the headache it gives me, you could use this list. Whether you’re simply looking for some celebration bubbly with the guys or gals or for a full-on (or not so full-on) dinner, I’ve got plenty of options all over L.A. for you. There’s a little something for everyone, no matter your association.

Little Cave (Highland Park)

Did someone say free on New Year’s?! Because free will happen at Little Cave on the Eastside. Not only is there no cover charge, but drink specials will flow all night and free tacos will be given out from 9 PM through the countdown to 1 AM. Amazing! And that’s not even the last thing that’s free – you’ll get a glass of bubbly so you can toast fellow hipsters in between your swigs of PBR. Party favors will keep things festive.

9 PM – 1 AM

Free admission, free tacos, drink specials

Little Cave
5922 N. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042
323.255.6871

Royal/T Cafe (Culver City)

The cosplay cafe in Culver City (say that 5 times fast) that has played host to LudoBites the past couple weeks and a Hello Kitty exhibition before that is hosting their own party to usher 2010 in – in the theme of “10,” of course. The $10 cover includes a midnight champagne toast, and all 2-for-1 drinks are $10. So grab a partner for those twofers and get on the dance floor because there will be a DJ spinning all night. Bonus: RSVP with 9 other crazies (for yes, a total of 10) and your partay gets a free bottle of champagne! Oh, groupies.

10 PM – 2 AM

$10 cover includes Champagne toast
$10 2-for-1 drinks

RSVP: RSVP [at] royal-t [dot] org with password “10″

ROYAL/T
8910 Washington Boulevard
Culver City, CA 90232-2326
310.559.6300

@royaltcafe

Pourtal Wine Tasting Bar (Santa Monica)

In honor of the new year and new decade, Pourtal is offering “Bottomless Bubbly for $20.10.” For just a Jackson, your glass will never run empty. Your cup, instead, shall runneth over with Marquis de Perlade Blanc de Blanc, Pierre Sparr Rose and Kir Royale. Or just one, if you prefer. What a steal. No RSVPs for this one, though, so get there early and max out the bottomless. A little more lipstick on your champagne flute never hurt anyone!

9 PM – 12 AM

$20.10 for bottomless bubbly

Pourtal
104 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.393.7693

@pourtal

8 oz. Burger Bar (Melrose)

The controversial burger bar on Melrose will be closed to the public and open for the purposes of their private New Year’s Eve party – offering passed hors d’oeuvres, a dessert buffet and Champagne toast at midnight, along with a DJ to keep the tunes flowing all night. Not bad for $35 in advance, though set aside some more dough for the drinks. Hopefully the finger bites will prove plentiful.

Call to make a reservation, as 8 Oz. will be closed to public

9 PM – 2 AM

$35 Presale, $45 At the door

8 oz.
7661 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
323.852.0008

@8ozburgerbar

Petrossian Boutique and Restaurant (Robertson)

Like quite a few of the other places in town celebrating New Year’s, Petrossian will be offering two prix fixe mneu options for early and late seating. Unlike the others, however, this promises feature extremely amazing food by Chef Ben Bailly. The second seating is more steep but also comes with more perks and celebration – including a traditional caviar presentation and Champagne and caviar toast at midnight. Caviar?! Say no more…

6 PM: Blinis
Caviar, trout roe, salmon roe
9 PM: Traditional Caviar presentation, 12 grams of domestic, sustainable Transmontanus Caviar with accoutrements

Hand Sliced Smoked Salmon
Toast points, dill crème fraîche

Foie Gras Terrine
Onion marmalade, brioche

Seared Scallops
Cauliflower purée, caviar beurre blanc

Prime Beef Filet Mignon
Semolina gnocchi, sauce Bordelaise

Vanilla Panna Cotta
Strawberry jam, pistachio

Peep my review of Petrossian industry night

6 PM – $95, 9 PM – $125

Petrossian Boutique and Restaurant
321 North Robertson Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
310.271.0576

@petrossianweho

Nobu (West Hollywood)

If swank is your style, head over to Nobu for New Year’s Eve. They’re offering a “Special Omakase” menu that will run you a hefty $165 per person – but it should be worth it if ringing in 2010 in style is your priority. The midnight toast is included.

