Upstairs 2 for Dine LA

I've been doing a pretty great job of keeping up with my New Year's Resolutions for this first month of 2015.  Upstairs 2 was my third restaurant in Los Angeles in the past month that was new for me and I also went by myself for Dinner which is definitely a little scary; another Resolution, to do things every day that scare me.  There's a great "Friends" episode where Rachel tries to eat out alone but gets in her head about the whole thing, luckily, I didn't go through that scenario ;)

Upstairs 2 located in West LA also has The Wine House connected to it downstairs and they have Wine Tastings and is the largest wine store in LA.  I was there on a Wednesday so they had a Wine Tasting at 7 pm.  I'll need to go back and check that out!  I had decided on Upstairs 2 because of their Dine LA menu but when I got there and saw the regular menu I was so overwhelmed by all the amazing-sounding food I decided to order off the regular menu and ended up spending less than I would had I ordered off the Dine LA menu!

Dinner at Upstairs 2 in West LA for Dine LA Week

I started with the Brussels Sprout Salad that had endive, pecans, and brussels sprouts and was quite large for an appetizer salad; I am not complaining, trust me, I was very happy!  I also got a glass of their Riesling which wasn't overly sweet, just right, and priced appropriately.  Next, I had the Lemon Pesto Shrimp to which they gave me some Parmesan Cheese that really knocked the dish out of the ballpark.  It was a really nice portion and I loved the Lemon Pesto!  I was quite excited to find out they had Chocolate Lava Cake (which wasn't on the Dine LA menu) so of course, I had to get that.  It came out perfectly gooey and the Bartender even had the kitchen put the ice cream on the side for me because I don't like the cold ice cream to take away from the chocolatey center.  OCD, just a little.

The Bartender was really friendly as well as one of the waiters I chatted with.  The food and selection was impressive and changes seasonally.  They're very happy to suggest wine pairings and the menu is actually set-up to do just that, and they also let you taste just about anything which is great.  I'll definitely be back to try more food and wine as well :)