LUNCH PICKS ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE

dineL.A. celebrates their 10th anniversary from January 12-26, 2018 by featuring over 375 options for lunch and dinner. American Express is sponsoring an Exclusive Series with restaurants offering deluxe menus that start at $95. You’ve only got 30 meals to work with. My lunch and dinner recommendations don’t even include Hall of Fame choices like Craft, Fogo de Chao and Lawry’s The Prime Rib. Make your calendar count with my prized picks, which appear in alphabetical order.

DINNER

1. Belle Vie Food & Wine ($39)

Vincent Samarco was born and raised in Paris, but Belle Vie Food & Wine doesn’t always cling to French traditions in Brentwood. Chef Cedric Nicolas executes a creative, seasonal menu, which patrons enjoy at the marble bar and red cushioned banquettes.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Warm Smoked Salmon • Slow Cooked Beef Cheek Burgundy Style • Baba Au Rhum

2. The Bellwether ($29)

Chef Ted Hopson and Ann-Marie Verdi have turned their Sherman Oaks restaurant into a seasonal dining destination. The Bellwether serves California comfort food that isn't just good for the Valley. For dineL.A., choose three dishes from a 10-dish pool that’s primarily savory.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Braised Lamb • Meatballs • Grilled Skirt Steak

3. Border Grill ($29)

Longtime culinary stars Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger have kept a restaurant rolling in DLTA for 20 years, starting with Ciudad, and since 2010, with Border Grill. dineL.A. is a key time for the duo to showcase recent innovations, Winter 2018 is no exception.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Octopus Diablo • Market Fish Bowl • Sweet Potato Flan

4. Cal Mare ($49)

The first restaurant at the retooled Beverly Center from Michael Mina is an Italian seafood concept with longtime culinary lieutenant Adam Sobel. Cal Mare’s powerhouse crew includes chef de cuisine Joe Sasto, currently competing on “Top Chef.” Their menu gets creative with Italian culinary convention, and not just seafood.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Calamari Alla Diavola • Cavolfiore Arcobaleno • Pesce Del Giorno & Patate Croccanti • Gelato e Cannoli

5. Charcoal ($49)

Melisse is still going strong after nearly two decades. Chef-owner Josiah Citrin embraced a new challenge with Charcoal, a more casual restaurant where many dishes benefit from wood smoke. Charcoal packages a variety of flavors for dineL.A. and leaves dessert to another master: McConnell's Fine Ice Creams.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Cabbage Baked in the Embers, Yogurt, Sumac and Lemon Zest • Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings, Oregano, Chile, and Vinegar • Crudo, Kissed by the Coals, Charred Lemon Vinaigrette • Little Gems, “Flavors of Ceasar” • Prime Hangar Steak • Boneless Jidori Chicken, Salsa Verde • Coal Roasted Carrots, Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Herbs, Honey and Black Pepper • Apple Turnover, McConnell’s Vanilla Ice Cream

6. Chianina Steakhouse ($49)

Chianina Steakhouse, the luxurious Naples Island restaurant from Long Beach impresario Michael Dene, staked its reputation on lean, buttery Chianina beef that’s grass-fed in Utah. Chef Bryant Taylor makes sure the menu stays interesting for more than meat lovers.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Spinach Cavatelli, Chianina Beef Bolognese, Grana Padano • Prime Flat Iron, Potato Mille Fuille, Shaved Brussels Sprouts, Bacon • Brown Butter Cake, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Ganache

7. The Hungry Cat ($39)

Chef David Lentz recently consolidated his progressive seafood concept, The Hungry Cat, closing locations in Santa Monica and Santa Barbara. As always, he goes big for dineL.A. at his 12-year-old courtyard restaurant in Hollywood's Sunset + Vine complex.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): 6 oysters on the half-shell • Grilled trout, sunchoke puree, spaetzle, mustard greens & brown butter • Apple beignets & salted caramel

8. Lost At Sea ($39)

Chef Tim Carey and business partner Santos Uy specialize in seafood and value in Old Pasadena, and both elements are on display for dineL.A.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Crostino • NZ King Salmon • Ice Cream Sandwich

9. Lunetta Dining Room & Bar ($49)

Lunetta Dining Room & Bar is the more formal side of Lunetta, a dual concept with modern American cooking from chef Raphael Lunetta and Divide + Conquer partners Daniel Weinstock and Mike Garrett near Santa Monica College.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Homemade Meatballs • Wood Grilled NY Steak • Sticky Toffee Pudding

10. M.B. Post ($39)

David LeFevre and the Simms brothers started their culinary march through Manhattan Beach at this former post office. Share-friendly plates (and glasses) tend to pile up on tables thanks to consistent creativity and global influences. Choose dishes from four different dineL.A. courses, amounting to a massive meal: Eat Your Vegetables, Seafood…Eat Food, Meat Me Later, and A Spoon Full of Sugar.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Weiser Farm Roasted Sunchokes • Seared Idaho Trout • Milk Braised Pork • The “Elvis”

11. The Mighty ($29)

Karen Hatfield and fellow chef/husband Quinn expand beyond Mid-City for the first time with The Mighty, a seasonal California comfort food spot with a serious baking program. Their salads are some of L.A.’s best, and don’t sleep on their house-made pastas.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Leafy Caesar, roasted garlic Parmesan vinaigrette, crispy breadcrumbs • House Made Squid Ink Pasta, creamy pomodoro sauce, Dungeness crab, basil • Chocolate Devil’s Food Nutella Cake

12. Mikkeller DTLA ($29)

Renowned Copenhagen-born brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergsø teamed with prominent Bay Area bar owner Chuck Stilphen on Mikkeller DTLA. Their most ambitious replaced a century-old auto repair shop with on a restaurant with 60 taps and meat-focused kitchen from executive chef Enrique Cuevas. Comfort food to pair with San Diego-brewed Mikkeller beers include house-made sausages.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): House-Made Pretzel • Burger • Faux-Etzel • Mikkeller SD Beer

13. Monkey Bar ($29)

Monkey Bar is the most unheralded concept from David Tewasart in the Santa Anita food court, which also includes Side Chick and Matcha Matcha. Chef Johnny Lee has become revered for chicken rice, and Chef Eugene Santiago complements matters at this adjacent bistro.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Roasted Brussels Sprouts • Pork Chop • Pumpkin Cheesecake

14. Sotto ($39)

Sister restaurant Rossoblu is also participating in dineL.A., but this time, I prefer the menu for Sotto, the subterranean southern Italian restaurant from Steve Samson and wife Dina in Beverlywood. Sotto sources impeccable ingredients and utilizes a deluxe wood-burning oven, which doesn't just come in handy for pizza.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Grilled Pork Shoulder, broccoli di ciccio, cipollini onions, Taggiasca olives • Red Wine Braised Short Rib, olive oil crushed potatoes, braised greens, horseradish/hazelnut gremolata • Parsnip, Date, and Hazelnut Cake with Meyer lemon glaze

15. Tsubaki ($39)

Chef Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan are serving four courses at their market-driven Echo Park izakaya, a restaurant that’s already among the neighborhood’s vanguard, and plans to expand focus in 2018.

Must Order Dishes (aka what I’d order): Sakura Masu Tartare: ocean trout crudo, salmon roe, pickled daikon • Kushiyaki Morawase: assortment of grilled skewers • Kare Soba: buckwheat curry noodles, chile garlic oil • Hoji-cha Soft Serve: roasted green tea soft serve