The best restaurant and bar events in Los Angeles

The winter edition of Dine L.A. is back from January 23 to February 6, with 375 restaurants participating in the two-week blitz of bang-for-your-buck set menus. Scattered among the prix-fixe tradition’s dizzying full list of menus are some of L.A.’s best restaurants offering their signature fare at a more budget-friendly price point. This iteration spotlights the San Fernando Valley and welcomes newcomers all across the county, including the phenomenal new food hall Maydan LA and jazz supper club Somerville.

One fateful afternoon in 1924, Lionel Sternberger contemplated the hamburger he was cooking up at Pasadena’s Rite Spot and thought it needed a little something extra. A simple slice of American cheese later and the cheeseburger was born, spawning hundreds of variations across the country and inspiring Pasadena to celebrate its prodigal son each year with a week dedicated to all things cheeseburger. And this year, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Route 66—which travels through Pasadena—and the 150th anniversary of Colorado Boulevard, a new Route 66 Cheeseburger category will be added to the offerings, as well as a Route 66/Colorado Boulevard Cheeseburger Crawl. Choose from 40 Pasadena restaurants to take advantage of burger deals and special beefy creations and vote in the Cheeseburger Challenge. The annual week-long celebration only confirms what Sternberger knew all along: Everything tastes better with cheese.

Dearest gentle readers: Don your finest Regency attire and make your way to Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in Los Feliz this Thursday afternoon, where you’ll be treated to free scoops and performances by a string quartet in celebration of the Season 4 premiere of Bridgerton. Guests can sample a rare diamond of a flavor—the new, limited-edition Queen Charlotte Sponge Cake—and hear the latest gossip about Benedict Bridgerton’s romantic foibles.