Spotlight Café at the Music Center

It’s not just that the prices are inflated. They also gauge with insidious hidden price-​jacking. I thought I’d buy some plain salad greens, and the it struck me that the box was heavier than the greens which are about $ 9 a pound at the salad bar. I asked the cashier to weigh an empty box. Turns out the box is .1, which works out to about 90 cents for the box. The cashier said they don’t factor in the weight of the box. Needless to say, I put down the salad, and left. Beware.

What a rip-​off. This place must specialize in one-​time customers. I got a bowl of butternut squash soup and a Tazo tea bottle. The friendly attendant automatically credited me a 25% government employee discount. That’s why I was shocked when my total for these two items was over $ 7. Turns out the soup was $ 5 and the Tazo was $ 4. Without the discount, this would have been a $ 10 snack. I get that it’s in the Music Center, and they probably do most of their business grabbing folks who are running late to their shows. But you’d think there would be some better lunch deals. To her credit, the attendant asked me if I still wanted to buy the soup. But I’d already ladled it, and figured might as well. It was tasty. But not $ 5 tasty. I won’t be back.

2 Vitamin Waters: $ 8.00
2 Vitamin Waters: $ 8.00
2 Vitamin Waters: $ 8.00
You bet your patookus I snuck those babies into the theater.
Tiny, teeny, cramped little place a step above a kiosk selling packaged wildly overpriced food/​drink, but with an inexplicable salad bar wedged in the center.
Awkward.
There should be food trucks or some other options other than Café Pinot and This Place on performance nights.

The food is very expensive here, but when you are starving you will pay top dollar. I got the cocktail shrimp for $ 12 which had 6 – 7 big shrimp and very mild cocktail sauce and $ 8 for deli meats. You get free crackers with the deli meats which I declined. They have soup, salad bar, desserts, alcohol, other beverages, sandwiches, salads, cut up fruit, chips, and other items so for a tiny store, there is some selection. You can sit outside which is very refreshing and pretty! Your other choices are Tina’s Tacos of the Pinot Grill.

My cob salad was okay, minus the fact that there was cabbage in it… It was just weird. I wasn’t too surprised by the price, $ 8.50 for a half salad in L.A., but still. Not really worth it. It is right outside the theater though, so you can’t beat that!

(Dined 11÷27÷12 TU @ 7:15pm): Expect low-​wattage illumination!
My friend and I were attending opening night of the Cole Porter inspired musical, «Anything Goes» at the Ahmanson Theatre, and we had just got out from work and school, respectively, and needed to grab a quick but relatively inexpensive meal. After we surveyed the available choices, we decided upon Spotlight Café, ran by the locally well known Patina Restaurant Group (e.g. Kendall’s Brasserie and Bar, Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse, the Hollywood Bowl). Truth be told, it was the least expensive but that’s not saying much.
We entered through one of the double-​glass doors closest to the refrigerated items. After we scanned the limited selection of pre-​packaged foods, we decided on the following: chicken Caesar salad ($ 8.50 ea.), a bag of New York Cheddar Kettle Chips ($ 2.50), a bottle of Taza Giant Peach Green Tea ($ 2.75 ea.), and a small package of Ferrero Rocher candy ($ 2.00). I loved Taza tea products and this was one of my favorite flavors with it’s ever-​so light sweetness and refreshing clean finish. I thought I was in the mood for the flavor of chips I chose, but the cheddar seemed to be too cheesy for my tastebuds this evening. Of course, I finished the bag and I too loved this product. The Roche candy, come on, who doesn’t love these little round mounds of hazelnut chocolate covered with almonds. Now, the main meal which I really looked forward to. Everything seemed and tasted fresh, but unfortunately, the seasoned croutons were soggy which meant they have accumulated the moisture from possibly being in the refrigerator too long, hence, not as fresh as I thought. The chicken pieces were good and meaty, the salad was crisp, the Parmesan cheese was shredded in good-​sized flakes, and the dressing was lighter than expected (a good thing for me). I finished the entire salad but the croutons definitely were a negative. I must preface that I’ve had this salad in the past and the croutons were crunchy then, so it really depended on how long they’ve been in the fridge.
The service was good as there were only two cashiers, but it was basically a self-​serve café.
Parking was ample since there was an underground garage tied to The Music Center ($ 9.00). Otherwise, valet park if you must (I don’t see the point), or venture out to the surrounding area in search of possibly cheaper parking and walk it.
Overall, as much as I liked the Patina Restaurant Group, the Spotlight Café wasn’t one of their brightest moments. It reminded me too much of a pop-​up store for salad and sandwich chain, The Corner Bakery, but simply offered the same fare at a higher price. I’ve associated Patina with gourmet and sophistication at a reasonable price, but here I felt all three were lacking. I found minimal value based on the prices and service noted above (total bill was around $ 29.00; no tip required), but sadly, the price was the major factor. The atmosphere was a short crammed rectangular storefront with dual-​faced refrigerated sections that housed pre-​made salads, sandwiches, and sushi alongside bottled beers, sodas, splits, teas, and water, a build-​your-​own-​salad bar and soup, mini wire stands that held packages of candy and bags of chips, and a utensil table outside. Generally, the attire was casual so I would normally be in a t-​shirt, boardshorts, and flip-​flops. But since I was attending a show, a dressier look was more appropriate. And although my friend picked up the evening’s tab, they accepted my credit card of choice… AMEX!

