Los Angeles restaurant scene

[Fat Guy]

Are you enjoying the dining scene in Los Angeles?

[Leslie Brenner]

Thanks for joining in, Fat Guy! I'm not sure I'd say I'm enjoying the dining scene here, but I'm certainly enjoying the food. Living near enough to the awe-inspiring Santa Monica Farmers' Market to shop there every week has improved the quality of my life tremendously, so I've been cooking quite a lot. And since it was difficult (or sometimes impossible) for me to find satisfying Mexican, Japanese, Thai, Chinese, and Vietnamese food in New York, I've been grooving on those kind of restaurants out here. I've been somewhat disappointed in the general level of "fine dining" establishments here, both in terms of food and service, with some exceptions. (Josie's, Spago, Joe's, Water Grill, Zax, and Pammello have impressed me, just off the top of my head. I'm sure I'm missing some.)

What do you think of the dining scene in L.A.?

[Fat Guy]

I agree with that assessment: I like LA more than most New Yorkers and I enjoy spending time there. There's a lot to eat in LA, both at home and in restaurants. That being said, it's not a particularly serious restaurant city for its size -- certainly you'll eat much better in, for example, Chicago if fine dining is what you want. There are some great sources of ingredients out there, that's for sure. Combined with the need to do so much driving to get anything to eat in a restaurant, I can see how home cooking would be encouraged. Mexican and Asian do seem to be the strong suits of Los Angeles restaurant cuisine. For fine dining, I think the way to go is out of town into Orange County. Aqua at the St. Regis Monarch Beach and even Napa Rose at Disney are going to give you more of an East Coast fine dining experience than most of the places you'll find in Los Angeles proper.

I do hope you'll keep us updated an what you discover out there, though. We have a small but loyal group of LA participants here and they could use some straightening out from a savvy New Yorker.

[Leslie Brenner]

Oh, yes! I actually had a wonderful meal at Aqua at the St. Regis Monarch Beach. I haven't been to Napa Rose at Disney--sounds like worth a trip?

[Fat Guy]

There are some things about Napa Rose that might annoy some people. For example you will be surrounded by slobs in shorts who are just dining there because it's the hotel restaurant and they're surprised and annoyed that there's no hamburger on the menu. You'll also find that the service, while excellent, is beginner-oriented. So they explain a lot of stuff you don't really want them to explain because the restaurant is so heavily oriented towards the novice fine-dining customer. There are also some people who just can't get past the fact that they're eating at Disney so they go in with a rejectionist attitude and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. At the same time the ingredients are superb, the kitchen is magnificent, there's some interesting arts-and-crafts stuff around the dining room (the amount of money they poured into this place is mind-boggling), and this sommelier guy who has the same name as the basketball player or the pop star (I can't remember whether he's Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson) is a real ace. In other words, it's a restaurant where you'll need to take charge of your experience, but if you do so you'll get a great meal. Rodney is the waiter of choice, by the way. If you go, I'd very much like to hear your impressions.

The St. Regis Monarch Beach now has Joseph Nase, formerly of Lespinasse in New York, managing the dining room of Aqua. This is a real plus for Los Angeles-area dining. Say hi for me if you go again.

[KarenS]

The farmer's market in Santa Monica is nice. The farmer's market in Northern CA at the Marin Civic Center (Thursday and Sunday's) is the best one that I have been to in the US. This month will be killer (tomatoes, oh so good!).

In SF, try the Fifth Floor, Masas, and Redwood Park, plus Fleur du Lys just reopened. The Mexican, El Salvordoran, Guatamalan, Brazilian, Argentinian, is so great. Plus, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and every type of Chinese (remember, there are more Chinese people in SF then in any place outside of China). Hmmm, Indian, Ethiopian, et........

I grew up there and thought that everyone ate the worlds food all the time! (thank's mom and dad for raising me in Berkeley).

Why would anyone go to Disneyland if they were annoyed by "slobs in shorts"?. That is what I would wear there if I was to spend an expensive day there.

Fat Guy, you are sounding like an annoying New Yorker (I am sorry, I am being honest). There are many slobs in shorts that have more food knowledge than you. Don't make food elitist; it is much better to share,

and teach.

I have had MUCH better food on the west coast (freshness and availibility has a lot to do with this).

[Leslie Brenner]

Thanks, KarenS. I dined a couple of months ago at Masa's (very good). I'm coming up north this week to eat at Fleur de Lys (which reopens Tuesday), Fifth Floor, Elisabeth Daniel, and Campton Place (all in the space of less than 48 hours). Egad!

Fat Guy, I did see Joseph Nase at Aqua at the St. Regis--it was a very nice reunion (I knew him in New York). And he's got a terrific sommelier (whose name is slipping my mind); in any case, he used to be at Cello.

[Beachfan]

For example you will be surrounded by slobs in shorts who are just dining there because it's the hotel restaurant and they're surprised and annoyed that there's no hamburger on the menu.

I don't mind that but they don't serve free range coffee!