XIV

THANK GOODNESS THIS PLACE CLOSED DOWN!
I’m excited to see if something better will pop up.

Boogie place w/​valet (of course) and surprisingly really friendly staff! I heart tapas and enjoy coming here for the food, décor, ambiance, and food (duh). Typically you’ll find people out on dates here, power dinners or lunches (whatever you call them when hollywood types want to impress), and people celebrating the fact that they’re rich, lol, well kinda. You’ll also get a random celebrity spotting here.
The food is pretty freakin good. My favorites, which I highly suggest in no particular order are:
1. Trio Of Fries harissa, cheddar, rosemary
2. Macaroni & Cheese Gratin peas, ham, gruyère
3. Caramelized Potato Gnocchi parmesan broth, crispy pigs’ tails
FYI, their menu changes so I cant guarantee these will be on the menu, but if they are, you won’t go wrong with them.
Valet was either $ 3 or $ 5, I dunno… I was buzzed already =)
Ok…and after writing all of this why did I just read an article that said this place is closed now. That’s hella sad. Would it have helped if I wrote this review sooner?

We were invited here to a private party on a weekday and it was close to 11 PM when we arrived so we didn’t have dinner here. However, it was weird that they offer valet parking, yet all they did was parked my car in a spot about 10 feet from where I pulled up to, then given the keys back and charged $ 10.
Décor was nice and I’m sure it can get backed. My friend was in heels and kept tripping over the wood flooring in the outside lounge area.

Form fitting black dress with lacy bodice. check.
Matching 4 inch heels with black lace. check.
Curled hair with bodacious waves. check.
Vivid lipstick color called «CRAVING.» check.
Dining at Michelin star establishments are rare, so i wanted to fit in when i pull in the valet with my modest vehicle among all the Bentley’s & Ferrari’s.
Famous impressionist painter Renoir often depicted the life of socialites in his paintings, and the scene at XIV is like a modern day Renoir painting, with high society patrons in care-​free moments. the lighting is perfect — everyone has a healthy «glow» or radiance about them. the three hostesses were gorgeous & bore warm smiles. and the smiles stopped one foot beyond the maitre d stand.
the bar is a long outstretched expanse of countertop and stools. a large traditional chandelier suspends above. the female bartender that assisted us refused to smile during the 30 minutes that we were there. please go to charm school. i’m sure it’s quite affordable in LA, where everyone wants to become an actress or actor. it really does make quite a difference in your experience.
a SMILE can:
1) heal 2) give hope 3) make someone feel comfortable 4) make someone feel at home 5) help someone into a better mood 6) help someone feel at ease 7) send positive energy. and many infinite more reasons…
FOOD:
HUMMUS & PITA (on the house)
absolutely amazing! the pita was warm. couldn’t fathom what the ingredients were for the hummus, but it was just absolutely out of this world.
SOFT SHELL CRAB APPETIZER
so, so delish. softly fried, and really it was the largest size portion out of everything that we ordered.
PASO PRIME GRASS-​FED SKIRT STEAK
thinly sliced steak. the presentation is nice, but slightly bland despite all the seasoning you see.
SLIDERS
a trio of 3 sliders, so small that it’s the macaron’s long lost cousin. besides the macroscopic size, it’s quite bland and not memorable either. were my tastebuds off this day? hmm…
CRUNCHY «KFC» OR JIDORI CHICKEN WINGS
a small order of honey-​glazed wings. they were quite delish with a bit of sweetness, sprinkled with sesame seeds
* * *
LIBATIONS:
JALAPENO BASIL MARTINI:
with sugar rim. this was soooo delish. it has a spicy kick to it, and it was quite addicting.
Our server was also another non-​smiley lad, not grumpy or unfriendly, just non-​smiley. it was not that busy, but he rushed with everything. just didnt feel that 5 star service that i expect from an establishment as such. didn’t check up on us. didn’t ask if i wanted a new drink once my martini was empty. if this is Chili’s or TGIF, then i wouldn’t think so much of it, but i do expect better, especially when a famous chef’s name is on the line. i’ve gotten better service from an IHOP! it’s true.
lads & mademoiselles got mixed. what? there was a man in the woman’s restroom! and to make matters worse, there was a bathroom attendant who was present that wouldn’t do anything about it. he wasn’t in there for a quick second. he was literally there to «hang out» with the girls. it was quite uncomfortable, to say the least.
IN SUMMARY:
i would definitely come back and give their happy hour a try, since it’s also available on weekends. Valet your car so you can enjoy your meal in peace. «check-​in» to get your free appetizer. i hope that these non-​smiley workers would learn to warm up next time i come. yes, i am coming back. the interior décor is chic and modern. and besides, if you’re not full, there is a McDonalds right across the street. come for the atmosphere & vibe.
regretfully, only 3 STARS for this experience.
their HAPPY HOURS are:
Food: ½ off appetizers
Drink: ½ off cocktails; $ 5 well drinks
Thursday — Saturday: 7pm-​10pm

