LAGuide

Where To Eat & Drink & Show Off The New Jacket You Just Bought

You don’t get many chances to unveil a new jacket in LA. Don’t blow it with a bad debut.
Where To Eat & Drink & Show Off The New Jacket You Just Bought image

photo credit: Jakob Layman

LA’s eternal summer is very real, but something that never gets talked about is just how chilly it can get here for several months of the year (no, really). LA is a jacket city, and if you don’t believe us, you’re probably reading this with a runny nose. Showing off new winter accessories is a yearly tradition in most cold-weather cities, and LA shouldn’t be exempt from the fun. But picking out a great new jacket is only half the battle; the second (and most important) part is deciding where to debut it. We have some suggestions.

The Spots

photo credit: Jakob Layman

French

Santa Monica

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Type: Suit Jacket

Even in a city where the weekday uniform consists of a white t-shirt and scuffed up Converses, a crisp new suit jacket still carries a lot of weight. And that’s why you need to book a table at Pasjoli for its debut moment. The fancy French restaurant in Santa Monica has tremendous, interesting food, an upscale bistro atmosphere, and the kind of crowd that always appreciates a steam-pressed lapel and cufflinks. If it all sounds a bit snoozy, think again - the $165 tableside duck-pressing is one of the most entertaining shows in town.


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Type: Jean Jacket

They say that diamonds are forever, but really, they mean denim. Jean jackets never go out of style, so after securing one from a Melrose thrift store during your lunch hour, it’s time to go show that baby off. Head to Zebulon. This bar/cafe/live music venue in Frogtown definitely gets a little rowdy once the dance floor opens up after 10:30pm, but with a few vodka sodas coursing through your veins and a denim jacket tied around your waist (and ready to be used as a dance accessory at a moment’s notice), your chances of becoming a dance floor god are high.


Type: Bomber Jacket

Thanks in no small part to the enduring homoeroticism of Top Gun, the bomber jacket will always have a certain sexual energy about it. So just lean into it and get yourself to Jones Hollywood. The neighborhood Italian restaurant on Santa Monica Blvd. is one of our favorite spots in town, simply because every time you walk in the door you feel like a young rockstar. Whether you’re there on a hot date, drinking martinis at the bar with a friend, or just rolled in with a big group for late-night Happy Hour, expect good food, strong drinks, and an exceedingly good-looking crowd who are all ready to mingle. Bombs away.


Type: Faux Fur

Il Pastaio is as close to a neighborhood standby as you’ll find in Beverly Hills, meaning you can come to this classic Italian restaurant any night of the week and find a festive dining room filled with well-dressed families who’ve all had standing reservations for decades. In other words, you and your new faux fur will thrive. The menu is massive, but you’re going to want to focus mainly on the pasta (the lobster and crab linguini is a must, as is the “Paccheri alla Justin Bieber,” if only for lolz) and as much red wine as you and your table can handle. We aren’t responsible for cabernet stains.


Type: Cape Scarf

You’ve decided to transition to a more Bohemian aesthetic this year, and that means doubling your kaftan count and learning how to pull off blankets as clothing in public. We can’t think of a better place to get in some practice than The Cliffdiver. The casual Mexican bar/restaurant right on PCH in Malibu is perfect for lounging around with friends after a day at the beach, sipping margaritas, and nibbling on vegetarian quesadillas when you find the energy. The indoor/outdoor space certainly has a strong artsy-beach-chic vibe going for it, but not in a way that makes you embarrassed to be there. Plus, once the sun goes down, you’ll be thankful you have that wrap on.


Type: Puffer Jacket

LA definitely gets chilly for a portion of the year, but sometimes a full-on puffer jacket can seem a bit excessive. But not when you go to The Old Place. The historic steakhouse/saloon up in the Santa Monica Mountains can get downright cold during the winter, and you’re going to need a strong layer of protection while you walk around exploring the tiny town of Cornell before you meal. And after a dinner filled with chicken pot pie, apple crisps, and one of our favorite ribeyes in LA, you’ll need to bundle up again for the drive home.


Type: Peacoat

Everyone knows that when you’re feeling cute and seasonal, it’s time for a peacoat moment. And once you have yours secured, get to Nightshade as fast as you can. The modern Asian restaurant in the Arts District looks like someone dropped off their 2019 West Elm wedding registry and proclaimed, “Turn this into a restaurant!” It’s all very pretty to look at - just like your new peacoat. As far as the food goes, not everything is a hit, but the pork ragu lasagna and prawn toast in a Cantonese curry are standouts, and should definitely make it onto your table.


photo credit: Jakob Layman

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Type: Trenchcoat

Made famous by Inspector Gadget and infamous by subway flashers, the trench coat is a polarizing piece of outerwear, but when done correctly, it’s the ultimate power move. And that’s exactly why you’re going to NoMad for its debut. The Downtown restaurant/bar/hotel is one of LA’s most impressive pieces of architecture, and a meal inside their main dining room feels like you’re at an invite-only Gotham City fundraising gala. The menu is a somewhat standard mix of fresh vegetables, crudos, and big plates of meat, but it’s all tremendous, so you don’t care. Also, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better cocktail in the neighborhood.


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In Sheep’s Clothing

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Type: Leather Jacket

Hidden inside a pizza-by-the-slice spot in the Arts District, In Sheep’s Clothing is a dimly-lit Japanese-style record bar and a place consistently filled with people sipping highballs and quietly debating whether or not Rocket To Russia is the best Ramones album. So, yeah - it’s an ideal place to show off a new leather jacket. The music is always good (and not coming from some DJ’s computer in the corner), the whiskey drinks are strong, and you’ll blend in beautifully with the profoundly comfortable black leather couch in the back.


Type: Fishing Vest

You aren’t even outdoors-y, but REI’s Cyber Monday sales got the best of you and now you’re the owner of blinged-out fishing vest. If you’re unsure what to do with it (fishing, maybe?) wear it to Broad Street Oyster. Don’t be fooled by its location down an alleyway in the Malibu Country Mart, this is a true seafood shack, with a menu full of fresh-caught fish, oysters, chowder, and our favorite lobster roll in town, plus a crowd that’s at least 30% pirate at all times. In other words, no one here’s going to bat an eye if you roll in with a fishing vest, but you will probably get asked if you caught anything good today.


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