B.D.L.A.

WHY IS "DOLCE" SO PACKED ON MONDAY NIGHTS? THE ENTIRE MENU IS 1/2 PRICE!

Neighborhood: Hollywood

Heard of Dolce Restaurant on Melrose? When it first opened its doors, it was known to many as “Ashton Kutcher’s restaurant”. He was a hot star on the rise, and his name helped lure the Hollywood crowd Dolce was beckoning. In actuality, Ashton just was one of several major investors… and today the Dolce restaurant group has expanded their empire to include the sushi supper club Geisha House and the upscale Sunset-strip diner, Ketchup, amongst others.

I’m not normally into restaurants with a high-rollin’ attitude… Vegas can keep those to themselves. However, twice my good friend Kelly has treated me to dinner at Dolce, and both times I’ve left, well… a fan.

Here’s a secret that Dolce doesn’t tell on their website – Monday nights, the entire food menu is served at ½ price. That means that every appetizer and starter salad is less then $10.00. The same goes for the sizable pasta menu – normally around $17.00…on Monday’s around $8.00. The biggest treat for Kelly and I were the meat and potato entrees that we scored for less then $20.00 a plate. Kelly ordered up the mushroom filet mignon, brought down from $36.00 to $18.00. I indulged in the New York strip with peppercorn sauce for the same price. The steaks were smothered in the sauces… so if you like to enjoy the meat on it’s own, be sure to request the sauce on the side. My NY steak was good – not the best… but I found myself jealous of Kelly’s tender, more flavorful filet when she shared a bite. Next time I’m going that route. It should be noted we passed up one of Dolce’s signature dishes – a cherry port wine pork chop, that the waiter raved about… on Monday priced at about $13.00. 

Though we didn’t try the pastas, they looked divine (and rather big) as they were served to the party next to us. We did indulge in the Hollywood Dolce Salad – a simple salad of mixed greens, fresh avocado and candied walnuts (just $7.00). Dressed just right and big enough for two– I absolutely recommend it.
Often in the restaurant world, Monday nights are the deal nights, as it is traditionally a restaurants slowest night. Here, the strategy is definitely working… the place was packed to the gills by 8pm. Be sure to make a reservation.

Dolce offers two distinct atmospheres – inside it is dark, lit mostly by candles and the roaring flames that burn along a pipe behind the bar. The music gets loud, and the feel is clubby. “Outside” (a closed in deck area of sorts) it’s easier to hear one another, and the lighting is just a bit brighter.
Service was friendly and efficient, though we had to swallow our pride and check with the waiter on the ½ price offering before we ordered, since there is no mention of it on the menu. Another server in our room was polite enough to welcome his tables explaining the deal.

At the end, we were given two bills – one which showed our total ‘before discount’, and the other the half off bill. It was cool to see we had saved on dinner, but of course, they are giving you both as a way of asking you to tip on the ‘original’.

Still, Kelly and I smiled at seeing our savings spelled out for us… our food bill of $100.00 halved to less then $50.00 made us feel like we were doing something right to kick off our week.

Link: http://www.dolcegroup.com/

Cost: Appetizers, pastas and salads are all under $10.00. Entrée dinners (steaks, seafood) all under $20.00. Monday nights only.

Notes: Valet is $4.50, but nearby street parking isn’t too tough to find.

GOT THE END OF SUMMER BLUES? PICK YOURSELF UP WITH LUNA PARK’S $10.00 BLUE PLATE SPECIALS

Neighborhood: Miracle Mile

Luna Park Restaurant has always had a special place in my heart. A sister restaurant to the SanFran original, it is one of the few LA hotspots that have managed to be both popular and trendy, but not take it all too seriously. I fell for Luna months before I was actually able to visit. Why? Just check out the menu online – the focus is not only on quality food, but serving it up in fun and inventive ways. Is there any place else in town where you can order up a drink called “You’re a Pepper” – and receive a tray with a miniature (and adorable) bottle of Dr. Pepper, a pocket-sized Vanilla Absolut vodka, and a tiny jar of organic vanilla syrup? It’s you that gets to mix up the ingredients – and there’s enough here to make two glasses worth.

Luna Park has always kept the entrée prices reasonable for the quality of cooking you are getting – the delicious BBQ glazed pork chops with cigar onion rings are the most expensive item on the menu, and they’re only 20 bucks. Everything else – the pastas, the pizzas, the fish and the chicken – are all around the 15 dollar range.

