It’s hard enough to sift through the rows of tiny blue text on the dineLA website, hoping to find a gem amongst the long list of L.A. eateries. Lunch or dinner, French, Italian, Japanese … oh my, choosing isn’t easy.
While my taste buds know exactly what they want, I am a terribly indecisive person. Come restaurant week, my Internet browser is inundated with tabs. I’m reading all sorts of reviews and blog posts, scrutinizing food photos, counting stars. Valuable time spent on research should be rewarded with positive dining experiences.
But it’s never that simple. From the steps it takes to get you from the computer monitor to the restaurant table, countless things can go wrong. And looking back on previous experiences, there are a few things I wish I knew.
It doesn’t matter if you’re new to the scene or if this is round two, three … or four. These tips could make your tummy happier.
1) Avoid restaurants with special menu items ““ I like to make sure that what a restaurant is offering for dineLA is also on its regular menu. For one, it’s a more accurate representation of the eatery. Two, restaurants featuring different items could be using cheaper-quality ingredients to accommodate more customers.
2) Try for an earlier reservation ““ Remember, dineLA brings an influx of customers, and restaurant cooks have a limited amount of that caramelized banana dessert you coveted (yes, I am clearly still a bit sad about it). The early bird gets the worm, and an early diner gets first choice.
3) Share! ““ These days, I find myself paying a pretty penny to have more options. Go with friends! dineLA calls for great food with even greater company. If everybody orders something different you can tackle everything on the menu.