I like this restaurant. The price is as expected. I’ve always had good service and good experiences here (and it’s just down the hill from home).
Michael Mina in other locations is better, but this place still has delicious food.

I’m usually too lazy to write a review, but tonight’s experience at XIV was such a let down that I’m surprised Michael Mina is willing to put his name on the building. I am a big fan of Michael Mina; his original SF location was one of my fav restaurants not just because of the impeccable food but also because of the impeccable service.
Let’s talk about the service for a moment here. From the minute we sat down until the bill came, it was a series of one hot mess after another. The wine came before the first course, we had no napkins, the runner spilled food all over the table, two of the five dessert wine by the glass were out, the sommelier never came by to suggest wine pairing, and the out-​of-​stock ice wine was included on the bill. And no, I shouldn’t have to ask for more water; I wasn’t dining at Denny’s!
To be fair, the quality of the food was great. Presentation, creativity, and taste were four-​star quality. Nonetheless, to classify XIV as fine dining is an insult to all fine dining establishments everywhere.

Trying to save the best for last, Michael Mina’s restaurant XIV was one of the highlights of my trip. Dinner for 11 please!!! The ambiance of this restaurant is spectacular. You fancy huh? Quite in Aww as I haven’t been to a chichi dining area in a while.
The likes: TAPAS on the menu or order large plates to yourself. Michael Mina provides an elegant and inviting dining. As you can guess since I came with a large party we ordered almost the whole menu again.
For hors d’œuvre we ordered 4 of each item:
Freshly –popped corn drizzled with black truffle butter — WOW! way different from movie popcorn! LOL
Chips & Dip– Plantain chips, dip consisted of crispy pork, avocado and cilantro blossoms.-OMG I ate so much of this! the pork was crispy chicharon DAM MA!!!
For Tapas, 4 of each please: Ahi Tina Tartare-​asian pear, sesame ancho chili & mint– Where have you been my whole life? Off the chain! woohoo
Maine Lobster Rolls-​butter lettuce, w/​meyer lemon-​Do I need to say more? the bun of the roll was so soft like a pillow and the lobster tasted so fresh.
Crispy Calamari-​light batter– kinda oily
Soft Shell Crab– summer beans, cashews, black bean vinaigrette– a tab bit salty– I didn’t care for it.
Bay Scallops-​sunchoke, radish &oro blanco-​I loved this dish, scallops cooked perfect, too bad I had to share! LOL
Stuffed Avocado– dungeness crab, lime vinaigrette, crispy rice– fresh fresh fresh
Macaroni & Cheese gratin’s, ham, & my favorite Gruyère’ cheese– Can I get an Amen! this was the bomb!
Cooked to order market asparagus Caesar dressing– Love fresh vegetables, I felt like they had a farmers market back there! LOL
Crunchy KFC jdori chicken wings-​gochujang, sesame– deep fried crispy chicken with their special sauce. Good lord it was finger licking good!
Grilled cheese-​carmalized short ribs, pimento cheese, & crispy shallots– was not fond of it.
My other friend happened to order their Niman Ranch grade A Ribeye steak topped with portobello mushrooms drizzled in jule’ –Screaming!!! so tender & juicy-​Alleluia!
In all, I think it is too pricey for tapas, but it is the renowned Michael Mina so its defiantly worth it. Come for date night!