Nantucket scallops, Kuromame
Unagi harumaki with caviar, Karashi su miso
Uni and tai dry miso
Chu toro and heart of palm with jalapeno dressing
Grilled kamburi, persimmon ponzu
Slow cooked wagyu, kuri kinton, yuzu soy
Assorted sushi
O-zoni

Dessert: TBD

$165 prix fixe

Nobu
903 North La Cienega Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310.657.5711

Dakota Chop House, Roosevelt Hotel (Hollywood)

Dakota Chop House inside the Roosevelt will also offer two options. The early option has the perk IMHO, with the champagne flowing all dinner long. Either way, peek both menus below to see how the dishes whet your fancy:

5:30 PM – 8:30 PM
3 course featured menu
Flowing champagne with dinner
Party favors
$75 per person

If you decide to spend midnight countdown with Dakota, they’ll provide the entertainment to ensure the new decade is celebrated the right way. You’ll also get to go home a little more satiated with an added course to your prix fixe.

9 PM – 1 AM
4 course featured menu
Glass of champagne
Live band & dancing
Party favors
$125 per person

For reservations email: jsorlie [at] thompsonhotels [dot] com

5:30 PM – $75, 9 PM – $125

Dakota Chop House
(Inside Hollywood Roosevelt)
7000 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323.785.3037

Yamashiro (Hollywood Hills)

Go high atop Hollywood, where boyfriends ascend with girlfriends and descend with fiancées (lucky you), and enjoy a 4-course prix fixe meal with the best view a restaurant can afford their guests in Metro LA. A reservation between 5-8 PM will run you $79 per person or $99 after 8:30 PM. Party favors, DJ and dancing as well as a countdown toast are included in the 2nd round of reservations. Peep the menu for the dinner with the view:

First course (choose one for each course):
Roasted butternut squash soup
Asian five-spice creme fraiche, spicy pepitas
Heirloom roasted beet & goat cheese salad
pair vinaigrette, candied almonds
Two oysters on the half shell
blood orange salsa, grapefruit granite

Second course:
Dueling spicy crispy rice
spicy tuna, spicy hamachi, tobikko, micro greens
Satsuma Mandarin crab salad
butter lettuce, grain dijon dressing, parmesan crisp
Korean style braised short rib
truffle polenta, scallions

Main course:
Sushi entree
tuna, yellowtail, albacore, whitefish, salmon, shrimp, scallop, unagi, spicy tuna, avocado
Cracked pepper filet mignon
broccolini, twice-baked wasabi potato, cabernet reduction
(with Australian lobster tail – supplemental $22)
Grilled seafood
maine lobster, mahi mahi, shrimp, scallop, quinoa, portobello mushroom, lemongrass-tarragon cream sauce
Pan-roasted chicken breast
chinese long beans, fried brown rice, teriyaki sauce
Loch Duart miso salmon
asparagus, preserved lemon smashed potatoes, fried capers, miso cream sauce

Dessert:
Warm Chocolate souffle cake
White chocolate berry profiterole
Trio of sorbets

Marriage proposal not mandatory.

5 – 8 PM: $79
8:30 PM – 1 AM: $99

Yamashiro
1999 N. Sycamore Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90068
323.466.5125

Charlie’s Malibu (Malibu)

The well-known beachside restaurant and lounge is hosting a New Year’s Eve feast and party all night. It’s a 4-course prix fixe ($85) with an optional wine pairing (+$32). The menu will include items like:

White truffle pizza
Rock shrimp scampi
Bone-in short ribs, Pan-seared filet mignon or Broiled Australian lobster tail (main course)

After 10 p.m., the restaurant and upstairs lounge will open up for drinks and dancing with DJ Kyd Wicked from Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel spinning tunes all night. Champagne toast at midnight is complimentary.

