The week of January 8th, the stars aligned and Jeanette and I were both in LA. I couldn’t have been more excited to spend quality time with my best friend (and blogging colleague, of course) in the beautiful city of Los Angeles. We were invited to an intimate dinner at Public Kitchen & Bar, followed by an overnight stay at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to help celebrate the start of dineLA’s Restaurant Week.

We were able to experience the dineLA program as any out-of-towner would, trying one of its many delicious restaurants and staying in an iconic Hollywood hotel – how could we possibly pass that up? The Roosevelt has and old Hollywood feel that can’t be mimicked. After all, Marilyn Monroe did live there for 2 years.  Dinner at Public Kitchen & Bar was incredible. Course after delicious course and glass after luscious glass of wine, we got to meet several interesting members of the media, in addition to the Executive Chef, Tim Goodell who would come out often and explain the dishes we were about to indulge in. Some of my favorite dishes from the tasting were the Beet salad (pictured above), the Burrata and the Skate which was served with cauliflower, capers, brown butter, vadouvan curry and black garlic – YUM.

Public Kitchen & Bar features a menu of eclectic American fare with a loft-inspired design that provides a lighter, brighter space highlighted by butcher block tables, 1960′s library chairs, and diamond-tufted banquettes. If you live in the LA area or will be there during dineLA’s Restaurant Week January 21 – February 1, 2013, I highly recommend checking out Public Kitchen & Bar for a delectable dining experience.

Here we are, bellies full and very happy after dinner.

Next, we were invited for after-dinner drinks at the Library Bar. There is no menu. You simply tell the bartender what you like – sweet, spicy, fruity, savory? And they concoct a one-of-a-kind cocktail based on your preferences. All the freshest ingredients are used, but if for some reason the drink isn’t to your liking, they will remake it until it’s perfect.

My cocktail was a mix of cucumber, basil, fresh strawberries, vodka and a few other secret ingredients. It was perfect. The evening ended with taking our heavy heads and full bellies to our comfy hotel room. It truly was a lovely experience.

Public Kitchen & Bar is just one of the many participating restaurants of dineLA’s Restaurant Week. For a full list of the more than 250 participating restaurants in the Winter 2013 program taking place January 21 – February 1, please visit: www.discoverLosAngeles.com/dineLA 

Keep it real, LA!

x Allie