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October 2008 - Posts
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Very polite staff – when a guest fell asleep they served his food as if nothing had happened. Read More...
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Deep fried grasshoppers and bamboo worms photo: avlxyz Thanks to the success of shows like Fear Factor , Survivor and Bizarre Foods , the consumption of bugs has entered the mainstream in a way few observers of the culinary scene might have expected. Read More...
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Happy Halloween from Bob Zagatie! photo: Andrea Joffe – This year, the Beaujolais comes with biker chefs. [ Grub Street ] – Some chefs are flat out teaming up with local farmers. [ USA Today ] – Revenue is up for Kraft and Kellog's Read More...
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By Nina Zagat and Tim Zagat Many restaurants will weather a bad economy just fine. In the last few weeks, a lot of people have asked us how the current economic meltdown will affect America's restaurants. The short-term answer is that the crisis is Read More...
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In what may be a harbinger of hard times to come, high-profile über-chef/restaurateur Joachim Splichal (Patina Restaurant Group) closed his Westside seafooder, Paperfish , today, slightly less than one year after its much-heralded November 2007 opening Read More...
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Grace On November 3rd, Beverly Boulevard's Grace is hosting a five-course dinner with wine pairings to benefit Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP). This national nonprofit, of which Zagat is a sponsor, helps kids around the country learn Read More...
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– NYC's Nello , a Madison Avenue spot popular among socialites, was seized by the IRS yesterday for owing over $1.5 million in back taxes. [ NYP ] – Why are more and more restaurants making you ask for salt? [ Between Meals ] – At Read More...
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Let's talk about hobbies. Some people collect stamps. Some people build model airplanes. Some like to clean the barnacles off their sailboats. I go on diets. In fact, I'm on a diet right now. This strikes some people as odd because I'm only Read More...
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Former Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons chef Conny Andersson heads west to start AK Restaurant on bohemian Abbot Kinney, offering a pricey, organic-leaning Eclectic menu that includes nods to the chef’s Swedish roots; the semi-industrial space features Read More...
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You can't miss the Los Feliz Eclectic Desert Rose thanks to the oversized stained-glass rose in front, which is echoed inside by a pink-and-black color scheme; its spacious outdoor patio offers a fine view of the neighborhood’s groovy street Read More...
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– The international credit crisis is affecting the whole food chain. [ Washington Post ] – So some scientists are trying to push farming potatoes over grains. [ NYT ] – At least European mushrooms are having a bumper crop this year. Read More...
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The Wilshire has white truffles. photo: courtesy of Wilshire It's back! The elusive white Alba truffle , generally available only between the end of October and early December (if we're lucky enough to have the season last that long), has returned Read More...
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With the stock market bouncing around like a Mexican jumping bean, the controlled risks of old-fashioned gambling start to look like a swell thing. And if you've been looking for a reason to go to Vegas, might we suggest James Beard? The famous gastronome's Read More...
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– Friend of the Buzz Dr. Brian Wansink and the USDA are releasing a new food pyramid for preschoolers. [ Chicago Tribune ] – If you vote on November 4th (and you should!) then Ben & Jerry's would like to offer you a free scoop of ice Read More...
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A sidecar at Comme Ça It was, of course, inevitable that the properly mixed cocktail would return. Indeed, it's happened again and again. After the great Harvey Wallbanger Panic of the '60s, we went back to martinis. After the Tequila Sunrise Read More...
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– Cereal makers are reducing the amount of sugar in their products by jacking up the salt. [ WSJ ] – More reports of a rough restaurant scene out there. [ NYT ] – A judge awarded a group of 36 New York deliverymen $4.6 million in back Read More...
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With the economy a wilder ride than most roller coasters these days, it feels good to dine at a restaurant where you'll get the most for your buck. Which places offer the best quality-to-cost ratio? Zagat Survey has done the math for you. Here are Read More...
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Michael Mina makes his LA debut adjacent to West Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont with his 14th restaurant, XIV (get it?), a New American featuring a retro design by Philippe Starck – think dark wood, richly colored carpets and understated lighting; Read More...
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– Applebee's/IHOP is in the midst of some tricky times. [ NYP ] – Restaurant PR flacks are turning economic lemons into lemonade. [ Diner's Journal ] – Uh oh. Alaskan pollock are swimming in Russian waters! [ LAT ] – The Read More...
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photo: Luis Yax Halloween, that annual excuse to put on a costume and consume too much sugar, lands on a Friday this year, and as usual restaurants around town will use the holiday (and the nights leading up to it) to lure in customers. Here are a few Read More...
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In 1979 Tim and Nina Zagat compiled their friends' opinions on New York restaurants into a single-sheet mimeographed guide. Thirty years later, Zagat Survey publishes more than 50 books covering everything from dining to movies to golf courses. And Read More...
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– The fish you are eat might very well be mislabeled. [ Chow ] – Those who don't get enough gratification from their food often overcompensate by overeating. [ AP ] – Maybe having Gordon Ramsay and his Kitchen Nightmares crew film Read More...
