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June 2009 - Posts
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While we're still waiting to hear confirmation about the new concept and chef at the recently shuttered AK Restaurant, we'd like to point out the following tidbit: when visiting its former website , an interesting new name (The Tasting Kitchen), Read More...
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John Sedlar Photo: courtesy of the restaurant Chef John Sedlar may have earned his stripes under the French legend Jean Bertranou at L'Ermitage, but he came into his own with the introduction of Modern Southwest cuisine at his first restaurant, St. Read More...
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Ado photo: Claire Thomas Ado , a newcomer on Venice’s Main Street, serves a limited selection of midpriced Italian and Californian classics from a former Locanda Veneta chef; it’s situated in an ancient wooden beach house painted bright yellow Read More...
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Pourtal Photo: Claire Thomas These three spots are celebrating the birth of our nation with tasty Fourth of July deals. From July 3–13 Santa Monica newcomer Pourtal is presenting "United Grapes of America." For 10 days, wine director Peter Read More...
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Photo: Jeff Kubina As the sun begins to set on the Fourth of July, fireworks erupt all over the Los Angeles basin. Because of fire danger, most are well-controlled displays in stadiums, open-air arenas and over the ocean. The biggest and most popular Read More...
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– The Nestlé plant in the center of the most recent E. coli outbreak has had a spotty track record with the FDA. [ WSJ ] – Despite the recession, restaurant work is available. [ Diner's Journal ] – Reporting from the front Read More...
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Union Hotel Courtesy of the restaurant There's an obscure rhetorical concept known as "metonymy," which James Thurber described as a condition in which the container becomes the thing contained and, in a linguistic inversion, the thing contained Read More...
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Palate Food + Wine photo: Natasha Bedu Quirky Glendale American Palate Food + Wine is starting a new Saturday wine and food series . Held weekly from 1–4 PM (unless otherwise noted on their website) the series features wine tastings for as little Read More...
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– The food world responds to the death of Michael Jackson. [ Grub Street ] – Related: some classic MJ food videos. [ ColdMud , SE ] – French chefs will invade New York for one night this fall. [ Gourmet ] – Related: how McDonald's Read More...
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Union Station Photo: tkksummers On July 10, "East LA Meets Napa" at a celebration of Mexican food and Latino-owned vineyards. Held from 6–9 PM at Union Station , the event raises money for AltaMed Health Services and includes tastes from Read More...
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Border Grill has hit the road. Photo: courtesy of the restaurant With the runaway succes of Kogi , file this under not-so-surprising news: Border Grill , the nouvelle Latino from "Hot Tamales" Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken, has gone a Read More...
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– The current price war going in fast casual restaurants may ultimately hurt the industry rather than save it. [ NYT ] – Why are lobsters so cheap these days? [ The Atlantic ] – The EU is rethinking its position on cloned meat. [ AFP Read More...
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Kevin Zraly With restaurant wine lists growing ever-longer and more ambitious, diners are often confronted by a daunting sea of choices, few of them familiar and many expensive. And how many diners are knowledgeable enough about wine and prices to know Read More...
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Mar'Sel Photo: courtesy of the restaurant Situated in the opulent new Terranea Resort (and reached by a winding drive along the coast), the elegant Californian Mar'Sel gets its name from the Spanish word for ‘sea’ and the French word Read More...
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The affordable menu at West 4th/Jane, a New American in Santa Monica, includes a quirky small-plates selection, 100 beers and something called the ‘Hangover Sandwich’ (turkey, salami, coppacolla and fried egg), all served in a room with worn Read More...
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AK Restaurant Photo: courtesy of the restaurant After hearing the news that AK Restaurant was closing, we had to call to see if there was any more to the story. While details are scarce, the person we spoke to at the restaurant engaged us in the following Read More...
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Pourtal Photo: Claire Thomas Santa Monica wine bar Pourtal has a feel-good happy hour if we ever saw one. Show up for happy hour (4–6 PM, Monday–Friday) and each month the spot will donate a portion of its happy-hour proceeds to a local charity. Read More...
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Between now and September 21, upscale beef chain Fleming's Prime Steak & Wine Bar is offering a summer prix fixe – three courses for $35.95, including peppercorn-crusted filet mignon and the broiled sea scallops with orzo ( multiple locations Read More...
