Foodies who can't wait for the next dineLA Restaurant Week don't have to wait any longer to make reservations to Los Angeles' top eateries, organizers announced.
DineLA fans can now call dibs on a table at any of the hundreds of restaurants from Long Beach and Pasadena to the San Fernando Valley participating in the popular program that runs Jan. 20-31. Reservations can be made at www.discoverlosangeles.com/dineLA.
"We always try to provide diners the option to reserve as early as possible because the demand is so high during dineLA," said Stacey Sun, dineLA director. "During our first dineLA's restaurant week, we had 140 restaurants participate and now we have over 300."
Newcomers joining the winter dineLA restaurant week include Allumette, celebrity chef Brian Malarkey's Herringbone LA and award-winning chef Susan Feniger's Mud Hen Tavern.
DineLA launched in 2008 and was hosted in the fall and winter. It later dropped fall for a summer program in 2012 and has since spurred a combined $87 million in citywide consumer spending, according to the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board.
The twice-yearly program offers diners a choice of specially priced menus for lunch ($15-$25) and dinner ($25-$45). For the first time in its six-year history, however, an $85 experiential tasting menu is being added, designed for those "looking to elevate their dining experience."
"Our goal is to always elevate the program and promote the culinary scene in L.A. and we realized that with the highest price point of $45 for the prix-fixe menus, there were some key, higher-end restaurants that would not be able to be a part of this event. By adding the $85 experiential tasting menu, dineLA is able to represent the wide range of options available throughout the city," Sun said.
Few details have been released about the high-end multicourse tastings, but Sun said, "Think Michelin rated," referring to the coveted honor given to select restaurants around the world.
The full list of restaurants participating in the $85 tasting menu program are expected to be released early next month.
If that doesn't sate the appetite, organizers also announced that diners who sign up for dineLA's newsletter are automatically eligible to win "dineLA for a Year." The grand prize is a 52-week prize pack of gift certificates to local restaurants valued at $2,600.
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