What’s for Dinner?

I don’t know about you, but the endless making of dinners for the family day after day gets to be a real grind for me. Top it off with all the holiday meals of late – the feasting extravaganzas that miraculously appear for everyone save the lowly cook in the kitchen – and I’ve had just about enough of the whole cooking thing for a while. It may just be time to check out a couple of new and different meal options in Hollywood.

The Melt Sunset & Vine  (6290 Sunset Blvd) is a San Francisco transplant that boasts a “Yup, it’s just cheese and bread” philosophy.  It offers sandwiches like Brie w/Apple Honey on Country French for about $5 to which you can add bacon and/or tomato for free.The Melt is a great solution for those days when you haven’t thought ahead about what to cook, are on your way home and have some hungry kids waiting for food on the table. “Order Online and Skip the Line” allows you to place your order via their website, scan the generated code and pick up onsite where they’ll make it hot and fast as soon as you arrive. Gluten-free options are available. With some 16 busy locations in NoCal, and one downtown LA, the Melt may soon invade LA now that the classy Campanille no longer has their memorable, and sorely missed, Grilled Cheese Nights. Daily 7 am- midnight, park below for pick-up.

Redemption Foods (1253 Vine St.) means what it says in its name: a restaurant where people can redeem themselves. In this case it’s ex-cons who work to get back on their feet, claim a new purpose in life and learn about the business of running a cafe. The food looks delicious and features items like Roasted Shrimp Polenta and Shepard’s Pie, with menu changing daily in “constant renewal.”  The space is simple and clean, and  is tucked away in the “El Floridita” mini-mall on Fountain and Vine. Redemption is a non-profit enterprise so you can feel good about eating all the good that’s happening at this place. Open daily 11am – 8 pm. Read the Thrillist review.