Business Meal Recs for a NY Chowhounder coming to LA

[offthebeatenpath1]

Hi- I have to go out to LA for 3 days of business and normally when I visit someone else's city, I let them pick the place, but, probably like most Chowhounders, I would rather control my own destiny. I am staying in Santa Monica, but will be kind of all over the place in the 3 days (monday-wednesday). I need recs for a breakfast and lunch in Beverly Hills, a lunch in Venice, a dinner in Santa Monica (I am staying at the Huntley, but prefer not to go to the Penthouse), a breakfast in the Century City area and a dinner in West Hollywood.

I am looking for places that are upscale and business casual, but not stuffy and not remarkably expensive ($20 for a main for lunch, $30 for dinner give or take). I am in entertainment, so must people always want to go to whatever is the hot spot of the moment, which is fine, as long as the food and atmosphere is good and not scene-y. I prefer fresh from the market cooking, clean and simple and looking for maybe one of the lunches or dinner to be japanese and I really prefer restaurants that take reservations. And, since I am a NYer, I don't want to go anyplace that is an LA outpost of a NY restaurants (i.e Craft or Nobu).

Any recs are appreciated and thanks in advance!

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Nobu
11357 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

[bulavinaka]

Your lunch in Venice is a slam dunk - Gjelena on Abbot Kinney has been the current hot spot in Venice and fits your various criteria. My only caviats would be that it can get loud in there and the seating in general is on the cramped side. I'd suggest requesting the patio area seating - it's comfortable, you can enjoy the weather, and the lack of ceiling dissipates some of the chatter.

http://www.gjelina.com/

[whatsfordinner]

+1 Gjelina.
Fig, Musha and Fraiche are all within a few blocks of your hotel.

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Musha
424 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Gjelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291, USA

[whatsfordinner]

I forgot Anisette, also in walking distance.

[wienermobile]

Gjelina is really good.

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Gjelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291, USA

[offthebeatenpath1]

Thanks guys. Gjelina looks like a gem with a great menu that is reasonable. Will definitely go there. One down.

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Gjelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291, USA

[Servorg]

Breakfast in the Century City area should probably be either John O'Groat's or Nate 'n Al's Deli (if it's good enough for Larry King it ought to do for your purposes).

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John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Nate 'n Al's Deli & Restaurant
414 N Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

[Servorg]

Some dinner ideas that fit within your budget and would be nice enough for a business dinner in the WeHo area include Comme Ca (French Bistro food), Tasca (Spanish / Italian tapas) and Taste on Melrose.

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Tasca Restaurant
8108 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Taste
8454 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Comme CA
8479 Melrose Ave West, Hollywood, CA

[offthebeatenpath1]

John O'Groats looks great in an easy location. Nate-N-Al I have been to and it's not a NY deli- sorry :)

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John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[Servorg]

I don't think I said Nate & Al's was a "NY Deli" so no need to apologize to me... ;-D> And we love Animal, but if you are considering it for one of your "business" dinners it may be a tough place to enjoy. Dark and gets noisy as it fills. But from the food perspective a home run. Gjelina can also be very noisy inside, (some might say "cacaphonous") so if noise is an issue you should sit on the patio.

[offthebeatenpath1]

Thanks for the heads up about the noise in Gjelina. I will ask about patio seating...And, I know you didn't say Nate and Al's was a NY deli, i just guess i compare any deli to a NY deli.

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Gjelina
1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291, USA

[westsidegal]

there are some dishes at nate 'n al's that are better than a ny deli.
there are some that are not.

when i was commuting back and forth between the two cities i used to be an expert on this jeopardy category.
too long ago now, for me to be specific on the current situation.

[wienermobile]

For breakfast in the Century City area Clementine is good.
http://www.clementineonline.com/

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Clementine
1751 Ensley Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90024

[lil mikey]

Clementine is quite good, and I had a delicious breakfast sandwich there the other day. It's like an egg McMuffin you would make at home, if you could. It's served on a delicious fresh biscuit, which adds nice texture. The egg is freshly cooked, and the yolk is a little soft as I like it, not the firm kind you get at McD's. The ham, too is tasty, not the processed kind in a McMuffin. In all, this was a delicious sandwich and I'll be ordering the exact same thing the next time I go.

But it doesn't meet the OP's desire of upscale. You order at the counter and try to find a table. And it's not particularly suited to a business meeting, as it can get a little busy and the tables are small.