Not wanting to wait 45 minutes for a table at Pinot Grill before a show, we ducked into the Café for a bite to eat.
I had a pre-​made Greek Salad which wasn’t too bad, along with a bottled iced tea (no brewed iced tea — boo!). I then went back for a tiramisu which was good but a huge portion size.
It was nice to sit outside and people watch with the fountain in the background.
What I didn’t like was how overpriced it was (the above plus a bottle of water and a bag of Peanut M&Ms was about $ 25). There also was a very long line out the door and all of the patrons taking their sweet ol’ times admiring all of the packaged meals behind the slider doors.
They do have bottles of beer and single serve bottles of wine which they’ll open for you and give you a plastic cup.
Not bad but come if you’re desperate.

The boxed sandwiches are old.

Overpriced, average café that really takes advantage of the theatergoers who have very few other dining options. But then again, that’s to be expected I suppose. I wish there were other options and greater competition for this little café. We’ve taken to bringing our own food to the theatre for a picnic before the show. It’s the cheaper, better way to go.

This place is an okay option for something fast and casual if you are waiting for a show to start at the Music Center or are on jury duty downtown. I’ve had some sandwiches and salads here. Nothing too memorable and it can get kinda pricey.
I do like the little taco stand right next to it, although $ 8 for 3 tacos is also kinda expensive.

I was starving by intermission (Spamalot), and decided to grab something small at the Spotlight Café. I bought a yummy-​looking Rustic Apple danish. Keep in mind, it was hot outside and pretty darn warm inside Spotlight too. I heard other patrons complaining about how warm the refrigerated beverages were. Halfway through my danish, I noticed something black inside. I opened it up. To my dismay, it was a thick bed of mold growing under the qpple-​crusted goodness. I reported it to the cashier, who flagged down the manager. Marco, the manager, wasn’t very nice. His stoic stone face as he examined the apple danish for 10 minutes was his customer service at his best. He «deleted» my credit card transaction (although the receipt said $ 0.00 instead of the expected -$ 1.75). I simply asked him to be cautious about his inventory because it would suck for another person to bite into a batch of mold in a pastry. BLECH! I would think twice about hitting up that salad bar in mid-​summer too.

If you are on jury duty in Downtown Los Angeles, Spotlight Café is in a prime location – near the courthouses and right next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Around the Spotlight Café, there is nice architecture to admire, lots of greens, fountains, a great view, and plenty of shaded tables.
It is a very relaxing way to spend your lunch hour in Downtown L.A. (but in Downtown L.A., you must have noticed already how you take very long lunch hours on jury duty; those judges love to break for lunch early). «It is almost ten-​thirty, and we really shouldn’t go onto the next witness, so let’s break for lunch. See you at two.»
But I would suggest bringing in food from elsewhere rather than dining at the Spotlight Café. The selection is limited to a few sandwiches, salads, chips, etc. There is a nice assortment of beverages. However, everything is a little pricey for what you get.
Great atmosphere but pack if you are going to eat here to enjoy the view.

if you work in the area, they make some delicious sandwiches. i’d never go here unless i was at work. (i work in the courthouse on hill street)
try the mozarella sandwich, it’s DELICIOUS yet totally overpriced. but i must be honest, i do have cravings for it. which is why i keep going back. yum yum yum.

