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Los Angeles Restaurants

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Los Angeles Restaurant Reviews

Celebrity is big business in Los Angeles, so it's no accident the concept of the celebrity chef—emerging from the kitchen to schmooze with an even more famous clientele—is a key part of the local dining scene. Wolfgang Puck, the city's most illustrious celebrity chef, can still be found exchanging air kisses with Oscar-winning guests at Spago, but a new generation of culinary stars—David Myers (Sona, Comme Ça), Suzanne Goin (Lucques, A.O.C.), Neal Fraser (Grace, BLD), Gino Angelini (Angelini Osteria, La Terza)—have taken center stage and some talented twentysomething understudies are waiting in the wings. Suddenly, transcontinental superstars Mario Batali (Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza), Tom Colicchio (Craft), and Laurent Tourondel (BLT Steak) are giving L.A.'s dining scene a taste of the Big Apple, while Todd English collaborates with Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria Parker in Latin-theme Beso. San Francisco-based chef Michael Mina arrives on the Sunset Strip with his flashy XIV, and Great Britain's colorful Gordon Ramsay expands his global empire with West Hollywood's Gordon Ramsay at the London. Longtime local favorite Michel Richard has returned to Hollywood with Citrus at Social, and his fellow Washington, D.C., celebrity chef José Andrés shows off contemporary Spanish cuisine at the Bazaar by José Andrés, adjacent to Bevely Hills.

The culinary riches are hardly limited to Beverly Hills, with West Hollywood and Santa Monica now grabbing much of the spotlight. Furthermore, long-forgotten Hollywood and Downtown L.A. are experiencing dramatic renaissances that have captured the imagination of pioneering restaurateurs. Even smaller communities like Culver City and South Pasadena are emerging as important dining destinations. Casual L.A. doesn't rival New York in terms of luxe dining rooms, but its strategic location contributes to an imaginative native cuisine that takes full advantage of California's bountiful countryside. The availability of fresh seasonal ingredients from regional farms is the bedrock of California cuisine and a growing emphasis on organic and sustainable practices further enhances the role of local growers, ranchers, and fishermen. Artisanal producers dominate L.A.'s farmers' markets, where home cooks browse shoulder-to-shoulder with acclaimed chefs.

As a bona fide capital of the Pacific Rim, L.A. absorbs exotic culinary influences from its diverse Asian communities. In suburban San Gabriel Valley, dim sum palaces rival those in Hong Kong, while West L.A. has become one of the best places for sushi outside of Tokyo. High-end sushi bars, serving both traditional and cutting-edge fare, are now being joined by pub-like izakayas showcasing other styles of Japanese cuisine. And suddenly, Korean cooking has stepped out of Koreatown to become a sizzling-hot mainstream favorite. A gateway to Latin America, L.A.'s varied Latino communities add further depth to the local food scene. French-trained chefs incorporate ingredients and techniques from El Salvador, Colombia, and Peru, while discovering that Mexico's diverse regional traditions hold promising secrets for culinary innovation.

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