your favorite downtown dining standby
All Downtowners have had it happen to them: It’s the weekend and you have all the time in the world. You’re craving that perfect meal at your favorite local restaurant, that new-but-not-so-new Brazilian place, possibly. You make plans with those few great friends that actually visit you down here, and you get all dressed up — or not. This is the capital of casual culture, after all.
Everyone meets at your place, and as you embark on your dinner journey, it’s easy to make quick work of six blocks through neighborhoods you know intimately during the day but at night mysteriously turn into a scene from Blade Runner. Then you pass by where they filmed Blade Runner.
Fending off the occasional deranged lunatic that really shouldn’t be allowed to roam the streets, you finally reach the block that houses your destination. As you and your possibly non-Downtowner friends walk up to the entrance, your heart sinks as you notice the lights are out, the doors are closed, and there’s a wee little sign on the door of said establishment, stating the hours of operation: “MONDAY-FRIDAY, 11 AM to 11 PM; SATURDAY 5 PM to 8 PM; CLOSED ON SUNDAY.” Oh, hellll no.
“COME ON! This is Downtown Los Angeles! What about that ‘24-hour lifestyle’ thing the Mayor’s always talking about? What about all those residents with six-figure incomes just itching to spend it on a good dinner? B-b-but we have a Ralphs now!”
I call it the Downtown Dining Dash. It’s a scene I’ve been involved in on so many occasions, and the Downtown Dining Dash doesn’t discriminate
based on who you’re with, how hungry you are, whether you approve of ‘gina or not (I just had to get that one in), or how seriously screwed you can be with a pack of hungry Valleyites starting to wonder just what this whole “Downtown thing” is really about, anyway.
There’s talk of actually eating at Famima!! because it’s the only place you’re sure is open within decent walking distance. At least they’ll warm that chicken korma plate up for you. How embarrassing.
The Pantry? No way. Pete’s? Not for a third time this week. Pacific Dining Car? Too far. Blue Velvet? My mama didn’t raise me to pay $28 for a steak medallion.
This is where we Downtowners need to help each other out. What’s your favorite Downtown LA dining standby? Let us know in the comments!
The rules: Your dining standby must be open seven days a week and must be open for dinner at least until 9:00 PM, otherwise it isn’t much help as a standby!
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5 comments
My submission: The Bonaventure Brewing Co. Open from 11 AM to Midnight, Monday through Friday, and 5:30 PM to Midnight on weekends.
Though I don’t support the Bonaventure Hotel and its stance on the various redevelopment projects in Downtown they tend to be really sue happy. The Brewing Co. is one of the best places for a good beer and a decent burger, steak, salad, or sandwich. The hotel is in an odd part of Downtown on 5th and Flower, not very pedestrian friendly and requires some legwork to get to once you’re inside the retro-sci-fi hotel.
The restaurant has an outdoor patio surrounded on all sides by skyscrapers, and the hotel provides a built-in customer base that ensures a lively environment with a steady stream of out-of-towners looking to have fun in the city.
I recommend the burgers and the ahi tuna sandwich. As far as beer goes, you can’t go wrong with the strawberry blonde. After some seriously bad Downtown Dining Dash incidents, the Brewing Co. has never let me down.
Except for that time I wanted lunch on a Saturday.
angelique appears to have abandoned their sunday hours, which celia and i discovered too late. thankfully, tiara cafe is open for breakfast on the weekends (and all week). they will be starting dinner service on january 11.
koraku in little tokyo is a good late night alternative. they are open until 3am or something like that. for that matter, i think that most of the restaurants in little tokyo meet the open-until-9pm every day criteria.
the 24-hour diner at the standard is pretty good, too.
Yorkshire Grill. Unfortunately, they are not open on weekends. (I keep pestering them about this!)
Redwood Bar & Grill.
Standard (although it’s really not very good)
Or i just walk to little tokyo and find the first open place
I believe The Palm is open 7 days a week past 9:00pm, although they are not open for lunch on the weekends, except when there is an event at Staples. That said, look for more restaurants to be opening later and later now that we’ve opened Nokia Center.
Nokia Center will play about 200 nights/days per year just like Staples Center. Combine that with nearly 40 conventions per year beginning in 2010, you will have MANY restaurants staying open late and opening for lunch on the weekends.
It took 50 years for our “brilliant” City Planners (the CRA!) to chase away all the Downtown residents in favor of those gleaming office towers … retailers and restaurateurs realizing that there’s business to be had late at night is NOT gonna happen over night … but trust me - it’ll happen!
Remember … Rome (nor L.A.) was built in a day!
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