Angeleno restaurant awards 2003

[lizziee]

Angeleno Magazine has just come out with their 2003 restaurant awards.

Restaurant of the Year: Bastide

Italian restaurant of the year: Angelini Osteria

Outstanding Power Dining: Mastro's

Sona: Pastry Chef of the Year

L'Orangerie: Chef of the Year

Whist: Oustanding Outdoor Dining

A.O.C.: Oustanding Innovation

Opaline: Oustanding Wine Program

Belvedere: Vanguard Award

The best in a category:

Best of Wolfgang Puck: Spago, Granita, Vert

Modern Asian: Koi, Chaya Brasserie, Crustacean

Hotel Dining: Restaurant at Hotel Bel Air, Dining Room at Ritz Carlton Huntington, Encore at St Regis

The rest of the best:

Alex

Alto Palato

Balboa

Border Grill

Drago

Jar

Josie

La Cachette

Campanile

Casa Antigua

Ciudad

El Cholo

JiRaffe

Lucques

Max

Michael's

Matsuhisa

Mori Sushi

Pammolli

Patina

Pinot Bistro

Rockenwagner

Saddle Peak Lodge

The Spanish Kitchen

The House

Yujean Kang's

Water Grill

Xiomara

Valentino

Vida

Zax

[ajay]

How many respectable restauarnts does that leave in the LA area?

[southern girl]

I have to worry about any list that includes Lucques and Border Grill on any list containing the word "best"

[carpet bagger]

Southern girlthough I not been to Border Grill I definitely agree with you about Lucques. I have been twice and never again. I cannot understand what all the hype is about. They have left out really deserving and wonderful restaurants. I don't know what the decision is based on. The places they left that I believe should have been included are: Sona not only for the pastry, Shiro,Take sushi, Bistro 21. I cannot believe that they include Lucques, Whist and Michaels. I went to whist and had one of the worst meals ever. The soup was cold, ( they took it back and reheated it in a microwave) the veal was inedible and the service was inattentive and disinterested. Michaels has been a mixed bag at best. I have had a couple of dishes that were ok. Some have been really bad. One night 8 of us were having a prefixed dinner, one of the courses was a fish dish that only one of us ate. The waiter took back 7 plates with only one bight from each. No one came and asked us if something was wrong with the fish. Also if you go there and eat upstairs in one of the private rooms you have to go past the terrible smell of the bathroom as you go up the stairs. I refuse to subject myself to that anymore. I have been accused of being too tough on restaurants but I think they get what they deserve.

[lizziee]

I posted this, without comment, to see how members felt. Personally, I feel this "best" list is a joke.

Lucques' food was inedible and we left starved.

Michael's used to be a good restaurant when he employed a chef, but now it is a shadow of what this once was. It is the prettiest outdoor garden setting in Los Angeles.

We went to Whist as a VIP (we were with a manager from another of their restaurants) and still had poor food and service. This, from the rumors, is the place to go for a happening bar scene.

I feel sorry for David Rosoff at Opaline because he truly has a unique wine program -- the food, however, was horrible and his version of cassoulet a disgrace.

Alex tries to deliver, but manages to never fully deliver. We went for their truffle dinner and you needed a tweezers to find the 3 tiny slices of truffles.

I wish I could say Drago was still good, but again, this is the case of a chef over-extended with no one in the kitchen who can cook.

Valentino has one of the finest wine lists in the country, but the food, in no way, matches that excellence.

I think I have vented enough at one sitting. I could go on and on, but I will leave that to other members or at least another time.

Edited April 2, 2003 by lizziee (log)

[carpet bagger]

Lizziee, I want to thank you for your candor and perfect judgement of places that should be ashamed of their performance. I just realized that it sounds that I am not giving you credit for your accurate judgement of great restaurants too. I cannot understand that people in this town seem to encourage poor performance. Some of the worst meals I have had were in packed places. I don't think that my dishes were bad abnd everyone elses were perfect. I can't wait not to go back to those places.

[hollywood]

Is it any wonder that many diners find greater pleasures at the low end of things, at neighborhood spots, ethnic places, stands and joints? At the prices the three stars charge, they should get it right everytime. Too often, they just aren't that memorable.

[hollywood]

Angeleno Magazine has just come out with their 2003 restaurant awards.

Is it Angelina or Angeleno? Regardless, a friend went to their Oscar party and said it was a bust. Just a bunch of wannabees. So, maybe their picks are well suited.

[lizziee]

The saddest part about the Los Angeles restaurant scene is that this was once a vibrant and exciting dining city. During the 80's, there were so many choices and LA was a trend-setting culinary leader. There was Jean Bertranou and his chef Michel Blanchet of L'Ermitage, Paul Bruggemans and his chef Camille Bardot of Le St Germaine, Bernard Jacoupy of Bernard's, Mauro Vincenti of Rex Il Ristorante, Michel Richard of Citrus, Susumu Fukui at La Petit Chaya, Patrick Healy of Colette, Elka Gilmore of Camelions, Roy Yamaguchi of 385 North, John Sedlar of St. Estephe and later Bikini to name a few. Of course, one of our biggest losses is Thomas Keller.

Even our culinary stars of today are but shadows of what they once were. Remember restaurateur Patrick Terrail with his young chef Wolfgang Puck who introduced casual chic to the restaurant scene and those infamous pizzas. At Michael's, Michael McCarty actually had a chef in the kitchen - first with Ken Frank and then Waxman. Later Ken Frank opened La Toque and then gave up on LA to open La Toque in Napa. Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken at City Cafe were experimenting with south of the border cuisine, but have now "left" the kitchen to become personalities. Piero Selvaggio at Valentino was once serving sumptuous Italian food, but now has dumbed down the restaurant and gets by. Joachim Splichal when he was at Max au Triangle and later in the early days of Patina showed off his pedigree as a protégé of Jacques Maximin. Now, he is rarely in the kitchen and has gone on to build a mini empire.

I think it is deplorable that a city of this size and population can't support fine dining. I am thankful that David Meyers at Sona is "sticking" it out and only hope that he doesn't go the way of Michel Richard and Thomas Keller.

Edit: I just saw the Sona review from Irene. With 2 1/2 stars, that is trouble. I do not understand her. She gave 3 stars to Whist for inedible food.

Edited April 2, 2003 by lizziee (log)

[carpet bagger]

Lizziee.

Irene's words would have suggested a higher score but maybe her clothes don't have pockets. At least ones that great people like David doesn't put anything in. I honestly do not understand the logic of these food critics. They really upset me to the point that I give them no crediblity. One problem that I see in LA is there seems to be no accountability for chefs to produce great food. They are louded for average food as though it was magnificent. Personally that is why I encourage great chefs like David and Ko to the best of ability when they perform so well. We as a town deserve better and I hope that David and Ko are examples of the immediate future. Lets help encourage people to go and enjoy really great experiences.

[lizziee]

carpet bagger,

If anything, Irene discourages those chefs who even attempt to create an exciting dining climate. In the case of David, he not only is attempting fine dining, but he is succeeding. Personally, I think it is a disgrace.

I do have to remember that this is the city that threw away Thomas Keller, Michel Richard, Gilles Epie, Ken Frank, Andy Kistler and on and on.

I just hope that those of us who truly care not only support these young, dynamic chefs but work hard to let others experience it as well. Otherwise, we are doomed to mediocrity. I , for one, am looking forward to trying Bistro 21 and I again thank you for your pointing me in the right direction.

[mikeczyz]

i very much enjoyed teh foie and green apple sorbet that irene bashed.

mike