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The 22nd Annual Great Chefs of LA fund-raiser for Southern California's National Kidney Foundation promotes conscientious eating this year with its "Go Green, Go Organic" theme. On November 9th, the CBS Studio backlot will be filled with Read More...
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Differences in olive oil , that golden-green grease that graces so many kitchens, are often overlooked by the typical food connoisseur. But they do exist and being able to properly use different types of olive oil can dramatically improve the taste and Read More...
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– As we've noted , restaurants are adding hours to boost their bottom lines. [ NYT ] – Food stamp usage is on the rise. [ AFP ] – Bad news for soda companies like Pepsi: Tap water is popular again. [ NYT ] – With a world-wide Read More...
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One goes to the shrine at Lourdes in order to be healed. One travels to Vichy to take the waters and recover from the sundry ailments that assail the body and soul. But one goes to the Santa Barbara's La Super-Rica Taco to be born again in the bosom Read More...
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Outfitted with shelves of books (apt given its proximity to LA’s Central Library), Downtown's Library Bar has added inexpensive gastropub chow to the menu; the drink-friendly fare, including skewered pork belly, deviled marrow bones and a killer Read More...
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Ubiquitous restaurateur Steve Arroyo ( Cobras & Matadors , Malo , 750 ml ) strikes again with Church & State , a Downtown French brasserie housed in a former biscuit factory; a midpriced menu of classic Gallic favorites is served in a retro space Read More...
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– The discussion of gender roles in restaurants continues with many thoughts on the single female diner. [ Diner's Journal ] – On the job with a Chicago health inspector. [ Chicago Tribune ] – A Lebanese group is suing Israel over Read More...
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The music's so loud it's like they're asking you to leave. Read More...
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We recently heard about an event in Boston that left us wondering. UpStairs on the Square , a popular restaurant in Cambridge, is hosting a dinner with vegan wine pairings . What is vegan wine? Being made from grapes, wine seems like it would be an acceptable Read More...
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photo: Michael J. Fajardo Though Oktoberfest is officially over , that's no reason for Californians to stop enjoying German fare and brew. At the Luxe Hotel restaurant On Sunset , you'll find a bit of Bavaria from October 20th–25th, when Read More...
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– Before the election, a long look at the future of food policy. [ NYT Magazine ] – In Boston, restaurateurs are teaming up to cut costs. [ Boston Herald ] – There are more varieties of cacao than previously thought. [ Serious Eats ] Read More...
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The prolific Adolfo Suaya ( Charcoal , Gaucho Grill , Geisha House , Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante , The Lodge ) strikes again, this time with an Asian-Peruvian venture called Osaka, located in a Hollywood space that used to hold a branch of Chicken Delight; Read More...
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With the Jewish high holidays in full swing – Yom Kippur , the Day of Atonement, begins at sundown – it seems as good a time as any to talk kosher. So if you're looking for somewhere to break the fast tomorrow, or are just a fan of food Read More...
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– Gender still matters when dining out. [ NYT ] – Starbucks is reportedly wasting water around the world. [ The Sun ] – Country of origin label laws have lots of loopholes. [ NYT ] – Diners are moving from luxe lunches to cheaper Read More...
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Summer is over, and the fall harvest is kicking in. To celebrate, chef Ben Ford is throwing a Harvest Dinner at his restaurant, Ford's Filling Station in Culver City. At the October 21st event, guests will get to feast on a four-course tasting menu Read More...
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The wood-lined, dimly lit front room of the newly relocated Chez Mélange in Redondo Beach has been turned into Bouzy , a gastropub named for a village in France; in addition to scores of artisanal beers and wines by the glass, the inexpensive menu Read More...
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In the midst of Sawtelle's busy Restaurant Row is Robata-Ya , a casual Japanese creation of Mako Tanaka ( Mako ) and friends, dedicated to ingredients grilled on skewers and cooked over bincho charcoal; though its setting includes several tables, Read More...
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– A rough economy means a return of that old staple: the food club. [ Chicago Tribune ] – China's tainted milk scandal continues to cause trouble. [ Washington Post ] – Burger Kings nationwide are going trans fat free. [ Marketwatch Read More...
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Burgers, burgers, everywhere – this time in the heart of Downtown. Rowdy Red Wine & Burger Bar, opened by Sal Casola of Market City Caffe and Morels fame, will be close enough to Staples to be yet one more destination in the burgeoning business Read More...
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Chili Peppers Photo: Phil Zrimsek A recent story in London’s Telegraph told the sad tale of a fellow in Edlington, Doncaster, who accepted a bet to make a chili so hot no one could eat it. Thirty-three-year-old Andrew Lee won the bet – he Read More...
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– Tom Colicchio is coming back into the kitchen. But only on Tuesdays. [ Diner's Journal ] – Marco Pierre White thinks it is a great time to invest in a restaurant. [ LAT ] – Paul Newman 's legacy in the world of organic food Read More...
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