6 – 10 PM

$85 4-course prix fixe, + $32 for wine pairing

$100 min food & drink to reserve a booth
A la carte dinner menu also available until 7:30 PM
Lounge menu available all night long

Discounts available for nearby Channel Road Inn for Charlie’s diners

Charlie’s Malibu
22821 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Malibu, CA 90265
310.456.3132

Vertical Wine Bistro (Pasadena)

The newly revamped Vertical Wine Bistro is ready to show off its hot stuff this New Year’s. The regular dining menu by new Executive Chef Doug Weston will be available as with any other night for reservations at 6 PM. The latter, 8 PM seating will feature a prix fixe 5-course meal for $65 per person:

1st Course (choose one for each course):
Rib Eye Carpaccio with orange, French breakfast radish, shallot, baby field greens, Lea & Perrins vinaigrette
Crab Cake with cilantro puree, chanterelle, pickled fennel, old bay cream
Caprese Salad with tomato, Burrata, basil, truffle vinaigrette

2nd Course:
Asparagus Risotto with shaved parmesan, basil
Tomato Fennel Soup
Seared Hawaiian Ahi Tuna potato Beaujolais, carrot puree

Main Course:
Rib Eye with Brussels sprouts, fingerling hash, green peppercorn
Sonoma County Lamb Top Sirloin with Dijon, Israeli cous cous, black kale, aromatic demi-glace
Escolar with spinach pesto, black-eyed peas, fin herb velouté

Cheese Course includes Delices de Cremiers, Epoisses de Bourgogne, and Gamonedo

Dessert Course:
Classic Crème Brulee
Molten Chocolate Cake
Strawberries with Ganache and Chantilly Crème

To complete your meal, wine pairings are available for $65 per person or even $125 if only a deluxe wine pairing will suffice. Both are overseen by resident “Wine Dude” and acclaimed wine expert David Haskell. After dinner, a DJ will be on hand to ease in the tunes inside the restaurant’s bar and lounge area from 10 PM – 2 AM ($20 at the door; $35 to reserve a seat in the bar and lounge).

6 PM – Regular dining menu
8 PM – $65 prix fixe
$65 add’l for basic wine pairing or $125 for deluxe wine pairing

Vertical Wine Bistro
(Upstairs)
70 N Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91103
626.795.3999

@verticalbistro

Rivera (Downtown LA)

Rivera downtown has a few tricks up their sleeve for New Year’s. Their first prix fixe seating at $75 per person with reservation times between 6:30 and 7:30, features the below tasty menu. Two levels of wine pairings are available at an additional $50 or $75 as well.

Amuse: Chilled oysters, black caviar, lemon caviar
Soup: Maine lobster, corn, green + red chile
Appetizer: Foie gras, anejo gelee
Fish: Turbot, fava beans, artichoke, Thai basil
Fowl: Duck, cranberries, tarragon, Bordeaux
Dessert: Pears, blueberry crema, pomegranate

The second seating comes between 9 and 10 PM and will feature a 10-course menu for $110 per person – and an additional $50 or $75 for wine pairings:

Amuse: Chilled oysters, black caviar, lemon caviar
Soup: Maine lobster, corn, green + red chile
Appetizer: Foie gras, anejo gelee
Fish: Turbot, fava beans, artichoke, thai basil
Fowl: Duck, cranberries, tarragon, Bordeaux
Pre dessert: Champagne clouds
Dessert: Pears, blueberry crema, pomegranate
Petite four: Bonbons, tuiles, coconut espuma

The first 10 confirmed reservations for parties of 4 or more for either prix fixe option will receive a free bottle of Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne. Woah.

But that’s not it – Julian T. Cox, resident mixologist, will be hosting a bottomless cocktail party from 11 PM, through the countdown, and until 12:30 AM. It’s a flat $50 (in advance) for unlimited cocktails from Julian’s special cocktail list, which is spectacular indeed.

Dinner: 6:30 PM – $75, 9 PM – $110

Cocktail Party: $50 in adv to reserve your bar or lounge spot (11 PM - 12:30 AM)

Rivera
1050 S. Flower St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213749.1460

@rivera_la

So, what are you doing to ring in 2010? The pressure is on – ready, set, go!!

Edit: I’ve also chanced upon a few more New Year’s events since this post went live, so you can also check my live Twitter feed of “NYE” finds.

Gordon Ramsay is looking for the first American MasterChef

Photo courtesy of Guardian

Gordon Ramsay and the producers of The Biggest Loser are now casting amateur chefs for a new cooking show. MasterChef – a show very popular in Australia, according to JoAnn Cianciulli, Supervising Producer – will be heading Stateside in a quest to celebrate great people who make great food. This reality cooking show will be on FOX Network.

