Forager

This chic new downtown bistro is built on the belief that the best flavors are the ones found right in our own backyard. Chef Blaine Stanzi, a master of culinary improvisation, assembles Forager’s menu each morning by scouring the city’s other restaurants for choice dishes he can replate in his kitchen. Often traversing the LA metro area for hours at a time, Stanzi possesses a keen eye for identifying the freshest, most delicious entrees in other eateries, and he’s always willing to experiment with oft overlooked meals from takeout joints and food trucks, resulting in a constantly rotating menu of bright and bold cuisine that the chef has personally ordered, packed in doggie bags, and brought back to his restaurant for serving. At Forager, diners will delight in the unexpected, from opulent French classics plucked from the tables of Westwood to Creole comfort food hand-selected from menu boards just over the hills in NoHo, though prices may fluctuate depending on the dining establishment of origin. With such wild success, it’s only a matter of time before copycat restaurants start lifting dishes from Forager’s standout menu.