Zagat Presents

Simon LA

8555 Beverly Blvd. (La Cienega Blvd.)

Tequila governs this four-course menu from celebrity toque and Iron Chef champ Kerry Simon, served in his West Hollywood hot spot. Taste and savor the drinks' complex flavors, paired with courses like agave brined pork shoulder, grilled calamari escabèche, flatiron charred skirt steak and baked Alaska "margarita-style." The best part? After all that buena comida you won't have to cross the border to get home!

Event Details:

$65 for four courses and $85 with tequila pairing; tax and gratuity not included.

RH Andaz Hotel

8401 Sunset Blvd. (Kings Rd.)

Join executive chef and Corsican native Sebastien Archambault at this WeHo hotel hot spot for four courses showcasing his southwest French flavors made with the best local farmers have to offer. Beginning with a perigourdine poached egg paired with a glass of pineau de Charente, this dinner will kick off your autumn in farm-fresh style.

Event Details:

$70 for four courses and two glasses of wine, tax and tip not included.

XIV

8117 Sunset Blvd. (bet. Crescent Hts. & Selma Ave.)

Wine and dine on the Sunset Strip at the 14th gem in the Michael Mina empire. Bask in the trendy château-style decor while enjoying eight courses of the restaurant's most popular dishes including ahi tuna tartare, heirloom beets, sea scallop tempura, Tai snapper, Kobe sliders, lamb skewers and a dark chocolate cake to finish. For those looking for the full Mina experience, wine pairings will also be available.

Event Details:

$55 for eight courses; $29 for wine pairing; tax and tip not included.

Spago

176 N. Cañon Dr. (Wilshire Blvd.)

Make sure you come hungry for a seven-course tasting menu at Wolfgang Puck's star-laden flagship. Feast on dishes like Santa Barbara spot prawns with okra and eggplant masala; sweet corn agnolotti with mascarpone and summer truffles; grilled breast of Carpenter Ranch squab with wild chanterelle mushrooms, plum compote, soubise of fennel and glazed leg; and grilled Snake River ranch Wagyu New York steak with broiled porcini mushrooms and yuzu kosho emulsion. This savory meal, at one of LA's most popular restaurants, will leave you convinced that being famous has its perks.

Event Details:

$95 for seven courses, $40 for wine pairing; tax and tip not included.

Wilshire

2454 Wilshire Boulevard (bet. Chelsea Ave. & 25th St.)

After a summer abroad, chef Andrew Kirschner has returned to this Santa Monica hot spot and is ready to wow with a menu inspired by his travels to Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Labeled a triple threat for his sharp palate, eye and ability to execute, Kirschner is sure to have a few surprising twists in store while you enjoy one of the best patios around.

Event Details:

$50 for three courses, $20 for wine pairing; tax and tip not included.

Rivera

Met Lofts | 1050 S. Flower St. (Olympic Blvd.)

Spend a Saturday afternoon on a three-part journey through Latin food – followed by a three-course meal – at this Downtown hot spot led by chef John Sedlar. In groups of 15, guests will alternate between lessons from Rivera sommelier Jordan Ogron on recent South American, Spanish and Portuguese wines, cocktail tutorials with mixologist Julian Cox and easy-to-reproduce Latin recipes with Sedlar himself (with help from his pastry chef and chef de cuisine). Once they've worked up an appetite, guests will indulge in a feast in the restaurant's Sangre room, appropriately adorned with a blood-red chandelier and conquistador helmet lamps.

Event Details:

$90 for lessons and three-course paired dinner; tax and tip not included.

Charlie's

22821 Pacific Coast Hwy.

Uncover the hidden gems of Malibu–the wines, not the starlets or beaches–with a five-course menu paired with Malibu vinos at this surf 'n' turfer across from the Malibu Pier. With an amuse of ostrich with a Port Cassis glaze, a demitasse of lobster bisque, wild arugula salad with candied walnuts, lychee and taleggio, a trio of fresh pastas and a Gorgonzola-crusted petit filet with mashed potatoes and root vegetables, by the time you’re done dining in the restaurant's leopard print Dolce & Gabbana chairs even the non-famous will feel like they should be hiding from the paparazzi.

