One Dinner if Cost is no object in L.A.
I am from Florida and am going to be in Santa Barbara for my anniversary. We are going to have one night in L.A. We are big foodies. I was curious about the best place to go if cost was no object? Thanks in advance.
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All, this is very helpful... Thanks. I was also considering Patina, Saam, XIV, Cut, and Muse. Based on below I will research Urasawa, Melisee, and Providence.
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Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210XIV
8117 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046›5 Replies-
re: andrewjhow
Instead of approaching this from the standppoint of the best /most expensive restaurant in town, another way to go might be to consider who the best chefs in town are and whether you can get one of them to do a special meal just for you. Maybe an in kitchen or chef's table thing. Maybe just a custom meal. Now, who are these folks and what is their availability? Don't know, but someone here does.
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re: andrewjhow
kevin h
Jun 19, 2011 02:42 AM
Muse at The Montage closed long ago. It has since been replaced by Scarpetta, which isn't a bad choice if you're feeling Italian. See a report here: http://www.kevineats.com/2010/10/scar...
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Scarpetta
225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 -
re: andrewjhow
ellaystingray
Jun 19, 2011 07:36 AM
Patina=good to keep in the mix. If you are staying downtown, a no-brainer.
Saam=I think you are refering to the place in the Bazaar. Good choice if you are staying mid-city.
XIV=Sadly as much of a "club" as a restaurant it seems these days. You can still eat very well but "Ed Hardy" and "Jimmy Choo" are gonig to be getting bottle service on the patio and trying to get the TMZ bus to notice them.
CUT=Short List. If you like steak, it has to be considered.
Muse=closed. As noted by Kevin.
Patina, Providence, Bazaar, CUT, Urasawa, Melisse, Valentino, Osteria Mozza and Spago would be my short list depending on what part of town you are in and what type of food you like to eat.
And just a note, it never hurts to call ahead and tell them what you are doing. Amazing sometimes what a little heads-ups will do....
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Spago
176 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036-
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re: ellaystingray
I would put forth my own negative opinion of XIV if 1) my angry posts didn't constantly get yanked on this topic, or 2) the restaurant hadn't already closed, although not before the streetwalkers there caused me to MOVE.
However, if by "money is no object" you meant not the most expensive restaurant in Los Angeles but those destined to be really good meals regardless of expense then
Providence, Melisse, Spago, and Lucques are excellent options.
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Urasawa is my most memorable meal in LA. But I think many of the dishes require some cultivation of a Japanese palate. I'm not sure Urasawa is a good choice unless you know you're into this kind of food. You probably don't want to spend $500 per person testing out whether you like tofu custard, spoons full of sea urchin, and lots of scantily seasoned raw fish.
My answer would be Spago. Why? Because I haven't been to Melisse and because I prefer the overall Spago experience to Providence. Providence's food is too precious and its service too pretentious for my tastes.
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Spago
176 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210›1 Reply -
J.L.
Jun 18, 2011 06:09 PM
"One dinner if cost is no object" doesn't always necessarily mean "I wanna eat at the most expensive joint in town."
BUT... in this case, the most expensive place in town DOES deliver the goods. Urasawa is a must-try dining destination, if you have the means. Make a reservation and prepare to pay $350+ per person (food only), and prepare to be blown away.
I will include some of my amateur photos from my 5th visit to Urasawa to (hopefully) entice you.
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Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210›4 Replies
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re: kevin
Porthos
Jun 18, 2011 10:20 PM
Though the ban on beluga caviar has been lifted, I doubt it's easily found in the states due to sustainabilty concerns. Even Masa in NYC at $500+pp is using osetra on his bluefin toro tartare with caviar. Most toro tartare with caviar preps are probably going to be osetra tops.
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wienermobile
Jun 18, 2011 05:12 PM
Urasawa in a minute if I could ever afford it, or should I buy a new car instead?
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Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 -
The grand tasting menus with wine pairings at Melisse and Providence. Providence if your tastes run more toward seafood, but Melisse can put together a terrific seafood tasting menu (especially with a short fair warning).
Urasawa is an excellent bad choice, but only if your tastes run heavily toward impeccably prepared and adorned raw fish.
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Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210›2 Replies-
re: foodiemahoodie
ipsedixit
Jun 18, 2011 01:45 PM
Urasawa is an excellent bad choice, but only if your tastes run heavily toward impeccably prepared and adorned raw fish.
____________________Have you ever been to Urasawa?
It's not a sashimi (or even sushi) restaurant. It's kaiseki ryōri style dining, at it's finest.
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Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210-
re: ipsedixit
Yes, I have. A few times. I love it. But no, I agree, it's not a sushi restaurant, but ...
Oh! Whoops! I made a mistake. Excellent "bad" choice? Not even sure why I had "bad" in there. (I think I must've said "not bad" or something and forgot to take it out" So...take that out! It's an excellent choice...etc.
My point was - there are people who don't love or appreciate raw fish, no matter how it's prepared, presented or sauced. (and you get a lot of that at Urasawa). If so, I'd choose Melisse or Providence.
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Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
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Servorg
Jun 18, 2011 12:42 PM
Urasawa with out a doubt
Kevin Eats journals his 5th visit with photos here: http://www.kevineats.com/2009/08/uras...
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Urasawa Restaurant
218 N Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210›4 Replies
