A few friends and I will be going to an evening play at the Amhanson Theater in downtown LA in a few weeks to celebrate a birthday. Can anyone recommend a fun, casual restaurant in the area? Around the $15 entree range and would prefer Italian, American, Mexican cuisine.

I was told the Engine House No. 28 is down the street, but is it any good?

Three of us will be from out of town, so we don't know any restaurants. We'll be staying with the birthday girl who lives in Corona.

How out of the way would it be to try Farmer's Market? Or are there any other places that would be good choices for a fun birthday?

Thanks for helping to make it a fun birthday. She's been unemployed for 6 months and is a little depressed, so we're trying to make it a special night, but without breaking the bank for us.

How about California Pizza Kitchen? It is in the 7th & Fig(eroa) shopping center. I've heard that Engine House No. 28 is really good (my hubby actually works right next door), but pricey. As for the Farmer's Market, that would also be great (very casual with lots of food stalls), but it would probably be about a 20-30 minute drive from downtown down Wilshire. I will try to ask about other places downtown, but I think most of them cater to the business crowd and so are relatively swanky.

Have a great time! We just saw the Full Monty at the Ahmanson and loved it.

I love Engine 28, but think it would be more than you want to spend. Also, the Farmers' Market is too long of a drive for you. You could try Ciudad--Latin cuisine--lots of fun and if you order from the appetizer side (they're the best anyway) you'd be fine. Otto's , which is right below the theatre, should fit the bill too, although more American cuisine than you might want. Check Patina, lovely spot, they have pre-theatre meals and have good salads and lighter meals (French, Californian). The Epicenter restaurant used to be good and reasonable ( haven't been there in awhile, though). Also, right outside the theatre is an open air restaurant that is run by Patina ( I don't know if they call it that). There's everything from steaks to pastas to salads and it's right on the theatre grounds. Always smells great.On a warm summer evening you could have dinner outside, watch the fountain, and just wait for the theatre bell to call you inside.

Michele's suggestions are better than mine, but I thought I should add the Original Pantry. Little bit away (9th and Olympic) but it's an old LA landmark.

The patio outside the Ahmanson has a nice dinner, and it's right there.

ALso, you are a short walk from Little Tokyo, if you like Japanese.

Thanks for all of the suggestions! Does anyone have a website for Ciudad where I could check out the menu?

I've also heard that the Standard Hotel is now open and has a 24 hour restaurant. Any idea where I'd find a website where the menu might be? So far, I'm having no luck finding websites for LA restaurants.

I always use Zagats for LA restaurants.. go to www.zagats.com and browse by neighborhood. The standard does have a restaurant that I believe is more like a diner style, I haven't eaten there but my husband gets his hair cut at the barber shop at the Standard.. and usually has cup of coffee in the diner.

Just go to Google or amyother search engine and type in Ciudad Restaurant. You want the one that starts with millikenandfeniger (close enough). The menu is there.
The Standard is a coffee shop and it's quite a distance from downtown. I think you'd have to rush to get to the theatre as traffic would be a concern.

I second Ciudad. It is very fun. Patina is very nice also -- although I am not sure it is open in the evenings. It is in the Museum of Contemporary Art. There is a cute sushi place in Little Japan called the Frying Fish. About a 5-10 minute drive.

Sarah,
I stand corrected. There is a new Standard downtown. Don't know about the restaurant.

The Standard is near the Convention center and the Staples Center. IMO, ugly and inconvenient. Ciudad would cheer anyone up and they have a shuttle to the Ahmanson, so you can park your car at the theatre and shuttle up there.
I love the patio outside the theatre..good food, very pretty, no hassle with parking.

Another vote for Ciudad. The food there is great. When people are referring to as Patina I think they mean Patinette, which is at the MOCA (about a 2 minute walk from the Amhanson). I work next door to their and have had very bad luck with the food (they served me a salad with a dead grasshopper in it!). Other suggestions downtown that are close to the Ahmanson are a new outdoor restaurant at the Omni Hotel (walking distance to the theater)and Nick and Stefs (steakhouse), which may be a little to expensive for you (you can also find it online). The Palm (steak and seafood)just opened up across the street from Staples Center, but that's a little further and I can't tell you if it's good as I haven't eaten there yet. If you end up choosing CPK, there is one in the Wells Fargo Center that is much closer to the Amhanson.

Ciudad definitely is getting great reviews. But when I tried to pull up the menu, it shows that it's under construction. I'd like to try something new next time I'm in LA, but am interested in finding out the prices and food entrees. My business partner is a picky eater, so I need to inquire before I can take her places or she won't eat. Yes, a pain, but I'm just being realistic. She likes Mexican food, but Latin may not pass with her if it's too unique.

What is LATIN food????

It's the chef's description, for lack of a better term as the food doesn't fit any one category. It's is a real mix of the flavors you might find in Spain, South American, Cental American, Mexican, and plain old American with chiles and spices. For example, they serve shortribs with mashed plaintains and have emanadas , chorizo, and bocadillos as appetizers. The chefs are noted for traveling the world and incorporating whatever flavors they happen to like into their own recipes.They did the same thing with City Cafe; although that had more of a Far Eastern flavor.

If your friends like Mexican food, don't assume they'll enjoy Latin food. I found that Ciudad doesn't appeal to everyone in my social group. Engine House would probably offer a more well rounded menu. I just don't know how costly it is for a group.

How about El Cholo on S. Western? It's not very far from downtown (on Western a few blocks north of Pico), is Mexican and in your budget. I always thought it had decent food and was fun for a group outing. I haven't eaten there in some years since I moved away from LA, but I know it's still there and rated very highly in Zagat's (and apparently have a few more restaurants than before). They have a web site www.elcholocafe.com