dineL.A. Restaurant Week
Jan. 18-31. Hundreds of fine restaurants across the county offer specially priced prix-fixe menus for lunch and dinner. New Exclusive Series will feature a tier of experiential menus from the city’s top chefs. $1 from every reservation booked online will benefit the Midnight Mission. See website for list of participating eateries. discoverLosAngeles.com/dineLA
El Chavo
Revered Los Feliz Mexican restaurant gets a culinary and cocktail makeover from Ceviche Project’s Octavio Olivas, Scarpetta’s Freddy Vargas and Cocktail Academy’s Brandyn Tepper. For a limited time only, Olivas, Vargas and Tepper completely reimagine the spirit of the soulful Mexican restaurant as they create a modern-day ceviche, raw, tequila and mezcal bar. Expect oysters on the half shell with custom mignonettes, tuna tostadas topped with yuzu habanero sorbet, crispy pig ears with salsa verde, innovative new takes on tortas, tamales and tacos and updated riffs on classic Mexican cocktails. Tues.-Sun, 5-11 p.m. 4441 Sunset Blvd., L.A. elchavorestaurant.com
Salt & Straw
Portland, Oregon’s beloved, chef-driven ice cream shop just opened its second L.A. outpost last Friday on Abbot Kinney Blvd. The shop will feature staples like Freckled Woodblock Chocolate and Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache; and L.A.-specific flavors like Stumptown Coffee & Compartes Love Nuts. Monthly-rotating flavors kick off with Happy Birthday Elvis!, a throwback to the King of Rock & Roll’s favorite bacon, banana and peanut butter combination, and California’s citrus season with offerings like Meyer Lemon Meringue Pie and Candied Clementine & Vanilla Beans. Also enjoy full pint milkshakes made with any of the shop’s 17 flavors, or dig into special sundaes. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. 1357 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310.310.8429. saltandstraw.com
208 Rodeo
Valentine’s Day is drawing near and Beverly Hills mainstay, 208 Rodeo is conveniently situated right next to Tiffany’s offering for pre and post shopping noshing. Grab a seat on the cobblestone patio and gaze out at The Beverly Wilshire hotel while you enjoy comfort classics any time of day. Breakfast brings an array of bowls and skillets, while power lunching offers signatures like the 208 Wagyu burger, lobster roll and olive oil tuna confit salad. For happy hour, enjoy half off your favorite wines (Groth, Emmelo, Jordan, Piper-Heidsieck, The Prisoner, etc.) and small bites from $5-10. For dinner, dine on 208 Bolognese over pappardelle pasta, 28-day tomahawk steak with friend onion strings and potato puree, fish & chips and more. 208 Via Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310.275.2428. 208rodeo.com
LOCOL
Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson team up to bring healthy, delicious, affordable fast food to Watts. The menu will consist of $4 burgers, $6 bowls, $2 taco-like “foldies,” a breakfast selection and $1 coffee and auga frescas and soft serve sundaes. 1950 E. 103 St., L.A. welocol.com
Tempura Endo
Dine on Kyoto-style tempura in a traditional setting directly from the ancient capital of Japan. Omakase menus feature choice Kyoto-style tempura seafood and vegetables along with seasonal appetizers, sashimi and more. Each dining experience ends with sweets and a tea ceremony. 9777 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.274.2201. beverlyhills-endo.com