Happy Birthday!

Spice Table and Ray’s Both Celebrating First Birthdays Next Week

Ray's chef Kris Morningstar
Ray’s chef Kris Morningstar Photo: Patina

Two of 2011’s best new restaurants are celebrating their first birthdays with the return of their chefs’ favorite dishes. This Monday, Ray’s and Stark Bar will hold a nighttime rager from 6:00-11:00 P.M. that puts both its sommelier and GM on the turntables while chef Kris Morningstar presents a $44 menu of Ray’s “best of” dishes, including his wood-roasted chile with chorizo, dates, and local goat cheese in almond sauce, squid ink pasta with garlic, chili, opal basil, and bottarga, and a crispy pork belly with black vinegar sauce. Lauded pastry chef Josh Graves will design a yet-to-be-decided dessert, and guests are invited to bring an item of clothing to be screen-printed with a unique motif commemorating the event. Reservations can be made at 323-857-6180.

Over at Little Toyko’s Spice Table, chef-owner Bryant Ng is kicking off a week of deals and specials starting this Monday, March 5th and ending March 10th, one year to the day since he opened its doors. After appearing at The Gold Standard event this Sunday, Ng will offer all guests one-dollar Tiger beers, five-dollar Prosecco, and a nicely priced 9 oz. rib-eye with a bottle of Tiger for just $15 through the week.

Ng is also bringing in La Descarga’s Ken Arbuckle to create beer cocktails to pair with the party, in recipes like apricot preserves, ginger, and orange bitters with Craftsman’s Heavenly Hef and cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut syrup with Mission’s Dark Seas Imperial Stout. Ng will also revisit some of his favorite dishes through the week like foie gras satay and pineapple pickle. The restaurant will also be stacking business cards for drawings of a dinner-for-two, wine and bubbly giveaways, and Spice Table gift certificates.

Feliz cumple to both Ray’s and Spice Table, and thanks for giving back us L.A. eaters some of your greatest hits.

Spice Table and Ray’s Both Celebrating First Birthdays Next Week