Ordering off the menu is a pro move.
Consider it the culinary equivalent to insider trading — ‘cept it’s super legal.
And now there’s an entire week devoted to it: introducing Resy’s inaugural Off Menu Week, in which some of best eateries in L.A. will treat intrepid diners to a meal so special they won’t even put it in print.
The festivities kick off February 25th, with 14 Southland dining institutions slated to participate. At each dinner, attendees will have the opportunity to observe the inner workings of how a meal moves from concept to execution, with “experimental concepts and off menu hits” coming to life before them.
And booking your spot is easy: just reserve a table at any of the participating restaurants between February 25th and March 3rd via Resy. Whether you’re a first-time diner looking to add a new haunt to your list or looking to spice things up at a spot you already know and love, it’s everything you need to turn yourself into a bonafide insider.
Below, we’ve got the skinny on the ones you don’t want to miss … along with a sneak preview of what the chefs are planning on cooking up.
Night + Market and Night + Market Sahm
West Hollywood, Venice
Arguably one of the best spots for Thai in all of Southern California. Their Off Menu Week offerings will include dishes that pay homage to Chef Kris Yenbamroong’s personal history with L.A., including a tribute to one of his favorite meals as a kid — Panda Express’s Orange Chicken — and a Thai Tea Tres Leches cake that is a play off of the very cake served at his wedding. Along with their regular menu, Night + Market (and Night + Market Sahm) offer guests a window into Chef Yenbamroongs life-long love affair with Los Angeles.
Night + Market
9043 Sunset Blvd (Map)
Website
Night + Market Sahm
2533 Lincoln Blvd (Map)
Website
Tallula’s
Santa Monica
Religion. Politics. Your favorite Mexican restaurant. Those are the three topics of conversation that any Angeleno must approach with care, for they are certain to get an earful should they be glib. Fortunately, if Mexican food doubles as your religion, then Tallula’s is your church, and the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market is the rock upon which it has been built. The relationship between the two allows Tallula’s to make everything, and they mean everything, in-house from scratch. Take the Sweet Azul Tamale, an Off Menu exclusive that Chef Saw Naing has been “obsessed” over. For months, he has been tweaking the homemade masa in search of unlocking the perfect flavor profile for those lucky enough to steal a taste.
Maude
Beverly Hills
Australian powerhouse chef Curtis Stone’s Maude — named after his grandmother who introduced him to his love for cooking — is using Off Menu Week to give their guests a preview of their second-quarter menu over a month in advance. Inspired by the great wine capitals of the world, sommelier Andrey Tolmachyov will provide pairing options, “so true oenophiles will be witness to the careful curation of wines the restaurant has become known for.” Grab your partner, practice the five S’s of wine tasting — see, swirl, sniff, sip, savor — and get ready to treat your palette to a night on the vine.
Rustic Canyon
Santa Monica
In the world of chef celebrity, line cooks are a source of food wizardry that often go unappreciated and flat out ignored by the unsuspecting public. Rustic Canyon aims to change that, as their line cooks will get top billing for Off Menu Week.
Take Jigu Kim’s Beet Aguachile, which starts with dehydrated chunks of cooked beets, then rehydrates them in orange juice. Combined with blood orange and watermelon radish, it’s a mix of texture and flavor that is not only bright and refreshing, but vegan. Along with Jigu, selections will include Colin Chase’s Braised Fennel, Cecilia Ortiz’s Chorizo and Jeremiah Lacsamana’s Fish en Papillote, all of which showcase the blossoming talent working under chef de cuisine Andy Doubrava and chef/owner Jeremy Fox.
1119 Wilshire Blvd (Map)
Website
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