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Courtesy of Grubwithus

Let me set a scene for you.

You move to a new city. You work a lot and don’t have much time to meet new people. Or maybe you want an easy way to try new restaurants, because, you know, you like to eat. And you’d like to eat with like-minded people.

Sound familiar?

If it does, then you know how Grubwithus co-founders Daishin Sugano and Eddy Lu felt when they started the dining social network two years ago. They had moved to Chicago after quitting their big-time corporate jobs to open a Beard Papa’s franchise and found themselves working and spending all their free time together. Making friends in a new city was tough, and Sugano’s efforts to bond with people over a mutual appreciation for basketball didn’t work (maybe wearing a Lakers cap in Bulls territory wasn’t the best idea).

Then one day, Sugano and Lu, while lamenting their loneliness, looked over at a restaurant across the street and asked themselves, “Why can’t we meet people there?” And just like that, the idea for Grubwithus was born.

Founders Eddy Lu, left, and Daishin Sugano hard at work. Courtesy of Grubwithus.

Now, Grubwithus is operating throughout the United States and in parts of Canada and the United Kingdom with more than 65,000 users and 1,000 restaurants, so you’re sure to find someone you can eat and socialize with. Just create a free profile and choose some interests. Then browse the meals, which include those at Border Grill, The Tasting Kitchen and Gjelina here in Los Angeles, and reserve a seat. The price of the meal includes food, tax and gratuity, so it’s pretty hassle-free. If you want booze, you’ll have to pay separately, though. You can even start your own topic, and when enough people like it, you can build a meal around it. And if you’d like to create your own meal, Grubwithus will work with you and your preferred restaurant to set something up.

Meeting new people and trying new food has never been easier.

Chefs Susan Feniger (left) and Mary Sue Milliken teach a cooking class at Border Grill in downtown Los Angeles. Photo by Rory Owen Delaney.

Have you been to a cooking class at Border Grill? If you haven’t, then you’re missing out on a truly fun and informative time. Remedy your situation by attending Salsa 101 taught by none of that than chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the original Two Hot Tamales and two Top Chef Masters contestants.

While enjoying a multi-course lunch with signature cocktails, you’ll learn the essentials of creating salsas that you can incorporate into a variety of dishes, including soups, salads, barbecue and even dessert. You’ll learn lots of cooking tips from Milliken and Feniger, such as how the ends of cucumbers are bitter; how you should sharpen a knife at a 15 degree angle and always wipe it off immediately after cutting citrus; how you should cut fish against the grain just like beef; how onions have the most sugar of all vegetables, which means they will oxidize immediately if put in a food processor; and much more.

You’ll also get to take a recipe booklet home so you can recreate what you learned at home. Good food, good company, good take-aways — what more can you ask for?

Salsa 101 & Beyond with Mary Sue and Susan

Saturday, June 2, 2012
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Border Grill Downtown LA
445 S. Figueroa St.
Los Angeles, CA 90071

Call (213) 486-5171 for reservations.
$75 per person

Note: I attended a similar class as a guest of Border Grill.

Bakelab goodies. From Bakelab.

Artisanal L.A.: This weekend-long shopping, tasting and educational event comes from those who brought you the L.A. Street Food Fest and Unique L.A., so you know it’ll be fun. Artisanal L.A. will showcase the city’s finest local, sustainable and handmade edibles, including treats from Bakelab, Cake Monkey Bakery, Bonadea Drinks, Scoops and The Oaks Gourmet, among many others. For $10 (advance purchase; $15 at the door), you’ll get unlimited entry for two days to enjoy all this plus local craft beer and spirits tastings, a one-of-a-kind tote bag for the first 1,000 attendees, arts and crafts workshops, speakers and chef demonstrations, giveaways, Pitchfork’s Mud Baron giving out seedlings, and gift wrap hosted by Uncouth Gourmands benefiting the LA Regional Food Bank. Partial proceeds will benefit Los Angeles Unified School District’s Edible School Gardens.

The Cooper Building
860 S. Los Angeles St., 11th Floor Penthouse
Los Angeles, CA 90014

Oct. 23 and Oct. 24
11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The Barkley Pet Hotel & Day Spa: Billed as the Ritz-Carlton of pet hotels, The Barkley is opening up this weekend in Westlake. While there are other shi-shi pet hotels, including D Pet Hotels, what makes this place unique is its inclusion of birds and exotics in its description of “pets.” Now you can house your dog, cat, bird and snake all at the same place! There are overnight accommodations, grooming and spa services, day camp, obedience training, and pick-up and delivery service. The full-service day spa services include baths, body massages, mud-masks and “pawdicures.” Prices start at $45 per night. Not too shabby, huh? If you’d like to check it out, there will be sneak preview tours this weekend with entertainment, auctions, raffles and food with all proceeds benefiting local pet charities. Advance tickets are free with registration.

The Barkley Pet Hotel & Day Spa
31166 Via Colinas
Westlake Village, CA 91362

Preview tours Oct. 23 and Oct. 24
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Grand opening Oct. 25

The Food Event: Los Angeles magazine’s annual event will also be celebrating the magazine’s 50th anniversary and its November “Mexican Food Lovers Guide” issue. The day will feature chefs, culinary experts and sommeliers with lots of unlimited food, wine and other treats, including the Top Chef Masters panel in the Conversation Lounge. Some of the luminaries scheduled to appear are Susan Feniger of Street and Border Grill, Mark Gold of Eva Restaurant, Laurent Quenioux of Bistro LQ, Ian Blackburn of LearnAboutWine and more. On top of all that is the location of the event, Saddlerock Ranch in the Malibu hills, home to Semler and Saddlerock wines. Nice!

Saddlerock Ranch
31727 Mulholland Highway
Malibu, CA 90265

Oct. 24
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
$95 in advance (for $5 more get a one-year subscription to Los Angeles magazine, too); $110 at the door

Hey, party people! The biggest prom just for bloggers (OK, it may be the only prom just for bloggers) this year is fast approaching on July 22, and if you’ve been lucky enough to score an invite — we’ve reached capacity, though there’s a wait list — there are tons of goodies and fun waiting for you next week at the Andaz hotel on the Sunset Strip.

So if you’re attending, you’ll have lots of great (and free!) food, drink and take-home goodies to look forward to, all to be enjoyed in the chic setting of the Andaz’s rooftop with its killer views.

Keep Reading

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, purveyors of Mexican and international street food, are launching a taco truck tomorrow. The Border Grill Taco Truck, which will pull from the cooking duo’s Border Grill and Ciudad restaurants, will serve $2 gourmet tacos, green corn tamales and empanadas, among other items. The truck will be parked downtown at 433 S. Spring St. from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Hopefully Feniger will include some menu items from Street; it only makes sense to include street food on a taco truck, doesn’t it? From EaterLA.