Now, the menu just got sweeter – Luna Park has introduced their dinner Blue Plate Special – a select entrée from the regular menu, for just $10.00-$12.00 . In the beginning, this was just a Monday deal. However, the night proved so popular that they’ve expanded on both sides – you can now order up the blue plate Sunday through Tuesday. Talk about helping you over the start of the work week.

The pork dish I mentioned has been known to pop up here, becoming a half price steal. The delicious Moroccan spaghetti – pasta with lamb and beef meatballs served in a hearty red sauce – has been given the blue-plate treatment too. Vegetarian? They’ll always have a blue-plate option waiting for you as well.

In true Luna style, the blue plate special is served on an actual blue plate… and offered with a rotating $5.00 drink special, served in matching blue glassware. Isn’t it worth it just for the fun of it all?

No matter what night you dine here, or what you end up ordering, I must mention the dessert that made Luna Park famous – the Make Your Own S’mores. Before haute menus everywhere began introducing their own fancy-pants version of the camping favorite, Luna Park’s guests were dipping homemade graham cracker cookies into marshmallow fondue. Inevitably, someone I’m dining with will remark “it’s just not the real thing”. Maybe, but unless you have convenient access to a roaring campfire in your home, this dish remains a must-try for S’mores lovers everywhere.

So, let’s review – fun atmosphere, kooky cocktails, $10.00-ish entrée specials, and S’mores you can make as gooey and chocolaty as you wish. My Monday-workday blues are definitely forgotten about here – all it takes is a blue plate, a good price – and melted marshmallow.

(P.S. – need a good Sunday brunch spot, but don’t feel like dealing with a crowd? Somehow Luna Park’s Sunday brunch remains undiscovered by the masses. Great menu, cheap mimosas, and pretty close to empty. Eat it up before the secret gets out.)

Link: http://www.lunaparkla.com/

Cost: Blue plate special entrée offered Mon-Tue, dinner only $10.00 - $12.00. Blue plate special drink $5.00. "You're a Pepper" cocktail $9.50. S’mores dessert (for 2-4) $8.25.
See website for regular menu/cocktail prices.

Note: Metered parking (free after 6pm) available on La Brea, but sometimes tough. Valet parking is offered at Luna Park and is worth the price if you can’t find street parking in the immediate area.

EAT 4 COURSES & DRINK 2 COCKTAILS FOR 40 BUCKS: THE PORTERHOUSE BISTRO PRIX-FIXE DINNER

Neighborhood: Beverly Hills

The other night, my date and I slipped into this cozy and modern Beverly Hills steakhouse, settling in for an enjoyable, multi-course steak dinner - complete with 2 martinis for us both, and dessert. Who else knows about this unbelievable steal at the Porterhouse Bistro? The place has never been packed, but the customers are steady and varied. Around us: a young man and woman sharing a steak on a first date, and a group of friends who had to make sure the wine they were ordering was included in the deal – it is. Yes, the first course here is the breadbasket – but the rustic and warm La Brea Bakery rolls come with a platter of inspired spreads – tomato bruschetta, olive tapenade, and a roasted garlic clove share space with the standard butter. For the second course, my French Onion soup was a dazzler for the eyes – a heaping pastry puff baked over the cheesy onion broth. Unfortunately, the taste of the onion broth was bland and forgettable. Skip the spectacle and order the crisp Caesar or the steakhouse classic Lettuce Wedge.  The meal’s centerpiece did not disappoint – the Porterhouse for 2 was brought out sizzling in its own juices, fresh from the grill. The tender meat was already carved off the bone, so all we had to do was lift our share onto our plates. Unbelievably rich and tasty, the perfectly done medium steak melted in our mouths. Did I mention we each got a side? The garlic mashed potatoes complimented the meat perfectly, while the creamed corn was some of the best I've had. There were enough of the side dishes to split these as well. The surprise here was dessert – usually an afterthought for ‘dinner specials’ (think a scoop of ice cream), here the presentation of the chocolate lava cake and the strawberry shortcake that we had ordered made our stomachs instantly forget that we were already full.  Our server paced our food perfectly, and made sure we got our second cocktail before the steak arrived. The deal here is so good, we kept waiting for the ‘catch’. No catch, just a fantastic dinner at a great price – we can’t wait to go back and do it again.

COST: $43.20 for four courses, and 2 drinks (well cocktail, beer, wine, or soda)

LINK:www.porterhousebistro.com

NOTES: On holidays the price of the deal raises to $53.20.  Valet parking. Reservations suggested.