Event Details:

$65 for five courses, $95 with wine pairing; tax and tip not included.

Corkbar

403 W. 12th St. (Grand Ave.)

Come and explore the nuances of Spanish cuisine at this hip Downtown newcomer, complemented by four Spanish varietal wines produced in California. Like the wines, the menu from executive chef Albert Aviles and chef de cuisine Byron Hogan merges the recipes of Spain with the flavors of the Golden State. Think razor clams à la plancha with garlic oil and parsley, seared lamb chops with macerated Sungold tomatoes, mint pesto and preserved lemon jam couscous. Finally, a dessert wine will be available to pair with the final course for an additional cost.

Event Details:

$75 for five courses and four wines; tax and tip not included.

Saddle Peak Lodge

419 Cold Canyon Rd. (Piuma Rd.), Calabasas

Settle into summer with a game dinner to satisfy all the senses. While your eyes take in the spectacular scenic views, your taste buds will enjoy a four-course menu made up of the best of the season, cooked by one of the Top Rated New Americans. Starting with heirloom tomato with petite pea tendrils, smoked albacore crudo, honey basil vinaigrette, garlic chips and crème fraiche ice cream, the delights continue with grilled Manchester farm quail, an elk tenderloin cuit en sous vide with parsnip and finally a buttermilk panna cotta with glazed berries and peaches. And for those looking to tipple while they nibble, there will be a wine pairing available as well.

Event Details:

$90 for four courses, $40 for wine pairings; tax and tip not included.

Sona

401 N. La Cienega Blvd. (bet. Beverly Blvd. & Melrose Ave.)

Join toque David Myers as he teams up with his West Hollywood temple's chef de cuisine Kuniko Yagi as well as longtime friend and world renowned chef Noriyuki Sugie (ex Charlie Trotter's, Tetsuya, Asiate at New York's Mandarin Oriental) to create an inspired evening combining Japanese and modern Californian dishes. The chefs will be on hand to explain the night's six-course menu and discuss sourcing ingredients from the likes of Chino and Kondo farms, as well as to offer a roster of wine and sake pairings that crisscross the Pacific.

Event Details:

$95 for six courses, wine and sake pairings for $55 or $89; tax and tip not included.

Simon LA

8555 Beverly Blvd. (La Cienega Blvd.)

Join Iron Chef champ Kerry Simon for a four-course menu built around a special ingredient – tuna. Expect mini tuna sliders with smoked bacon and avocado, ahi tuna crudo with lemon and Serrano pepper, and pan-seared ahi tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes and baby bok choy, plus a Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert. Optional wine pairings will also be available.

Event Details:

$48 for four courses, $15 for wine pairings; tax and tip not included.

Valentino

3115 Pico Blvd. (bet. 31st & 32nd Sts.)

What better way to celebrate the start of summer than a culinary trip to the Mediterranean? Head to Santa Monica for a taste of Sicily at this delicious seven-course dinner including frittura di paranza con polipetti, calamari e pesciolini, la caponatina nella melanzana, tortino di caciocavallo, involtino di pescepada, rigatoni con broccoletti e ricotta salata, and cannoli con scorzette di arancia candite. And if that isn't enough for you, Sicilian wine pairings are also available.

Event Details:

$70 for seven courses, $120 with wine; tax and tip not included.

Maison Akira

713 E. Green St. (bet. El Molino & Oak Knoll Aves.)

Why fuse when you can compare? Chef Akira Hirose embraces both Japanese and French cuisines and will cook them in tandem for you at this special five-course dinner. Alternating courses between cultures, the dinner includes assorted sashimi, clay fish velouté soup, Saikyo miso marinated black cod, roasted quail stuffed with foie gras and mango mousse with green tea sauce. And for those looking to tipple between countries, wine and sake pairings will also be on hand.

Event Details:

$60 for five courses; $80 with pairing; tax and tip not included.

