A phrase is a group of words that stand together as a grammatical unit. The phrase from paragraph 5 that BEST shows why the speaker is excited when the friends reach the downtown area is;
"Because some of L.A.’s hottest restaurants are located just outside of the Staples Center;"
As they reach the downtown area, the speaker's excitement increases. This is because she knows that some of the hottest restaurants in Los Angeles are located outside the Staples Center which is the downtown area.
She feels that Jayson was taking her to one of those restaurants, thus her excitement.
So, the phrase in the bullet point above reveals why the speaker is excited.
