Los Angeles Restaurant Blog

IN THE NEWS: In its October 2007 issue, the 10th Annual "Bon Appetit" Awards include David Chang (New York City's Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssam Bar) as Chef of the Year, Dan Barber (New York's Blue Hill) as Chef of Merit, Kamel Guechida (Joel Robuchon's restaurants at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas) as Pastry Chef, Audrey Saunders (New York's Pegu Club) as Wine & Spirits Professional, Father Gregory J. Boyle (Los Angeles' Homeboy Bakery and Homegirl Cafe) as Humanitarian, Laurent Tourandel (New York's BLT Steak, BLT Prime, BLT Burger, and BLT Fish) as Restaurateur, and Ari Weinszweig and Paul Saginaw (Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Mich.) as Lifetime Achievement. bonappetit.com ...

Food Network's new show The Next Iron Chef kicks off at 9 pm EST/PDT Sunday, Oct. 7 as eight chefs compete from across the country compete to join the ranks of legendary Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Cat Cora, and Mario Batali. The eight competitors: Aaron Sanchez, chef-owner, Paladar and Centrico, New York; Mourou Outtara, chef/owner, FarrahOlivia by Morou, Alexandria, Va.; John Besh, chef/owner Restaurant August, Luke, The Besh Steakhouse at Harrahs, New Orleans; and La Provence, Lacombe, La.), Traci Des Jardins, chef and co-owner Jardiniere; chef/owner, Mijita; managing chef, ACME Chophouse, San Francisco); Chris Cosentino, chef, Incanto and co-owner, Bocccalone Arisanal Meats, San Francisco); Jill Davie, chef de cuisine, Josie Restaurant, Los Angeles; Michael Symon, chef-owner, Lola and Lolita, Cleveland; and Gavin Kaysen, chef de cuisine, El Bizcocho, San Diego. foodnetwork.com ...

City Beat's Don Waller reviews Spain (1866 Glendale Blvd., L.A., 323-667-9045. Restaurantspain.net). lacitybeat.com ... The LA Times' S. Irene Virbila gives just a half-star to Abode (1541 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, 310-394-3463; www.aboderestaurant.com), while Susan LaTempa considers Bar-B-Kosher (113 E. 9th St., Los Angeles, 213-623-4955) and Linda Burum looks at regional Thai restaurants, including Lum-Ka-Naad in Reseda. latimes.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Boiling Crab (742 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra, 626-576-9368, www.theboilingcrab.com), has a first bite at the reopened Bastide (8475 Melrose Pl., L.A., 310-392-9571) and notes Indonesian spot Indo Kitchen (5 N. Fourth St., Alhambra, 626-282-1676). laweekly.com ... Eater LA notes the opening of Steve Adelman's quick-serve Lift in the Hillview Apartments (6531 Hollywood Blvd., 323.469.1848), visits bistro Bashan Restaurant (3459 N. Verdugo Rd., Glendale, 818.541.1532), and reports that La Boheme, which closed for renovations in July, will reopen on Oct. 8 as Cafe La Boheme. la.eater.com ... la.foodblogging.com visits Beverly Hills bakery Crumbs (9465 S. Santa Monica Blvd., 310.550.9811). ... FoodieUniverse.blogspot.com reviews Cafe Orient (20527 Devonshire, Chatsworth, CA 818.486.1221).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Joan's Reopens; Cooks Ditches Dinner

2007-09-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Los Angeles Times' S. Irene Virbila gives a half-star to the reopened Ca' Brea (346 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles; 323-938-2863; www.cabrearestaurant.com). ... The Times reports the reopening of Joan's on Third after a remodel and expansion, and it now serves breakfast (8350 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles; 323-655-2285; www.joansonthird.com), while Cooks Double Dutch (9806 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310-280-0991; www.cooksdoubledutch.com) has discontinued dinner service. ... Betty Hallock blogs about the opening of Boule Atelier (408 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, 310-289- 9977. Also, 413 N. Bedford, Beverly Hills). latimes.com ... City Beat's Richard Foss reviews Bondi BBQ (46 Windward Ave., Venice, 310-392-3809. Bondibbq.com). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Flame Persian Cuisine (1442 Westwood Blvd., Westwood, 310-470-3399, www.flame persiancuisine.com) and has a first bite at Bollini's Pizzeria (2315 S Garfield Ave., Monterey Park, 323-722-7600, www.bollinispizzeria.com). laweekly.com ... Eater LA notes the opening of Terra Restaurant (21337 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu, 310.456.1221). la.eater.com ... Franklin Ave. visits Millie's (3524 W Sunset Blvd in Silver Lake). franklinavenue.blogspot.com ... Eating L.A. stops by Breadbar on Third St. and 101 Noodle Express (1408 E. Valley Blvd., Alhambra, 626-300-8654). eatingla.blogspot.com ... CarolineOnCrack.com notes the opening of Crumbs Bake Shop (9465 S. Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills, 310-550-9811). ...

Zagat Buzz reports that to celebrate its 20th anniversary, the James Beard Foundation is hosting a series of food festivals and special dinners in 20 cities nationwide. The events kick off on September 18th in New York with a lavish menu inspired by Beard at Four Seasons. The celebrations continue the next week with elaborate dinners cooked by first-rate toques in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Short Hills, NJ and Washington, DC. All of the events are unique, with different chef lineups and dining formats ranging from gala dinners to walk-around tastings, so check the individual city pages for details. Though prices for the dinners vary, all of them will be followed up on September 29th with special events at local Williams-Sonoma stores where chefs will be offering cooking demos, book signings, specialty food tastings and kids' educational activities free of charge. For more information about the event, logon to www.jbftasteamerica.com. zagat.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Harbor House, Edie's Diner Shutter Doors

2007-09-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Daily Breeze reports the abrupt closing of two longtime Marina del Rey waterside restaurants, much to the surprise of Los Angeles County officials who say they expect the eateries to remain open until a disputed development plan is finalized. The co-owned restaurants, Harbor House and Edie's Diner, in the same building at 4211 Admiralty Way, attracted customers with outdoor patios overlooking large party boats and private watercraft. dailybreeze.com ... The Los Angeles Times' S. Irene Virbila gives two and a half stars in reviewing Santa Barbara's Hungry Cat (1134 Chapala St., Santa Barbara; 805-884-4701), while Bettie Haddock features innovative and local-centric young chef/owner Jason Tuley and his Square One restaurant in Santa Barbara and notes the opening of Joan's on Third. latimes.com ... City Beat's Scarlett Lindeman reviews the mainly vegan Pure Luck (707 N. Heliotrope Dr., L.A., 323-660-5993). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Cemitas Poblanas Elvirita #1 Restaurante (3010 E. First St., E.L.A., 323-881-0428) and Las Nuevas (3701 E. First St., East L.A., 323-264-0678) and takes a first bite at the new Japanese-ish eatery Takami (811 Wilshire Blvd., downtown, 213-236-9600). laweekly.com ... Los Angeles Downtown News' Kathryn Maese reports on the openings of French bistro-diner Mode (916 S. Olive St.) and Honda Ya (333 S. Alameda St.) and also spotlights eateries Korean BBQ House (323 E. First St., Japanese Village Plaza, 213-680-1826), La Serenata de Garibaldi (1842 E. First St., 323-265-2887), Spring Street Smoke House (640 N. Spring St., 213-626-0535) and Fisherman's Outlet (529 S. Central Ave., 213-627-7231). ladowntownnews.com ... L.A. Food Crazy visits El Pollo Loco. lafoodcrazy.blogspot.com ... Eater Los Angeles reviews Tinto Tapas Espana (7511 Santa Monica Blvd., WeHo, 323.512.3095) and reports, "It was an equal case of vermin infestation and 'remodling' that closed the original Doughboys last month. The current outgoing message says the restaurant is closed "due to a long overdue renovation" and that the staff at the Hollywood location will know the status of the original cafe "and will be happy and able to answer any questions you might have." While the young chap who answered the phone when we called was pleasant, he didn't really know much more than, "It's closed" and probably will be "few more weeks." ... Eater also reports: the Sept. 19 reopening after remodeling and new menu of the former Doug Arango's, to be called Melrose Bar & Grill. ... The Oct. 5 closing of Avenue in Manhattan Beach and the recent closing of The Pig barbecue joint. ... The switch of chefs at the new Nonna, to Bruno Puddu, formerly of Piccolo in Venice Beach, from Paolo Giovani of Il Sole. ... The Sept. 5 opening of Bastide. la.eater.com ... Eating L.A. reviews The Griffin (3000 Los Feliz Blvd.). eatingla.blogspot.com ... Franklin Avenue rates Ammo (1155 N. Highland, Hollywood). franklinavenue.blogspot.com

