The Lab
Photo: Claire Thomas
The dining scene geeks out at these two arrivals with "lab" in their names:
The Lab, the latest venture from USC Hospitality, is an inexpensive American gastropub on Downtown’s Restaurant Row that offers more than 40 beers to complement food that’s far from a science experiment – think artichoke fritters and turkey pot pie; its setting lives up to its name with flowers in beakers and science textbooks on shelves, and the good news is you don't have to wear a lab coat to sit at one of the communal tables (3500 S. Figueroa St.; 213-743-1843).
And then there's Food + Lab, a West Hollywood offshoot of a catering company that mixes a casual cafe featuring a comfortable outdoor patio with a marketplace where dishes and a variety of culinary products can be purchased; the cuisine melds Californian and Mittel European influences, with an emphasis on organic – the single most-used word on the menu (7253 Santa Monica Blvd.; 323-851-7120).