7 Must Stops for Food & Drink in LA

Gabriella Pryor

While the pandemic has stopped the usual way we dine out, that hasn't stopped these spots from continuing to cater to the public. Whether you're a local, traveling for work, or safely escaping your regular quarantine location, these are some places you should definitely check out for a memorable afternoon or evening outing.

EP & LP - West Hollywood

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When cruising through busy West Hollywood looking for a multi-versed stop, EP & LP  has you covered. Although Asian Eating House, EP,  is temporarily closed,  that doesn’t stop their outdoor LP rooftop from flourishing 4 pm - 2 am, Monday-Friday and 12 pm-2 pm Saturday & Sunday,  serving refreshing drinks and bites to enjoy a prime view of the Hollywood Hills and Sunset Boulevard that will leave you feeling like a local and tourist all in one.

ADRIFT Burger Bar LA - Venice

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If milkshakes are your forte, ADRIFT Burger Bar is the stop for you. Featuring Michelin starred David Myers’ burgers to pair them with and the beach just steps away, there isn’t much to be upset about. Open 11:30 am-9 pm Monday-Sunday, the combo options are truly limitless. ADRIFT is just classy enough to make you feel that you're meeting all your aesthetic desires while inducing yourself into a burger and milkshake food coma. 

The Lighthouse Cafe - Hermosa Beach

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If you have seen the once Oscar nominee, La La Land, this hot spot probably looks pretty familiar. Established in 1949, The Lighthouse Cafe now offers outdoor dining in addition to their regular space for guests looking to enjoy a variety of food and drink options all while basking in live music anytime after 4 pm Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 12 pm Saturday-Sunday.

Porto's Bakery - Burbank & Glendale

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Long-standing bakery and café, Porto’s family business offers multiple locations for pick up and curbside in the Los Angeles area. With freshly made pastries and meal options, the authenticity of this spot will leave your taste buds craving all the carbs and sugar. Open 7:30 am-7:30 pm Monday-Thursday 6:30 am-7:30 pm Friday-Sunday, whether you opt for a cupcake, sandwich, coffee, or pastry, odds are you will be far from disappointed.

Superfine Pizza - Downtown LA

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Newly reopened with patio dining and takeout since the pandemic via shared space, Superfine Pizza offers all the pie options you can think of. Unlike New York, good authentic pizza can be a little more challenging to find in LA. Known for their Spicy Honey and rarity of pizza by the slice for the state, the taste far exudes the bare minimum. With the intention to be fully opening mid-April, this spot is one you won't want to miss.

Bao Dim Sum House - West Hollywood

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Calling all dumping lovers alike, Bao Dim Sum will leave you struggling with which to pick first. Bao Dim Sum is a hot spot in West Hollywood for those looking for authentic eats with refreshing cocktails to compliment. Handmade food, diverse drink and happy hour menu, what could go wrong? Open 12 pm-8 pm daily and 8:30 pm on the weekends, there’s plenty of time for a fully submerge into a feast exploring the expansive menu. 

The Waterfront Venice - Venice

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If heading near the coast and burgers aren’t necessarily your thing, The Waterfront Venice offers an alternate option for dining with a view 5 pm-9 pm Thursday-Friday and 12 pm-9 pm Saturday-Sunday. With fresh food from seafood to American, craft cocktails and waterfront views what could really go wrong?

The Best Rooftop Bars and Holiday Stops To See This Holiday

Last year it was all about the best outdoor restaurants to celebrate the holidays. This year we are inside and up above New York, able to see all the glitz and glamour the city has to offer. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite rooftop bars in New York City, where you’ll be hard to miss us.

PHD Terrace at Dream Midtown returns for the unveiling of their yearly holiday installation, Midwinter Nights’ Dream. Just in time for the holiday season, the popular all-season midtown rooftop will be transformed into a whimsical dreamland of lush greenery, rich emerald & gold tones, 10,000 twinkling lights illuminating the space, florals galore, fuzzy throw blankets, and an ascending series of tiered red, purple & gold florals throughout the space.

Of course, this installation wouldn’t be complete without New York’s most famous flower tunnel - the winterized edition will take the highly photogenic moment to the next level. Seasonal food and beverage offerings will also be available including light bites, a brand-new themed dessert, plus new winter cocktails. This magical Midwinter Nights’ Dream garden at PHD Terrace was created to cure a bad case of the winter blues and will be activated from now until April 2022.

