Don't feel like firing up the kitchen stove or serving the same, plain picnic stand-bys? Lesley Balla, editor of food blog Eater LA, leads us on a gourmet take-out adventure in search of fresh, seasonal and locally sourced food. For those hot summer nights when no one feels like cooking or impromptu picnics at the Hollywood Bowl, Lesley suggests:
- Clementine - antipasti, roasted chicken with lemon and thyme, pasta, dips served with crostini and crudites, butterscotch brownies, and Hollywood Bowl picnic baskets
- Joan's on Third - salads, meats, Korean short ribs, and vegetarian selections (call in advance to order a picnic for the Bowl)
- Lemon Moon - salads, burgers, panini sandwiches (only open for breakfast and lunch)
- The Little Door and Little Next Door - carrot and apple salad with cilantro, green lentil salad with butternut squash and olives, pates, terrines, cheeses and organic breads
- Square One - all locally sourced food and artisanal products
- Wilshire - chef/parter Christopher Blobaum's very "green" restaurant in design, waste management and locally source food
- Grace & BLD - both owned by chef Neal Fraser; new tasting menu with products and seasonal ingredients from within 400 miles of restaurants. Grace (pronounced "gras") provides sophisticated dining, whereas, BLD is a casual cafe serving breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Canele - communal table; rustic bistro food, simply prepared and seasonal