While it’s beyond exciting to finally be able to dine out again, there’s something about hosting a dinner party at home. And with access to the Clubhouse Deck and 29th floor Rooftop Deck at 1133 Hope, you have incredible outdoor space with fantastic city views at every turn.
On the expansive Clubhouse Deck, use the outdoor grill and entertain in the dining area, or use the indoor lounge with full kitchen and dining space. Guests can linger in various lounge areas around the deck. Plus there’s a pool and private cabanas. The Rooftop has a bar space plus tables for dining, both which are perfect for sunset cocktail hour!
The best parties are those where you don’t do all the work. When it comes to food, you can cook and prepare everything on site, or simply leave it all up to one of the fantastic restaurants around Downtown LA to supply the goods. If it comes in a box, just put it in a lovely bowl or platter, and let your guests think you have some serious kitchen game. Here are a few ideas to make that sunset gathering the best of the season.
Oyster Happy Hour
The Oyster Gourmet at Grand Central Market celebrates all things briny bivalves almost every day of the week, and now it’s available for home. Order at least 24 hours in advance, and you can get freshly shucked oysters on ice with all the accouterments, i.e. lemon, mignonette, cocktail sauce, and horseradish. Get them by the dozen, order enough for everyone, and pick up right before the bottles of bubbly are popped to go along with them. Want to really make a splash? Have an on-site oyster shucker on the rooftop with you. Find more info here.
A Mediterranean Spread
We are so happy the team is back at Bavel, one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in all of Los Angeles. Lucky for you, the Arts District spot just happens to be (almost) in your own backyard. That makes it easy for pickup or delivery, whether you’re ordering a meal for two or 10. Select a la carte items from the menu — spreads like the duck ‘nduja hummus and baba ghanoush, marinated olives, cherry tomatoes with whipped feta, grilled prawns, mushroom kabobs, all the flatbreads and malawach you can handle, and bottled cocktails, bottles of wine, and more. Everything you need to make a delicious spread for your private rooftop party. Pickup only.
Tex-Mex Is the Best
Everything at Josef Centeno’s bustling Bar Ama in the Historic Core is amazing, from the guac and chips to the queso fundido, mushroom birria, turkey albondigas and more. Some dishes are great to have on hand for an outdoor get-together, things that travel well and can easily be heated up in the outdoor kitchen, like a tray of chicken enchiladas and rice and beans, plus mezcal flights or an easy margarita kit that includes chile salt for the rim. Order for pickup or delivery via Caviar, Doordash or Ubereats.
A Brazilian Blowout
Get the works from Woodspoon, the rustic Brazilian kitchen in DTLA, which caters all-size parties. Pastels, cod fritters, yucca fries, and a mess of coxinha, those gorgeous fried chicken croquettes, and sangria for days are just a few things you can have created just for your intimate gathering. If you want to order and pick up or get it delivered, that’s easy too. But if you can, it’s really nice letting someone else do the work for a change.
Taco Night!
Trays of Sonoratown grilled meats and what many believe to be the best flour tortillas in town, plus lots of cerveza, is the perfect match for a rooftop sunset pool party. Order from the large format part of the menu for taco platters or the chivi party, which includes six chivichangas with shredded beef and/or chicken filling, two bean and cheese burritos, chile de arbol and tomatillo salsas, and the requisite fixings. Meats are available by the pound and salsas come in half-pint containers, as well. Best part: It can all be delivered right to your door.
Bo Ssam and Then Some
The full Majordomo experience is available for pickup, including the bing bread, market dishes, cocktails, and wine. But the big winner is the bo ssam, a whole smoked and glazed pork shoulder with sides of ssamjang, ginger scallion, hoisin, kimchi, escabeche, Bibb lettuce and rice. The large order feeds six to eight people. Order for pickup or delivery.
Featured photo: Courtesy Majordomo