Maude 2.0’s Series on Rioja Now Accepting Reservations

The quarterly menus commence right this second

Maude’s new menu format, which features a quarterly lineup instead of a new monthly bill of fare, began on December 1 and will continue to accept reservations throughout the rest of winter. This new menu features food and wine pairings inspired by the Spanish wine region of Rioja, and costs a reasonable $125 per person excluding beverages, taxes, or service charge.

Given Maude’s new focus on wine, it’s likely that most diners will opt for a meal that leans heavily toward wine which probably helps balance out the lower cost for a fine dining meal of this caliber. Don’t worry, anyone looking to blow their year-end bonuses can opt for one of the remaining truffle dinners for the month of December. Get tickets on Tock right here.

NoMad’s pop-up at The Walker Inn

The NoMad continues to work on marketing its grand opening in Downtown LA, this time with a pop-up at The Walker Inn in Koreatown. Cocktail lead Leo Robitschek and bar manager Dave Purcell (formerly of Melrose Umbrella Co.), have a naughty or nice holiday drink menu running Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays until December 19. The pop-up already started last night, but there’s still plenty of time to try drinks from one of the World’s Best Bars before it opens in Downtown. Here’s the full menu.

On the subject of holiday cocktails

The colder weather means it’s the ideal time to try some eggnog or cranberry-infused cocktails, and Good Housekeeping in Highland Park has a slate of new drinks to try. Perhaps one of the prettiest is the Carnival of Souls, mixing tequila, lemon, bubble gum syrup, sparkling cava, and a floating cloud of cotton candy. The special holiday menus run every Wednesday throughout the month of December.

The best of the best

Grand Central Market might have a bit of an uncertain future, but The Observer reminds everyone why it’s one of the best food halls in the country. They pick five of the best spots to try, including Knead & Co, Sticky Rice, and Mark Peel’s enduring Prawn.

Students protest the cheapest good food in Westwood

The local UCLA chapter of the California Public Interest Research group, went to In-N-Out’s Irvine headquarters to protest the burger company’s use of antibiotics in its food. According to the Daily Bruin, the group’s work in the past made companies like McDonald’s, KFC, and Wendy’s remove antibiotics in its supply chain. Says one student activist: “I don’t eat beef, so I don’t eat at In-N-Out much and yet it scares me since so many people die each year of antibiotic resistance.”

Line monitors work at Howlin’ Ray’s.

Apparently the lines at Howlin’ Ray’s, which regularly tweets out the time it takes to get an order of its Nashville-style hot chicken, hit nearly three hours on Sunday, though some tweets might’ve mentioned a three-plus hour wait. Just a note that Howlin’ Ray’s is closed for the holidays from December 20 to 24, in case any out-of-town guests want to check it out.