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Mag's Ten Top Tables Includes Foundry, Jar

2007-09-04T08:31:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: Conde Nast Traveler's September 2007 issue spotlights Los Angeles magazine critic Patric Kuh's Ten Top Tables in Los Angeles, including Foundry on Melrose (7465 Melrose Ave., 323-651-0915), Musso & Frank Grill (6667 Hollywood Blvd., 323-467-7788), Hungry Cat (1535 N. Vine St., 323-462-2155), El Tepeyac Cafe (812 N. Evergreen Ave., 323-267-8668), Angelini Osteria (7313 Beverly Blvd., 323-297-0070), Izayoi (132 S. Central Ave., 213-613-9554), Jar (8225 Beverly Blvd, 323-655-6566), Providence (5955 Melrose Ave., 323-460-4170), 3 Square Cafe & Bakery (1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd., 310-399-6504), and 25 Degrees (7000 Hollywood Blvd., 323-785-7244). condenasttraveler.com ... Los Angeles magazine's September 2007 edition includes Patric Kuh's review of Fraiche (9411 Culver Blvd, Culver City, fraicherestaurantla.com, 310-839-6800). lamag.com ... Gourmet magazine's September 2007 edition rounds up L.A.'s Salvadoran restaurants. gourmet.com ... The Los Angeles Times' Russ Parsons profiles Matt Molina, 29-year-old executive chef at the two hottest restaurants in Los Angeles: the conjoined twins Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza. ... Dining critic S. Irene Virbila awards two stars in reviewing Catch Restaurant & Sushi Bar (Casa del Mar, 1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica, 310-581-7714; www.catchsantamonica.com), while Susan LaTempa considers Mary's Secret Garden (100 S. Fir St., Ventura; 805-641-3663). latimes.com ... City Beat's Richard Foss reviews BBQ Unlimited (12980 Sherman Way, No.1, North Hollywood, 818-765-7725). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Lenchita’s (13612 Van Nuys Blvd., Pacoima, 818-899-2623) and visits Porta Via Italian Foods (1 W. California Blvd., Pasadena, 626-793-9000, www.portaviafoods.com). laweekly.com ... The Oregonian reports that Alfred Peet, founder of Peet's Coffee & Tea, died Aug. 29 at his Ashland, Ore. home at age 87. Peet opened the original Peet's store on the corner of Walnut and Vine in Berkeley, Calif. in 1966, and eventually added shops in Menlo Park, in Oakland and another in Berkeley across from the Claremont Hotel. Although he retired in 1983, Peet never fully gave up his passion in coffee. He continued to consult with coffee companies and was often known to drop by coffee stores and taste samples of coffee beans with its proprietors, his company said in a statement. oregonlive.com ... The Delicious Life visits Phoreign (2123 Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles, 310.477.4885). thedeliciouslife.blogspot.com ... Eating L.A. stops by Luna Park and Cora. eatingla.blogspot.com ... la.foodblogging.com considers The Grill on the Alley (9560 Dayton Way, Beverly Hills, 310-276-0615). ... LA.Eater.com notes the opening of Food Court L.A. (8334 W. 3rd Street, 323.782.9689) and closings of Monroe's and Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in West Hollywood.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Pizzeria Mozza, Cut Are Mag's Runners-Up

2007-08-27T14:34:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn's Peter Luger Steak House and New Orleans' Willie Mae's Scotch House were among the winners in Bon Appetit magazine's recent Food Network special. Winning restaurants were selected from each of three semifinalists for the best versions of six quintessential American classics: pizza, steak, tacos, hamburgers, fried chicken, and ribs. The winners were announced on the Good Eats with Alton Brown show on the Food Network.

Here are the winners and runners-up:
PIZZA: Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix (WINNER); DiFara Pizza, Brooklyn, NY; Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
STEAK: Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn (WINNER); Cut, Los Angeles; Doe's Eat Place, Greenville, Miss.
TACOS: Taco Taco Cafe, San Antonio (WINNER); Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta; South Beach Bar & Grill, Ocean Beach, Calif.
Hamburgers: Bobcate Bite, Santa Fe, NM (WINNER); Taylor's Automatic Refresher, St. Helena, Calif; The Meers Store and Restaurant, Lawton, Okla.
FRIED CHICKEN: Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans (WINNER); Price's Chicken Coop, Charlotte, NC; Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
RIBS: 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, Ill (WINNER); Charles Vergos Rendezvous, Memphis; Jaspers, Plano, Texas.

IN THE NEWS: The Los Angeles Times' S. Irene Virbila awards two stars in reviewing Bar Marmont (8171 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 650-0575; www.chateaumarmont.com), while Jenn Garbee reports the opening of Santa Monica bakery Grateful Bread (1518 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 394-7178, gratefulbread.org). latimes.com ... City Beat's Don Waller reviews Pailin Thai (5621 Hollywood Blvd., L.A., 323-467-7715). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Earthen Restaurant (1639 S. Azusa Ave., Hacienda Heights, 626-964-1570) and takes a first bite at Tanzore (50 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-652-3838). laweekly.com ... LA.Eater.com notes the opening of Nonna (9255 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 310.270.4455). ... La.Foodblogging.com reviews Bistro 45 (45 Mentor Avenue, Pasadena, 626-795-2478). ... The Delicious Life visits i Cugini (1501 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, 310-451-4595, www.icugini.com). thedeliciouslife.blogspot.com ... FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com notes the closing of Silver Lake's Flor Morena and reviews Canele (3219 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village). ... EatingLA.blogspot.com visits Tokyo Table (50 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-657-9500).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Cut Steak House Grabs NYT's Attention

2007-08-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The New York Times' dining critic Frank Bruni weighs in on Wolfgang Puck's Cut steak house in Beverly Hills. nytimes.com ... Conde Nast Traveler magazine's August 2007 issue spotlights Culver City and mentions restaurants La Dijonaise (8703 Washington Blvd), Ford's Filling Station (9531 Culver Blvd.) and the gastropub Wilson (8631 Washington Blvd.). cntraveler.com ... The LA Times' S. Irene Virbila gives one and a half stars to Tower Bar (Sunset Tower Hotel, 8358 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood), while Susan LaTempa weighs in on The York (5018 York Blvd., Los Angeles; www.theyorkonyork.com), and Amy Scattergood blogs about her visit to Jin Patisserie (1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice). latimes.com ... City Beat's Richard Foss reviews Eight-18 (10151 Riverside Dr., Toluca Lake). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Jitlada Thai Restaurant (5233½ Sunset Blvd., Hlywd). laweekly.com ... LA.Eater.com stops by The York and notes the opening of Takami Sushi & Robata/Elevate Lounge (811 Wilshire Blvd., Downtown). ... ladowntownnews.com stops by Riordan's Tavern (875 S. Figueroa St.) reports the closing of Lowenbrau Keller (3211 Beverly Blvd.) and the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Trifecta, the upscale and expensive sports lounge and restaurant at Second and Hill streets next to the Kawada Hotel. ... TheDeliciousLife.blogspot.com stops by Harper's Express (in the food court@Westfield Shoppingtown Century City, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles), and The Dive (742 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles). ... EatingLA.blogspot.com notes the opening of Flore Vegan Cuisine (3818 W. Sunset Blvd.) and reviews Elf Cafe (2135 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Pizzeria Mozza, Cut Make National Finals

2007-08-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

Bon Appetit magazine's September 2007 Restaurant issue features three finalists in a list of quintessential versions of six American classics: pizza, steak, tacos, hamburgers, fried chicken, and ribs. Winner will be announced on the Food Network on Aug. 18 (Good Eats with Alton Brown, 6 and 10 pm CDT). The finalists:

PIZZA: Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix; DiFara Pizza, Brooklyn, NY; Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles
STEAK: Peter Luger Steak House, Brooklyn; Cut, Los Angeles; Doe's Eat Place, Greenville, Miss.
TACOS: Taco Taco Cafe, San Antonio; Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta; South Beach Bar & Grill, Ocean Beach, Calif.
HAMBURGERS: Bobcat Bite, Santa Fe, NM; Taylor's Automatic Refresher, St. Helena, Calif; The Meers Store and Restaurant, Lawton, Okla.
FRIED CHICKEN: Willie Mae's Scotch House, New Orleans; Price's Chicken Coop, Charlotte, NC; Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tenn.
RIBS: Charles Vergos Rendezvous, Memphis; 17th Street Bar & Grill, Murphysboro, Ill; Jaspers, Plano, Texas.