Mr. Cecil's California Ribs

13625 Ventura Blvd. (Woodman Ave.)

Mr. Cecil's California Ribs

12244 W. Pico Blvd. (Bundy Blvd.)

You haven't seen a barbecue menu like the spread chef-owner Jonathan Burrows plans on putting out. A rendition of a menu he served at the James Beard House, the four-course dinner includes Cajun hot links, grilled duck confit with thyme and figs, St. Louis-style pork ribs and beef back ribs, plus sides and dessert. Burrows goes further, pairing each course with wine and serving the menu at both of the Cecil's locations (one per night).

Event Details:

$49 for four courses with wine/beer; tax and tip not included.

La Cachette

10506 Little Santa Monica Blvd. (Thayer Ave.)

Chef-owner Jean Francois Meteigner brings fruit and fowl together for an exclusive evening of duck indulgence. The four-course menu begins with a foie gras terrine and rhubarb gelee, followed by a duck leg confit with candy apples, then a duck breast with pumpkin purée and rounded out with a farmer's mixed berry tart. Each course will also be paired with a friendly wine..

Event Details:

$80 for four courses with wine; tax and tip not included.

Catalina Restaurant

320 S. Catalina Ave. (Torrance Blvd.)

What's better than one course of cheese? A menu of it! Starting with a Cypress Grove truffle tremor cheese sandwich, this four-course wine-paired dinner showcases fromage in many forms, including a Cypress Grove goat cheddar soup with potatoes and bacon, a Carr's billy goat blue cheese risotto with prime rib and finally Laura Chenel's chére goat cheese cake with roasted apple.

Event Details:

$65 for four courses with wine; tax and tip not included.

Café Wa S

1521 N. Vine St. (Sunset Blvd.)

It's not even New Year's yet, but it's never too early to start planning your new year's resolutions – or, more importantly, when to break them. And Ivan Kane's new Hollywood resto-lounge is here to help, serving up a five-course menu of decadence, with wine and cocktail pairings, for you to indulge in (think foie gras, Kobe beef with truffles, double fudge brownies, etc.). Not decadent enough for you? Champagne and caviar will be on hand, too.

Event Details:

$75 for five courses with wine/cocktail pairing, $200 with champagne and caviar, tax and tip not included.

Spago

179 N. Cañon Dr. (Wilshire Blvd.)

Wolfgang Puck's flagship is hosting a special dinner of wintery fare for a mere 20 Zagat Members. A scrumptious six-course steal, the menu features such seasonal delights as venison, persimmons, pumpkin and pheasant – and everyone's winter favorite, the truffle, even makes a few cameos! Specially paired wines will also be available upon request for those looking to really embrace the season.

Event Details:

$95 for six courses with amuse, $40 for wine pairing, tax and tip not included. Limited to 20 people.

The Foundry on Melrose

7465 Melrose Ave. (N. Gardner St.)

Though the snow may not fall in the City of Angels, it doesn't mean you can't cozy up to a hunter's feast. For two Wednesdays in a row chef Eric Greenspan's intimate New American will bring the gaming season to Melrose with two specially paired five-course wine dinners. What better way to introduce yourself to game than a honey glazed quail or a carpaccio of venison? For the first night 10 Knots, and Sextant will provide the wine and Arrowood will be providing the wines on the 17th.

Event Details:

$75 for five courses with wine. Tax and tip not included.

Josie

2424 Pico Blvd. (25th St.) Santa Monica

Chef Josie Le Balch invites you to her eponymous restaurant for a very special menu celebrating not just the scrumptious pear but also the first Zagat Presents event on the West Coast! The four-course dinner will explore pears from Bosc to Bartlett showcased ripe in a pear salad, distilled as a sorbet intermezzo and roasted alongside a Maple Leaf Farm duck breast. And then comes dessert! Chef Le Balch doesn't stop there either - "paired" with each pear course will be a delicious pear cocktail.

Event Details:

$65 for four courses with cocktails; tax and tip not included.