In Century City, there is a dearth of breakfast places, but my go-to breakfast place in CC for business is John O'Groats. It's business casual and more suited for a business meeting. The food is also quite good.

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John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[Phurstluv]

Yum, now I have to try Clementine's. thanks.

[a_and_w]

Yes, definitely check out Clementine. I wouldn't travel across town for it, but it's definitely worth going a little out of your way.

[offthebeatenpath1]

Thanks lil mikey. I definitely prefer a sit down place with waiters as opposed to standing on line (that can be a bit awkward for a business meeting). John O'Groats looks great though.

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John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[westsidegal]

be aware that john o'groats can get VERY busy and you could end up waiting for a table for a while.. . .

[wienermobile]

Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica is a good place for dinner.
http://www.rusticcanyonwinebar.com/

[New Trial]

Additional recommendations to those you have already received:

BH Lunch: Bouchon, Grill on the Alley, Mako
SM Dinner: Josie, Tavern [actually in Brentwood], Wilshire
Venice Lunch: Cafe Del Rey [actually in the Marina]. Joe's, Tasting Kitchen*
WeHo Dinner: Animal, Jar, Lucques,

For some reason, I could not get a link to Tasting Kitchen added so have provided one to Wabi-Sabi, which is next door.

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Jar Restaurant
8225 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048

Mako Restaurant
225 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Josie
2424 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405

Grill On the Alley
9560 Dayton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Wilshire Restaurant
2454 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90404

Cafe Del Rey
4451 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

Lucques
8474 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90069

Animal
435 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Tavern
11648 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90049

Wabi-Sabi Sushi & Asian Cuisine
1635 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Bouchon Bistro
235 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Joe's
1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90291

[bulavinaka]

I like your recs in the Venice area, but is The Tasting Kitchen open for lunch now? I was under the impression that they were still dinner only. Thanks.

[New Trial]

Originally, TTK offered lunch as well [e.g. good oyster po'boy and burger as well as a decent (albeit small) cuban] but checking the website I see that it no longer does--too bad, it made a nice location for the sort of lunch OP was seeking,

[bulavinaka]

That building is a very nice space...

[offthebeatenpath1]

Thanks New Trial. I will check all of these out. I was going to ask if anyone has been to Animal. I have heard about it and seemed like a great place to give a try when in town.

[bulavinaka]

I think you would be hard-pressed to find anything negative about Animal. I was going to rec Animal but I've never been and it's technically not West Hollywood but definitely close enough. One thing to think about is that I know a lot of folks in the entertainment business tend to be quirky and/or political about their food, at least on a superficial level (I know - superficial = Hollywood:)). Animal is not for anyone remotely entertaining any ideas about vegetarianism or of the other potential land mine issues that can be related to this. Just something to consider if you think it could be an issue with your clients. If you think this might surface, you could consider Akasha in Downtown Culver City as well. It's casual enough, has lots of menu options for all ranges of eaters, and if you read about the chef, you'll find she will fit right in with the entertainment crowd. If it's not an issue, and I had to choose between the two, then Animal is the place.

http://www.akasharestaurant.com/about...

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Akasha
9543 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

[offthebeatenpath1]

Thanks. I was thinking of going to Animal with a colleague that is also a friend, so it would be relaxed (and wouldn't care so much about noise) and I wouldn't have to be worried about politics or vegans or anything of that nature.

[Phurstluv]

Another nice patio to sit out on for lunch in Venice is Primitivo. Very pleasant, generous food, all around decent.

Other dinner options to try in SM include, La Cachette Bistro, La Botte, Michael's on Third, Jiraffe and I Cugini.

The link for La Cachette Bistro is incorrect, it is on Ocean & Pico.

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Jiraffe Restaurant
502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401

La Cachette
Little Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90067

I Cugini
1501 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Primitivo
1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291

[exilekiss]

Hi offthebeatenpath1,

If you're open and curious about trying Animal, by all means, you should go. :) It's awesome. :) It wasn't mentioned in this thread since you were looking for "Business Meal Recs" and it's loud, lively and more informal (as bulavinaka mentions). But if that doesn't matter for 1 meal, definitely go.

Do a quick search on this board for Animal and you'll find plenty of helpful reviews. Enjoy!

[mc michael]

Just so you'll know, Nobu is actually a New York spinoff of Matsuhisa.

