Local Power Lunches

If you haven’t made plans for lunch yet and you’re feeling up to making the power lunch scene, you may want to check out a recent Eater LA listicle “LA’s Hottest Power Lunches Spots,” that named five neighborhood restaurants – Kali, Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar and Grill, République, Salt’s Cure and Spartina.

According to EaterLA, “This list of power lunch spots showcases the best of that bunch, places where you can take your out-of-town parents (and hope they pay), or where you can hold your next investor meeting over a daytime bottle of fine wine,” wrote Farley Elliot.

Naturally, this is a controversial topic — it is LA, after all.

One reader (g63amg) scoffed in the article’s comments section that “In my opinion, and I’m guessing a lot of people here would agree with me, a lot of the so-called “power lunch” places aren’t listed here. Polo Lounge, Soho House, Spago, Hotel Bel Air, Bouchon, E. Baldi, Il Pastaio, Nobu Malibu and others are what you can call ‘power lunches.’ You may not like the food at the restaurants I mentioned, but they ARE what you can call ‘power lunches,’ meaning that powerful people break deals there. That’s the whole point of them being called ‘power lunches.’ Trust me when I tell you that they’re not breaking deals in Culver City, or at the Grove for that matter.”

In defense, author Elliot replied, “Matt Kang and I picked these places based on what’s hot in the lunch scene right now — they’re powerful players in the genre, and yes there are some business deals being made at these places. There will always be stalwarts of the big business lunch scene like Polo Lounge, but it’s important to highlight a lot of what’s hot in that market right this very moment, and that’s what this map is trying to represent.”

We’ll leave the controversy to the “power brokers.” Whether you’re into a power lunch or just good food, it’s nice to know we have so many great options in our neighborhood and we’re so pleased for that our local restauranteurs, are being recognized for their excellent efforts.

Below are Eater’s recommendations, please consider sharing your favorite “power lunch” place.

Kali, in particular, is both new on Melrose and getting all kinds of accolades, including three stars from the LA Weekly.

Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill in the Grove, convenient for shopping before or after lunch.

République on La Brea offers a wide range of menu and table settings, making it a lively place for lunch that’s also fast!

We’ve not been to these, so here’s what Eater has to say:

Salt’s Cure
“Ever since this once-diminutive all-day option moved over to Highland, it’s been a lunch bonanza. Salt’s Cure’s strength has always been its meats, whether in a burger or as part of breakfast, and their refined lunch menu plays to those strengths in a very, very strong way.”

“Melrose Italian spot Spartina is Stephen Kalt’s most recent masterwork, a blend of casual Italian fare and an outdoor dining experience that’s second to almost none. Expect hearty food done at appropriate scale, so as not to leave you too weighed-down for your next stop along the glitzy avenue.”