About us
Time to tempt your palate with all the pleasurable flavors that LA, and beyond, has to offer!
Join Pleasure Palate as we do culinary adventures exploring of restaurants (both high-end & holes-in-the-wall), food & beverage tastings, and more. From savory to sweet, spicy to tangy, ethnic to All-American, we'll taste it all! Come along and let us take your taste buds on the ride of their life!
Because we want to burn off some of the calories that we eat, many of our events will have both a dining and physical activity paired together. We do many day trips and weekend adventures that combine the best of both dining and experiencing what LA, SoCal and beyond has to offer in terms of dining options and points of interests.
Pleasure Palate has been around for over 13 years now and in that time we have had over 2,000 events. We offer at least 8 events per month for our members to choose from. This is a very active MeetUp group.
We will focus on various aspects of urban, suburban and rural life, ranging from architectural to cultural, historical to quirky and/or a combination of any of the above to help give you a better appreciation of where we live. Oh, and bring your camera because we encourage all our members to take photos and share their experiences with us on the event pages.
MeetUp charges over $200 each year to maintain the Pleasure Palate site. In addition, it costs a lot of money to maintain memberships to historical societies, newspaper and magazine subscriptions - all to get ideas for future events. So we ask for a voluntary $12.00 annual donation to help defray the costs that MeetUp charges. Members who donate $12 per year get Plus Member status which allows them to bump off a Regular member for a event which is already full. Plus Members can't bump off other Plus members.
To learn more about Pleasure Palate, check out the links below:
Membership and Guidelines
Attendance Policies & 3 Strikes Rule
Upcoming events
9
Costa Mesa: Family Style Lunch at Folks Pizzeria
Folks Pizzeria, 2937 Bristol St a102, Costa Mesa, CA, USPlease Note: Read the information carefully below BEFORE you RSVP "Yes" for this event.
- We will be ordering family style, meaning we will order as a group and divide the bill evenly between the group excluding beverages.
- You cannot have any dietary restrictions for this event.
- The estimated cost per person for this event is between $30 to $40 per person, so please bring that amount in CA$H.
- Menu: Menu — Folks
I luv most types of pizza, except NYC style pizza, PP member Irene recommended I try out Folks Pizzeria in Costa Mesa. So I have decided to put this place to the test. Come join me in Costa Mesa as we feats on pizza for lunch!
6 attendees
Oscar Wilde: Gowns in Miniature
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, 2520 Cimarron Street, Los Angeles, CA, USCome join me at the Clark Library (one of my happy places, LOL) for an exhibition of mini gowns created by UCLA MFA costume design students! It's an excellent opportunity to visit the Clark, which usually requires an appointment.The registration link is below. It's free of charge but requires advance registration.
The Clark has one of the most comprehensive collections on Oscar Wilde in the world.
From the Clark Library's announcement website:
"Join us to celebrate Oscar Wilde, the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, and the David C. Copley Center for Costume Design at an event featuring eight exquisite half-scale gowns created by UCLA MFA costume designers.
Mentored by costume designer, historian, and Distinguished Professor Deborah Nadoolman Landis, PhD (Director, David C. Copley Center for Costume Design), MFA costume designers conducted research in the Oscar Wilde collection at the Clark Library and designed costumes for The Importance of Being Earnest, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and Lady Windermere’s Fan. Design sketches and briefs, costume history, and mood boards will be presented alongside the gowns at this gathering commemorating our collaboration."
Please register at the Clark Library website. Space is limited and I can't guarantee walk in registration will be available.
Hope to see you there!
5 attendees
Rancho Cucamonga: Dinner at the Magic Lamp Inn (Steakhouse)
Magic Lamp Inn, 8189 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, USPlease Note: Read the information carefully below BEFORE you RSVP "Yes" for this event.
- There is a strict dress code for this restaurant: "Restaurant’s terms and conditions
Please NO shorts, athletic wear, sleepwear, slippers, overly revealing clothing, torn clothing, graphic t-shirts, or exposed undergarments, sports hats, beanies, hoodies, visors, or flip-flops. Management reserves the right to refuse service and make changes to this dress code at any time." - Because this is a limited seating dining event, I will require a $25 non-refundable deposit for this event. So you must be 100% confident that you plan to attend to this event. The amount of the deposit will be deducted from the cost of your meal. You can send me the deposit via PayPal, Venmo or Zelle. You can locate my accounts by either my phone number: 714-658-4099 or my email address rjhemedes@gmail.com. If you sign up for the event but don't send me the depost, you will be placed on the Wait List.
- Menu and pricing: Menu | Magic Lamp Inn | Steakhouse & Fine Dining
- The estimated cost per person for this event is between $80 to $120 or more, so please bring that amount in CA$H.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66. In California, one of the best restaurants along the route is the historic Magic Lamp Inn. Its a bit of s drive to get to Rancho Cucamonga, but this steak house is well worth the drive. So come join me for dinner at the Magic Lamp Inn!
4 attendees- There is a strict dress code for this restaurant: "Restaurant’s terms and conditions
Melrose Hill: Bangladesh Cuisine Family Style Late Lunch at Roshona Bilash
Roshona Bilash, 861 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USPlease Note: Read the information carefully below BEFORE you RSVP "Yes" for this event.
- This is a family style dining event. We will order food as group and divide the bill evenly excluding beverages.
- You cannot have any dietary restrictions for this event.
- The estimated cost for this event is between $30 to $40, so please bring that amount in CA$H.
- Yelp reviews: ROSHONA BILASH - Updated May 2026 - 62 Photos & 19 Reviews - 861 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, California - Indian - Restaurant Reviews - Phone Number - Menu - Yelp
Melrose Hill has recently had an uptick of good restaurants opening in this small district squeezed between Hollywood and the 101 freeway. The parking in the area sucks, but I will put up with it if there is a good restaurant to try out. So one of the restaurants in Melrose Hill that has caught my attention is a Bangladeshi cuisine restaurant called Roshona Bilash. So come join me for a late lunch as we feast on Bangladesh food!
8 attendees
Past events
2688
Group links
Members
1,600
