SMDP's Weekly Guide to Food & Entertainment Goings-On In & Around Town includes the final week of DineLA, Leonard Cohen Tribute Concert, & Grammy Events, and much more!
High Vibe Yoga: 🌿 This space is about learning to work with cannabis in its most authentic expression, using it as a plant medicine to go deeper into your body, your breath, and your mind. It’s meant to be a safe space to explore what it feels like to move with cannabis intentionally: to heal, to listen, to release, and to reset. This practice blends mindful cannabis use with slow & deep stretching, sound, and meditation. Thursday, Jan. 29, 6:30p.m., MUD\WTR :gather, 2515 Main St. widget.hellowalla.com/enrollments/100379
Lily King in Conversation: Lily King delves into her new novel, Heart the Lover, which explores topics of desire, friendship, loss and the lasting impact of first love. Lily King is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including Writers & Lovers . Her work has won numerous awards, including the New England Book Award for Fiction. Jan. 30, 6:30 pm Main Library, MLK Jr. Auditorium https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lily-king-in-conversation-tickets-1977745799927
Faux Sweets Launches Japanese Food-Replica Workshops in Venice Beach Faux Sweets, founded by Japanese American artist Mae Hirota, is launching hands-on food-replica workshops at Venice Beach's Albion Garden beginning January 2026. The series will teach participants to create hyper-realistic Japanese-style food replicas. Saturday, Jan. 31, 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. is the Mini Cherry Pie Skillet Workshop, and 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. is the Very Berry Pancakes Workshop https://www.smdp.com/faux-sweets-launches-japanese-food-replica-workshops-in-venice-beach/
The Remedy By Comedy at The Crow: Have a laugh at a show uniting healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers to laugh at the absurdities of the system while supporting each other. Saturday, Jan. 31, 6p.m., 2525 Michigan Ave. eventbrite.com/e/the-remedy-tickets-1917941948999
Clay & Matcha! Enjoy a warm, playful morning of clay at Couplet’s new café where slow sips and creative hands meet. You’ll spend the morning handbuilding ceramic mugs or tumblers, drawing inspiration from everyday rituals, cozy moments, and taking time to pause. Your ticket includes a complimentary matcha to enjoy while you create. 🍵 525 Santa Monica Blvd. instagram.com/p/DTgSvo8EoWV
Carb Loaders x Bluey’s Run Club: Log some miles with great people and some good ol’ post run grub. Sunday, Feb 1 @ 10a.m., 1814 Berkeley Ave. instagram.com/p/DTwA35WEqbC
Broadstage: A Letter To Leonard Cohen: With a reputation as an essential interpreter of Leonard Cohen’s music, the spectacular GRAMMY®-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla takes the stage with A Letter to Leonard Cohen: A Tribute to a Friend–a program inspired by her recently released album of the same name. The heartfelt tribute celebrates Cohen’s legacy with an elegant intersection of deeply personal tribute and fearless originality. Sunday, February 1, 7:30p.m., 1310 11th St. broadstage.org/tickets-shows/calendar/a-letter-to-leonard-cohen-a-tribute-to-a-friend/
Together in Grief: A Wine Tasting & Intention-Setting Workshop: This is a 90-minute guided workshop with a curated wine tasting, offering space to reflect, honor what you’re carrying, and set intentions for the year ahead. This experience is designed for anyone navigating loss, change, or life transitions, or simply seeking a more grounded and thoughtful beginning to the new year. Tuesday, Feb. 3, 6:30p.m., Divine Vintage, 1025 Montana Ave. https://www.divinevintage.com/products/together-in-grief-a-wine-tasting-and-grief-writing-workshop
Splatter Studio: This NBC4 video report highlights the immersive, paint-splattering experience where guests don protective gear and unleash their creativity by flinging, dripping, and throwing paint onto canvas and walls. Equal parts art studio and stress release, it’s a playful, no-rules activity that’s as much about the experience as the finished piece. It has options for kids and adults with a full bar. 321 Santa Monica Blvd. https://www.nbclosangeles.com/video/california-live/paint-sip-and-create-in-santa-monica/3834517/
Santa Monica History Museum Opens Exhibition on Food and Cultural Traditions: The show traces the influence of the Great Migration and global immigration on the city’s food culture, highlighting how movement, memory and resilience shaped local culinary practices. Food & Family is now open to the public at 1350 7th St., Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. santamonicahistory.org
ONGOING: “Two Bit Circus” Pop-Up; Museum of Illusions; The CUBE VR;
What to Eat & Drink?
Dave Beran of Seline & Pasjoli Restaurants on Main St. Among James Beard Awards Semifinalists: Here is the complete list for the most esteemed restaurant awards in the country: https://la.eater.com/restaurant-news/298244/los-angeles-james-beard-foundation-award-semifinalists-2026
DineLA Restaurant Week runs now through Feb. 6 and nearly 50 SaMo restaurants are participating. Here are some examples:
Buffalo Club: Enjoy a prix-fixe menu that highlights refined New American dishes served in its storied Iroquois Room or romantic English Garden Courtyard. Some highlights include crisp duck confit, braised veal breast, orange almond cake. 1520 Olympic Blvd. https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/eat-drink/the-buffalo-club/dinela
Cosetta: For the $25 lunch, the acclaimed modern Italian restaurant is offering their signature smoked Mozzarella Sticks along with Cosetta's sandwiches and wraps built on Pollack’s house hoagie loaves and “pizza wraps”. Come dinner, $45 includes starter options of albacore crudo, white bean and emmer soup, or chopped salad, followed by a choice of eggplant parmigiana, porcini-rubbed wagyu tri-tip, or bbq prawns. 3150 Ocean Park Blvd. discoverlosangeles.com/eat-drink/cosetta/dinela
Fitoor: A 3-course lunch menu is $45/person and a 3-course dinner menu is $70/person. Highlights include Sweet Chili Broccoli, traditional Chicken Seekh Masala, and the Chocolate Nemesis. 1755 Ocean Ave. discoverlosangeles.com/eat-drink/fitoor/dinela
The Lobster: Classic oceanfront seafood with Santa Monica Pier views. The restaurant offers a special DineLA prix-fixe with coastal favorites like clam chowder, shrimp tacos and other chef-selected plates paired with Pacific views. 1602 Ocean Ave. discoverlosangeles.com/eat-drink/the-lobster/dinela
Lunetta: Neighborhood favorite for New American with a local twist. Their DineLA prix-fixe option pairs inventive seasonal dishes with good value, giving diners a taste of executive chef creativity for $35 for lunch and $68 for dinner. 2424 Pico Blvd. discoverlosangeles.com/eat-drink/lunetta/dinela
Venice Steakhouse: This new spot right off Venice Boardwalk comes from a former Petit Trois chef features dry-aged cuts ranging from a ten-ounce baseball steak to a massive porterhouse for two. 1715 Pacific Ave., Venice discoverlosangeles.com/eat-drink/venice-steakhouse/dinela
Further Afield: Grammy Weekend! Events leading up to the 68th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 1 at Crypto.com Arena include the multi-day Grammy House with panels and showcases (Jan. 28–31) and the Grammy Museum’s programming and after-party immediately following the awards. Festival parties and private celebrations fill the city around the weekend. grammymuseum.org/programs
Looking Ahead: NBA All-Star Weekend (2/13–15); Lunar New Year at Santa Monica Place (2/21); Frieze LA Art Show (2/26 - 3/1)
If there’s something you think is worth highlighting, you can reach out directly to me at sean@smdp.com. Here are my past columns and let me know if you have any feedback on Around Town: DineLA, Leonard Cohen Tribute Concert, & Grammy Events