The magazine also features favorite restaurant recipes, including: Lucia's in Minneapolis-St. Paul; Eve in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar in Somerville, Mass.; Binkley's Restaurant in Cave Creek, Ariz.; Kelly Liken Restaurant in Vail, Colo; Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles; and Park Kitchen in Portland, Ore. ... And the mag also features 12 small restaurants and their recipes, including: The Little Owl, New York City; The Good Fork, Brooklyn; La Laiterie at Farmstead, Providence, RI; Cremant, Seattle; Bonne Soiree, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Hatfield's, Los Angeles; Canteen, San Francisco; Revolver, Findlay, Ohio; Le Pigeon, Portland, Ore; and Komi, Washington, DC. epicurious.com/bonappetit

IN THE NEWS: The LA Times' third annual Delicious Deals roundup from Susan LaTempa begins with the jamón serrano sandwich at La Española Meats (25020 Doble Ave., Harbor City). Critic S. Irene Virbila gives two stars to the new bistro Artisan (1401 Park St., Paso Robles, www.artisanpasorobles.com). ... Restaurant Journal notes the 20th anniversary of Zov's Bistro, Bakery and Cafe in Tustin. The contemporary Middle Eastern bistro helmed by chef and cookbook author Zov Karamardian has a new sibling -- the more casual Zov's Newport in Newport Beach -- and the Karamardian family plans to open a third restaurant in Irvine this fall. (17440 E. 17th St., Tustin, Zov's Newport Coast, 21123 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, www.zovs.com). latimes.com ... City Beat's Scarlett Lindeman reviews Hatfield’s (7458 Beverly Blvd., L.A). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews the fried chicken at Kyochon (3833 W. Sixth St., L.A.) and visits Chicago Pasta Shop (24667 Sunnymead Blvd., Moreno Valley) and Riordan's Tavern (875 S. Figueroa St., dwntwn). laweekly.com ... La.Eater.com visits One Sunset (8730 Sunset Blvd.) and notes the opening of Porta Via Foods (1 California Blvd., www.portaviafoods.com). ... La.Foodblogging.com stops by Café Brasil (11736 West Washington Blvd, Los Angeles).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Groundwork Coffee Loses Ground Locally

2007-08-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Los Angeles Times' S. Irene Virbila gives two and a half stars to The Foundry (7465 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; www.thefoundryonmelrose.com), while Susan LaTempa discovers Santa Maria BBQ (9552 Washington Blvd., Culver City, santamariabbq.com). ... Amy Scattergood blogs, "Something's brewing in the local coffee world. Groundwork Coffee operating chief Ric Rhinehart has left the company after his efforts to buy a majority share fell through. And a visit to the newest Groundwork location downtown -- the site of the only Clover as yet in operation in L.A. -- yielded further evidence of a shake-up, with news of other folks in the small company gone and dwindling bags of single-lot coffee on the shelves." latimes.com ... USA Today rounds up tiki bars, including: Portland's Alibi Lounge, River Grove (Ill.)'s Hala Kahiki, Los Angeles' Tiki-Ti, San Francisco's Tonga Room, Atlanta's Trader Vic's, Saugus (Mass.)'s Kowloon, Fort Lauderdale's Mai-Kai, and Smyrna (Tenn.)'s Omni Hut. usatoday.com ... City Beat's Richard Foss reviews The Mint (6010 Pico Blvd., L.A., Themintla.com). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews BYJ Restaurant (1144 S. Western Ave., Suite 108, Koreatown) and takes a first bite at Osteria Mozza (6602 Melrose Ave., L.A.). laweekly.com ... Downtown News stops by Ensenada Restaurant (517 S. Spring St.). ladowntownnews.com ... LA.com considers Los Angeles Pizza Company (712 N. Figueroa St.) ... La.Eater.com notes the closing of Santa Monica's Scarboni New York Steak & Lobster House and reports: Intelligentsia Coffee's opening date for the new mega-coffeehouse has been pushed back to Aug. 15 ... Christine Banta, executive chef at La Boheme in WeHo, just told us that the restaurant closed on July 28 "for a face lift." The relaunch should be around October. ... Former mayor Richard Riordan's new Riordan's Tavern has quietly opened. ... Prego on Camden Dr. is now called Forte. ... La.foodblogging.com stops by Getty Villa. ... TheDeliciousLife.blogspot.com reviews Café Crepe (1460 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica). ... EatingLA.blogspot.com visits Pacific Dining Car.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

'USA Today' Spotlights Cut Steakhouse

2007-07-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: USA Today features the new movement of top-flight, celebrity chef-driven steakhouses, including Chicago's Tramonto's Steak & Seafood (Westin Chicago North Shore hotel, 601 N. Milwaukee Ave., Wheeling), Las Vegas' StripSteak (Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. S.), Los Angeles' Cut (Beverly Wilshire hotel, 9500 Wilshire Blvd.), Kansas City's Plaza III Steakhouse (4749 Pennsylvania Ave.), and New York City's Craftsteak (85 10th Ave.). usatoday.com ... City Beat's Don Waller gets the goat at Birrieria Jalisco (1845 First St., East L.A., Birrieriajalisco.com. A sister location at 3180 E. Imperial Hwy. #D, Lynwood). lacitybeat.com ... The Los Angeles Times' Leslie Brenner notes Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel's new Eno, "a wine, cheese and chocolate sensation," and the opening of gastropub The York (5018 York Blvd., Los Angeles, theyorkonyork.com). ... Critic S. Irene Virbila drops by the new Craft Los Angeles (10100 Constellation Blvd., Century City, http://www.craftrestaurant.com). latimes.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold also makes a visit to Craft and notes Guidi Marcello (1649 10th St., Santa Monica), Cube (615 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.), Il Moro (11400 W. Olympic Blvd., L.A.), and Osteria Mozza (6602 Melrose Ave., L.A.), and recommends the Cubano sandwich at Cafe Tropical (2900 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake). laweekly.com ... LADowntownNews.com reports Restaurateur Los Feliz LLC has signed a deal to open an upscale restaurant and lounge in the Union Lofts, a 92-unit rental project at Eighth and Hill streets. ... LA.Eater.com reports that the new Pinkberry Pasadena opened on July 30 (19 S. Fair Oaks) and also interviews celebrity chef Tom Colicchio about his new Century City Craft. ... The San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer stops by BLD, Cut, Spago, Jar, Lucques, Pizzeria Mozza, Hatfield's, Patina, Providence, and La Terza. sfgate.com ... La.Foodblogging.com visits Mezzomondo Trattoria (12415 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City) and Osteria Mozza. ... Le Figaro and Madame Matisse have changed hands, with Debra King from Cakewalk taking over Madame Matisse, eatingla.blogspot.com reports. ... AliceQFoodie.blogspot.com reviews Lucques (8474 Melrose, Los Angeles, www.lucques.com).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Windows, Hollywood and Vine Closing

2007-07-24T06:12:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: As previously reported in this blog, Windows restaurant, long known as the Tower, will close July 31, ladowntownnew.com writes. The scenic spot was the site of countless parties and wedding proposals. ... La.Eater.com reports the July 1 closing of Hollywood and Vine restaurant ... The operator of the Glendale, Calif.-based International House of Pancakes has agreed to buy Applebee's International Inc. for $1.9 billion in cash, or $25.50 per share, in a deal that is expected to close during the fourth quarter, the Associated Press reports. IHOP is planning to franchise most of Applebee's 508 store-owned restaurants. Nearly all of IHOP's locations are franchised, and so are about three-quarters of Applebee's. .. In its August 2007 Best of LA issue, Los Angeles magazine lamag.com's Patrick Kuh reviews The Foundry On Melrose (7465 Melrose Ave.), while the mag rounds up savory international pancakes, including Old Gyumri (4441 San Fernando Road, Glendale). ... The mag's Best of LA notables includes Mr. Chow (344 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills) as Best Power Lunch, Father's Office (733 10th St., Santa Monica) as Best Gastropub, and Lucques (8474 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood) as Best Short Ribs. ... City Beat's Richard Voss reviews Villa Piacere (22160 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills). lacitybeat.com ... The Times' S. Irene Virbela gives one and a half stars to Traxx (Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles; traxxrestaurant.com) and takes a first look at Tracht's (Renaissance Long Beach Hotel, 111 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach). ... Noted opening: Tanzore, formerly Gaylord of India (50 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills). ... Charles Perry blogs about Mr. Goodlunch Cafe (William L. Morris Chevrolet, 1024 Ventura St., Fillmore). ... Heidi Kuda stops by the Library Bar (630 W. 6th St., L.A.). latimes.com ... TheDeliciousLife.blogspot.com visits Cantaloop Frozen Yogurt (7095 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, www.cantaloopyogurt.com). ... CarolineOnCrack.com stops by X Bar at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza (2025 Avenue of the Stars, Century City). ... La.Foodblogging.com visits Shen Sen Gumi (8450 E. Valley, #103, Rosemead). ... LosAngelous.com rounds up hot dog joints, including the renowned Pink’s (709 N. La Brea Ave. Los Angeles).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Monty's Steakhouse Closes After 66 Years