The show “will give contestants the opportunity to develop their cooking skills wile being encouraged, mentored and celebrated by the industry’s best and evaluated by world-renowned judges.”

So what exactly does that mean? Experts need not apply. Professional chefs who work in professional kitchens will not be considered.

The Los Angeles casting call is on January 30th January 31st (updated post here), so be sure to apply ASAP and prep your wonderful personality and burgeoning cooking skills for the camera!! Email masterchefcasting [at] gmail [dot] com. Include: name, age, occupation, current photo, contact number and a brief description of your cooking experience and style. Also include the city and state of the casting call you wish to attend in the subject of the email.

Other cities will include:

January 9th: Dallas, Kansas City, New York City

January 16th: Atlanta, Miami, Seattle

January 23rd: Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco

Update on Masterchef Casting Call (January 25, 2010)

H.C. and Siel at Shrine

I’ve a confession. It’s been awhile since this Angeleno and once-Marathoner has clocked even a mile on foot. So when I heard that Michael of Franklin Avenue’s Great Walk of LA was coming up – I knew it was time to come through. To my relief, I found out Siel of Green LA Girl and H.C. of LA-OC-Foodie would also be there and I’d have my day-long walking partners.

Since Saturday’s walk, I think I’ve averaged about 10 hours of sleep per night. My average is usually 6-7. I am still sore.

We started off in Shrine Auditorium by USC and from estimation it looked like about 250 people were gathered there. Walkers were all ages and of all backgrounds – including USC students, families, couples, single people, bona fide and once-per-year walkers (like myself). Michael got on the blowhorn and handouts on the history of the nearby West Adams district were available.

St. Vincent de Paul Church

Our walk involved a few loops around the historic neighborhood, giving us a real appreciation for an area that would otherwise be easily dismissed. From Numb3rs to Six Feet Under, many shows were filmed in a lot of these huge houses. We also passed by Marvin Gaye’s house in which he was also tragically shot by his father.

10 Fwy (eastbound)

Veggie Plate at Palm Grove, Washington Blvd

Michael had set up a spot in Mid-City for all walkers at Atomic Cafe – complete with the Marked5 truck making a stop there. But H.C., Siel and I decided to do a leisurely lunch at Palm Grove for Ethiopian food. Siel ordered a veggie plate, H.C. ordered a jalapeño beef plate and I ordered a jalapeño fish plate. Yes, jalapeño is definitely a theme at this particular restaurant and though I’m not sure that it is for all Ethiopian, it was the injera combined with the multiple glasses of water that made us wonder if our stomachs would be okay for the rest of the walk. We could feel the water making the injera expand!

After awhile, our task was simple: Stick to Washington Blvd. We passed scenic areas and not-so-scenic ones. Another highlight was downtown Culver City; by then we were basically in cruise mode and Siel’s friends Tracy Helpler of Your Daily Thread and her boyfriend Alex joined us. We even snuck in a samosa from Samosa House, an Indian eatery and market that I’m sure to revisit on a later date.

The best part was reaching Venice probably 10 minutes before the sun disappeared under the ocean. It was perfect timing and justified our brisk pace – and my soreness to follow!

Sunset over Venice Beach

The end meeting place was Baja Cantina on Washington in Venice Beach. We had chips and salsa as well as a few drink specials waiting for us – so of course I ordered a Ketel Tonic to “rehydrate.” Naturally. Originally thinking we were going to walk about 15 miles, we were told that the final count was over 17 miles!

Near year’s walk is Saturday, November 20, 2010 so be sure to save the date for your own day-long exploration of Los Angeles.

Further reading:

Great LA Walk

The Great LA Walk ‘09 – GreenLAGirl.com

Shrine Auditorium
665 W Jefferson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90007
213.748.5116

Palm Grove
4641 W. Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019

Baja Cantina
311 Washington Blvd
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
310.821.2252

Buy a Dining Out to End Cancer card for $25 and for the month of November, get 20% off the entire check – excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity – at participating restaurants.

Proceeds from the sale of Dining Out to End Cancer cards will support highest priority cancer research at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC). Woohoo! My alma mater!  And what better way to support than to support cancer research?

