Where to Dine Before Your Next Concert
My recs for sit down dinner or quick pick up before your next show!
The first wave of concert szn is upon us, who’s ready to bankrupt themselves and dance??
I’ve compiled a short list of restaurants + grab & go spots ahead of your next show - hyper-curated and organized by venue location, of course :)
Before we get into it - I just gave the Valentine’s Day guide a BIG refresh and added about 25 new events & ideas - give it a looksie if you’re still trying to figure out your V-Day plan! Events for couples, situationships, and singles, whoever you wanna love and celebrate for Love Day etc! <3
The Forum / SoFi Stadium / YouTube Theater (Inglewood)
Sunday Gravy - like an Italian nonna is serving you a home-cooked meal. SO good
Three Weavers Brewing - brews & food trucks
Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles - I freaking LOVE Roscoe’s
Jon & Vinny’s Slauson - have you been to all 4 J&V’s? Lmk
El Rey (Mid-City)
Her Thai - Thai street food
All Season Brewing / Chica’s Tacos - the auto shop turned brewery is always a good vibe, super lowkey and great tacos from Chica’s
Met Him at a Bar - Italian
Teddy’s Red Tacos - quick and easy, delicious birria!!
Republique ($$) - if you’re feeling bougie or celebrating something special
The Fonda Theatre / Palladium (Hollywood)
Superba Food + Bread Hollywood - the former Cat & Fiddle space is so pretty and chic. A rare find in Hollywood NO OFFENSE!
Grandmaster Recorders - whether you want a sit down meal or just hit the rooftop for drinks and snacks, I love it here
Desert 5 Spot - someone fact check me but I believeee the taco cart at D5S is a permanent staple. I had tacos there last time and they were surprisingly good. Love their cocktails too and their HH goes late!
Mother Wolf ($$) - the bougie option. Reserve far in advance!
Mama Shelter - great for rooftop vibes, reasonable-ish cocktails & heavy apps
Found Oyster - for my seafood lovers. Walk-in only so get there early!
Saffy’s ($$) - high end Mediterranean/Israeli food. Reserve in advance
Greek Theater (Griffith Park)
All Time ($$) - farm to table rotating menu
Little Dom’s - chicken parm, spaghetti, game over
Nossa Caipirinha - this is a newer favorite - love the Brazilian cuisine, something you don’t find as often in LA
Messhall Kitchen - laid back summer camp ambiance and at the foot of the hill before Greek so very easy to hit before!
Hollywood Bowl (Hollywood)
*Fully support a sit down dinner before if that’s your style, but many would argue picnicking at the Bowl is a part of the whole experience. Here’s a few of my favorite spots to pick up goodies before!
Lady & Larder sandwiches + snacks
Sightglass - pre-packaged salads, dips, pastries fun drinks + natty wine
Bay Cities sandwiches of course
Joan’s on Third - another classic for a reason. Chinese chicken salad is unmatched
Gjusta - another gourmet grocery with amazing pre-packaged goods & treats
Larchmont Wine & Cheese - sandwiches & vino
Open Market - Koreatown sandwich spot w/ you guessed it! Natural wine
Crypto.com / The Novo / Belasco / Teragram Ballroom / Bellwether (DTLA)
Grand Central Market always hits, and especially if you’re going with a group - everyone can get what they want
Pine & Crane DTLA - delicious and affordable Taiwanese food
Cabra or Cara Cara ($$) - rooftop restaurants at The Hoxton and The Proper hotels
Kippered for lighter fare - natural wine & a tinned fish platter before dancing, perhaps?
Zebulon (Frogtown)
Salazar is just next door for elevated Mexican street food
Lingua Franca - you can’t go wrong here. Farm to table rotating menu
Loreto - seafood with an impressive raw bar selection if you’re pulling up to the counter
Lodge Room (Highland Park)
I could name all the hot spots on Fig but there’s only one real answer here and it’s connected to Lodge - Checker Hall!!!
Troubadour (West Hollywood)
Uchi - brand new outpost of the OG Austin Japanese fusion spot!
Soulmate - Spanish farm to table styles with great cocktails & mocktails
Great White Melrose - I think you know the drill. Australian cafe w/ natural wine
The Roxy / Whiskey A Go-Go (Sunset Strip)
Prince Street Pizza for thicc squares to go
State Social House for pretty decent bar food
Saltie Girl ($$) for all kinds of seafood deliciousness - tinned fish, raw bar, lobster rolls (hot or cold)
Fancy cocktails and celeb sightings at Tower Bar ($$) before or after
The Wiltern (Koreatown)
More recently, a friend and I wandered into H Mart and ended up grabbing a ton of snacks and pre packaged foods, then plopped down in the middle of the shopping center to chow down. It was the best
The Bun Shop - fast casual bao bunszz
KBBQ options are plentiful but my go-to’s are Moo Dae Po, Parks, and Oo-Kook
The Prince for cheap drinks, greasy fried chicken, and good vibes
What did I miss?? Specifically need fresh ideas for the pre-Bowl pick up situation. Reply with a comment on Substack or directly to this email with your pre-show faves! As always - I’ll be on TikTok sharing even more LA tips & tricks. See you there?
Ticket to Sarahdise Event Digest - Week of 2/12
Every week, I’m sharing events you should be checking out in LA. Here’s this week’s download!
What is Natural Wine Anyway? with Pali Wine Co - dates + more info at link
DiDi WeHo is starting up a weekly game night on Tuesdays!
Felt the need to mention that Pico Metro station is now KOBE station! Epic. Must make a visit
Queer Night, complete with Perlita’s Oysters, on Sun 2/18
We will unfortunately have to wait until summer for this one but need to share the Salt & Straw x Taco Bell choco taco. The sauces?? I’m impressed