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– Actually, Jean-Georges did not cook for Obama last week. He did cook for Bill Clinton and Ban Ki-moon though. [ JGV Blog ] – Starbucks and Jamba Juice are getting sour on HFCS. [ NRN ] – Daniel Boulud is looking to spread his empire Read More...
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If only the food quality was up to the noise level. Read More...
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According to this newswire item , during a recent visit to France, President Obama's meal was tested by a food-taster. It may seem like a story out of The Onion , but it's actually from AFP, a French news agency that dates back to 1835 and isn't Read More...
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– The U.S. and Canada agree on organic food standards. [ Alberta Farm Express ] – Remember that botched KFC free-chicken giveaway? Yeah, some folks are now suing over it. [ TMZ ] – Why we can't just eat one fry. [ Salon ] – Read More...
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Five Crowns has Potter-mania. Photo: courtesy of Warner Bros. The Lawry's family loves children's literature, especially its Potters. First Lawry's The Prime Rib held its Beatrix Potter Tea , and now sibling Five Crowns is honoring Harry Potter. Read More...
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The much-awaited OS 3.0 isn't the only big update to hit the iPhone this week. Zagat is happy to announce that an updated version of Zagat To Go '09 has hit the App Store and is available as a free update for anyone who already bought the application. Read More...
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Six courses, five wines, all French. That's the theme at the next Club Culinaire of French Cuisine "Chef a Table" dinner coming up June 22 at the St. Regis Monarch Beach . Toque Fred Castan will be cooking up a storm with dishes ranging Read More...
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For more than 20 years, long before Abbot Kinney was even vaguely trendy, Hal's Bar & Grill was the destination of choice for local artists. And sometime later this summer, there will be a Hal's sibling that should be a fine place to go for Read More...
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– From restaurants to apartments, rooftop gardens are having their day in the sun. [ NYT , WSJ ] – Related: Even Buckingham Palace is getting in on the edible garden bandwagon. [ ObamaFoodorama via Diner's Journal ] – A fake celeb Read More...
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Concern Foundation's Block Party One of SoCal's most popular benefits rolls into town on July 11. Held on the back lot of Paramount, the Concern Foundation 's 35th annual Block Party raises money for cancer research, while offering food from Read More...
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Le Saint Amour Photo: Claire Thomas In the heart of born-again Culver City comes Le Saint Amour , a midpriced entry from Bruno and Florence Herve-Commereuc (of the late Angelique Café), that offers a taste of French Cooking 101 – think escargots, Read More...
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Pagoda Bar Photo: Natasha Bedu Situated high above the lights (and lowlifes) of Tinseltown, Pagoda Bar , an annex of Yamashiro , provides a loungey alfresco setting for retro cocktails and finger food; centered around an elegant pagoda that’s separated Read More...
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Arroyo Chop House has steaks for dad Photo: courtesy of the restaurant We already gave you a massive list of Father's Day dining options , but if they were all met with a fatherly shoulder shrug, no worries, we've got more suggestions for a manly Read More...
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– Examining the troubles facing T.G.I. Friday's. [ Brand Graveyard ] – You can't get Coke Zero in Venezuela anymore. It has been banned. [ LAT ] – Christian Albin, chef at the Four Seasons , died of cancer this weekend. [ NYT Read More...
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It's like eating in the dining hall at Hogwarts. Read More...
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More and more restaurants are offering gluten-free dishes. When Tom Kaplan, owner of Hugo’s in Los Angeles, had a customer get sick after eating his white fish piccata, the seafood wasn’t to blame. It was the gluten in the bread-crumb coating Read More...
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– Why some restaurants don't take reservations. [ Between Meals ] – Fish fake-outs: a literal bait and switch. [ CST ] – Jamba Juice moves to expand past smoothies with sandwiches and salads. [ NRN ] – "Some Gentlemen's Read More...
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A bear enjoying Yamashiro's cuisine Photo: Tad Motoyama The 39th Annual Beastly Ball on June 20 may cost a pretty penny, but walking around the Los Angeles Zoo under the stars while dining on dishes from local favorites could just be worth it. Designed Read More...
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The first set of cheftestants on Top Chef Masters Photo: courtesy of Bravo TV Last night saw the return of Bravo's much-loved Top Chef , sort of. For the summer the show has spawned a pro-version, Top Chef Masters , in which real top toques compete Read More...
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Mexico Restaurante y Barra Photo: Natasha Bedu The always-eclectic Larry Nicola (of Nic's in Beverly Hills) heads for Boys Town with Mexico Restaurante y Barra , a rollicking arrival serving midpriced regional Mexican fare (think wood-fired black Read More...
