LOS ANGELES, CA (July 8, 2014) - With summer officially in high-gear, Rare by Drai’s, Victor Drai’s Sunset Plaza steakhouse is now open on Sunday nights and is launching a new bar/patio menu with a series of weeknight events: Rare Summer Exclusives – a season-long celebration of food, drink, bar and patio dining.  

Executive Chef Patrick Florendo is introducing new summer menu creations, combined with the new bar and patio menu call Bite at our Bar.  In addition, Rare will now feature weeknight experiences ranging from No Corkage on Mondays to Rare Uncork’d on Tuesdays to tantalizing Champagne, Oysters & Caviar on Wednesday & Thursday nights.  

The bar and patio at Rare provide the ying to Rare’s main dining room’s yang – the bar, lounge and patio are not merely waiting spaces before dinner; they are designed to be the social gathering spot of the restaurant experience with the lounge featuring an expansive bar and 33 seats, while the patio presents is an intimate, relaxed space with a crisp, white hue, large open windows, shimmering candles and a design lighter and more casual than the dining rooms.  To go with more relaxed setting, Florendo has designed a new menu that captures the spirit of summer and the two front-of-house spaces. Beginning on July 7, the new, Bite At Our Bar menu is available all night in the bar & lounge and exclusively in the patio from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The new Bite at Our Bar menu includes the first-ever Drai’s Classic Cheeseburger featuring grilled onions and Tillamook cheese to a Steak Frites, which comes with a selection of house-made sauces to a refreshing Grilled Peaches and Burrata on a crispy ciabatta with aged balsamic and petite basil.  The full Bite at our Bar menu includes: 

• Drai’s Classic Cheeseburger

• Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad

• Steak Frites

• Skuna Salmon & Frites

• Spicy Tuna Tartar

• Steamed Mussels

• Grilled Peaches & Burrata

• Parmesan Truffle Fries and Truffled Mac & Cheese.

In addition to the new patio-inspired menu, Florendo’s new summer-inspired main dining room items are highlighted by a cool yellow tomato soup, a refreshing heirloom chilled watermelon and a fresh house-made peach cobbler. “We designed Rare to have two distinct personalities,” explains Victor Drai. “The dining room is beautiful, warm and sophisticated, and the bar, lounge and patio bring a more casual element: it’s the perfect setting for this menu and our new social experiences.”  

For those looking to take advantage of the summer with early mid-week dining, Rare has created “Summer Exclusives” which range from personalized cocktails to a selection of fine wines featured at 50% off their menu prices to a classic pairing of oysters, champagne and caviar.

• Monday Nights - No Corkage – Dine with your personal favorite red and white wines from home and enjoy them in the sultry setting of Rare's dining room and patio with no corkage fee.

• Tuesday Nights – Rare Uncork’d – An extensive wine menu has been selected to pair with the great steaks and seafood, Rare presents a new weekly ritual with a selection of their finest wines available for 50% off.

• Uncork’d List includes: Ojai Vineyard, “Bien Nacido Vineyard,” 2009/Soliste, “Nouveau Monde” Monoclone, Sonoma Coast, 2011/Hirsch Vineyards “Reserve,” Sonoma Coast, 2010/La Jota “Howell Mountain,” Napa, 2007/Mt. Brave, Mt. Veeder, 2009/Chataeu Cos d’Estournel, 2007/Saint-Amour, Moilard, Beaujolais, 2009/Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Chateau de Beaucastel, 2009/Bararesco, Bruno Giacosa “Asilli” Faletto, 1999

• Wednesday & Thursday Nights – Champagne/Oysters & Caviar – The weeknights will take classy turn with the addition of two nights of hand-selected oysters and caviar paired with Piper Champagne. 

Rare by Drai’s is located at: 8720 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069.  Rare by Drai’s Hours: Monday-Wednesday: 6pm-10pm; Thursday: 6pm-10:30pm; Friday & Saturday: 6pm-11:30pm; Sunday: 5pm-9pm.   Bar Opens nightly at 5:00 p.m. For dinner reservations call 310-360-1525 or book at www.opentable.com.  For booking private events, call: 310-360-1950.  To follow online, visit www.rarebydrais.com, on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/rarebydrais and on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/rarebydrais. 

In addition to Rare by Drai’s, Victor Drai is has recently opened three new venues in Las Vegas: Drai’s Beach Club & Nightclub, Liaison Nightclub and Drai’s After Hours 

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ESquared Hospitality is an international restaurant and hospitality group owned by Jimmy Haber and Keith Treyball. Built on a commitment to "Exceeding Expectations" with extraordinary food and excellent customer service, ESquared Hospitality has grown into a diversified group of restaurant concepts, from the flagship BLT Steak which opened in 2004 to more than 26 restaurants on two continents. ESquared Hospitality properties include the BLT restaurants, comprised of BLT Steak in New York, NY (2004), Washington, DC (2006), San Juan, PR (2006), White Plains, NY (2007), Scottsdale, AZ (2008), Atlanta, GA (2009), Miami, FL (2009), Hong Kong (2009), Charlotte, NC (2009) and Waikiki, HI (2009); BLT Burger in New York, NY (2006), Las Vegas, NV (2008), Hong Kong (2009) and Taipei, Taiwan (2013); and BLT Fish (2005), BLT Fish Shack (2005), BLT Prime (2005) and BLT Bar & Grill (2010) in New York, NY. In addition, ESquared Hospitality owns and operates two Italian concepts: Casa Nonna in New York, NY (2011), which became the official pizza vendor of Madison Square Garden in 2013, and The Florentine in Chicago, IL (2010); as well as GO Burger Bar & Grill (2012) and the GO Burger Truck in New York, NY (2010). The newest addition to the ESquared Hospitality family is Juni in New York, NY (2013), in partnership with Michelin-starred Executive Chef Shaun Hergatt. Visit ESquared Hospitality online at www.e2hospitality.com, Facebook.com/ESquaredHospitality, Twitter @ESqHospitality or Instagram @ESquaredHospitality.