From the driving, to the parking, to the not knowing where to drive or park, dinner in L.A. is harder than it should be. That’s why we created Dinner Plan — your itinerary to a damn good time. This week, we’re watching 35mm films straight from Quentin Tarantino’s vault. The auteur’s New Beverly Cinema just reopened with a better projector, new sound system and comfier seats. Pair with a nearby diner with a pulse where you can get a tasty burger.
Images: Easy’s
Dinner: Easy’s
Beverly Grove
You know diner food. Burgers, fried chicken, club sandos and all-day breakfast. Easy’s renders that kind of menu, with classic American favorites that would fit right in at Jack Rabbit Slims, the date spot from Pulp Fiction. Easy’s started as a burger window in Chinatown, grilling grass-fed patties and serving them with simple condiments, a concept from Jeremy Fall (Nighthawk, Tinfoil). The diner iteration has a lot more on offer, including a killer lamb burger with tzatziki and fried chicken atop of funnel cake. Plus, it has a full bar with boozy milkshakes. They’re more than five dollars, but they’ll get you drunk, which is nice. To get there, go to the sixth floor of the Beverly Center. Expect views of downtown.
8500 Beverly Blvd. (map)
Website
Image: New Beverly Cinema
Culture: New Beverly Cinema
Beverly Grove
The New Beverly Cinema (aka Quentin Tarantino’s revivalist, 35mm-only theater) just reopened after being closed all year. It opened in 1978 as a repertory theater and it remain that to this day, offering double features, mostly by topic, filmmaker or actor. Tarantino bought it in 2007, but didn’t start running the programing until 2014. His mandate that the films be shown in 35mm stands. They have an expansive collection of IB Tech films, which make Blu-ray look wan in comparison, and just closed down for a few months to update the screen, projector, sound system and seats. They’re going full-press on celebrating 35mm classics in the coming weeks, partnering with Pure Cinema Podcast on seasonal themes and deep dives. This month is Christmas-themed, including Die Hard, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s a Wonderful Life, as well as gangster films like Reservoir Dogs, The Untouchables and The Godfather. The famed director also recently posted an essay on the New Beverly’s blog, explaining how he found a new appreciation for Shoot Out by rewatching it in 35mm.
7165 Beverly Blvd. (map)
Website
Images: El Carmen
After-Movie Drinks: El Carmen
Beverly Grove
You need a place to drink and decompress. Go classic with Bar El Carmen. Sit beneath the velvet luchador portraits and the laminated wallpaper of 1950s Mexican movie posters. Order a sipping tequila, neat, like the smooth Goyri Espesial, and talk amongst yourselves.
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