Take Me Out (LA ed.)

Here are some date ideas categorized by neighborhood:

Art’s District/DTLA/Little Tokyo:

  • Bestia in Art’s is one of my favorite restaurants in LA, I will never say no to dinner here
  • I’m always game for Sugarfish, Bottega Louie, or Grand Central Market

I want to try:

  • Lunch:
    • AFURI ramen + dumplings
    • Smorgasburg
      • Open every Sunday from 10 am – 4 pm
  • Dinner:
    • Camphor (Michelin Star french food)
    • Lucky Mizu at Level 8 (Club/Restaurant)
  • Drinks:
    • Mrs. Fish
      • Closed Sundays & Mondays
    • Golden Hour at Level 8
      • Closed Mondays & Tuesdays
  • High Tea/Afternoon Tea:
    • Chado Tea Room
      • Open 11 am – 6 pm
      • No reservation required
    • The Biltmore Los Angeles
      • Open Saturdays from 2 – 5 pm
      • No reservation required
        • $124 per person
    • Dahlia at Proper’s
      • Open Fridays & Saturdays from 11 am – 3 pm
      • No reservation required
        • $60 per person
  • Activities/Shops:
    • Eighty Two (vintage arcade and bar)
      • Closed Mondays
      • Open 5 pm – 2 am
    • Original L.A. Flower Market
      • Closed Sundays
      • Open 8 am – 12 pm

Bel Air/Westwood/Bev Hills/Brentwood/Century City:

  • I love The Grove in Beverly Hills, Monsieur Marcel was my go to solo lunch spot when I was at USC and now they have La La Land Kind Cafe which makes the best chai if you are willing to wait
  • I also love an excuse to go by Eatly or Javier’s in the Westfield Mall in Century City or the Brentwood Country Mart

I want to try…

  • Breakfast:
    • République
    • Met Her At A Bar
    • Clark Street Bakery Brentwood
  • Lunch:
    • The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills (for picnic supplies)
    • Larchmont Wine & Cheese (for the tuna sandwich)
  • Dinner:
    • A.O.C. (Brentwood)
    • The Hideaway
    • Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
    • Spago
    • LULU at Hammer Museum (Westwood)
    • Funke
    • Dante Beverly Hills
    • Violet Bistro
  • Activities/Shops:
    • Beverly Hills Hotel
    • Hotel Bel-Air Spa

Culver City/Sawtelle:

  • I love Honey’s Kettle fried chicken in Culver City

I want to try…

  • Breakfast:
    • Primo’s Donuts
    • Artelice Patisserie
      • Closed Mondays
    • Sweet Lily Cafe (for coffee eclair)
  • Lunch:
    • Pasta Sisters
  • Dinner:
    • Fat + Flour
  • Dessert:
    • Ginger’s Divine Ice Creams

Hollywood/WeHo:

  • I love Magnolia Bakery, Barton G., Beauty & Essex, Tao, Yamashiro, Highlight Room, and Good Times at Davey Wayne’s

I want to try…

  • Breakfast:
    • Courage Bagels
  • Lunch:
    • Polo Lounge (for McCarthy salad for lunch)
    • Tail O’ The Pup
  • Dinner:
    • Musso and Frank
    • Dan Tana
    • Petit Trois
    • Mother Wolf
    • The Benjamin Hollywood
    • The Tower Bar
    • Delilah
    • The Nice Guy
    • Catch
  • Brunch:
    • Crustacean
  • Drinks:
    • Rideau Speakeasy

K-Town:

  • Bumsan Organic Milk Bar is my favorite ice cream parlor of all time, I will never say no to dessert here… especially after some KBBQ at Park’s
  • I want to try:
    • Calic Bagel (breakfast)
    • Kobawoo (lunch)
    • Magal BBQ
    • Chosun Galbee
    • Ahgassi Gopchang

Palisades/Malibu:

  • I love Nobu (duh) and Tra Di Noi Ristorante
  • I want to try:
    • Inn of The Seventh Ray
    • Moonshadows
    • Neptune’s Net
    • The Old Place
    • Lily’s Malibu (for breakfast burrito)
    • Sandstone Peak Trail

Pasadena:

  • I will go back to Entre Nous for the steak tartare any time
  • I want to try:
    • The Huntington Library, Galleries & Gardens
      • Afternoon Tea at The Rose Garden Tea Room
    • Rose Bowl Flea Market
    • Eaton Canyon Falls Hike
    • La Grande Orange Café
    • Granville for lunch or at sunset to enjoy the rooftop dinning

SaMo/Venice/Marina Del Rey:

  • I will wait in line for Layla Bagels and Gjusta breakfast pastries
  • I had the best quiche of my life at Tartine… too bad their chai sucks
  • Heavy Handed serves some of the best burgers I’ve ever had
  • Call me basic but I love: Sugarfish and Elephante
  • Let’s grab sandwiches from Ggiata or All’Antico Vinaio for a picnic
  • I’m a slut for the Erewhon hot bar if we’re being honest…

I want to try…

  • Breakfast:
    • Bread Head
    • Petit Grain Boulangerie
    • Paderia Bakehouse
  • Lunch:
    • Hokey Pokey
    • Bun and Mi
    • Burgette
  • Dinner:
    • Coucou
    • Sirena Restaurant
    • Dan Modern Chinese
    • Apple Pan
    • Bar Monette
    • Georgian Room
    • Pasjoli
    • Baltaire
    • Capo
    • Fia
  • Activities/Shops:
    • Open Meditation Studio (Venice)
    • Trapeze School
    • Winston Pies (for a sweet treat)

Silverlake/Griffith Park/Los Feliz/Atwater Village/Echo Park:

  • I love the Griffith Observatory, I’ll go back anytime
  • I want to try:
    • Maury’s Bagels (for breakfast) in Silverlake
    • Quarter Sheets Pizza in Echo Park
    • Spina in Atwater Village
    • Pedal boat in Echo Park Lake
    • Echo Park Time Travel Mart
    • Wine Tasting class at La Pharmacie du Vin in Silverlake

Redondo Beach:

  • Little French Bakery
  • Tommy and Atticus (Bakery)

Torrance:

  • Sweet Red Peach (Bakery)

Long Beach:

  • Heritage Restaurant

Dana Point:

  • Truly Pizza

San Juan Capistrano:

  • The Cafe at the Inn at San Juan Capistrano (for the chocolate covered strawberries)

San Diego:

  • Izola Bakery
  • Leila