2007-07-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The Los Angeles Times latimes.com Charles Perry reports, "On (July 9), the employees at Monty’s Steakhouse in Pasadena received one week’s notice. That was all the employees, including manager Debbie Levine, granddaughter of Monty himself. After 66 years, one of L.A.’s oldest restaurants was closing. The Monty’s story began in 1941 when a restaurant named Perry’s opened at the corner of Fair Oaks Avenue and California Boulevard. In 1947, Monty Levine bought out his partner and named the place for himself. It became a favorite of sports fans and USC students." ... The Times blogs that HBO's hit series Entourage stops by Providence (5955 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, www.providencela.com) and also about the hotly anticipated July 13 openings of: Osteria Mozza (6602 Melrose Ave.), the joint venture from chefs Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali; and Craft chef Tom Collichio's first Los Angeles outpost, in Century City (10100 Constellation Blvd.). Both restaurants already are the hottest reservations in town, as blogger la.eater.com also attests. ... Critic S. Irene Virila gives two and a half stars in her review of Fraîche (9411 Culver Blvd., Culver City; fraicherestaurantla.com), while Linda Burum discovers La Morenita Oaxaqueña (3550 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles) and Amy Scattergood blogs about her stop at The Hungry Cat (1134 Chapala St., Santa Barbara). ... USA Today's Jerry Shriver explores "dark dining" and quotes Benjamin Uphues, head of Opaque-Dining in the Dark (darkdining.com), which stages dinners for 50 customers on Fridays and Saturdays at California's Hyatt West Hollywood hotel. usatoday.com ... City Beat's Scarlett Lindeman reviews Bloom Café (5544 W. Pico Blvd., L.A.). lacitybeat.com ... The Daily News' Natalie Haughton reviews Pizzeria Mozza (641 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles; www.mozza-la.com), while Larry Lipson gives three stars to Amaranta Cocina Mexicana (Westfield Topanga, 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park.). dailynews.com ... Blogdowntown.com reports Piccomolo Italian Ice Cream in Little Tokyo opened its doors July 10 during the Little Tokyo/Arts District Farmers Market. ... la.eater.com reports that the vodka-infused martini bar Voda is closing and also notes the opening of Shereen Arazm's new Italian spot Terroni, which moves into the former Authentic Café space on Beverly Blvd. near the Grove. ... The Delicious Life thedeliciouslife.blogspot.com reviews Sushi Roku (1401 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica). ... FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com visits The Dip (6801 Hollywood Boulevard). ... CarolineOnCrack.com samples the ice cream at Wilshire Restaurant (2454 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Jar's Chef Opens Tracht's in Long Beach

2007-07-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: From LA.com, "More info has come in on the new restaurant from Suzanne Tracht, the nationally recognized chef of Beverly Boulevard steakhouse Jar. The bad news for many of her local fans: It's in Long Beach. The good news: It open(ed) July 7. Located inside the Renaissance Long Beach, a hotel that's recently had $11 million thrown its way, Tracht's will carry many steaks, roasts and braised meats seen on Jar's menu; the kitchen will be headed by Jessica Alexander, formerly located at Laguna Beach's Montage Resort." ... City Beat's Scarlett Lindeman reviews Opus (3760 Wilshire Blvd., L.A., Opusrestaurant.net). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold remembers the late Al Langer of Langer’s Deli (704 S. Alvarado St., L.A). laweekly.com ... The LA Times' S. Irene Virbila gives one and a half stars to The Polo Lounge (The Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills; thebeverlyhillshotel.com), while Susan LaTempa discovers Joe's Italian Ice and Ice Cream (12302 Harbor Blvd., Garden Grove). latimes.com ... The Daily News' Larry Lipson gives two and a half stars to Amuse Bouche (5754 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley). dailynews.com ... FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com reviews Luna Park (672 S. La Brea). ... LA.foodblogging.com considers The Kitchen (203 W. Valley Blvd., Alhambra). ... EatingLA.blogspot.com visits Shamshiri (122 W Stocker St, Glendale). ... CarolineOnCrack.com notes the opening of Red Mango (Westwood Village, 10942 Weyburn Avenue, Los Angeles).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Langer's Deli Founder Dead at 94

2007-07-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The LA Times reports on the June 24 death of Al Langer, 94, founder of the 60-year-old Langer's Delicatessen-Restaurant, whose succulent hand-cut pastrami on hot rye bread, topped with Gulden's mustard, won praise as the finest hot pastrami sandwich in America — or the world, depending on the critic. Just days previously, Langer watched over the anniversary celebration for the famed deli that he opened in 1947. ... Critic S. Irene Virbila gives one star in her review of Gonpachi (134 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills), while Leslie Brenner visits Café Pierre (317 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach). ... The Times also reports: the June 29 opening of rock 'n' roll Mexican eatery Pink Taco above Houston's in the Westfield Century City mall (10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles); the restaurant at the Luxe Hotel on Sunset Boulevard has a new look; a new chef, Olivier Rousselle, formerly executive chef at Michael's, then Camden House in Beverly Hills; and a new name, On Sunset, not to be confused with the buzzy new restaurant, One Sunset. (11461 Sunset Blvd., L.A.). latimes.com ...

The Daily News' Larry Lipson gives three and a half stars to Holdren's Steaks & Seafood (1714 Newbury Road, Thousand Oaks.; www.holdrens.com) and reports, "Victor Carlos, who rose from busboy to waiter to owner of Nat's Early Bite, a popular Van Nuys coffee shop, has opened a second location. It's Nat's West at 8336 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Canoga Park." dailynews.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Hummus Bar (18743 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana) and recommends the sliders at Bar Marmont (8171 Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd.). laweekly.com ... Headling the paper's summer dining guide, City Beat's Richard Foss examines the changing face of Mexican dining in LA, while Mike Winder visits Atari founder Nolan Bushnell's uWink (Westfield Promenade Shopping Center, 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills). lacitybeat.com ... LA.Foodblogging.com visits Italian Villa in Old Pasadena. ... Los Angeles magazine's Patrick Kuh reviews Providence in the July 2007 issue. lamag.com ... The Delicious Life thedeliciouslife.blogspot.com visits Iroha Sushi of Tokyo (12953 Ventura Blvd., Studio City). ... FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com stops by El Toro Cantina (5368 Wilshire Blvd.), Empress Pavilion (988 N Hill St # 201 in Chinatown), ice cream joint Scoops (712 N. Heliotrope Drive, Los Angeles), and The Hungry Cat (1535 N. Vine, in the "Shops at Schwab" complex, Hollywood). ... Eating LA eatingla.blogspot.com reviews Jitlada Thai Cuisine (5233 1/2 Sunset Blvd.), HappiSongs Asian Tavern (460 South LaBrea) and provides links to maps for both Stanley Kwong's Chowhound's 100 Ultimate Restaurants in L.A. mapped on Google, as well as LA Weekly critic Jonathan Gold's 99 Essential L.A. Restaurants. ... CarolineOnCrack.com previews the July 10 opening of Vanilla Bake Shop (512 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Couples Who Cook Include Hatfield's Chefs