The Skylark, Midtown West’s elevated bar and lounge with New York City’s most breathtaking 30th-floor views, today announces its long-awaited reopening in Manhattan’s Garment District. The brainchild of hospitality veteran David Rabin and premier catering and hospitality group Abigail Kirsch, The Skylark is an all-season, multi-level destination for sophisticated cocktails during the week and private events on weekends. 

The Skylark features “Dinner by the Bite” dining, a mix of private nooks and communal seating areas designed by Meyer Davis Studio and a stunning, open-air rooftop terrace with breathtaking city views. In the cooler months, guests enjoy floor-to-ceiling vistas from its lounge, including the Hudson River, Hudson Yards, Times Square and the Empire State Building. The Skylark is also a coveted event space for weddings, birthdays and corporate events.

The cocktail program is the creation of Master Mixologist Johnny Swet, The Skylark’s long-time cocktail consultant and a 24-year veteran of New York City’s hospitality scene. His seasonal cocktails riff on the classics with market fresh autumnal ingredients and include the Pumpkin Spiced Mule, Warm Rum Apple Cider, Maple Walnut Old Fashioned, Coconut & Cinnamon Caipirinha and others. The crowd-pleasing drinks are complemented by Abigail Kirsch’s innovative “Dinner by the Bite” culinary program of shareable and delectable plates.

New Yorkers, visitors and champagne-lovers (21+) alike can bring one of Moët & Chandon’s many offerings to the brand’s gifting chalet, located at The Lodge at Brookfield Place and receive a personalized, limited-edition giftbox with a name of your choice! If you don’t have your bottle in hand, feel free to show proof of purchase to get your giftbox and additional festive surprises and delights.

JIMMY

JIMMY atop ModernHaus SoHo’s 18th floor, best known for its legendary pool deck, now beckons guests with its roaring fireplace in its warm and intimate indoor lounge with jaw-dropping views of Lower Manhattan and Midtown.On New Year’s Eve

§  Gala Masquerade Celebration

o    Premium Open Bar and Passed Canapés, 9pm-1am

o    Champagne Toast at Midnight

o    Cash Bar, 1am-2am

o    Tickets (Single Admission, $250 and Tables, $600-$4,500) are available on EventBrite

Manhattan’s ‘it’ rooftop bar and lounge -- known for their much-anticipated holiday installs season after season -- is celebrating sky-high eating and drinking this season with a new apres-ski holiday pop-up on November 19th -- bigger and better than years prior. ‘The Pink Winter Lodge’ will be a pink twist on the posh winter slopes and ski towns around the globe.

Tao Group Hospitality collaborated with Design House Décor for this year’s theme, which will transform the all-season rooftop into a pink oasis featuring floor-to-ceiling pink log walls, a frosted flower arch glowing with custom pink faux antler chandeliers, and endless new photo moments through April 2022. The iconic carousel will sport 25,000 sparkling crystals, frosted pink flowers, and custom ski lifts to transport you straight to the snow-capped mountains. Plus, the East Terrace will feature a pink gondola photo moment surrounded by pink pine trees, pink suitcases, a sled covered in crystals, white ice skates, and diamond-encrusted skis.

Winter in New York City may be frosty and frigid, but there's nothing warmer than gathering with friends and family for some hot or chilled cocktails specially curated by Beverage Director Nikki McCutcheon

Moxy Times Square Pink Holiday Pop-Up

Moxy Times Square is debuting a new hot pink look for the holidays; head to the hotel’s atrium on the 2nd floor where you will be transported to a pink winter wonderland. The all-pink décor, including pink Christmas Trees and Menorahs, will be complimented by a life-size version of Santa’s sleigh that is perfect for gram-worthy holiday pics. Swing by December 9 – 12th (Thursday 6-9PM / Friday – Sunday 4-7PM) for the Pink Holiday Pop-Up with haircuts from Blind Barber, healthy skin checks and product trials by Kiehl’s, portrait drawings by Ian Sklarsky, free Oysters on Sunday, live music, and more. And, head to Bar Moxy for their spiked signature “Apres Ski” Pink Hot Chocolate ($18), complete with Vodka, Baileys Red Velvet, and Soy Milk. For more information and to book your stay, visit: https://moxytimessquare.com/

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is proud to unveil its inaugural  holiday window display, celebrating the new artistic guard and New York City’s creative comeback.  Though the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE holiday windows are inspired by the traditional 5th Avenue holiday window displays, these have a deeper purpose: to revitalize downtown Manhattan which was stripped of many anchor businesses and to provide a platform for emerging creatives. This avant-garde Holiday Storefront Series will take place in SoHo through December 19th, in collaboration with visual artist Shavanté Royster, the disruptive fashion designer Romeo Hunte, and New York City dancer Nicole Von Arx.