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Matsuhisa
129 N La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Nobu
11357 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

[JPomer]

exactly what i was going to post. Matsuhisa was here for years and years before he opened Nobu

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Matsuhisa
129 N La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Nobu
11357 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

[offthebeatenpath1]

Thanks for the info- i for some reason had no idea that was the case. Makes sense I guess since sushi in LA always tends to be better than NY

[mc michael]

Don't let the Masa and Jewel Bako fans hear you!

[bulavinaka]

>>Makes sense I guess since sushi in LA always tends to be better than NY<<

Oh man - don't go there... :)

[offthebeatenpath1]

haha- didn't mean to open up a can of worms...although, MASA and sushi yasuda in ny are the exceptions to that

[a_and_w]

I think you'll find that really high-end sushi in LA and NYC is pretty comparable. It's the mid-to-low end where LA blows many places away.

[JPomer]

Wasn't Masa here first before moving to NY too!! Also, def. go to Animal

[Servorg]

Technically it was Ginza Sushiko here in Los Angeles and only became Masa when it opened in NY.

[steve h.]

" a dinner in santa monica"
Saddle Peak Lodge is an easy (entertaining) drive from Santa Monica up Malibu Canyon Road. It might stretch the budget a bit but not by a lot. Good wines, good service, good food. Sit near the fireplace. I think you'll like it. It's pretty impressive if you have guests.

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Saddle Peak Lodge
419 Cold Canyon Rd., Calabasas, CA 91302

[Phurstluv]

But don't order and finish a bottle of wine, then go zigzagging down those canyon roads. They are treacherous for the sober.

[steve h.]

It's an impressive drive. Pure California.

[Phurstluv]

No doubt, it is AWESOME. Coming from New England, I had no idea. Especially in the early days, when my then-fiance used to take me up that way (las virgenes) on his sport bike to The Rock. I was scared shitless, but the beauty of it all is practically incomparable. Now I'm used to it, don't have the white-knuckle syndrome I used to, but I like to warn people who don't know what they are in for, especially after a 3-4 hour meal with drinks (hey, that's how we roll....) ;))

[offthebeatenpath1]

That looks amazing. It would probably stretch my budget a bit since I love wild game and would end up ordering the $50 buffalo dish. I will keep this on my list for when I visit and have personal time- seems like a good romantic spot as well.

[coffeebrownies]

I think your entertainment contacts might greet Saddle Peak Lodge with a sigh. It is pretty old school and a long drive out of town--and hasn't circled around to be hip again. Everyone has been there once....But yes, probably better for a romantic evening.

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Saddle Peak Lodge
419 Cold Canyon Rd., Calabasas, CA 91302

[ElissaInPlaya]

For lunch in Beverly HIlls, I recommend the Cabbage Patch, and Kiyokawa. Slightly more upscale for lunch is Il Buco.

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Cabbage Patch
214 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA

[a_and_w]

There are some excellent suggestions on this thread. I'd add Jiraffe in Santa Monica, which serves clean and simple market-to-table cuisine that has always satisfied my NY guests.

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Jiraffe Restaurant
502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401

[Phurstluv]

It's already listed friend! ;))

[maudies5]

Forget about John O'Groats for breakfast and go to Bite Bar instead. Everyone will love this choice.

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John O'Groats
10516 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

[bulavinaka]

I agree - it's on the smaller side but spaciously set, the food is great, it's relatively quiet (for how long I don't know), and the folks there are really nice.

[offthebeatenpath1]

Thanks Everyone for the insane amount of suggestions and feedback. I pretty much have my schedule set and had to move a few things from what I intended, but here is how things are looking. The rest of my meals will either be craft service on a set or spontanous (although i plan on trying to see how the LA food trucks stack up to the NY ones)

Breakfast in Venice- Rose Cafe (an old favorite)
Lunch in Venice- Joe’s

Dinner in Santa Monica- Jiraffe

Breakfast in Weho- Hugo’s
Dinner in WeHo- Animal

Breakfast in Century City/ Beverly Hills- The Belvedere (this was a location/time issue for the other person, and he is staying at the Peninsula)
Lunch in Beverly Hills Area- Providence (a little more than I wanted to spend, but menu looks great)

I will let you know how things turn out

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Jiraffe Restaurant
502 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401

[cjla]

Have a great visit. One note about Animal--you noted it was in West Hollywood. It is solidly in Los Angeles, close to the mid-Wilshire area. (Noted for driving times, not to be a neighborhood puritan.)

[Servorg]

If you look at a map it's in LA, but only a couple of blocks south of West Hollywood's southern most border.

[Emme]

and a note on Providence... not Beverly Hills. a good 20-30 minute drive. just so you're aware...