UCLA’s Plateia restaurant has been named winner of three regional “2021 Best of the Southland” awards and is now competing to become a three-time overall “Best of the Southland” winner as voted on by Los Angeles Times readers.

In August, Plateia captured the top spot in the Westside/Central L.A./East L.A. region in these food and drink categories: brunch, burger and pizza. The restaurant, which opened in 2016 and is located in the UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin Conference Center, was also named one of the most popular restaurants for seafood.

The “Best of the Southland” awards celebrate readers’ favorite businesses in Southern California and recognize top picks for businesses across 65 categories in five regional zones: Orange County, San Fernando Valley/Ventura County, San Gabriel Valley/Inland Empire, South Bay/Long Beach/South L.A. and Westside/Central L.A./East L.A. Plateia is the only business in any of the five regions to receive three of these regional awards in a single year.

From Sept. 6 through Oct. 11, the public will vote from among the five regional victors in each category to determine the overall “Best of the Southland” winner in each one. Final winners will be announced on Nov. 28. A subscription to the L.A. Times is not required to vote.

“Winning these three regional awards is a testament to our skill set and has filled our team members with pride and excitement,” said Jason Tingley, Plateia’s executive chef, adding that there are many factors that go into this accomplishment, including partnerships with suppliers, team training and the restaurant’s weekly tastings with members of the dining and hospitality management team, which allow for new and exciting menu items to be added to the restaurant’s ever-evolving seasonal offerings. “In addition, our clients and friends of Plateia offer great advice on the food we serve. We listen, make changes and follow-up with our guests, and good things happen.”

Marc Cordova, the restaurant’s general manager, also credited great cooperation, communication and collaboration between the front-of-house and back-of-house teams and voiced appreciation for those who helped bring this attention to the restaurant.

“This accomplishment is quite impressive for such a young restaurant, and we’re incredibly grateful to those who took the time to nominate and vote for us, as well as to those who will vote for us in this final round,” he said.

This is not the first time Plateia has been recognized for excellence. In 2020, the International Association of Conference Centers, of which the UCLA Luskin Conference Center is a member, selected “Plateia: The Cookbook” as the winner of its Global Innovation Award for creativity, innovation and impact. The 240-page hardcover book features more than 70 recipes, including those for its award-winning burger, pizza and brunch selections, as well as some of its popular seafood dishes.