2007-06-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: The LA Times' Amy Scattergood looks at husband-wife chef teams, including Hatfield's, Fraîche in Culver City and Marché Modern in Costa Mesa — all open less than a year and all owned and run by married duos. ... Leslie Brenner gives one star (good) in her review of The Penthouse (The Huntley Hotel, 1111 2nd St., Santa Monica; www.thehuntleyhotel.com). ... S. Irene Virbila notes pastry chef Danielle Keene's hosting of a new Ice Cream Shoppe on Tuesday nights this summer at Wilshire Restaurant in Santa Monica (2454 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica). ... la.foodblogging.com visits Aqui es Oaxaca (11614 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles). ... The Daily News' dailynews.com Larry Lipson gives three stars to the Thai bistro Lum-Ka-Naad (8920 Reseda Blvd., Northridge). ... LA Weekly's laweekly.com Jonathan Gold has just released his "99 Essential Restaurants: The Metropolitan Palate, Summer Restaurants 2007." ... City Beat's lacitybeat.com Richard Foss reviews The Terrace Café (7 Washington Blvd., Venice). ... La.com reviews Murano (9010 Melrose Ave). ... The Delicious Life thedeliciouslife.blogspot.com stops by Le Petit Greek (127 N Larchmont Blvd, LA; www.lepetitgreek.com). ... FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com reviews Simon/L.A. (8555 Beverly Blvd.). ... CarolineOnCrack.com visits Blue Velvet (750 Garland Street, LA) and Seven Grand (515 West Seventh Street, LA).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Menu-Less Lucques Gets Mag Mention

2007-06-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: In its July 2007 edition, Food & Wine magazine foodandwine.com praises menu-less restaurants, including Lucques (8474 Melrose Ave.) ... The LA Times' S. Irene Virbila awards three stars (excellent) in her review of the French bistro Marché Moderne (South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa) and also visits CoccoleLaboratoriodel Gusto (320 S. Catalina Ave., Redondo Beach), while Susan LaTempa discovers Lebanese spot Meejana (1840 N. Tustin Ave., Orange). latimes.com ... City Beat's Richard Foss reviews the Japanese pub food of Asanebo (11941 Ventura Blvd., Studio City). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Opus (3760 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.) and stops by the new grilled cheese emporium Meltdown (9739 Culver Blvd., Culver City). laweekly.com ... The Daily News' Larry Lipson gives three stars to Porto's Bakery & Cafe (3614 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank) and Shik Do Rak (18434 Devonshire St., Northridge), while Eric Noland awards three stars to R23 (923 E. Second St.) dailynews.com ... Eater Los Angeles la.eater.com reports on the closings of Brentwood's Zen Zoo and Pane Fresco ... lafoodblogging.com looks at Valley bakeries ... Daily Gluttony dailygluttony.blogspots.com compares Savoy Kitchen (138 E. Valley Blvd., Alhambra) and Dong Nguyen (1433 E. Valley Blvd., Alhambra). ... laist.com checks out happy hour at Ford's Filling Station (9531 Culver Boulevard, Culver City). ... UrbanDaddy.com reports the opening of Ritual Ritual (1743 N. Cahuenga Blvd, ritualsupperclub.com). ... FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com visits Lemongrass (1952 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock). ... Eating LA eatingla.blogspot.com stops by Mandarin Chateau (970 N. Broadway, Mandarin Plaza). ... A Florida-based restaurant chain is putting out feelers that it wants to greatly expand its reach, the Denver Business Journal reports. Earl of Sandwich, founded in 2004 and based in Orlando, says it's looking for franchisees around the United States, including Los Angeles.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Make Hot List

2007-06-11T07:15:00.000-07:00

The June issue of Bon Appetit magazine epicurious.com/bonappetit lists 10 restaurants as "summer's hotspots," new foodie destinations around the country. Prices range from $10 pizzas at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles to the $54 and $67 prix fixe menus at Bijoux in Dallas. Here's the full list:

Momofuku Ssam Bar, 207 Second Ave., New York City
Central Michel Richard, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C.
Trois, 1180 Peachtree St., Atlanta
Pizzeria Mozza and Osteria Mozza, 641 N. Highland Ave., and 6602 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles
Tavolata, 2323 Second Ave., Seattle
Radda Trattoria, 1265 Alpine Ave., Boulder, Colo.
Aigre Doux Restaurant & Bakery, 230 W. Kinzie St., Chicago
Bijoux, 5450 West Lovers Lane, Suite 225, Dallas
Osteria, 640 N. Broad St., Philadelphia
Ad Hoc, 6476 Washington St., Yountville, Calif. (Napa Valley)

IN THE NEWS: The LA Times' S. Irene Virbila gives one star (good) to sushi joint Sakura (Centinela Blvd., Los Angeles) and stops by Jin Patisserie (1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice). ... The Times also lists spots for afternoon tea, while Heidi Siegmund Cuda takes a visit to the new restaurant/nightclub Tatou. latimes.com ... City Beat's Richard Foss reviews Campanile (624 S. La Brea Ave., L.A.). lacitybeat.com ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold reviews Chili My Soul (4928 Balboa Blvd., Encino) and stops by Fraîche (9411 Culver Blvd., Culver City), the new project from Thierry Perez and chef Jason Travi. laweekly.com ... The Daily News' Larry Lipson gives three stars to Shik Do Rak (18434 Devonshire St., Northridge. Also at 2501 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles) and also reports, "UWink - the novel, table-inset video-game restaurant for grown-ups with the touch-screen menu (6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills) - will open two more locations in early 2008, one in the Hollywood & Highland Center and the other in the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center in Westchester." dailynews.com ... LA.Eater.com reports that Windows Steak & Martini's, the restaurant on the 32nd floor of the AT&T Center downtown, will close on July 31. The blog also reports that Craft will open on July 12. ... la.foodblogging.com reviews Sushi On Brand (308 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Pacific Dining Car Makes Steakhouse List

2007-06-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Saveur magazine's saveur.com July 2007 issue includes the piece "Our 7 Favorite Steak Houses"," which include:

1. Bern's Steak House, Tampa
2. Craftsteak, Las Vegas and New York
3. Five O'Clock Steakhouse, Milwaukee
4. Gene and Georgetti, Chicago
5. Gorat's Steak House, Omaha
6. Pacific Dining Car, Los Angeles
7. Peter Luger, Brooklyn, New York

The mag also garners steak-grilling tips from Mario Navarro, a Mexico native who has been chef at Chicago's Gene and Georgetti's for more than 30 years.

Locals Named to 'Forbes Traveler' Best Hotel Dining List
Forbes Traveler forbestraveler.com recently asked asking a panel of food and travel experts for their take on the top hotel dining in the country. The top 15 chosen include: The Peabody Memphis and its upscale restaurant, Chez Philippe; Four Seasons Hotel and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon restaurant in New York City; Jean Georges, Trump International Hotel and Tower, New York; Gordon Ramsay, The London hotel in New York; The Carlyle Restaurant, The Carlyle Hotel in New York; Cathe St. Regis Hotel and Ame restaurant in San Francisco; Michael Mina, Westin St. Francis in San Francisco; Cortez in the Hotel Adagio, San Francisco; Studio Restaurant, Montage, Laguna Beach; the Beverly Wilshire and Cut restaurant in Los Angeles; The Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Va.; The Wynn Las Vegas; Citronelle, Latham Hotel in Washington, DC.; Azul at Mandarin Oriental hotel in Miami.

IN THE NEWS: The Sacramento Bee's Aurelio Rojas reports, "Over howls of "nanny government," the California Senate has approved (on May 31) legislation that would require chain restaurants with 10 or more locations to post calorie counts and other dietary facts about menu items. If approved by the Assembly and signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, SB 120 would require table-serving restaurants to disclose the number of calories, grams of saturated and trans fat, sodium and carbohydrates for standard items. Because of space limitations, fast-food restaurants would be required to list only calories. Violators that do not comply with the requirements by Jan. 1, 2009, would be cited with an infraction, punishable by a fine not less than $50 and more than $500. The proposed legislation is modeled after a New York City law that takes effect July 1." sacbee.com

The LA Times latimes.com Leslie Brenner and Betty Hallock examine "When Restaurants Break the Fourth Wall" and chefs complete their cooking in the dining room, among them Eric Greenspan at the Foundry on Melrose and Nancy Silverton at Mozza ... Times critic S. Irene Virbila reviews 750 ml, Steven Arroyo’s new wine bistro in South Pasadena ... With plans to capitalize on the growing Latino market, Churro Station franchises will roll into new cities this summer, the San Francisco Business Times reports. Although her 800-square-foot San Rafael, Calif., location is the only store in operation, Melanie Farkas has sold four franchises that will open soon in predominantly Hispanic communities in Phoenix and Oakland, Santa Ana and Anaheim, Calif. Three more would-be franchisees in Stockton, Calif., Las Vegas and Austin are in final negotiations. All of the franchises will be minority-owned. Any ballpark aficionado knows churros: those sticks of fried, cinnamon-laden dough that retail for a cool $4. ... Copley News Service profiles Pulitzer Prize-winning dining critic Jonathan Gold of LA Weekly, in the San Diego Union-Tribune signonsandiego.com. Gold's pick hits in LA include: the upscale Providence (5955 Melrose Ave., Hancock Park), the bakery Europane (950 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena), the pizzeria Mozza (641 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles), Chung King (1000 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel), La Casita Mexicana (4030 E. Gage Ave., Bell) and wine bar Lou (724 N. Vine Street, Hollywood). ... Gold's latest reviews include Keumsan Samgyetang (1144 S. Western Ave., Koreatown) and Patina (7465 Melrose Ave., L.A.). laweekly.com ... CityBeat's Richard Foss reviews Won’s Coffee Shop (14440 Gilmore St., Van Nuys). lacitybeat.com ... The Daily News' Larry Lipson gives three stars to Landings (Airtel Plaza Hotel, 7277 Valjean Ave., Van Nuys), while Eric Noland awards two and a half stars to Blair Restaurant (2903 Rowena Ave.). dailynews.com ...