Over the past year and a half, the pandemic has decimated the livelihood of creatives, small businesses, and retail in New York and beyond. To uplift the artistic community and bring a diverse, vibrant energy to the traditional holiday displays, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE, who has a longstanding history in championing equal representation in the arts and inspiring creativity, has commissioned these visionaries from diverse fields to transform otherwise empty storefronts into veritable ‘windows of art’.

The backdrop of each window features a winter dreamscape by artist Shavanté Royster, which also graces the label of the BOMBAY SAPPHIRE new Limited-Edition Gift Pack HERE. This Holiday Storefront Series will light up SoHo during December to mimic the holiday magic of 5th Avenue through the eyes of Shavanté and Romeo, featuring live models clad in Romeo’s winter apparel against Shavanté’s contemporary picturesque snowy backdrop, along with performances by New York City dancers and local bar-hopping experiences. Romeo Hunte’s dedicated window will feature people clad in two bespoke designs that he created exclusively for the space, depicting them getting ready for a holiday show over cocktails. Featuring Romeo’s playful sensibility, the garments were inspired by Shavanté’s depiction with the color of the jumpsuit playing off the yellow snowboards, sun and hot air balloons and the billows of the garment responding to the ski slopes. His New York edge is showcased in the jacket and pants look, mashing up tailored, preppy and street styles that tie into Shavanté’s BOMBAY SAPPHIRE-inspired blue colorscape. The locations of the windows are as follows:

Cantina Rooftop is one you won’t want your readers to miss! The Hell’s Kitchen Modern Mexican dining experience helmed by Executive Chef Saul Montiel features a climate-controlled retractable glass rooftop and a beyond gorgeous skyline view perfect for those snowy nights to come.

Description automatically generated with medium confidenceGuests can enjoy fan favorites like their Guacamole, Nachos with melted Chihuahua Cheese, Black Beans, Pico de Gallo, Pickled Onion, Queso Fresco, Pickled Jalapenos, Avocado and Morita sauce, and Enchiladas Con Pollo with Chicken Breast, Corn Tortillas Dressed with Tomato Sauce, Refried Beans, Avocado, Crema, Queso Fresco & Red Onion.

These pair beautifully with signature cocktails such as the Coco Loco Mojito with Tanduay Gold Asian Ru, Coco López Cream, Pineapple Juice, Lime juice, Simple Syrup, and Mint Leaves or their El Jefe with Don Julio Añejo, Grand Marnier, Lime Juice, Simple Syrup, and a splash Orange Juice.

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Online Cocktail Bar Ghost Bar Launches in Manhattan

Bars are closed and it’s getting cold outside. Sure you have a full bar at home, but the work of making a drink and it never being just right is getting to the best of us? You can get pretty much everything delivered to you, and now well made cocktails are an option thanks to Ghost Bar, an online cocktail bar that offers convenient and fairly-priced cocktails for stay-at-home New Yorkers’ mixed-drink needs, is launching in Manhattan

Born out of pandemic and based in Midtown Manhattan, Ghost Bar is a solution to customers' needs for instant access to their favorite mixed drinks at an affordable price, with the craftsmanship and convenience comparable to their once frequented cocktail bars. The drink menu offers a wide range of classic cocktails, such as Last Word and Sazerac, and creative inventions, such as silky and smooth Espresso Martini, fresh and juicy Dragon Fruit Daiquiri, and a fun twist on Long Island. Named Longest Island, it's a Baijiu-based drink mixed with complex flavors that tastes like a glass of floral iced tea.  

Ghost Bar is the brainchild of Ning (Amelie) Kang and Yishu He, owners and partners of MáLà Project. Amelie attended the Culinary Institute of America, where she developed a passion for cocktails. Prior to establishing the dry pot eateries in the city, she used to bartend at B Flat in Tribeca and an award-winning speakeasy in Beijing, called Apothecary, where she honed her mixology. "Now with respect to social distancing and many bars closing, you can only drink so many Whisky on the Rocks at home without wanting something more easygoing,” says Amelie Kang, Co-Founder of Ghost Bar. “And making drinks at home, getting a few bottles of liquor, juicing, and preparing the ice...can be quite a commitment. Sometimes I wish there's a quick and easy solution to a nice cocktail, and I think many people want the same."

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