Dine L.A. restaurant week is back with exclusive dishes

From a permanent home for a popular pop-up to a two-week food party, here’s what’s happening in the L.A. food and drink world.

Restaurant week: Dine L.A., the two-week, bi-annual event presented by the L.A. Tourism and Convention Board, starts on Friday and runs through July 28. During the event, restaurants will offer $15, $20 or $25 prix-fixe lunch menus and $29, $39 and $49 prix-fixe dinner menus. Participating restaurants include Gracias Madre, Church & State and Cut by Wolfgang Puck. Some restaurants will create exclusive items, available only during Dine L.A. All four locations of Plan Check Kitchen + Bar will serve a special truffle burger; Culina at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills will serve conchiglie al nero (a black ink pasta with calamari and langoustine broth); and BOA steakhouse will have a grilled peach salad. For more information and for a list of participating restaurants, visit www.discoverlosangeles.com.

Permanent digs: Barbara Jean, the pop-up restaurant by chef-owner Jason Fullilove, has found a permanent home. After about a year operating out of different Los Angeles locations, including the space formerly occupied by Smoke. Oil. Salt., the restaurant has taken a space behind the Melrose Umbrella Co. bar on Melrose Avenue. Barbara Jean, named after Fullilove’s mother, serves what the chef calls “elevated soul food” with dishes that include lemongrass barbecue ribs, fried okra with violet mustard, and fried shrimp and grits with confit tomato and pistou. The 45-seat restaurant has partnered with Melrose Umbrella Co., which will be making the cocktails for the new bar program. To get to Barbara Jean, enter through Melrose Umbrella Co. 7465 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (310) 876-1194, www.barbarajeanla.com.

Bottoms up: The San Fernando, a new Glendale bar that has taken over the space formerly occupied by the bar Big Fish, is now open. It features cocktails from bartender Bryan Byrnes, featuring house-made shrubs and syrups. There is also a full dining menu, including burgers, sandwiches, salads and small plates. And as a bonus, there are discreet USB chargers under the bar, so you never have to ask the bartender to charge your phone. 5230 San Fernando Road Glendale, (818) 244-6442, www.thesanfernando.com.

Dream on: The Highlight Room, a new restaurant and nightlife concept by the TAO Group, will open on the rooftop of the new Dream Hollywood hotel on Thursday. The 11,000-square-foot outdoor lounge and pool will serve cocktails and light snacks, including hamachi crudo and roasted farro with salmon. The Highlight Room is open to hotel guests daily, and open to visitors from 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 6417 Selma Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 844-6417, www.dreamhotels.com.

Still hungry? Blue Bottle Coffee has opened a new location at Playa Vista’s Brickyard campus. The team behind the Mar Vista has opened a second location called the MV Grab & Go directly across the street, in Mar Vista. Chronic Tacos has opened its first Los Angeles County location in Burbank. E.P. & L.P. will launch a rooftop cinema series with classic movies and food from chef Louis Tikaram on the rooftop space adjacent to L.P. (the bar) on July 17. Frankland’s Crab & Co. in Encino has launched a $45 per person crab boil every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. with crab, shrimp, bottomless beer and more.

Jenn.Harris@latimes.com

@Jenn_Harris_

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