Yes. If I wanted to go to Providence and not spend a lot I would go for lunch, not dine/L.A. I think @President_Mochi had a really nice bday lunch there.
Cut was tempting, as husband has never been. At first glance the menu doesn’t seem worth it, but they do some great sourcing. But really, if you’re looking for good pot roast go to Jar.
One thing about the higher end spots is some provide additional perks & treats not listed on the menu. We had a really nice dine/L.A. experience at Craft.
Connie & Ted was also a good time. We ordered one dine/L.A. and an order of fried clams. It was a lot of food and they didn’t trip about us sharing. Our waiter was great. He insisted I get the Blondie.
The one dine/L.A. I didn’t love was Bouchon. Not that I don’t like Bouchon. Thomas Keller is a food hero of mine. We try to make it for Monday Night Fried Chicken whenever possible. The menu was great. My husband still talks about the steak-frites. But I did get a little of that cattle feeling that causes some to avoid dine/L.A.
Do remember to sign up for the Amex $5 statement for Every bill paid totaling $21 or more. Tempted to take the wife and ask for separate checks to be changed on the same Amex card. I will offer to pay the extra Amex transaction charge - Amex made me do it
In lieu of Dine LA, we’ll be featuring our own special “throwback” menu consisting of traditional bistro dishes from January 15-27th. The menu will start as listed below, but please check our website frequently as we’ll be rotating dishes throughout the 13 day period:
3 courses, $34
“Amuse:”
Foie Gras Torchon +$20
First:
Wild Nettle Velouté
or
Frisée aux Lardons
Main:
Duck a l’Orange
or
Truite Grenobloise
or
Steak Frites
Dessert:
Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart, Raspberry Sorbet
It’s not a dish I would order unless I set the wayback machine to 1973. Personally I would rather go back to Da Dong in Beijing. Instead, here’s a link that may answer your question much better than I could:
Old person here. I have had various versions over the past 40 years, and it is one of those things that when it is done right you think “Oh, I get it, this is a perfect flavor combination.” The problem is that it is so rarely done correctly, with properly cooked duck (generally over cooked) and the right bite to the sauce ( generally too sweet and cloying without the snap of a strong brandy) and it comes out insipid. One of those old school dishes that is rarely done well, but when it is, really underscores the expertise of the kitchen.
The DineLA lunch at Chinois is my favorite after perusing the menus. Been there before. Good value. Not a zoo at lunch, which is only a couple days a week.
Fogo de Chao used to be a must-do for me for DineLA lunch. They dropped that a couple of cycles ago, and now it is dinner only. A shame…
Used to hit Emporium Thai every DineLA for lunch. Now they’ve taken the morning glory salad with shrimp off the DineLA menu, so I’m not interested…
To me, it looks like more and more restaurants at the most expensive level, fewer at the moderate or low prices.
I’ll be in downtown on Sunday the 22nd for an afternoon performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Any suggestions for a solid dineLA lunch? Open to all price points and cuisines.
Redbird or Spring ($25 Dine LA menus) are your best bets. If you want something really close to the concert hall, try Otium (but it’s not doing dine LA). Faith and Flower is a final suggestion for Dine LA if you will be in the south end of DTLA for some reason.
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