i’m appalled every time i pay for anything here. but the quality of the food keeps me coming back all the time. besides, i’m rich bitch! so i can afford it :) i walk here from work when i want a small and nutritious lunch. i usu get the soup or salad from the salad bar — both being some of the best i’ve ever had. once in a while the cookies and brownies call to me and i eat them and they make me sick b/​c they’re so huge, but oh so gooooood… mmmmm…cookie…
anyways, it is like a little convenience store like someone said, but stocked with extremely expensive gourmet snacks and cute mini bottles of wine. very patina! so if ur rich like me, this is a good little pit stop. :)

My friend was stuck in traffic last night so it dashed my hopes for getting a real meal before the show at the Ahmanson.
We stopped at the Spotlight on the Music Center Plaza to get a quick bite.
2 sandwiches
1 bottle of water
1 bag of chips
1 bottle of iced tea
1 cookie
almost $ 30. WTF?
My Italian sandwich just made me wanna cry. I calculated when can I haul my ass to Baycities next to erase the memory of this sad sandwich. Even my favorite Mortadella could not save this sandwich. The label said it was on French bread. Uh no, it was not. It was on some doughy Ciabatta like stuff. Sigh.
The Kettle chips were fine but in my haste of trying to scarf them before the show, I cut the inside of my mouth. Gah.
And the Moroccan mint ice tea I got was lacking in mint flavor. No mint? Atrocious!
Next time, I’m going to starve than waste my money.

To be perfectly honest, the only thing I bought here was a bag of Kettle Chip and a small fountain drink (my sandwich and vegetables were waiting for me back in my office). Even with my Music Center employee discount, it cost $ 4.87. Without, it would have been over $ 6.00. Yes, folks, they charge $ 3.00 for a small bag of chips. That’s like a 600% markup. Next time I want a little crunchy something with my lunch, I’ll be hitting up the vending machines where I’ll only have to pay a 300% markup.
Oh, and they sell individual bottles of beer alongside Vitamin Water and Jones Soda.

Because of my close proximity to this place, I tend to go here whenever I forget my lunch. The salad bar is unlike any other, and yet, exactly what one would expect from a business like Patina.
Start your salad with lettuce leaves, then add the delicious vegetables of the day… they may include roasted red yellow and green bell peppers, beets, cucubers and onions, chick peas, steamed then chilled green beans, a mix of olives and garlic cloves, artichokes, tomatos basil and mozzerella, or many many more choices. There is also tuna salad (so good!), chicken, and pasta salad to top your greens with. Finish off with any of their many, many selections of bottled sodas and juices, and you’ve gotten yourself the best salad– bar salad in the area, and the least expensive Patina meal you can buy.

«Figaro…Figaro, Figaro, Figaro!»…(loud gurgling)…the tenor stops, the audience gasps… they all look at me because I didn’t eat yet!
So I am not familiar with LA enough to assess accurate drive times to the places I need to go. Last week, I went to see a performance of Monteverdi’s «L’Incoronazione di Poppea» (yeah…I know it’s a mouthful). I arrived at the LA Music Center complex about two hours before the 7PM start time and was at a loss as to what to do as my stomach was grumbling.
And the opera was four-​plus hours… those insensitive Baroque composers! I kept walking around to see if there were any affordable dining options, but I just kept seeing fancy places with people dressed to the nines. What to do. what to do… I have that half-​eaten power bar in the glove compartment, hmmm…
Thanks goodness there is the Spotlight Café, really an enclosed kiosk adjacent to the Mark Taper Forum. It has two refrigerated sections with gourmet salads and sandwiches and bottle drinks. Not a can of Diet Coke to be found. But I was able to get an Asian pear salad for about $ 8 and eat it on the plaza.
It’s really like a fancy mini-​mart with big soft cookies, warm brownies, candies and several coffee options. So if you find yourself in a situation where you beat the traffic and don’t want to wait until midnight to go to a 24-​hour restaurant, then this fits the bill.
FOOD — 4 stars… salad was nice and fresh if a bit pricey… but what do you expect at the LA Music Center?
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… the fountain can be pretty if it isn’t too cold out
SERVICE — 3 stars… well, you get the stuff yourself
TOTAL — 4 stars… a lifesaver before a four-​hour opera