Eater Los Angeles la.eater.com reports, "While plans for his first WeHo location are still in motion, Gordon Ramsay is planning a second LA-area restaurant with soon-to-be-locals David and Victoria Beckham. The team is on the lookout for a location while Victoria, a devout vegetarian, is already insisting the menu contains a variety of veggie options." ... Blogger CarolineOnCrack.com dines on dutch babies at the Original Pancake House (1756 South Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach). ... la.foodblogging.com visits Sushi Karen (10762 Washington Blvd, Culver City). ... la.com plugs the new Sunday brunch at Simon, the restaurant inside the Sofitel Los Angeles hotel, and also reports, "The air in Beverly Hills just got a little clearer: Smoking in outdoor restaurant areas has been banned. Restaurants are afraid it will hurt business, but the City Council decided to follow the lead of Burbank and Santa Monica, where smoking isn't just banned inside (that's state law) but on patios and sidewalks as well."

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Where, Oh Where, Are the Sommeliers?

2007-05-29T08:17:00.000-07:00

IN THE NEWS: Patrick Comiskey writes about the dearth of sommeliers and overall wine experience in area restaurants in the LA Times. ... Times critic S. Irene Virbila awards two and a half stars in her review of Hokusai (8400 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills), while Susan LaTempa discovers Redballs Rock & Roll Pizza (6551 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills.) ... Betty Hallock reports, "The mega-battle between East and West at Japanese mega-restaurant Gonpachi that saw a recent employee exodus has resulted in a management upheaval and two new chefs" and also reports the openings of chef-owner Andy Brooks' restaurant Brooks in Ventura and Salt Creek Grille in the South Bay. latimes.com ... The Daily News critic Larry Lipson wonders, "Are full-service restaurants getting rarer in the suburbs? Latest announcements of newcomers are the "fast casual" Organic to Go in Woodland Hills and a new Stonefire Grill, a counter-ordering concept already familiar to West and North Valley area diners, coming to Chatsworth" and also notes, "Chef-owner Didier Poirier of 71 Palm in Ventura says that in conjunction with his 10th anniversary, he's changed his fare from "French country cuisine to French-American grill." ... Lipson awards three stars in his review of 40-year-old Los Toros (21743 Devonshire St., Chatsworth). dailynews.com ... LA Weekly critic Jonathan Gold reviews Koreatown's oldest sushi restaurant, A-Won (913½ S. Vermont Ave., L.A.), stops by Hokusai and hips readers to his favorite area burgers and wine bar of the moment. laweekly.com ... City Beat looks for an area restaurant with old Hollywood ties and finds one in Campanile on La Brea Avenue, a building long owned by Lita Chaplin, Charlie Chaplin’s second wife. lacitybeat.com ... California Pizza Kitchen Inc. has announced a 3-for-2 stock split to be distributed in the form of a 50 percent stock dividend, Los Angeles Business reports. Shareholders of record as of June 11 will receive one additional share for every two shares of common stock held and cash will be distributed in lieu of fractional shares. ... Blogger Eater Los Angeles la.eater.com reports that West Hollywood's 25-year-old Hugo's is closed for remodeling and will reopen for breakfast, lunch and dinner on June 13. All new look, same menu. ... Culver City's Muchkins at the historic Culver Hotel has been replaced by Al's Flying Garage, an homage to flying aces and good old-fashioned American diner food" ... Blogger The Delicious Life deliciouslife.blogspot.com considers the art of drinking at The Brig (1515 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice) ... The blog FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com reviews La Creperie (4911 E. Second Street in Long Beach). ... Blogger Eating L.A. eatingla.blogspot.com stops by Sanjang Coffee Garden (101 S. Virgil Ave., LA) and Lucky Devils (6613 Hollywood Blvd., LA).

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Several Locals Make Esquire Best Bar List

2007-05-21T18:26:00.000-07:00

Esquire magazine's second annual Best Bars of America list is out in the June 2007 issue. They include:

Lou's Pub & Package, Birmingham, Ala.; J Lounge, Golden Gopher, The Edison, The Broadway Bar, La Cita, Bordello, Redwood, and Bar 107, Los Angeles; Musso & Frank Grill, Hollywood, Calif.; The Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills; Beach Ball, Newport Beach, Calif.; Brennan's Pub, Marina Del Ray, Calif.; Bourbon & Branch, The Owl Tree, Vesuvio, and Zeitgeist, San Francisco; The Sportsman, Sonora, Calif.; Cruise Room, and El Chapultepec, Denver; Jimbo's, and Churchill's Pub, Miami; The Clermont Lounge, Atlanta; Lewers Lounge at the Halekulani Hotel, and La Mariana Sailing Club, Honolulu; The California Clipper, The Red Lion Pub, Bungalow, The Matchbox, Hideout, and Chipp Inn, Chicago; The Red Key, and Nicky Blaine's, Indianapolis; The Old Seelbach Bar, Louisville; The Chart Room, The Bar at Tujague's, Fritzel's European Jazz Pub, and Napoleon House, New Orleans; The Brewer's Art, and Shamrock Inn, Baltimore; B-Side Lounge, Cambridge, Mass.; No. 9 Park, Boston; Doyle's Cafe, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; The Bar at Seldom Blues, Detroit; Miller's Bar, Dearborn, Mich.; Bulldog NE, and Nye's Polonaise Room, Minneapolis; Half Time Rec, St. Paul; John D. McGurk's, St. Louis; Any bar on the Strip, Double Down Saloon, and Petrossian Bar, Las Vegas; Bemelmans Bar in the Carlyle Hotel, Little Branch, The Bar at Keens Steakhouse, Minetta Tavern, Jimmy's Corner, The Angel's Share, The Brooklyn Inn, The Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel, Flatiron Lounge, The Saloon, San Domenico Restaurant, Spuyten Duyvil, 21 Club, Grassroots Tavern, Bill's Gay 90s, Julius', and Pegu Club, New York City; Freddy's Bar & Backroom, Brooklyn; Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, Queens; Thomas Street Tavern, Charlotte, NC; Andyman's Treehouse, Columbus, Ohio; The Library Bar & Grill, Norman, Okla.; Friendly Lounge, The Grey Lodge, and Southwark, Philadelphia; Dee's Cafe, Pittsburgh; Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, and Robert's Western World, Nashville; La Tuna, San Antonio; Donn's Depot, Austin; The Inwood Lounge, Dallas; Shooting Star Saloon, Huntsville, Utah; Sambar, Zig Zag Cafe, and Fu Kun Wu, Seattle; Hawk 'n' Dove, and The Tune Inn, Washington, DC; Holler House, Milwaukee.

