11/28/13 Happy Thanksgiving! Coincidentally, today marks the fourth year anniversary of this blog. This past year was filled with far less travels but still lots of great eats. I’ve stayed within the U.S. this year and, as a result, this year’s list isn’t nearly as worldly as last year’s (in which each of the top…
Wolvesmouth Underground Dining Various locations Dining date: 11/22/13 It’s been a busy year for Craig Thornton and his Wolvesmouth team. His underground dinners have continued to be in high-demand, easily the most noteworthy of its kind in the city (and perhaps country). The success of his underground dinners has spawned collaborations and events across the…
Orsa & Winston 122 W 4th St Los Angeles, CA 90013 Dining date: 11/9/13 Orsa & Winston is Josef Centeno’s latest venture in his growing lineup of downtown restaurants. The highly-acclaimed Baco Mercat came first, quickly followed by Bar Ama and now Orsa & Winston next door. All three restaurants opened up within a span…
b.o.s. 424 E 2nd St Los Angeles, CA 90012 Dining date: 11/12/13 b.o.s. is one of the newest restaurants to open in the Little Tokyo area. Inside the Honda Plaza next to the ever-popular Sushi Gen (and across the way from Men Oh Tokushima), the restaurant has a rather unique focus: beef nose-to-tail dining. Mainstream…
David Kinch (Manresa) Rustic Canyon 1119 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90401 Dining date: 11/11/13 David Kinch, chef of two-star Manresa in Los Gatos, CA, is one of the most lauded chefs in the country. I’ve been to Manresa once many years ago and, quite frankly, don’t remember much about it. For some time now,…
Hamasaku 11043 Santa Monica Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90025 Dining date: 11/7/13 Hamasaku’s been open for over a decade, although I feel like I only heard about it recently. The restaurant’s had a largely entertainment-based clientele (following its owner Michael Ovitz) and its most notable menu items are fusion sushi rolls, many named after celebrities…
Shunji Japanese Cuisine 12244 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90064 Dining date: 11/4/13 Chef Shunji Nakao has been around the LA sushi scene for some time now (greater than two decades) being a key plater in some well-known past ventures (Matsuhisa, Asanebo, The Hump). His eponymous and short-lived Shunji’s on Melrose opened a couple…
KTCHN DTLA The Gorbals 501 S Spring St Los Angeles, CA 90013 Dining date: 4/21/13 and 10/26/13 When I think of brunch options in downtown Los Angeles, there aren’t a whole lot that come to mind. Especially without a lengthy wait. There are a number of options that do fairly standard brunch fare, but KTCHN…