A Night Out in Downtown Los Angeles, A Trip Report

[Los Feliz Slim]

Had a really crappy first half to our Saturday, so the wife and I decided to have an escapist Saturday night in Downtown LA.

We started at The Edison , a bar/club that Esquire recently claimed is the "best" in Los Angeles. I don't know about that, but it's pretty cool. It's in the enormous basement of a loft building in an area of downtown that's experiencing quite a resurgence. First, it's HUGE. The ceilings in the main areas have got to be ~40 feet. There are a bunch of little nooks and crannies in the place, and cleaned-up industrial equipment is everywhere. I treated myself to a Laphroaig 30 ($37), and it was as good as a forty dollar glass of scotch should be. We had an order of calamari with some lime aoli that was really really delicious.

Overall, it's very hip and art deco-y. My only criticism is that it's trying super hard to be cool and comes out pretty far over the top. But if you've got a large group, company function, or are in the mood for something different, I recommend it. They do have a dress code that I've heard they enforce, but I saw many people in jeans (my wife and I had dressed up).

From there we went to Nick & Stef's Steakhouse , a Patina Group restaurant in the Wells Fargo Center. I used to frequent this place when I had more disposable income and had forgotten how good it is. Excellent service, awesome food. I had a dry-aged ribeye, which I believe is my new favorite cut. Odd, because I hate prime rib. They make a great tableside caesar there as well.

It was just the ticket for a grumpy pair. If you're in a rut, treat yourself to something nice. You deserve it!