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View Winners → Archive Jan 19, 2013
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Leek, Spinach, Mushroom and Truffle Tart from Muddy Leek
Are you guys finished with your New Year’s resolution to subsist on blended kale, baby carrots, and almonds yet?
Good, me too. And hopefully, you worked up an appetite while you were at it, because you’ve got a marathon of eating and drinking ahead of you.
Dine LA is a festival of feasts, with restaurants all over the city cooking up special prix fixe tasting menus, offering dinner for $25, $35 or $45, and lunch for $15, $20, or $25.
We’ve gone ahead and sifted through the incredibly long list of participants to single out our top eight.
Muddy Leek | Farm-to-table Californian fare with a decadent, wholesome twist. | Culver CIty
Culver City’s latest farm-to-table establishment may sound very granola, but their comforting eats feel at once wholesome and elegant, while the chic, modern space is totally hemp-free. Their four-course dinner menu for $45 dollars includes some of Chef Whitney’s greatest hits, including the savory duck hash pie, the forest mushroom, spinach, and black truffle tart, and the juniper venison with bacon sweet potato fondant. You can also snag three courses at lunch for $20.
Artisan House | California cuisine updated for the modern palette | Historic Core – DTLA
Quickly becoming one of our favorite DTLA staples, Artisan House offers the best of their contemporary Californian eats for Dine LA. Spiced tomato bisque followed by quinoa and spinach salad sounds about right for a healthy lunch, only to be happily ruined by an irresistible plate of house made beignets, all for $20. At dinner, ($35), you can start with burrata and apricots, move on to steak frites with a side of ultra-crispy artisan fries, and finish it off with the beignets again. Did we mention they’re tossed in cinnamon sugar and served with nutella and vanilla ice cream?
Aburiya Toranoko | Market-fresh modern Japanese | Little Tokyo – DTLA
If you’re in the mood for Sushi, look no further than Little Tokyo favorite Toranoko–but this is about much more than raw fish. Toranoko’s $45, 5-course Dine LA dinner menu is definitely among the most intriguing, with choices like fresh oysters with ponzu sauce, tsukune meatball skewers, and beef filet mignon with truffle teriyaki sauce. Throw in a baked sweet potato with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream for desert, and you’ve got yourself a hell of a meal.
Bar & Kitchen | Savory, clever and seasonal American eats | DTLA
This cozy spot tucked inside the O Hotel is home to both exceptional bread and what’s probably the best shrimp & grits in LA, which you’ll find on the $20 two-course lunch menu. For dinner ($35, three courses) options include crispy mustard-glazed pork belly and chocolate banana croissant bread pudding.
King’s Row Gastropub | Pub nosh with an electic twist | Pasadena
Indian and Mediterranean flavors creep into King’s Row’s fun menu of classic pub eats, including specialty sausages, fries, and sandwiches. What’s more exciting is that their Dine LA offerings are among the most affordable, priced at $15 for lunch and just $25 for dinner.
Papilles | Casual Classic French | Los Feliz
From the owners of our favorite DTLA wine bar, MIgnon, comes another chic French establishment that’s all about high quality, full-flavored ingredients and a casual yet romantic atmosphere. The food is unfussy and classic, bringing out the best of simple flavors to create timeless, memorable dishes. They’ve yet to release their Dine LA menu, but at $35, you can count us in.
Lazy Ox Canteen | Global cuisine for adventurous foodies | Little Tokyo – DTLA
It’s hard to put your finger on exactly what Lazy Ox is, but you always know there’s something new and different to try. At $20, the three course lunch menu including their pulled short-rib sandwhich and famous rice pudding is a no-brainer, while a three course dinner for $35 sounds equally tempting, offering oxtail ragu topped with a soft-poached egg and pan-seared striped bass accompanied by garlic chips and fingerling potatoes.
Sotto | Regionally inspired, market-driven Italian | Westside
We couldn’t compile this list without throwing in some Italian eats, and in LA, Italian doesn’t get too much better than Sotto, who’ve got a $20 lunch and a $35 dinner going on. We’re particularly excited to try the warm octopus insalatina, the chicken liver ragu rigatoni and the olive oil cake with honey whipped cream.