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Add a dash of Cuba to the list of New York imports coming our way. This summer should see the arrival of Left Coast outposts of Café Habana and Habana Outpost . The former, which originates in Manhattan, is heading to Malibu while the latter, a Read More...
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– Is street food the new bacon? [ SE ] – Remembering Norman Brinker, the man who popularized the salad bar. [ NYT ] – Does gender affect the way you cook? [ EMD ] – Just because it isn't ice cream doesn't mean that fro-yo Read More...
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La Bistecca has opened in the Biltmore. Photo: courtesy of the hotel At La Bistecca , a steakhouse in the former lobby of Downtown’s Biltmore , two Italian chefs with roots in Southern Italy and Sicily team up for a menu built around organic vegetables Read More...
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Father's Day is almost here – it lands on June 21 – so where to take the old man? Here are a handful of options that should put a grin on his face. BLT Steak : Beverage director Jared Heber has designed two new cocktails for Father's Read More...
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If you thought the funniest thing about fast food was Burger King's homage to SpongeBob's pant-shape , you may reconsider after reading these outtakes from our just-released Fast-Food Survey . If mayonnaise were currency, these guys could fund Read More...
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Regional favorite In-N-Out Burger has been crowned the nation’s primo patty purveyor in our latest Fast-Food Survey. With locations in just four Western states (California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona), In-N-Out nudged out behemoths Wendy’s, Read More...
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– Thanks to its new McCafe's, McDonald's May sales were up 5.1 percent. [ AP ] – The hot dog and American diplomacy. [ NYT ] – Why aren't Brits eating strawberries this year? [ Word of Mouth ] – Fresh from their New Read More...
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Great place to go if you don't like the people you are dining with. Read More...
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Peter Rabbit On Saturday, June 13 grab your little ones and head to the Lawry's The Prime Rib sib Five Crowns in Corona del Mar for a one-time-only English tea based on Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit and Friends . Starting at 2 PM, the classic Read More...
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– The U.K. discovers some of its chicken has been secretly injected with beef waste. [ The Independent ] – Grant Achatz aims for another victory with a hefty book proposal. [ Eater ] – The Journal catches up with the ongoing food-truck Read More...
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Jay Leno Photo: courtesy of the Vintage Hollywood Foundation The weekend of the 13th is a doozy if you like a good fund-raiser. On Saturday, June 13, the Vintage Hollywood Foundation is holding a fund-raiser for Children's Action Network at the "Brentwood Read More...
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On June 9, New American Brooks in Ventura will be hosting winemaker Vino V for a five-course dinner paired with five glasses of, you guessed it, vino. Menu highlights include soy-braised crispy pork belly and miso-rubbed tuna (6:30 PM; $95 per person, Read More...
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– Which chains are worst for your waistline? [ NYDN ] – Faux speakeasies are still popular. [ NYT ] – Got food allergies? Try eating these items. [ Chicago Tribune ] – Starbucks is planning to revamp its food offerings again. [ Read More...
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Territory Barbecue & Records Photo: Claire Thomas Yes, Territory Barbecue & Records really is a combination barbecue restaurant and record store, offering affordable Southern-style ’cue in a neighborhood that's more Silver Lake–adjacent Read More...
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Wolfgang Puck's B&G Photo: Claire Thomas The Puckster expands his presence to burgeoning Downtown with Wolfgang Puck B&G , an indoor-outdoor 300-seat Californian at LA Live that offers a midpriced menu of the chef’s signatures – Read More...
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By Nina and Tim Zagat Building a better front of the house. Tim and Nina Zagat share their thoughts on service deficiencies and how to remedy them. Over the years that we've spent surveying hundreds of thousands of diners, one fact becomes clear: Read More...
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Peripatetic chef Laurent Quenioux, best known for Downtown's erstwhile 7th Street Bistro, is due to return with Bistro LQ in the space currently occupied by Jean Pierre Bosc's Mimosa (Bosc will continue with his Café des Artistes in Hollywood). Read More...
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– The Obamas had a food-filled weekend, from Five Guys to Blue Hill . [ Washington Post , Diner's Journal , Politics Daily ] – But Amanda Hesser thinks it wouldn't hurt Michelle to cook a little more in the kitchen. [ NYT ] – Read More...
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