dineLA October 2011

For this most recent dineLA, I went to 3 places: Border Grill, Bouchon and Mas Malo. None of these really stood out for me. I've been to Border Grill, so it was not a new experience. Frankly, this is a great place to go for a margarita, some tacos and tamales, but their entrees are nothing really special. Bouchon is Thomas Keller's bistro recently opened in Beverly Hills. The food was top notch for bistro fare, but you can get a lot of top notch bistro fare in LA. The service was fine but not outstanding. The decor of the dining room is really nice but the prices are high and I'm not sure it's all worth it. Mas Malo is a fun little mexican restaurant in downtown. The food is inexpensive, the room is noisy but fun and they have a lounge-y bar downstairs for nightcaps. We were rushing to a show afterwards, so I appreciated their quick service. I would come here again with a group of people to share drinks and food.