My bf and I got the 6 course tasting menu (we got a deal from Pop Sugar) and it was just okay.
They bring an individual plate and a plate for the table to share.
Some highlights or lowlights as I remember:
Avocado and Crab — Light refreshing dish. Crab was good. So was avocado.
Duck Prosciutto — too salty for the dish.
Lamb tagine — too gamey, too much cumin and couscous was dry.
Beef course — tasted almost like Korean BBQ.
Desserts — Some of the best desserts I’ve had. Donut was great.
In addition, bf ordered fried sweetbread, which i thought was just okay.
I think if I paid the full $ 95 per person for this tasting menu, I would have left unsatisfied. Wait, I paid less and left unsatisfied. By unsatisfied, I mean taste buds wanted more. I left more than full.

This review is a very, very high 4.9 /​5 stars.
I’ve wanted to eat at XIV by Michael Mina ever since I moved to LA three years ago. The million dollar location along with the classy foliage on the exterior only added to my excitement for the day that I finally get to dine here. XIV is one of those classy young Hollywood places that you get a nice dinner before going club hopping on La Cienega.
I’ve followed Michael Mina’s career for a couple years now, but I’ve never actually tasted any of his food. With the closing of his Michelin starred San Francisco location, I figured I needed to eat at XIV asap!
One of my close friends was visiting from out of town for a week. We were having a blast cruising around the city doing plenty of stuff neither of us had done after years of living here. On her last night in town we figured to have a celebration. You know what that means, dinner at XIV!
We had reservations for 9:30pm on Thursday night. I expected to see tons of people inside, but surprising the place was pretty empty. Oh well, maybe we just missed the dinner crowd. After finding the hidden entryway, we were greeted inside by the lovely hostess. We were shown to our table immediately and given our menus. Our table was perfect, on the edge of the dining area with an amazing view of the open kitchen. Plus we were right between two different fire places!
Our server was extremely nice and gave us plenty of time to talk while trying to decide what to order. The maitre d’ even stopped by and checked in with us a couple times. An amazing part of the meal was the small plate of hummus and pita bread. Most places put one plate in the middle of the table that everyone has to share. However, here we each got our own separate plates! After a solid 20 minutes of looking over the menu, we all decided what to order.
XIV has a tapas style menu. It has several sections of small plates that include fish, meats, chicken, and veggies. They also have a large plate entrée selections. I decided to get a couple small plates for myself. I got the ahi tuna tartar (with asian pear, sesame, ancho chili, and mint) and the macaroni and cheese gratin (with peas, ham, and gruyère). The tartar was breath taking. The small chunks of pear and sprinkled seeds were what made it great. The small pieces of toast were a great little addition too. The mac and cheese might be among the best I’ve had in my life. The gruyère was amazing and better than most cheddar cheeses that are used. The baked bits at the top were surprising little crunches every couple of bites.
I also tried the XIV grilled cheese (with caramelized beef shortribs, pimento cheese, and crispy shallots) which was great. Also, I had the sustainable shrimp scampi (hand-​cut fettuccine, and parmesan). This dish the server poured the sauce and shrimp on the pasta right at the table. He even did it so perfectly that nothing fell off the noodles! The shrimp were cooked nicely. They were even better than most seafood places I’ve tried.
After this food we were pretty full. The portions were a bit smaller, but the ingredients were ten times richer than most. The dessert menu sounded amazing though, so we decided to be polite and at least give it a look. For some reason I had been craving a root beer float for over a week. Then lo and behold, the menu had a root beer float as a dessert option! Done. Deal.
The dessert came like a shot with a tiny straw to drink it with. At first I thought about most root beer floats that come in gigantic glass cups. Then I looked at this tiny thing. But after taking one sip I could tell why the portion was so small. I don’t know what brand they use, or if they make the root beer themselves, but it had all the flavor and heaviness in one sip as half a cup of the other brands. After about five sips I could barely even breath. I was so full! The chocolate chip cookie that came with it was warm and fluffy. Nice.
XIV by Michael Mina is a fabulous restaurant where you dress to impress, suck in your gut, hike up the skirt, and go to be seen. Be sure to break out the ironing board too because you never know if you’ll be in the background of the next Us Weekly magazine cover (happened to me once)!!