IN THE NEWS: The Times' Charles Perry profiles the venerable restaurant Apple Pan, 60 years old this year, whose owner, Martha Gamble, was the first waitress when her parents opened the place in 1947. ... Times critic S. Irene Virbila awards two stars in her review of Sapphire Laguna (The Old Pottery Place, 1200 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach) and visits The Foundry on Melrose (7465 Melrose Ave., L.A.). latimes.com ... Daily News critic Larry Lipsom awards three and a half stars for food but only a half star for service at Suki 7 (925 Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village). dailynews.com ... LA Weekly critic Jonathan Gold reviews Battambang (1806 S. San Gabriel Blvd., San Gabriel). laweekly.com ... Los Angeles magazine's Patric Kuh reviews Providence. lamag.com ... City Beat critic Richard Foss reviews Cobras & Matadors (7615 W. Beverly Blvd., L.A), Yamashiro (1999 N. Sycamore Ave., Hollywood), Saddle Peak Lodge (419 Cold Canyon Rd., Calabasas) and Getty Center Restaurant (1200 Getty Center Dr., L.A.), while Dean Kuipers prowls for after-midnight dining options. lacitybeat.com ... From blogger Eating L.A. eatingla.blogspot.com: "Just days after Oprah's visit, Yuca's has branched out to a new, larger location on Hollywood Blvd. Owner Dora says the Hillhurst location will remain open, but as she gets to know the former Casa Diaz kitchen, she will start adding Yuca's signature menu items like the yummy cochinita pibil to the menu of standard Mexican fare." ... From LA.Com's Nibble Me This dining blog: "Summer's almost here, which means Katana is prepping its annual Red Sun BBQ Garden. Every Sunday from May 27 through Labor Day weekend, its Sunset Strip patio is filled with small plates, sushi, watermelon margaritas and the sounds of KCRW DJ Thomas Galubic. ... Because Ford's Filling Station needs to be packed every second of every day, chef Ben Ford will launch a new happy-hour menu in June. (June 9 is also the first Saturday he'll be open for lunch.) Wednesday through Friday from 4pm to 5:30 pm, duck taquitos are $7, kobe corn dogs are $8, and select beers and wines are $3. The festivities have been dubbed "Ford's Play." ... La.foodblogging.com reviews The Alcove (1929 Hillhurst Ave., Los Feliz) ... Blogger The Delicious Life thedeliciouslife.blogspot.com checks out The Penthouse, the new restaurant atop the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica. ... FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com reviews Los Chavos Tacos (2501 W Victory Blvd # D, Burbank) ... Blogger Gnawing thru LA gnawingthrula.blogspot.com visits Simon LA (8555 W. Beverly Blvd, LA) ... Best of LA bestofla.blogspot.com blog laments the closing of shaved ice spot Catch-22 on Sawtelle.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

L.A. No. 4 on U.S.'s Best Restaurant Cities

2007-05-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

"Today ... most major cities in the U.S. have the kind of gastronomic diversity and regionality that is rich in every department, and even if you’ve visited recently, you can be sure that next time you go, there’ll be more new and enticing restaurants than you could possibly visit," writes Donald Burnam in a recent ForbesTraveler.com piece, "America's Best Restaurant Cities." "It’s getting hard not to have a great meal anywhere in the U.S.." Burnam continues.

Forbes' Top 10 Restaurant Cities:
1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. San Francisco
4. Los Angeles
5. New Orleans
6. Houston
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Atlanta
9. Boston
10. Las Vegas

Rankings were based on: Overall number of restaurants above the fast food level; Number of fine dining restaurants with national and international standing; Solid representation of regional American food; A wide segment of second-tier restaurants that would include seafood, steakhouses, and independently chef-owned restaurants; Breadth and depth of ethnic restaurants, especially if the city has neighborhood such as a Chinatown; A significant number of neigborhood restaurants where the locals tend to eat out regularly; A well-traveled clientele that regards eating out in that city one of the real pleasures of going there.

Favorite Ice Cream Joints
Just in time for summer, Mark DeCarlo, host of Travel Channel's Taste of America, lists his favorite 10 ice cream and frozen confections joints in USA Today: Pinkberry, Los Angeles pinkberry.com; Angelo Brocato's, New Orleans, angelobrocatoicecream.com; Graeter's, Cincinnati (with other locations in Dayton, Columbus, Louisville and Lexington, Ky.), graeters.com; Leon's Frozen Custard, Milwaukee, foodspot.com/leons; Ghirardelli, San Francisco (for the hot fudge sundaes), ghirardelli.com; Otto, New York ottopizzeria.com/menu_gelato.html; Ted Drewes, St. Louis, teddrewes.com; Bobtail Ice Cream Co., Chicago, bobtailicecream.com; Valentino's, Las Vegas, venetian.com; Waiola Shave Ice, Honolulu.

IN THE NEWS: The Times' S. Irene Virbila visits newly opened Fraîche, 9411 Culver Blvd. in Culver City, and gives one and a half stars to Hampton's, Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, 2 Dole Drive in Westlake Village. The Times also stops by Il Chianti Ristorantea Continentale, 24503 Narbonne Ave. in Lomita, and profiles Sam King, co-founder of King's Seafood Co., which includes 11 King's Fish House restaurants; the Water Grill in downtown Los Angeles; i Cugini and Ocean Ave. Seafood in Santa Monica; 555 East in Long Beach; and Lou & Mickey's in San Diego. calendarlive.com ... The Daily News' Larry Lipson awards three stars to Coco D' Amour, 2321 Tapo St. in Simi Valley. ... From Lipson's Sips and Nibbles column, "The former Toppers atop the renovated Huntley Hotel, 1111 Second St., Santa Monica, always a popular beacharea rendezvous, has opened as The Penthouse. Upscale fare by executive chef E. Michael Reidt is described as "contemporary American with bold global influences." www.thehuntleyhotel.com." ... From the blog la.com "Okay, so performing the act in the headline above is probably not necessary to get into Ritual, the new restaurant and nightclub about to debut in the ginormous former home of White Lotus, but it could make for an interesting door scene. Our inbox tells us that the buzzed-about spot is aiming for a June 1 opening, and chef Andrew Pastore will return to the space after bouncing from its former incarnation to the not-long-for-this-world Sterling Steakhouse. There'll be golds, reds, plants and water installations; it should go without saying that different rooms will bring different vibes. (There's a dance floor, and a "Copper Lounge," and two full bars, and...) Pastore's menu is said to focus on the Pacific Rim but with a California twist. Doormen, however, will be focused on heads and feet. No sneakers or baseball hats shall pass through these gates. And, this being Hollywood, probably no virgins either." ... Thedeliciouslife.blogspot.com visits Bryant's Pit BBQ at the Los Angeles Farmers Market, 6333 West 3rd Street (@Fairfax) ... San Diego-based blogger Alice Q. Foodie http://aliceqfoodie.blogspot.com weighs in on dining at Disneyland.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

James Beard Awards Announced

2007-05-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

Chicago's Frontera Grill won Outstanding Restaurant of the Year and Michel Richard of Michel Richard Citronelle in Washington, D.C. was named Outstanding Chef at the 2007 James Beard Foundation Awards Ceremony. Hosted by CBS Early Show anchor Hannah Storm, the Beard Awards were held May 7 at Avery Fisher Hall in New York's Lincoln Center. More than 60 awards were presented by the country's pre-eminent nonprofit culinary organization, in its 20th anniversary celebration, and more than 1,600 industry leaders attended the ceremony. Other top awards went to: New York's L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, named Best New Restaurant; Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Yountville, Ca.) received the award for Outstanding Restaurateur; and David Chang (Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York) received the Rising Star Chef of the Year award. Celebrity and culinary superstar attendees included Stephanie March, Ted Allen, Katie Lee Joel, Martha Stewart, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Thomas Keller, Jose Andres, Tom Colicchio, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Padma Lakshmi, and Marcus Samuelsson. The Foundation's Media Awards took place at a separate event at the Hudson Theatre at Millennium Broadway Hotel on May 6. All Award winners received a bronze medallion etched with the image of the late James Beard, the esteemed chef, cookbook author, and food journalist. There are no cash awards. Established in 1990, the James Beard Foundation Awards recognizes outstanding achievement within the fine food and beverage industry in North America. For full awards results, please visit http://www.jamesbeard.org.

Beard Award highlights are:

AMERICA'S CLASSICS: Primanti Brothers, Demetrios Patrinos, Pittsburgh, Pa.; The Pickwick, Christopher Wisocki, Duluth, Minn.; Doe's Eat Place, The Signa Family, Greenville, Miss.; Aunt Carrie's, Elsie Foy, Narragansett, R.I.; I

Brookville Hotel, Mark and Connie Martin, Abilene, Kan.; Weaver D's, Dexter Weaver, Athens, Ga.

BEST CHEF, GREAT LAKES: Grant Achatz, Alinea, Chicago

BEST CHEF, MID-ATLANTIC: R.J. Cooper, III, Vidalia, Washington, DC

BEST CHEF, MIDWEST: Celina Tio, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.

BEST CHEF, NEW YORK CITY: David Waltuck, Chanterelle, New York, NY

BEST CHEF, NORTHEAST: Frank McClelland, L'Espalier, Boston

BEST CHEF, NORTHWEST: John Sundstrom, Lark, Seattle

BEST CHEF, PACIFIC: Traci Des Jardins, Jardinière, San Francisco

BEST CHEF, SOUTH: Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans

BEST CHEF, SOUTHEAST: Scott Peacock, Watershed, Decatur, Ga.

