Where LA’s Top Chefs Are Eating During Dine LA Restaurant Week

Photo Credit: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

With an end to summer on the horizon and a season of celebratory dining around the corner, Dine LA has kicked things off early, by releasing its fall program that runs through October 15.The 15-day event is showcasing Los Angeles’ most beloved restaurants and highlight the city’s global variety of cuisines and diversity of dining styles.

A new crop of restaurants join the Dine LA roster for the first time including matū, Sightglass Hollywood and Flavors From Afar alongside stalwarts of the program such as Gwen or Casa Vega. Some of the city’s best al fresco moments, rooftop dining rooms, and patios are represented with Yamashiro, Original Farmer’s Market and Rossoblu available to soak up the city’s Magic Hour.

Here, we spoke to six of the city’s top chefs to get a read on where they will be eating this week.

Josiah Citrin (Mélisse)
Photo Credit: Melisse

“One of my personal favorites from the Mélisse Dine LA experience is the Chicken and Rice. It’s such a classic and familiar combination. Ours, however, takes a different approach by adding preserved truffle. It’s a perfect balance of flavors and textures between plump and seasoned rice, earthiness of the truffles, and perfectly cooked chicken.”

Curtis Stone (Gwen)Photo Credit: Ray Kachatorian

“Egg and caviar in the same dish is always magic in Josiah’s hands. Really looking forward to getting to Citrin during this round of dineLA!”

Susan Feniger (Socalo)

Photo Credit: Socalo
“At Socalo I’m most excited for our Dine LA exclusive dish Crispy Cauliflower with spicy aioli, tajin, lime, and peanuts or our Warm Guava Empanada with sorbet. And what I’m looking forward to most elsewhere is the Heirloom Tomato Soup and Three Cheese Grilled Cheese at Lunetta in Santa Monica. I love what Chef Raphael Lunetta’s done with the back parking lot to create a covid-friendly dining experience.”

Michael Mina (BOURBON STEAK)

Photo Credit: (BOURBON STEAK
“Pikunico had me at Japanese Fried Chicken. Kuni’s family-style buckets have everything you need—fries, pickles, slaw, sauces. I’d grab it to-go and pop a bottle of Champagne.”

Steve Samson (Rossoblu)

Photo Credit: Rossoblu
“I’m very excited about our local petrale sole dish. I was inspired by a recent trip to San Francisco where we ate at Scoma which was founded in 1965 and still run by the same family.Every DineLA, we end up at Lawry’s. What better place to celebrate being an Angeleno. My kids love the spinning salad and we love the CA cut prime rib with lobster tail.”

Danny Trejo (Trejo’s Tacos)

Photo Credit: Larchmont Hospitality Group; Photographer – Moses Berkson
“We had an opportunity to work with Lucy and Bret Thompson from Pez Cantina this year for a “Battle of the Tacos” partnership to bring some fun and excitement during our reopening phase. Their entire team provided us with amazing hospitality and great food. We loved the location and hope to visit them again soon. We respect and share with them their love and commitment to helping our beautiful LA community.”