Came for a friend’s birthday. I have to say he «knows» many of the people there so we were really taken care of. I think we had 10 or 11 courses — I LOVE eating this way.
Highlights: Love the warm pita and cucumber dip at the beginning. Great way to engage your palate. The crispy rice cake with salmon mouse was fantastic, the crispy black cod was divine, the burger and fries (Sooo cute and mini) were perfect as well as the meat with polenta.
I had read such mixed reviews about the Jidori chicken, I must say it was flavorful but we had a debate on whether it was chicken or fish. The texture was odd but the flavor was great.
I’m a big fan of Michael Mina — for a few reasons, I love tasting menus and all of his restaurants have vegetarian options (for the husband).
Very chic crowd, great ambiance, yes, it’s expensive but a must try.

I had this place bookmarked for awhile and used dineLA as a good excuse to finally come.
I didn’t know the restaurant was caddy corner from that shopping center on Sunset where the Virgin Megastore used to be. I expected the restaurant to be a lot bigger than it actually was. I was expecting the interior to look a lot like The Bazaar by Jose Andres since both were designed by Philippe Starck. The décor here is much more subdued than The Bazaar which is a lot more funky and outrageous.
I really liked the naan bread that came out first. In fact, the guy was nice enough to give up more… He must have read my mind! We tried the ahi tuna tartare and butternut squash bisque for appetizers, Japanese jidori chicken and Guinness braised shortrib for entrees, and the root beer float with chocolate chip cookies and bourbon glazed donuts for dessert. Of course, you come out ahead compared to if you had ordered each of those items separately.
The tuna was a pretty good size while the soup portion was pretty small. I had a taste of the chicken and it was moist and quite tasty considering chicken is often bland. The shortrib was a generous portion and was also good.
Service here was excellent – very friendly and very attentive. No complaints at all in that department! To avoid the $ 10 valet, you can just park up the street in the residential area.

Valet is $ 10. Street parking is slim and read the street signs carefully. A ticket can cost you up to almost $ 70, no joke. Remember, you’re on the West side of town and the city is broke.
When you first arrive, you’re not sure which door takes you where. If you’re standing directly in front of the place, you can enter the main door on the left of the XIV shaped bush. If you head right and turn the corner, there will be an inconspicuous door to your left that can also lead you to the dining area but it’s not marked. If you walk further that way, you’ll hit their bar/​lounge area. I recall coming here once, before it became XIV it was a night club.
When you enter the restaurant, you feel like you have been transported to another place. It definitely had that Vegas vibe as if you were eating at the Wynn/​Encore hotel. It’s really loud inside and they have the music on blast. Tons of good looking women dressed in skimpy short skirts or dresses and men rocking the blazers with douchey designer tees underneath. I’d consider this enviroment, «new money.»
Came here during the DineLA week so I stuck with the prefixed menu for $ 44. Started off with the Ahi Tuna Tartare which was accompanied by some fresh pieces of toast. I only wished the ahi tuna was slightly chilled since the toast comes out warm. Out of all the appetizer options, this was probably the better one.
By the way, the individually served table bread you receive with the sweet yogurt is amazing. Slightly oily but the combination of that and with the dip makes it hard to put down. Good thing they only give you a little bit because I could’ve easily done some more damage.
For my main course, I went with the Guiness Braised Shortrib. Hands down, this was the unanimous winner of the entrees selection. When your knife touches the meat, it shreds through like a hot knife to butter. The shortrib melts with every bite and the sauce is awesome.
The King Crab Risotto entrée wasn’t too fulfilling and seemed a bit bland. As for the Japanese Jidori Chicken, my table mate wasn’t a fan. I do recall the mac n cheese that came with the chicken was super salty.
We also had the side order of truffle mac n cheese to share. Although it was perfectly cooked, this side order is nothing to rave about. They forgot about this order and we had to ask for it twice but they apologized and gave it to us on the house. Good job XIV, nice save.
For dessert, the options were the root beer float accompanied by two freshly cooked and warm chocolate chip cookies. Hard to mess up but I have to say that the cookies hit the spot more so than the root beet float. They seemed like they just came out of the oven; the chocolate was still oozing.
The other dessert option was the bourbon glaze doughnuts with a small scoop of banana ice cream. These little tiny dougnnut holes are like regular ones you normally buy at the shop except they’re injected with steroids. These little Napoleon complex doughnuts are quite doughy but the glaze on top of it is out of this world. It may not seem like you’re getting much but with all that packed dough, it’s hard to conquer.
The overall experience was alright. Be prepared to spend some cheddar for your meal here. You definitely want to get a bit dressed up for the place and bring a little pretentious attitude to XIV. Fake the funk a little fellas and you may find yourself talking to one of the many attractive young ladies that hang out at this place.
Our waitress was very friendly and sweet. Thanks Gloria for the great service.

