Dine LA October 6 – 20
(EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE) — Santa Monica, CA — Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 — Fifteen years of culture though cuisine was the theme of Dine LA for October 6th through 20th. Almost 400 restaurants took part in this year’s DineLA. The offerings were delicious and there was a huge variety of food. The Experience Magazine stopped by Chomp Eatery and Juice Station in Santa Monica for tasty sandwiches, The Henry in Beverly Hills for Vegan bowls , the best Minstoni in town at Carasau in Culver and a few other tasty treats.
Chomp Eatery and Juice Station is located on a little strip mall on the Westside. This is the sort of place that Jonathan Gold would dive two hours just for a great sandwich. I had an Impossible burger because I wanted something vegan. You might think that an Impossible Sandwich is the same no matter where you go, but this is just not true.
The sweet potato fries were really good. The wellness bowl and gourmet salads are very popular. I tried a Smoothie that was part of the DineLA menu. It was so good. The Strawberry Fields Protein. It has almond milk, agave, strawberry and banana.
This sandwich was super tasty with fresh ingredients. The tater tots popped. The best things to eat here are the burgers. The breakfast burrito looks really popular, they also have a goddess bowl that’s full of fresh vegetables.
On Friday, October 13th, we went to The Henry on Robertson in Beverly Hills. Their DineLA menu featured an appetiser, entree and desert for $65. Lots to choose from on this menu. For an appetiser, I tried the Umami Brussel Sprouts. Really good and cooked perfectly. I like to judge a restaurant on how good the Brussels sprouts are. Lots of Umami flavor. You have to try the Henry. Really cool neighborhood vibe.
Tasty with a touch of soy sauce. For an entree I had the Harvest Bowl. So many good ingredients and recommended by our server. This dish had sweet potatoes cooked till tender, ancient grains, avocado, artichoke. Tons of good vegan stuff. Very fresh. For dessert, I had the Warm Croissant Bread Pudding. So flavourful.
On Saturday October 14th we stopped by Willie Mae’s on Lincoln in Venice. We tried the two piece dinner with authentic greens and cornbread. So delicious.
We also stopped by Jemma Di Mare for DineLA. For $25 per person, we selected an Antipasti, an entree and dessert.
The crispy Brussel sprouts were so good. They’re made with a cauliflower puree, sesame and chill. For the entree with had the Capellini with Pomodor, basil and Parmesan cheese. Full of cheesy flavour. Highly recommend.
On Monday, October 16th, we went by Vencenzo Porcu’s Carasau. Vencenzo is a super cool guy who is from Sardinia in Italy. He used to work at Drago Centro in downtown Los Angeles and started Carasau. He brought people with him from Drago that still work at Carasau today. The food is delicious with subtle flavours. This is one of my favourite places in Los Angeles. The DineLA dinner menu was $55. You could pick one item from three courses. I started with the minestrone soup. I think this is the best Minestrone soup in town. The fresh ingredients, the flavour. Yum with a capitol Y. For a second course I got the Culurgiones. This is a potoao filled ravioli and oh so good. I could have eaten another plate of these. For the third course, I got Lemon Sorbet. Our server was so nice. I forgot to ask her name. The place is hopping and very popular. It’s right in front of Culver Studios which used to be DesiLux studios in the 1950s. John Wayne used to own the hotel just outside of Carasau. Culver City is so nice. It’s always fun to stop by Carasau. DineLA is a great way to sample their menu.
On Wednesday, October 17th, we stopped by SUR Restaurant and Lounge in West Hollywood and sampled the Dine LA menu. This place is very popular and a lot of fun. What a unique restaurant serving upmarket gourmet cuisine with a lounge like atmosphere that makes it easy to have lots of cocktails. Famous if you like Vanderpump Rules. Located in the super trendy Robertson Boulevard part of West Hollywood, SUR is a few doors down from the Abbey. SUR gets a combination of West Hollywood club kids and people who just like eating delicious food. SUR is a swanky environment with a top notch staff. The decor throughout is a combination of Indonesian, French, many styles really. The back dining room has a tall ceiling with an indoor outdoor feeling. We sat on the front patio.
People never stopped showing up for tables. This place is super popular. The food is so good. For Dine LA, SUR was offering a $55 per person dinner that included a wine paring. We tried the Sauvignon blanc, Sancerre Domaine Des Charmilles, France. I thought it had a fruity nose but was very smooth. We also had the Prosecco Conca D’Oro Rose that was light and delicious. The Dine LA menu had an Amuse Bouche of Tomato Burrata Crostini. It was so so good. After that we chose the Mango Chutney with Mizuna Greens and pomegranate seeds. I had the vegan curry with potatoes and I could’ve eaten another plate of it. Erwin had the Truffle Lettuce Ceasar Salad , and a tasty Parmesan dish. They use fresh ingredients and everything is expertly prepared. For dessert, we had the Blueberry Cobbler. Great way to end the evening. We highly recommend SUR as a great place to check out.
