Wednesday, September 30, 2009

LA dining is truly an experience


You can always count on LA to offer unique and memorable experiences, and that includes dining. Granted, I haven't been to many cities by comparison to some, but I've visited enough to believe that statement. This city, with all its diverse communities, offers a rich blend of exciting flavors. That's not all. Maybe it's because we're in the land where movies are made, but it seems there are many restaurants where the overall production, hi/story and experience, and not so much the menu, are the selling points.

Take for example, Royal/T in Culver City. It's a cafe that also happens to be a gallery. Or, is it a gallery that also happens to be a cafe? It is, actually, LA's first Japanese-style cosplay cafe. When I was first introduced to it, my friends sold me on the fact that it was a gallery with really fun art and where the servers dress up in maid outfits...Oh, and they have good food too (their milk tea is a must!). It's true. Dining in that space and in that environment was such a good time, I found myself telling others about the experience before mentioning the food.

Now that I'm working Downtown, I've had the pleasure of eating at some of the establishments here. My latest and absolute favorite so far has got to be the Edison Room. It's a trip through time to the roaring 20's, where the servers don custom-designed flapper dresses and jazz musicians and burlesque dancers perform on stage. Old silent films play on the wall throughout, and patrons are surrounded by architectural and mechanical artifacts from LA's first private power plant. Don't look for this joint along the main streets, though. Its entrance is hidden in an alley!

There are so many more (I'm sure many of you can tell us about them too!). With next week's DineLA Restaurant Week, you can bet this foodie is planning her next culinary experience. Do I love eating in LA? Absolutely!

-Julie

For a list of restaurants participating in Restaurant Week, visit DineLA.com/restaurantweek.
For information on downtown restaurants, visit
DowntownLA.com.

1 comment:

Natalie DeJohn said...

I love the Edison, although I haven't tried the food yet. I went there for the first time a few months ago. The atmosphere is great. I can't wait to go back.