Eric Richardson [Flickr]

The first of Patina Group's "Locals Night" series brought a crowd that filled Zucca's patio.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Patina Group kicked off a summer series of "Locals Night" events on Thursday evening, inviting Downtowners to enjoy free appetizers and a special drink at Zucca Ristorante. The initial effort proved a success, with the crowd that turned up comfortably filling the patio space.

There are five more nights left in the six week series, and it's definitely one residents should stick on their calendar. No one will deny that Downtown has some great fancy restaurants, so when one of them offers you free food, why turn it down?

Aside from being a chance to meet people, the series is also a chance to sample Patina Group's various Downtown restaurants. Next Thursday, July 3rd, the action shifts to Nick + Stef's. Then on Art Walk night, July 10th, it's off to Patinette Cafe at MOCA. July 17th is wine flights at Cafe Pinot, then the 24th brings things up on Bunker Hill to Kendall's Brasserie. The series wraps up on July 31st back at Nick + Stef's, a restaurant definitely good enough to hit twice.

(In the way of disclosure, Nick + Stef's is my favorite restaurant Downtown, both for its made-at-tableside caesar salad and its sweet potato fries.)

On this first Thursday night, the crowd was a mix of those who live Downtown, work Downtown, and who just heard about the event and stopped by while passing through. It's an inclusive definition of "local", and one that suits Downtown just fine.