Dirty thirty dinner recs needed for the BF!

[m3liza]

So the boyfriend is turning thirty in a couple weeks and I'm looking to take him out to a fantastic dinner to celebrate. I was originally thinking of Sotto but reservations are filled until late hours. We've already been to ink, Picca, bouchon, and Jar, and the baazar so those wont work either. I want to take him some place new but great food is a must! I'm also thinking FIG but I'm not sure if i can swing it for my budget.

The details:
price range: dinner for two w/ a couple of drinks~$100-$130 (tax and tip incl.)

location: really flexible... anywhere on the westside, melrose, pasadena, eastside (atwater, silverlake, etc)

cuisine type: almost anything - (limitations: he's a carnivore and i'm a pescatarian, so it has to have a good mix of both meat and seafood dishes)

ambience: not too loud so you can hold a conversation but fun, romantic would also be great

his favorite restaurants right now: ink, craft, ludobites

any all recommendations welcomed (chain restaurants need not apply)

[perk]

Oops. Didn't see that you said you'd been to ink. How about Playa? Fun place....terrific food.
I think it''s well priced. I hear good things about Fig & Olive, but I haven't been.

[soniabegonia]

Check out Tar & Roses in Santa Monica. Small plates, charcuterie, wide selection of wine & beer on tap. It's very new (<1 month) so not a lot of info out there but there are a couple of short reviews on CH and on Yelp. The menu is tight & focused. Prices are in the 8-18 range for most small plates and in the low-mid 20's for larger portions so staying within your budget should be easy. The only drawback, depending on when you go, is that it has the potential to get a bit... lively... We sat at the end of the bar (the end closer to the front) and it was perfect because we didn't have to sit 2 feet away from the next table (banquette seating everywhere else) and it was lower than the other part of the bar so it felt more private and more like a table.

[perk]

How about Ink?

[New Trial]

Have you been to MB Post yet, or Tar and Roses (6th and Santa Monica)? What about Mezze or Fig & Olive? Upstairs 2 might also work for you.

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Upstairs 2
2311 Cotner Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90064

Manhattan Beach Post
1142 Manhattan Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

Mezze Los Angeles
401 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Fig & Olive
8490 Melrose Pl, West Hollywood, CA 90069

[wienermobile]

A giant +1 for Manhattan Beach Post. Wonderful and creative food for the both of you.

[westsidegal]

would MB post come in at budget?
$130 for two people INCLUDING tax, tip, and "a couple of drinks"?

[wienermobile]

Yes. They recommend 3 small shared plates per person. The plates run around $8-$15 each. I have always come out of M.B. Post at around $50 per person before tax and tip.

[m3liza]

From everything that I've read here on the boards I was definitely leaning towards M.B. post but when I checked their reservation system they were all booked up until 11 p.m. and I think thats a tad too late especially if I'll be driving from sfv. But I will most definitely keep this on my dashboard. Looks great!

[Servorg]

One of the latest hot restaurants on this board has been Red Medicine. You also might think about Animal or it's sister restaurant, Son of a Gun. I also like Lukshon in Culver City.

See here for recent Red Medicine (and lots of other good ideas as well) report: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/819924

[m3liza]

thanks for the recs. I initially thought of red medicine but I don't think it would fit my price point... the thread was definitely helpful.