Los Angeles dining scene, better or worse?

[rjwong]

Greetings from sunny Southern California, Ruth Reichl!

I've been living in the LA area since 1983 & currently work in downtown Los Angeles. I am seeing many positive changes in LA, including signs of a nightlife in downtown LA, if you can believe that.

Now that it's been over ten years since you lived on the Left Coast, I would like to hear your perceptions & observations of the LA dining scene 2005, particularly downtown LA.

Thank you for coming to eGullet!

[Ruth Reichl]

Hi Russell:

To be completely honest, I'm not as up to date on the LA dining scene as I should be. I tend to fly in and out pretty quickly, eat at the latest new place, then leave. Most of my time there, now, is spent in Torrance (it's where the car advertisers that I mostly come to see are).

That said, from what I can see there's been a big leap forward. At the point that I left, in 1993, the economy was terrible and most of the new restaurants were sort of copycat, medium priced Italian places. There just wasn't that much innovation. Today you've got terrific chefs like Suzanne Goin and David Myers and Michael Cimarusti doing incredibly personal food. You've got Kazuto who's come back to do what he does best (after years of doing silly food all over the world).

And of course the downtown area is just thriving and turning the city into a real city. When I worked at the LA Times, everyone went downtown to work and then went home. It was a pretty depressing place (and even more so after the riots). We were so grateful to have Little Tokyo.

But I'd like to know what your favorite places there are...

[Vinfidel]

a great question! i would ask the same of ruth

did you eat at ORTOLAN or AOC or PATINA or SASABUNE

to me these are the best restos of LA

[Ruth Reichl]

a great question! i would ask the same of ruth

did you eat at ORTOLAN or AOC or PATINA or SASABUNE

to me these are the best restos of LA

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Haven't been to Ortolon (although I have friends who love it. And I'm intrigued by naming a restaurant after an outlawed - but incredibly delicious - bird.)

Love AOC; I'd eat there any night of the week.

Love Patina - although every time I go into one of Joaquim's restaurants I mourn for the chef he used to be. Max au Triangle was just stunningly good.

Haven't been to Sasabune. My loss.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Ruth, don't discount Torrance! It is right near Gardena which has the most amazing Japanese food outside of Tokyo! There is even a restaurant that is ONLY open for Chankonabe during Sumo Bashos called Shin-Sen-Gumi! I moved to NoCal from that neighborhood and that neighborhood is surprisingly what I miss most, culinarily-speaking.

[rjwong]

Hi Russell:

To be completely honest, I'm not as up to date on the LA dining scene as I should be.  I tend to fly in and out pretty quickly, eat at the latest new place, then leave.  Most of my time there, now, is spent in Torrance (it's where the car advertisers that I mostly come to see are).

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Ruth, you just need to come out more. What new LA restaurants are you planning to try in the next six months or so? Mario Batali & Nancy Silverton's new restaurant(s)?

Today you've got terrific chefs like Suzanne Goin and David Myers and Michael Cimarusti doing incredibly personal food.  You've got Kazuto who's come back to do what he does best (after years of doing silly food all over the world).

←

The first 3 chefs you mentioned I haven't tried yet. They are on my list, particularly Michael Cimarusti. I'm glad you mentioned Kazuto Matsusaka. When I read Russ Parson's article on him, Kazuto must have gone through much. I enjoyed eating at his new restaurant, Beacon. I like his approach to fusion cuisine without the gimmicks. Have you eaten at Beacon yet?

And of course the downtown area is just thriving and turning the city into a real city.  When I worked at the LA Times, everyone went downtown to work and then went home.  It was a pretty depressing place (and even more so after the riots). We were so grateful to have Little Tokyo. 

But I'd like to know what your favorite places there are...

←

I really like Water Grill, now under David LeFevre. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to eat there under Michael Cimarusti. That's why I'm very interested in his new place, Providence.

Ruth, I noticed that you like ethnic restaurants. Is that one of LA's culinary strengths that you wish that New York had, at that level?