The Eater Guide to Eating and Drinking Around the 2023 U.S. Open in Los Angeles
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The Eater Guide to Eating and Drinking Around the 2023 U.S. Open in Los Angeles
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Los Angeles will be the center of the golf world this week as the 2023 U.S. Open Golf Championship comes to the city for the first time in 75 years. Hosted by the Los Angeles Country Club, long considered one of the most exclusive (and well-designed) golf courses in the world, this year’s U.S. Open will bring thousands of fans to the Westside of LA around Century City and Beverly Hills. Many Angelenos might not even realize the hedged and covered oasis of grass placed right smack among the expensive homes and towering office buildings along Wilshire Boulevard contained a global golf destination.
Local controversies of golf and its place in urban areas aside, the biggest controversy in the history of golf is one of the biggest storylines this week as the PGA Tour and LIV announced a merger backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund after months of bickering. Players and everyone else in the sphere of the sport were shocked by the news that looms ahead of this week’s major championship.
However, fans descending upon LA Country Club are going to have a bigger situation on their hands: where to eat and drink around the course after the competition is over. As one can imagine, the traffic around Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards will be hellish, which means the better option will be to book a reservation somewhere in Century City or Beverly Hills to wait it all out. Here now, Eater’s guide to eating and drinking around the 2023 U.S. Open Golf Championship.
Capri at Eataly
The Westfield Century City sits along the southern edge of LA Country Club’s famed North course, which opens the fancy mall’s various restaurants up for an ideal place to catch lunch or dinner. The short walk from the country club also makes it a good spot to wait out what will likely be crushing traffic along Santa Monica Boulevard. Eataly’s various food options work for a variety of appetites, but the newly reimagined Capri conjures up visions of a breezy, relaxed trattoria along the Amalfi Coast with solid housemade pasta, a cold crunchy salad with plump, juicy shrimp, and a gorgeous grilled filet of swordfish. Paired with iced limoncello spritzes or easy-drinking but aromatic Volpe di Coda wine from Campania, Capri works as a low-key respite from the golf action.
Craft
Tom Colicchio’s now classic American restaurant has been a Hollywood deal-making spot for over a decade, where one can expect expert cocktails and wine pairings with market-fresh produce and reliably-cooked proteins in a sleek dining room.
Din Tai Fung
Expect to wait for this global chain’s steamed juicy soup dumplings and pan-fried rice cakes, though Din Tai Fung and its easy-going Shanghai-style food are always worth it. Start with a plate of crispy, slightly spicy chile oil cucumbers, then venture to either the pork chop with fried rice or black pepper beef tenderloin. For a Chinese restaurant, the menu at Din Tai Fung is well-edited and solid across the board, making it the ideal post-golf crowd-pleaser.
Crustacean
With a stylish, if a bit over-the-top dining room in the heart of Beverly Hills’s Golden Triangle, Crustacean serves some of LA’s most cherished Vietnamese-influenced fare, including a world-beating plate of garlic noodles with sauteed Dungeness crab prepared in a “secret kitchen.” But beyond the secrets and shadows, 78-year-old chef Helene An is actually often working the dining room and shaking hands with celebrities and ordinary folks alike.
La Dolce Vita
In the running for the hottest restaurant in LA right now, this tiny former Frank Sinatra haunt just steps from LACC is going to be a tough table to get this weekend. But those who can get a coveted table at the reopened and refurbished La Dolce Vita should order the shrimp fra diavola, spaghetti with meatballs, and either the immense veal parmesan or the more sensible, but equally delicious, branzino piccata. Save room for the perfect chocolate tart dessert.
Steak 48
It’s probably not a stretch to say golfers and steak-eaters overlap quite a bit, which means those seeking seared chops will land at one of Beverly Hills’s numerous steakhouses. Steak 48 is the hottest new place of the bunch, with enormous, pristine seafood towers and buttery, herb-dusted steaks. The flashy dining room just packed with Rolex-wearers should feel like a comfortable place for golf fans.
Mírame
Veteran chef Joshua Gil’s inventive Baja-inspired fare could be the best Mexican restaurant in Beverly Hills thanks to luxurious uni-topped or wagyu-laden tacos and a fantastic whole-fried snapper served with wide purple corn tortillas. The gorgeous Matt Winter-designed interior and patios are also perfect for people-watching in the 90210.
The Cigar and Whiskey Bar
One will need a reservation for this hidden and exclusive cocktail bar inside the Maybourne, but those who can get in (it’s not that hard, just call) will get the chance to enjoy rarefied spirits, terrific cocktails (like the U.S. Open’s signature Lemon Wedge made with Dewars 12 scotch, club soda, and lemonade), and an impressive selection of cigars.
Ramen Nagi
Sometimes a more simple, but flavor-packed meal is in order, and Ramen Nagi, a chain from Tokyo, serves some of the top noodle soups in town. With quick service and umami-riddled bowls, try the chile-tinted Spicy king or opt for a lighter vegan ramen made with shiitake mushrooms and spinach.
Avra
Greek seafood haven Avra has a wide open dining room and relaxed street-side patio for prime people watching, but those looking for a great piece of grilled fish will have to look inward at the nightly selection of fresh seafood on display. Start with a feta-tomato-cucumber salad, order up the comforting manouri saganaki, and don’t miss the grilled langoustines if they’re available.
Source: Eater LA