This place is freaking great. My boyfriend made reservations for our 1 year anniversary. We were 30 minutes late, so they had to give our table away. The best part about being late was that they gave us free champagne. The service was great. the food was great!
I’ll admit, the bill was up there, but it was worth it. My boyfriend and I did the 40 dollar menu which you get an appetizer, main entrée, and dessert. I really liked the caesar salad and I got the Thai Snapper which was delicious. The down fall was the root beer float. It was the worse root beer float i ever had and root beer float is hard to mess up, it’s just root beer and Vanilla ice cream, but this was just more than vanilla ice cream. It had that weird black jelly bean taste to it-​it was horrible.
I don’t know what some Unilocalers said about how they don’t give you enough time to enjoy your food, because I eat slow and I like to talk as well and i did not feel rushed at all. The waiter would wait until we were done with our plate and give us our next dish.
I would go back here again. =)
This place is one of my favorite restaurant to go to now…

I went to XIV in West Hollywood during DineLA week. I loved the décor of the place, its like a library, and very comfy cozy as you eat.
First, I have to tell you how weird it was to drive up to their Valet parking.
There were at least 10 valets all in black lined up to get the cars. And I have a really old junky car, so I have to look at this with a sense of humor.
I drove up and I asked «Can I please park my own car?» So they were very nice and let me park my own car because I was still willing to pay the ten bucks. One of the valets guided me as I squeezed the car into the spot. As I got out he asked me «You don’t want us to touch your car?» And I said «No, because if you touch my car, it will fall apart.» And we both laughed. I am sure he is happy to be parking something way more fancier any way.
I started my evening off with a Cucumber Pomegranate Deluxe — vodka, cucumber and mint with a splash of pomegranate. And I have to say this was the best minty drink I have ever had. And I get Mojitos all the time, but this was really superior. I loved it.
For my DineLA menu, I started off with the Tuna Tartar, followed by Lobster Ravioli. I ordered a Chardonnay to go with my dinner. My friends were eating, and no chardonnay. I reminded the waiter. Still no chardonnay. I really wanted white wine with my Lobster Ravioli — but the waiter had disappeared. So I finished my food without any white wine.
Suddenly the waiter appeared, and said «I am so sorry, I forgot your chardonnay» — and he gave me another Cucumber Pomegranate Deluxe complimentary ! Okay, that makes up for it ! A free fantastic drink. Perfect ! So I forgave him.
For dessert, I got a frozen yogert — with all sorts of tropical flavors, and a scoop of more ice cream on top. I don’t know if it was passion fruit, or tutti-​frutti — but is was a heavenly frozen yogert !
I really enjoyed this restaurant and would like to go back again. I thought the waiters and staff and valets were all very friendly. I loved both the atmosphere and the food.

