Bouchon Beverly Hills 238 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Dining date: 5/30/11 Thomas Keller’s fried chicken is one of the most memorable dishes I’ve ever eaten. I had carefully planned a trip to Ad Hoc and came in with very high expectations. The crispy crust and juicy, flavorful bird did not disappoint at…
Sotto 9575 West Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035 Dining date: 5/25/11 My first trip to Sotto was rather disappointing and I wasn’t sure I was going to return anytime soon. Lo and behold, less than two months later, I’ve already been four times now. I credit Matt (mattatouille) for convincing me to return to…
Manhattan Beach Post (M.B. Post) 1142 Manhattan Ave Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 Dining date: 5/19/11 M.B. Post opened one month ago, one of the more highly publicized restaurant openings in the Beach Cities area. The chef is David LeFevre, formerly of the one Michelin-starred Water Grill downtown. The concept here is very different; instead of…
Ibaraki, Japan Benefit Dinner Breadbar Century City 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90067 Dining date: 5/16/11 This was one of my most anticipated meals in recent memory. Urasawa. Cimarusti. Manzke. Three of my favorite chefs in one place?! No way! Breadbar and Comme Ça teamed up to feature two benefit dinners with 100%…
Pheast Underground Dining Various locations Dining date: 5/13/11 Pheast is one of the latest underground supper clubs to pop up in Los Angeles, a concept that seems to be on fire right now (the most notable example, of course, is wolvesmouth). Underground dining, at its essence, is where a small group of people meet up…
Kokekokko 203 S Central Ave Los Angeles, CA 90012 Dining date: 5/6/11 On my last visit to Kokekokko, a friend and I dropped in (both first-timers) for some yakitori (grilled meat, particularly chicken, on skewers), what this restaurant is known for. It turned out to be one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had…
The Restaurant at Rancho Valencia Rancho Valencia Resort 5921 Valencia Cir Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92091 Dining date: 4/30/11 I don’t really come down to San Diego that often. The breweries are a big draw for me, but quite frankly, the food tends not to be. I’m not saying it’s bad, but there are so…
n/naka 3455 S. Overland Ave Los Angeles, CA 90034 Dining date: 4/6/11 Niki Nakayama is the chef behind n/naka, who previously was preparing omakase menus at Inaka in Arcadia. Unfortunately I never got a chance to make it out there, and Nakayama has since left Inaka to open her own place on the Westside. It’s…