Mark Peikert

Mark Peikert turns restaurant openings, festivals and live shows into direct, usable guides to going out in major cities, writing about entertainment, nightlife and food for Time Out. His work spans dining roundups, venue reviews, event previews and city-level rankings, with a focus on telling readers what an experience feels like and exactly when and where it happens. Across New York, Los Angeles and other markets, he consistently ties cultural programming to concrete details - dates, locations, lineups and logistics - rather than commentary or criticism.

City dining guides and restaurant coverage

Peikert regularly writes restaurant guides and reviews that show readers exactly where to eat for specific occasions or neighborhoods. His coverage of Dine LA Restaurant Week focuses on the best-value prix fixe menus across a wide mix of classic and buzzy spots, emphasizing price, menu structure and overall experience.

He maintains citywide roundups such as the updated list of all 25 Michelin-starred restaurants in Los Angeles for 2026, keeping close track of changes in the dining landscape and presenting them in one clear reference. Neighborhood pieces like his guide to the best Chinatown restaurants and bars highlight both traditional cash-only banquet rooms and newer wine bars, burger spots and Filipino feasts, showing an interest in how old and new scenes overlap.

Individual venue stories, for example his review of The Holloway’s elevated bar food in Echo Park, spotlight a chef’s approach and the way playful riffs on familiar dishes can turn a bar into a destination.

He also covers openings and moves for specific restaurants and fast-casual concepts, including a Michelin Bib Gourmand–recognized Ecuadorian restaurant relocating to a larger North Miami space and social-media personality Mike Majlak’s 10/10Burger brick-and-mortar launch in Hollywood. His piece on the most-saved NYC ice cream shops on Yelp extends this service angle to dessert, using platform data to identify which parlors resonate most with customers nationwide.

Music, nightlife and live performance previews

A large portion of Peikert’s entertainment beat centers on live music, nightlife rankings and party-centric events. He covers major festivals like the Blue Note Jazz Festival, listing venues across New York City and highlighting a broad lineup that ranges from soul and brass bands to contemporary jazz and funk acts.

He writes concert previews for artists including Lily Allen at the Greek Theatre, framing the show through the narrative of a recent breakup album and the emotional experience of hearing it performed outdoors under the stars. His Dave Matthews Band piece details the band’s fall tour stop at Madison Square Garden, with dates, other tour cities and ticket information laid out in straightforward fashion.

He also reports on nightlife news at the city level, such as Time Out naming New York City one of the best nightlife cities in America, drawing on survey data and editorial rankings to explain why the city’s late-night culture stands out. Closer to the ground, he writes about events like Perreo on the Pier at Pier 15, which turns an open-air waterfront venue into a Latin dance floor with reggaeton, Latin trap, dembow and salsa DJs.

Pieces like Palisades Night at Bungalow Santa Monica show his interest in nightlife with a community angle, noting free entry, themed cocktails and that proceeds benefit local sports and recreation initiatives. He also profiles hybrid music-and-comedy evenings such as a Marc Maron band event, treating them as part of the broader live entertainment ecosystem.

Family-friendly festivals and cultural programs

Peikert’s work extends beyond bars and concerts into family-friendly festivals, museum programs and multi-day cultural events.

His preview of Jim Henson’s 90th birthday celebration at the Museum of the Moving Image breaks down a four-day schedule that includes screenings, workshops, costume contests and a permanent exhibition featuring dozens of puppets and hundreds of objects. He covers Zootoberfest at the Los Angeles Zoo as a playful Oktoberfest adaptation with German-inspired food, giant pretzels, specialty beers, root beer floats, live bands, lawn games and fall-themed photo ops. Event listings like Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the US Open detail how the day combines player practices, live entertainment and hands-on tennis activities in a free, family-focused environment.

In the education and science space, he writes about the NYC Math Festival, describing interactive puzzles, geometric constructions and large-scale installations designed to make abstract ideas tangible for visitors of all ages. His Brooklyn Summit coverage for Comedy Social emphasizes the intimate, up-close setting, curated lineup of comedians and the inclusion of food and drink as part of the ticketed experience.

Opera and classical music also appear in his portfolio, with Rising Stars at All Souls NYC framed as a chance to hear young artists from major opera houses early in their careers in a small venue.

He includes genre-focused exhibitions such as Reframing the Slasher at the Museum of the Moving Image, which combines props from a new meta-slasher film with canonical horror titles to explore how the genre has evolved. He occasionally covers media and technology events like RenderCon, a conference dedicated to practical AI production workflows for artists and industry professionals, indicating an interest in how creative work intersects with emerging tools.