The first thing I noticed about XIV was the décor and atmosphere. It seemed confused to me– sleek, modern approach on the outside, and antiquated, old-​school on the inside. Even the chairs were all mismatched. It’s the exact opposite and feels like they tried too hard.
First thing: the bar! I didn’t order anything, but I tried a white grapefruit cocktail that was soo tasty! I was seriously thinking about ordering one for myself. :) It’s tart and a little sour– the best I’ve had! We also had a lovely fruity wine– the Arnaud Ente– at the table that I liked too.
I shared with the BF so I was able to sample a couple different dishes:
–Pita bread: I thought this was fabulous, came with a really creamy (sour cream?) dip that was tasty!
–Tuna tartar: The tuna was really fresh and delicious, and it had an Asian spin with sesame oil. It was a nice touch because it smelled so good! There was a little heat in it too. It comes with a quail egg on top and they mix it table-​side. It’s served with toasted bread. Probably my favorite dish of the night.
— Butternut squash soup: It’s a sweet, creamy soup that has bits of butternut in it for texture. If you like sweet soup, this is for you!
— Lobster ravioli: This was the dish with the most problems. First off, I was really disappointed with the quantity. Only four?! That’s more an appetizer than a main meal. There were plentiful chunks of lobster so I can sympathize, but definitely not forgivable (esp. for its price). Very creamy. I couldn’t really share with my friends since there wasn’t a lot to go around.
— Hanger steak: The steak was cooked very nicely, and the mushrooms worked well with the jus. We all agreed that the slivers of fried potato on top didn’t work. I think they were going for texture but it just ended up being soggy.
— Root beer float with chocolate chip cookies: Mmm, this was my favorite because I love root beer floats. The cookies were fresh out of the oven– super warm and the chocolate was melting. Reminds me of when I was a little kid. :)
— Yuzu, yogurt and melon: Per the waitress’ suggestion, it was super light and refreshing. I liked the yuzu and the yogurt, but not the melon. They turned it into a jelly-​like consistency that tasted funky. We all agreed that this could have served as a palate cleanser more than dessert.
I liked some of the dishes, but there are minor improvements that could be made to most. Valet parking is $ 10.

** GORGEOUS RESTAURANT WITH EXCELLENT FOOD **
Had my doubts about this restaurant when I made my reservation for the DineLA Restaurant Week. I guess the biggest complaint I hear from everyone is that the service at this restaurant is extremely slow. BUT… that was not the case for me. I had awesome service during my entire evening. I came hungry and left very happy and satisified!
Here’s my notes on the food:
AHI TUNA TARTARE: Beautifully decorated with the quail egg served on top of the tuna tartare. The server mixed ancho chile, pears, pine nuts, sesame oil together for you and the dish is served with 3 slices of toast. This dish was awesome!
LOBSTER RAVIOLI: This dish was absolutely wonderful, but the only downside to this is that the entrée only came with 4 pieces of lobster ravioli. If I didn’t share my friend’s Braised Lamb Tajine with her, I would have left the restaurant starving.
BRAISED LAMB TAJINE: I loved this dish! The smell of the lamb just made me drool. Meat was perfectly cooked, and I definitely didn’t need the steak knife to help me tear the meat apart. Yum! However, I didn’t like the cous cous too much… I personally thought it was too sweet.
And to end the evening, I ordered the MILK CHOCOLATE «CANDY BAR». It was served over brownie and malt ice cream. Not too sweet. Just perfect :)
CONCLUSION:
I love everything about this place, the décor, the food, the service. The only thing I don’t like is that it’s on Sunset, and only offers valet parking for $ 10.

Its been a while since I visited XIV but I have only been here for the dinner and not the happy hour. And having read the reviews it appears that happy hour and dinner service and prices quite differ.
I am going to have to agree with most of the reviews that XIV is a great place to people watch
People Watching:
One of the most memorable events about this place was watching this poor 20-​something stumble to find the entrance door to the restaurant. When I walked up form valet and opened the door with little effort — she looked at me like I was genius. Another tip, do all your touch ups before you arrive, the women in the restroom will hog the mirror.
Dinner:
We started off with the Tuna Tartare, I had the lamb (and my date had the steak ???) I don’t remember because I was not willing to share my main course and for desert we had the Candy Bar and the Float. Overall the food was good, the crowd was great and the service was excellent. Again we came here for dinner, and not the 50% off happy hour experience.
Overall this is a good place for a date, the restaurant is beautiful, the crowd is amusing and the food is good, and the prices are reasonable. XIV is everything that I would expect out of the WeHo/​Sunset Strip location, Great food, a good mix of professionals, wannabe/​poseurs, sugar daddy’s and the youngins that love them in short this is place sooo L-​A! I have to give it 5 stars

