This past weekend Spaceman and I celebrated my friend’s birthday in the best way possible, by sharing a meal together! This is an age-old tradition that is one of the best ways to show how dear someone is to you – and who am I to buck tradition? We celebrated at a Los Angeles eatery of her choice named Industriel.

Yes, the decor is industrial but there are some whimsical pieces too. My favorite was the abstract modern-artsy one of the “honey bear hangout” (I christened it this name).

Although the noise level of the restaurant makes it a struggle to carry on much of a conversation with anybody but the person right next to you, the food is delicious! I had a tantalizing salmon dish while Spaceman had the mushroom gnocchi. Sorry for the half eaten and slightly shaky food pictures, once again I got too excited when the food came and dove into it before remembering to take pictures for the blog…oops!

One of the highlights was the apple cobbler dessert…yum! I eagerly accepted the offer of a taste(s) from my friend who actually ordered the dish. I ordered the cinnamon ice cream with a dash of chocolate sauce on top but, to be honest, the cinnamon was too overpowering for my liking. I suggest sticking with the apple cobbler. It is delicious and also plenty big to share with your neighbors (or drooling friends like me).

Downtown has become a real hipster spot with all sorts of trendy restaurants and people wandering about trying to look cool (I gave up on that a while ago — I am who I am). It was exciting to be part of “the scene” and feel the city buzz for the night.

Industriel is a chic spot for dinner or a quick drink at their bar. They are located at 609 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA  90017 with valet parking right out front for patron’s convenience. Go give it a try!