A New Years Party at Clifton's and Long Lines at Chengdu Taste Vegas, Plus More News

Sqirl x Soba

There’s a soba noodle-making party going down tomorrow night at Sqirl, with master Sonoko Sakai on board to help out. The workshop runs two hours and costs $125, and will apparently include lots of soba slurping along the way.

Clifton’s for New Years

In truly opulent fashion (this is Clifton’s, after all), it looks like the Downtown multi-level restaurant/bar/event venue is going big for New Years Eve. Tickets apparently run $80 and include drinks, and will include some performances by Dita Von Teese. Tickets are going to go fast though, so better jump on it.

Chengdu Taste Vegas is a hit

Here’s a peek at that new Chengdu Taste in Las Vegas, which turned around a failed Hunan spot in about a month and is already becoming one of the more popular Chinatown Vegas dining options. Take a look at those lines.

Best first date bars

Letting the magic of the season carry you into an end-of-year date with someone special? TimeOut LA has a list of great places to make that first drink worthwhile.

Vaka Burger gets some love

Here's a long-overdue look at Vaka Burger in Boyle Heights by the LA Times. The much-hyped burgermakers went from truck to pop-up to permanent fixture inside Ramirez Beverage Center on Olympic Boulevard, and are now churning out some of the most reliably delicious burgers in that area.

Pizza Buona gone

No more old school pizza for Echo Park, as longtime neighborhood staple Pizza Buona has shuttered as of Sunday, says The Eastsider. Sad news for the area, and with little word on what might be going in. Luckily, the 1959-era eatery says they're working on a new location soon.