Came back here for their Midsummer Night’s Drink special and had horrible service from the bitchy waitresses that obviously thought «working» meant hanging out behind the bar texting.
Why did I need to ask for water 3 times and why did her eyes roll every time i asked for it? Just bring it to me the first time and we can avoid all the rigmarole!

As a self-​described «fitness whore» and longtime member of Crunch Gym across the street from XIV, I must have driven past this place like fourteen… thousand times.
Friday was the night that ended that streak because this time, I actually pulled up into the driveway. This was the first stop of many for GNO. We came to enjoy the happy hour on the terrace. We shared a few appetizers. kobe beef sliders, ahi tuna tartare, gourmet nuggets of some sort & fries. Small portions but delectable bites nonetheless.
On to the drinks: I tried Malia Mango, a tasty specialty cocktail, but not strong enough for me AT ALL. For any of the girls in our group, for that matter. So, either I’ve got the alcohol tolerance of a sailor, or they’ve got to stop being sheisty with their liquor. The cocktail was still $ 15 after all, so I fully expect my moneys worth. All XV of it, dammit.
Crowd, very Hollywood. Young hipsters, aspiring actor/​model/​musicians, old men & the gold diggers who love them, a few excited out of towners, a few birthday celebrations, etc. Unfortunately not enough eye candy for our liking. There were some strange looking people in there at the time, to be perfectly honest. Good thing it was a beautiful night and the exhibition kitchen gave us some scenery to enjoy. I love the décor of the place. Hip & swanky, just as you’d come to expect from an SBE venue. Bathroom is super compact and has the shittiest stall door placement in the universe. Just go there and you’ll see what I mean.
I want to check out the Sunday Sessions. heard they were a blast. $ 10 valet, but you have no choice; not really any street parking to be had.
I want to come here for dinner soon, but I’ll probably be here for SS or Happy Hour before that. Easier on the bank account. Unless I luck out and someone else offers to foot the bill. Whatever comes first. LOL

Kwiri’s recent discovery of the month:
To enhance your dining experience:
1. Restaurants tend to give supreme service when you subliminally complain about your horrible experience with their competitors. (while reading the menu, sound very surprised how awesome this restaurant is compared to the other «XXXX» restaurant) I used Providence.
2. Write a note on a napkin or ask the waitress to make sure to tell the chef that the food was amazing! (Chefs sneaks in some treats for ya…)
3. Compliment the hostess about her dress, appearance, shoes or even hair! (doesn’t matter if your girlfriend or wife is there) you guys will get the best seat available in the house.
To avoid going home with a sad face:
1. DO NOT under-​estimate the «Market– Price» … your one tiny bite of Golden caviar may be priced at $ 108 dollars… Always ask the waitress in advance…
2. Make sure to read the signs on the restroom «Carefully». These fancy restaurants tend to have secret codes on their restroom doors… Always remember, women wear skirts. Restroom signs are still old fashioned. Consider yourself lucky if it is not written in some foreign language… it’s always good to know what female vs. male looks like in every language… especially in Japanese.
3. Make sure to control your date/​boyfriends when they try to show off with their wine knowledge… you will end up paying over a $$$$ grand on the check.
On the side note,
I think Michael Mina might be a Chef Head Boss from some Mafia clan…
Upon your arrival to the restaurant, over 10 valet parkers dressed in black suit lines up and greets you in an «Asian Mafia «Style…
He has over 17 restaurants around and you can follow him on tweeter. Hopefully I’ll get lucky next time and find him behind the kitchen preparing my scrumpdilliyumtious dishes.