BEST CHEF, SOUTHWEST: Nobuo Fukuda, Sea Saw, Scottsdale, Ariz.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT: L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, Chef-Owner: Joël Robuchon, New York, NY

OUTSTANDING CHEF: Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC

OUTSTANDING PASTRY CHEF: Michael Laskonis, Le Bernardin, New York, NY

OUTSTANDING RESTAURANT: Frontera Grill, chef-owner: Rick and Deann Bayless, Chicago

OUTSTANDING RESTAURATEUR: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif.

OUTSTANDING SERVICE: Rick Tramonto, Gale Gand, and Richard Melman, Tru, Chicago

OUTSTANDING WINE AND SPIRITS PROFESSIONAL: Paul Draper, Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, Calif.

OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE: Mark Slater, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, DC

RISING STAR CHEF OF THE YEAR: David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York, NY

Cut, others on Conde Nast Hot List
Conde Nast Traveler magazine just published its Hot List of the world's best restaurants. Here are the hottest of the hot in the U.S.: Brix, Flagstaff, Ariz.; Cut, Beverly Hills; Hatfield's, Los Angeles; Katsuya, Los Angeles; Social Hollywood, Los Angeles; West, Los Angeles; Coi, San Francisco; NOPA, San Francisco; Perbacco, San Francisco; Salt House, San Francisco; Ad Hoc, Yountville, Ca.; Dressing Room, Westport, Conn.; Michy's, Miami; David Bouley Evolution, Miami Beach; Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, Miami Beach; Trois, Atlanta; David Burke's Primehouse, Chicago; De La Costa, Chicago; Riche, New Orleans; Sorellina, Boston; Guy Savoy, Las Vegas; Nove Italiano, Las Vegas; Rao's, Las Vegas; A Voce, New York City; Boqueria, New York City; Gordon Ramsay at The London, New York City; L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, New York City; Little Owl, New York City; Momofuku Ssäm, New York City; Varietal, New York City; Waverly Inn, New York City; New York City; Herons, Cary, N.C.; Piedmont, Durham, N.C.; XIX, Philadelphia; Bess Bistro on Pecan, Austin; Craft, Dallas; Blue Duck Tavern, Washington, D.C.

IN THE NEWS: Los Angeles Times critic S. Irene Virbila gives two and a half stars to the Chinese eatery Elite Restaurant, 700 S. Atlantic Blvd. in Monterey Park, and also looks at 3 Square Café + Bakery, 1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice. ... The Daily News' Larry Lipson reviews Golden Garden Cafe in Shadow Hills ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold takes a first look at Abode, 1541 Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica ... Los Angeles magazine's Patric Kuh reviews The Wine Bistro, 11915 Ventura Blvd. in Studio City ... From the blog la.eater.com: "The new Trader Vic's Lounge opened promptly at 5pm yesterday (May 3) at the Beverly Hilton, and exactly as suspected, it's more an homage to the original than a replication ..." la.foodblogging.com visits Tacos Por Favor, 1408 Olympic Blvd. in Santa Monica and Yummy Cupcakes, 2918 W. Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank and 313 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica.

Compiled by Pat Embry, WhereTheLocalsEat.com

Cut on Playboy's Steakhouse List

2007-04-29T14:41:00.000-07:00

Playboy magazine's May issue includes its list of America's 10 Best Steakhouses. (Hey, now you can say you really DO read the articles!) Those deemed bunny worthy include:

Bone's in Atlanta
Keefer's in Chicago
Cresecent City Steaks in New Orleans
Cut in Los Angeles
Bern's in Tampa
Craftsteak in Las Vegas
Grill 23 & Bar in Boston
El Raigon in San Francisco
Red in Cleveland
Sparks in New York City

Read more at www.playboy.com/style/a-list/steakhouses

Roughly the dining out equivalent of The Academy Awards, The James Beard Foundation annual awards ceremony takes place Monday, May 7, at the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Go to www.jamesbeard.org for the complete list, but here's a partial list of national nominees:

-- Outstanding Restaurant: Boulevard, San Francisco; Frontera Grill, Chicago; Magnolia Grill, Durham, N.C., Picholine, New York; Spiaggia, Chicago.
-- Best New Restaurant: A Voce, New York City; Chochon, New Orleans; Cut, Beverly Hill, Calif; L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, New York City; Momofuku Ssam Bar, New York City; Restaurant Guy Savoy, Las Vegas.
-- Outstanding Restaurateur: Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Yountville, Calif; Keith McNally, Balthazar, New York City; Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises (R.J. Grunts, Wildfire, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!), Chicago; Drew Nieporent, Myriad Restaurant Group (Tribeca Grill, Nobu, Rubicon), New York City; Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Jean Georges restaurant, New York City.
-- Outstanding Chef: Tom Colicchio, Craft, New York City; Lee Hefter, Spago, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Jean Joho, Everest, Chicago; Paul Kahan, Blackbird, Chicago; Michel Richard, Michel Richard Citronelle, Washington, D.C.
-- Rising Star Chef: Nate Appleman, A16, San Francisco; Graham Elliot Bowles, Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel, Philadelphia; David Chang, Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York; Patrick Connelly, Radius, Boston; Daniel Humm, Eleven Madison Park, New York City.

Restaurant magazine just released its list of the world's top 100 restaurants. (http://www.theworlds50best.com/2007_list.html) Here are the U.S. entries:

The French Laundry, Yountville, Ca. (No. 4)
Per Se, New York City (No. 9)
Jean Georges, New York City (No. 18)
Le Bernardin, New York City (No. 26)
Charlie Trotter's, Chicago (No. 30)
Daniel, New York City (No. 32)
Alinea, Chicago (No. 36)
Chez Panisse, Berkeley, Ca. (No. 40)
Masa, New York City (No. 56)
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon at the Four Seasons, New York City (No. 64)
Peter Lugar, Brooklyn, NY (No. 69)
Nobu New York, New York City (No. 89)
Gramercy Tavern, New York City (No. 90)
WD-50, New York City (No. 91)
Zuni Café, San Francisco (No. 98)
Alex at Wynn, Las Vegas (No. 100)

IN THE NEWS: The Daily News' Larry Lipson reports that longtime French seafood house Seashell, 19723 Ventura Blvd. in Woodland Hills, currently in its 34th year, is closing May 15, to be replaced by a Japanese restaurant. In his latest review, Lipson also awards three stars to Limon Latin Grill (www.limongrill.com), 1555 Simi Town Center Way, Simi Valley. www.daily news.com ... Zov Karamardian's Zov's Bistro in Tustin has opened a sister Zov's Cafe, Bakery & Bar in Newport Coast, The James Beard Foundation website reports, along with the openings of Brooks in downtown Ventura, Vito's Pizza in West Hollywood, Romanov Restaurant & Lounge in Studio City, Salt Creek Grille in El Segundo, and the expected May debut of One Sunset on the Sunset Strip. ... The Times' critic S. Irene Virbila gives one and a half stars to Bloom Cafe, 5544 W. Pico Blvd. (at Curson Avenue). www.go2bloom.com. The Times' Leslie Brenner reviews Abode Restaurant & Lounge, 1541 Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica. The Times also serves a roundup of pool-adjacent restaurants and lounges -- Blue Velvet, The Backyard at Westwood's W Hotel, Circa 55 in the Beverly Hilton, and Sunset Tower hotel's Terrace restaurant among them -- and reports the openings of The Hungry Cat Santa Barbara seafood restaurant at 1134 Chapala St in Santa Barbara., and Thai-owned Rolbeca Bake Shop, 6801 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood ... www.calendarlive.com/dining ... LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold, recently the first-ever restaurant critic to garner a Pulitzer Prize, reviews El Huarache Azteca #1, 5225 York Blvd. in Highland Park. The Weekly also has links to recent media interviews of Gold, such as NPR's All Things Considered. Gold began his career at the weekly in 1982 as a proofreader. www.laweekly.com ... FranklinAvenue.blogspot.com reviews Village Idiot, a high-end pub at 7383 Melrose Ave. ... Chowhound.com chomps into the L.A. burger scene, and among the eateries drawing raves: 26 Beach Restaurant, 3100 Washington Blvd., Venice; The Bucket, 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd. in L.A.; and Egg Heaven, 4358 East 4th St. in Long Beach. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/395093 ... The excellent blog site la.eater.com reports the impending opening of the Culver City grilled cheese emporium, Meltdown Etc. www.meltdownetc.com and the opening of Fraiche April 26 in Culver City.