Luckyrice
Oct. 1-2. Presented by Bombay Sapphire East, the Asian-food-and-culture festival—now entering its sixth year—hosts fun events from coast to coast. This month, it introduces two new incarnations to L.A.: on Thursday, a ramen-tasting Slurpfest, and on Friday, an L.A. Moon Festival Cocktail Feast. Th seatings from 5:30-10 p.m.; F 10 p.m.-midnight. Th $100; F $50-$88. 21+. Th: Millwick, 800 E. 4th Place, downtown; F: Vibiana, 214 S. Main St., downtown. luckyrice.com
Paramount Coffee Project
The progressive coffee concept from Australia unveils its first concept in L.A. PCP is a collaboration between Australian specialty coffee pioneers, Russell Beard, Mark Dundon and Jin Ng that showcases local and international roasters. Visit the cafe for coffee, Vegemite and butterscotch shakes, confections and globally inspired food like the PCP Tostada with fried eggs, avocado mousse, blackened tomatoes, sesame seeds and vegemite dust; pork shoulder roti, and mezcal-cured salmon salad. Also find weekly cupping demonstrations, brew bar sessions and classes. PCP also hosts a number of international residencies where roasters from around the world are invited to bring their coffee and concept to PCP and run the cafe as their own for a week. 7 a.m.-7 p.m. 456 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A., 323.746.5480. pcpfx.com
Melrose Umbrella Co.
Grab a buzz of a different nature during the day at cocktail den, Melrose Umbrella Co. The Melrose bar now offers a daytime coffee program and extended hours, now open daily at 9 p.m. Owners Zach Patterson and Austin Melrose spent a year in R & D on the new concept, covering every detail of the coffee making process from curating beans to brewing. Kick back and enjoy espresso drinks, coffee, teas, juices and tonics in their laid-back ambiance, which also features Farmshop pastries to sweeten the deal. Melrose Umbrella Co., 7465 Melrose Ave., L.A. melroseumbrellaco.com
Little Spoon Frozen Pudding
L.A. is the birthplace of many iconic culinary creations. The newest to hit this foodie frenzy is Little Spoon Frozen Pudding. Birthed out of a mishap of freezing an excess batch of banana pudding, founders Jason Kessler and Hannah Canvasser developed a proprietary technique to create a handmade frozen confection that is creamy and addictive. The best part? When it unfreezes, instead of turning into a watery mess like ice cream—it turns into silky pudding. Be one of the first to taste this creation at First Fridays this weekend and Artisanal L.A. Oct. 10-11. Our favorite flavor? All of them, but if we had to pick two: Campfire Chocolate (rich chocolate pudding with homemade graham crackers and dollops of Hannah’s famous marshmallow cream) and Cocoanut Cream Pie (a vegan and gluten-free mix of coconut pudding dotted with gluten-free oatmeal pie crust pieces and topped with toasted coconut). littlespoonpudding.com
Oktoberwürst at Dog Haus
Oct. 1. The epicenter of all things sausage celebrates Oktoberfest with Oktoberwürsts. Sink your teeth into the snap of the Cajun Bierwürst topped with smoked gouda cheese sauce, green onions, and pretzel crumble all served on a buttered and grilled King’s Hawaiian on the menu for the entire month of October at all Dog Haus locations. doghaus.com
E.P. & L.P.
Sundays. Amp up your Sundays on the L.P. rooftop over $10 appetizer specials, cocktails and DJ tunes. Dubbed “Good Life Sundays” you can grab a seat and enjoy sweeping views of L.A. over a mix and match a selection of contemporary Southeast Asian street food like L.P. Fun Buns (duck and hoisin bao or pork belly and chili jam bao); Lou’s Dogg, a premium kosher beef frank with Asian slaw; roll-your-own shrimp and vermicelli lettuce wraps; and vegetarian dumplings. Party starts at 2 p.m. 603 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A., 310.855.9955. eplosangeles.com
Sweetgreen
Starts Sept. 29. Your new go-to for super smartly sourced seasonal salads and bowls collaborates with some of the best guys in the biz for an exclusive salad. Culinary kings Jon & Vinny (Jon & Vinny’s, Animal, Son of a Gun, Trois Mec, Petit Trois) bing their Za’atar Salad (chopped romaine, parsley and mint, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, raw beets, roasted chicken, za’atar pita chips-topped with creamy sumac dressing) to the Sweetgreen menu. The partnership was birthed out of a mutual love of local sourcing. This is Sweetgreen’s first chef partnership on the West Coast. Find Sweetgreen outposts on West 3rd St. and in Santa Monica. sweetgreen.com
The Bellwether
The new Studio City hotspot now tempts you with a weekday happy hour. The week starts with all night happy hour on Monday and continues Tues.-Fri. with offerings available from 5-7 p.m. Relax over snacks like confit pork and grilled ciabatta, grilled cheese, shrimp tostada and more. On-tap drink specials include $9 wine and cocktails and $5 beer. 13251 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, 818.285.8184. thebellwetherla.com
Barrel Aged Beer Day at Barrel Down
Oct. 2. Celebrate National Barrel Aged Beer Day with a special lineup of commemorative craft beers at DTLA’s 40-tap behemoth. The beer-centric bar and restaurant will unveil The Bruery’s Smoking Wood Mole, Firestone Walker’s Stickee Monkee, and Farmers Reserve Citrus—all of which highlight the barrel aging process in different ways—on draught until supplies last. 4 p.m. 525 W 7th St., downtown, 213.232.8657. barreldownla.com
Saddle Peak Lodge
Oct. 2. The rustic restaurant celebrates the launch of their fall cocktail menu with a drink specials and complimentary tray passed hor d’oeuvres in the bar area. Cocktails will be specially priced all evening long in the whole restaurant and include creations like the Bourbon St. Roselle (hibiscus-infused george dicket rye, sugar, bitters, absinthe) and Cachazo (tequila, habanero, grapefruit, pomegranat, lime, salt foam). 419 Cold Canyon Rd, Calabasas, 818.222.3888. saddlepeaklodge.com