For dineLA.com
November 18: Beaujolais Nouveau at L’Epicerie Market
L’Epicerie Market, a café, tasting bar and gourmet shop from Thierry Perez and the newest reason to have Culver City envy, is celebrating the release of Beaujolais Nouevau today with a special menu of small plates such as chicken confit and tortilla Espanola (like a potato frittata) priced at $4. Chateau Grandmont Beaujolais will be served. For those who would prefer to celebrate the occasion at home, L’Epicerie is creating custom baskets of cheese, charcuterie, sweets and of course, the requisite wine. www.lepiceriemarket.com
November 19: Beaujolais Passions
The French will be out in force at tonight’s Beaujolais Passions celebration at the Beverly Hills Country Club. There will be plenty of Beaujolais Nouveau 2010 (from producer Georges Duboeuf) and French cheeses and charcuterie to go along. $42 per person advance purchase. www.beaujolaispassions.com
November 20: Holiday Tasting Event at BottleRockThis afternoon, BottleRock Downtown is hosting their second annual holiday tasting event: “Bubbles & Big Reds.” Over 50 sparkling wines and whopping reds will be available to sample. The $25 price tag includes unlimited tasting, light bites and a $10 retail purchase credit. So if you fall in love with something you taste, and odds are good that you will, you can take home a bottle, or several. www.bottlerock.net
November 20: “Gifts in a Jar” Class at Angeli CaffeWho wouldn’t want to receive a jar of homemade herb vinegar or seasonal jelly or your very own signature spice blend? This morning, Evan Kleiman of Angeli Caffe and KCRW’s Good Food, along with master food preserver Delilah Snell, will show you how to whip up these and other holiday goodies. Not only will you impress your friends. But you’ll be spared those dreaded holiday visits to the mall where you search aimlessly for just the right gift only to turn up… nothing. Evan will also teach participants her no fail, best ever, biscotti recipe. Students will go home with plenty o’ samples. $125 per person. RSVP to Delilah Snell: 714.836.8727 or delilahsnell@yahoo.com.
November 20: Anniversary Menu at Oliverio
In honor of its one year anniversary, Oliverio, the chic poolside Italian in the Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills, has been offering a special menu of chef Mirko Paderno’s favorite things. And tonight is the very last night you can partake. The four course menu features choices such as truffle pizzetta, saffron risotto braised veal and budino di polenta. $40 per person. 310.407.7791
November 22: Noodle-Off Championships at Tiato Market CaféSince October 6, Southern California residents have been able to submit their most rockin’ noodle recipes in the inaugural House of An noodle-off recipe contest. (The cut-off for submissions was October 31.) Tonight, the very best noodles go head to head in the championships. The winner will receive $1000 in gift certificates, good at any House of An restaurant, including Tiato Market Café where the showdown takes place. Oh, and the winner’s recipe will appear, credited, on all three So Cal House of An restaurant menus. Hey, there are worse things that 15 minutes plus of noodle fueled fame. www.houseofan.com
November 25: Thanksgiving at Napa Valley Grille
Frankly we think anything other than turkey for Thanksgiving is heresy. But Napa Valley Grille recognizes that not everyone is a fan of the bird. So in addition to Deistel turkey served with confit leg stuffing, the menu for the day features such choices as beer braised short ribs and cider brined pork. $45 per person. For those celebrating at home, the restaurant is also offering an extensive to go menu. So if you need to supplement your dinner with some sweet potato puree or pumpkin pie, it’s an easy as placing an order a few days before. (Monday, November 22, 1 p.m. is the cutoff time for to go orders.) 310.824.3322 or www.napavalleygrille.com/westwood
November 25: Thanksgiving at Zucca
Imagine Thanksgiving in Italy. That’s pretty much what you’ll get at Zucca in downtown Los Angeles. Dinner starts with ribollita soup and continues with pumpkin tortelloni. Wild boar ragu pappardelle comes next, followed by beef tenderloin in Barolo. And for dessert? Good old pumpkin pie. Because, well, you gots to! $39 for adults. 213.614.7800
December 1: Gift Baskets from Market
It’s gift giving season. Everyone loves receiving cookies. But you’re tired of calling the usual suspects. And you’re not the sort to spend the weekend whipping up dozens of snickerdoodles. Market to the rescue. That’s Market, the downtown restaurant that is sister to Milk. Owner Bret Thompson and his crew are turning out to die for cookies like mama’s iced spiced molasses and white chocolate-walnut crumbles. Choose from three different basket sizes. The small, a total of 16 cookies, is a reasonable $25. Shipping and delivery are extra. 213.488.9119 or www.marketrestaurants.com
December 4: Japanese Hand Rolls at The New School of Cooking
Sushi chefs make it look so easy. But we know a lot goes into those spicy tuna rolls. This morning, chef Masayo Onuki of Hama Sushi in Venice comes to the New School of Cooking where he will walk students through the preparation of various rolls including the aforementioned spicy tuna as well as California rolls and veggie rolls, both rice outside, seaweed outside and hand rolls. Just imagine how impressed your friends and loved ones will be when you whip up a few California rolls and goma-ae (spinach with sesame sauce), which will also be covered. $95 per person. www.newschoolofcooking.com
December 11: 12 Christmas CocktailsIf you like the idea of a $1 cocktail, consider this. For 12 days straight starting this evening, between 5 and 7 p.m., Comme Ca will be offering a special, one night only cocktail. If you start drinking tonight and pay $12, tomorrow you’ll pay $11, the next night $10 until the 22nd rolls around and your cocktail costs, get this, a dollar! For everyone else, the nightly cocktail will be available for $8. We think we need a mortgage broker to do the math. But according to our calculations, the 12 nights in a row customer would pay $78 for her dozen drinks. That’s an $18 savings. But really it’s all about getting a $1 cocktail. Don’t forget to tip big. It is the holidays after all. 323.782.1104 or www.commecarestaurant.com
December 25: Christmas at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
Oysters on the half shell, prime rib, sushi and dim sum are just a few of the items that will be served today as part of today’s Christmas buffet at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. We’re especially excited about the tartare station, where various tartares will be made to order. Oh, and the promise of Christmas cookies from around the world. The spread will also feature a special area for the little ones with pizza and chicken tenders and the like. Because not every five year old Angeleno does California rolls, though we know quite a few who do. 310.860.4000.
December 31: New Year’s Eve Celebration at Providence
If you’re going to go out tonight, might as well go somewhere really good. After all, you don’t want to ring in the New Year over something ho hum. There’s no chance of that at Providence. Chef Michael Cimarusti is going decadent for the occasion. Courses include Nancy Hill’s down east sea scallops with caviar and fines herbes and agnolotti with porcini, ricotta and black truffle. And there are six other courses that sound just as scrumptious. $180 per person or $250 with wine pairings. 323.460.4170 or www.providencela.com
December 31: New Year’s Eve at Rustic Canyon Wine BarNot really into the idea of a fancy, spendy dinner? But want to eat some delish food tonight? Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica has a bright idea. They will be serving a family style feast designed for local foodies. Each table can choose eight different seasonal small plates from chef Evan Funke. And all guests will be treated to a complementary glass of Prosecco upon arrival. $75 per person. 310.393.7050 or www.rusticcanyonwinebar.com
