hollywood

Are you suggesting there's some sort of affirmative action program in place for rating Italian restaurants?

You're giving Steve the shaft?

I remember the Studio Grill - it's been gone a long time. Hubby was one of the people who helped remodel it into something else, also long gone... They used to (maybe still do) phone service poolside at the Polo Lounge at the B.H. Hotel. I remember sitting with some tacky tv director at a cabana while he made his calls with a phone that had been brought to him with great flourish.They also still had the whole paging thing going on. Truly the life before cell phones. I remember those old ads in which the Bell Boy would walk purposefully thru a lobby (set) shouting "Call for Phillip Morris!"

Well, men are from Mars.

Not if you saw my conduct marks from third grade.

You see the episode of "Curb your Enthusiasm" regarding the origins of the Cobb? I haven't seen that one, but Larry David is pretty zany.

There was a place--on Santa Monica, I think--called the Studio Grill that had red leather booths with a phone jack in each booth. Then you could ask the waiter and he'd ceremoniously bring you a phone to plug in so you could call somebody. I guess that's what big shots did before cell phones.

Cinnabar is good. It's the result of the split of the Simons--one doing Bistro 45 in Pasadena and the other this place in Glendale. It's a Japanese French fusion a la their former joint project, Cafe Jacoulet. As for me, grew up in Texas. What's left? I don't know, Musso? All I know is what I gathered from reading Raymond Chandler. I did eat at the Brown Derby on Wilshire once and at the old one on Vine once. Cobb Salad was good, after all Walter Cobb invented it.

Yeah, but who's gonna produce things like Third Grade Teacher CDs?

They had cigarette girls and photo takers at the old Jack's on the Beach when it was on the Ocean Park Pier in Santa Monica. Before POP totally burned down. Speaking of the bar at YeeMeeLoo, it presently can be found alive and well at Cinnabar in Glendale. Scandia, when Hansen owned it, had really good food.

Don't know who runs it, but here's S. Irene's recent take. Al"s Bar BTW is no more. http://events.calendarlive.com/top/1,1419,...l-35458,00.html

I'll take case futures on all of them.

R-23 is in an artists' lofts, warehouse area at 923 E. Third St., downtown. It's got a nice modern minimalist style to it with Gehry cardboard chairs and quality ceramics that tasty sushi is served on. It's not hard to find but a little off the beaten path and worth it. Almost feels like you're going to a rave or something till you get inside.

I think they hogged em all on Guam. You gotta go there. BTW, what are those stains on your teeth?

So what's to argue about?

Since the answer to this query as posed and defined by Fat Guy, Plotters, et al. appears to be Yes, what then?

I forgot to mention R-23 for sushi. Good sushi in an artsy downtown warehouse.

Interesting this talk of relevance. The egullet poll on favorite cuisine had Italian beating French 3 to 2.

All my illusions about Italy have been shattered. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/09/arts/des...sign/09MET.html If only Adam had eaten more pasta, he'd have held together.

Mori Sushi is good and the atmosphere is very aesthetic, but it is expensive. Ginza Sushi-ko which may or may not be here after year's end (moving to NYC) is the most expensive by far ($300 per head plus liquor) but highly praised. Best value is Hide (cash only, no reservations, no atmosphere). Other local favorites are Saito in Silverlake and Sasabune and Sushi Nozawa home of so-called Sushi Nazi proprietors. Yeah, bacon wrapped--you can read more in Gold's Counter Intelligence.

There's a certain deja vu to this event. See the material below from Montelena's website. In 1976 Chateau Montelena put California in the forefront of world-class winemaking.That year a who's-who of the French wine and food community gathered for a tasting in Paris. Four each of white Burgundies and red Bordeaux were tasted against six California Chardonnays and six California Cabernet Sauvignons. When the scores were tallied, the French Judges were convinced the top-ranked white wine was one of their own. In fact, it was Chateau Montelena's 1973 Chardonnay that was rated above all the others. Time magazine heralded this event with an article titled "Judgment of Paris."

Isn't dissing Italian food by comparing it (or just about any other fare) to French cuisine unfair? The French are like the Yankees. They always win. Oops! Guess they don't sometimes. And, I'd say risotto is one of those times.

Or, chirashi--seafood over a bowl of rice.

Plotnicki - we should go fishing, as you are so good at baiting hooks. Two bites today! Isn't Steve the guy who doesn't like sushi?

You should eat more slowly and thoroughly chew your food. You're welcome.