Because every Angeleno loves to eat, even if he has to valet, we bring you Table Stakes: a series that answers man’s eternally recurring question (“Uh, what’s new?”), and recurs once every lunar cycle or so. Bon appétit.
Bavel
DTLA
You’re here for: Dinner with a group of friends or a casual meal with clients.
You’re dining on: We’ve yet to visit this spot, as it’s literally just opened. But as fans of Bestia, we’re very excited to see Chefs Ori Menashe and Geneveive Gergis take on Middle Eastern cuisine. Of interest: okra confit, duck hummus, braised beef cheeks and nearly every damn dessert you could ever dream up.
Shiki
Beverly Hills
You’re here for: An expensive date
You’re dining on: Omakase sushi from Mori Onodera, the notorious sushi chef of Mori fame, who left his eponymous restaurant in 2011 to make pottery. He’s now back slicing delicious cuts of yellowtail at Shiki, an upscale Japanese market in Beverly Hills.
Jaffa
West 3rd St.
You’re here for: Dinner with friends or an easy-breezy date. Lunches are good, too.
You’re dining on: They bake their breads in house, so if you go for lunch, definitely get a lavosh, which is basically a wrapped sandwich. You’ll leave sated but not sedated. For dinner, the chickpea stew is hearty, rich and vegan. An impressive feat given that for something to taste that good, you typically have to kill it.
Wood & Water
Sherman Oaks
You’re here for: A boisterous dinner with the amigos
You’re dining on: This is elevated bar food that leans heavily on the fruits of the sea. Crispy lobster sliders. Cajun gumbo. Halibut tacos. You get the, ahem, drift.
13359 Ventura Blvd. (map)
Website
Gabi James
Redondo Beach
You’re here for: A foodie dinner in the South Bay
You’re dining on: New from the folks behind Love & Salt, this neighborhood spot brings Spanish and North African inspired cuisine a la Chef Chris Feldmeier (Osteria Mozza and Moruno). Share some fried calamari and chickpea fritters, then finish with a big ol’ rack of lamb.
1810 S. Catalina Ave. (map)
Website
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