Take a look at the participating restaurants for the full scoop:

Blvd 16 Restaurant and Lounge
BONDST Beverly Hills
Border Grill – Santa Monica
Carousel Restaurant
Catalina Restaurant
Chakra Cuisine – Beverly Hills
Chakra Cuisine – Irvine
Ciudad
Coupa Cafe – Beverly Hills
Grub
Il Grano Restaurant
Ketchup
La Fonda on Wilshire
La Poubelle Bistro & Bar
Literati Cafe
Literati 2
MINX Restaurant and Lounge
O Bar and Kitchen
Pastina Trattoria
POP Champagne and Dessert Bar
Sam’s by the Beach
Spark Woodfire Grill – Beverly Hills
Spark Woodfire Grill – Huntington Beach
Spark Woodfire Grill – Simi Valley
Spark Woodfire Grill – Studio City
Susan Feniger’s STREET
Taste on Melrose
Taste at the Palisades
The Yard
Vinoteque on Melrose
West Restaurant & Lounge

Woo Street! Woo Vinoteque! Woo BONDST! Get out there and save 20% in the name of cancer…

Cards are $25

Savings good for month of November

Photo credit to elakerfan on Flickr

I’m going to New York next week. Though I’m very much a subway girl while there, there will be a lot of taxis – and at that, ones you can hail. I doubt any of us ever instructed anybody to “hail a cab” as a means of getting around Los Angeles. Despite our best efforts, that is. But let’s get serious here. Outside the airport or hotel complete with taxi lanes, we’re most accustomed to calling one if we had planned to use a cab, at all. I don’t know about you, but I’ve experienced many a frustration with operators on the other line while trying to call one.

This Labor Day weekend might be prime time to try a new experiment. I know you’re on your phone texting your dogsitter, anyway!!

I may end up loving where I live even more (the key phrase for that would be, “central to everything”) because I just found out about a new service that makes cab service even more conducive for my friends and I to take around town. You can now text the address of your location to “777222″ and GoFastCab will dispatch a cab directly to you, wherever you are in L.A. – even South Bay and Long Beach! Sweet!

After texting your address, you get a confirmation text back to you so you know they received it (and that your text didn’t get lost in outer space). If you change your mind, you can also text “CANCEL” to the same number and that will cancel your cab. If you’re wondering where your cab is before he gets to you, you can text “STATUS” for a status message back.

I think the best part about this, though, is when you’re out at the bar and not exactly sure when to cash out because you want to secure the cab you called – for fear of someone else snatching your cab from you. The service calls you when they’re outside!

GoFastCab is built upon a network of “state-approved” cab companies – which, when I looked at the list, mostly look like Yellow Cab-affiliates. This was actually a relief to me, because I had seen a report on and had first-hand experience with a certain mmh-huh cab company that used, and I bet still use, overclocked meters – much to the demise of unsuspecting tourists. (Once I questioned a blue and white cab’s metered fare, all he wanted was to get rid of me and lowered the price immediately.) But Yellow Cab I have not had problems with. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

I’m going to plan a night out on the town whereby I use this service. I’ll be anxious to report back with my camarades as well as hear feedback from you as to whether this is a worthy service or not. So save the number on your phone:

777222

Text your address, including apartment number (if applicable), city and zip code

And remember these two commands:

STATUS – Find out where your cab is

CANCEL - Cancel your cab

Just wait for the call from the cab company letting you know that they’re outside, ready for you.

Also – after I gave my contact a bit more inquisition about the service, I thought to inquire about the cab rates since I’m not all that familiar with what exactly is standard. So as a point of reference from Yellow Cab’s rates, you can expect a $2.85 floor charge right off the bat with $0.30 per 1/9th mile ($2.70 per mile) and another $0.30 per 37 seconds of traffic. So while I still have to take my experimental night out whereas I leave myself at the mercy of this service – I’m already guessing that I won’t change my conclusion that cabs are always better with company. Isn’t it always nice to share the bill?

Til I report back, again. Also, feel free to leave any stories – good and bad experiences – here in comments. I really want to hear everyone’s stories. Our L.A. night life may depend on it – if it’s worthy.

GoFastCab Cities