In LA’s Tough Restaurant Market, Catering to Kids Certainly Makes Sense

Kids meals come to the Albright

There’s a growing trend (or rather, the return of a trend) in the restaurant scene these days: catering to kids. With more and more spots to dine on the greater Los Angeles scene, some restaurants have once again begun offering reduced-price meals or specific menus to little ones (or just catering to the whole family with early dinner times and the like) as a way to stand out.

Case in point: The Albright in Santa Monica. Running through March, the restaurant will be doing free kids meals for anyone who orders an adult entree, Tuesday and Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Other places like Salazar and North Hollywood’s El Tejano use their open space to allow for maximum stroller and early dinner seating, while Au Fudge continues to be a full-on playpen for tykes. That’s all good news for families, from parents to kids alike.

Super Amazing Restaurant Show talks wine

It’s wine time for the Super Amazing Restaurant Show, as Alvin Cailan, and Nakul and Arjun Mahendro chat up a pair of sommeliers (Anthony Cailan and Young Gun Maxfield Schnee) about all things wine, hospitality, and restaurants. It’s an engaging look at a sometimes mystifying part of the business, and offers some pretty keen insights on how to order and what to expect from your next somm. Plus, the podcast is now on iTunes, which is nice.

Tons of ramen

Want some free ramen? Get to DTLA Ramen and show off the below image for a free bowl. The promotion runs Friday and Saturday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., so you’ve got lots of opportunities.

Baran’s 2239 gets brunchy

One of the South Bay’s better new restaurants, Baran’s 2239 in Hermosa Beach, is jumping into the brunch game. Chef Tyler Gugliotta is rocking a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekend menu filled with Japanese omelettes with yuzu, biscuits and gravy, and more.

Blu Jam grows and grows

There’s yet another Blu Jam Cafe for brunch lovers to enjoy, this time out in Tarzana. The company has made a feast of feeding the Valley eggs, and now Ventura Blvd. Magazine reports on a new 121-seater at Tarzana’s Village Walk, which opened in January.

Biryani moves

Spice Affair in Beverly Hills launches a new weekly move called Biryani Thursdays. The restaurant kicks it off tonight with eight different versions of the rice dish, varying in their heat level, to serve up to customers.

Paley’s Oscars plans

Hollywood’s glamorous Paley is working up a cocktail menu specifically for the Oscars, doing throwback items meant to inspire from award shows of the past. You can also watch the Oscars from a projector at the restaurant, and they’ll be handing off a $100 gift card to the diner with the best voting ballot.