Patina 141 S Grand Ave Los Angeles, CA 90012 Dining date: 8/23/12 Patina is one of those restaurants that seems like it’s been around forever and always will be. I first ate here on my 21st birthday; I don’t remember much specifically but I remember it being a good meal. Even though I’ve lived within…
Melisse “Foie for All” 1104 Wilshire Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90401 Dining date: 6/30/12 June 30 was the last day to legally serve foie gras in California (although some loopholes do exist). Melisse has been at the forefront against the ban and, combined with the fact that it’s one of the best restaurants in the city,…
The Fat Duck High Street Bray, Berkshire SL6 2AQ Dining date: 5/25/12 I recently attended an extraordinary four-day wedding in India. On the way back, I wanted to capitalize on the fact that I was halfway around the world and stopover somewhere interesting to explore/eat. Options throughout Asia piqued my interest but my friend Shawn…
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon 13-15 West Street London WC2H 9NE Dining date: 5/25/12 I arrived in London pretty early on a Friday morning upon the completion of a red-eye flight from Mumbai. One of my friends was working and another would be arriving later in the morning, so I was on my own for lunch….
Atelier Crenn 3127 Fillmore St San Francisco, CA 94123 Dining date: 12/23/11 Atelier Crenn opened almost one year ago, last January. It was a hotly anticipated opening and seems to have met the hype, regarded as one of the top restaurant openings of the year (and awarded a Michelin star). The chef is Dominique Crenn,…
Saison 2124 Folsom St San Francisco, CA 94110 Dining date: 12/27/11 Saison may have been my most anticipated meal in San Francisco in 2011. Chef Josh Skenes (Chez TJ, Stonehill Tavern) is cooking very modern French-Californian cuisine using locally sourced (including foraged) ingredients centered around a dining room hearth. A lot of restaurants are doing the local and…
The French Laundry 6640 Washington Street Yountville, CA 94599 Dining date: 11/27/11 Each year, my dad takes my grandmother and aunt out for their birthdays, usually in December. The food has always been good, with past years being at The Dining Room, Cyrus, Murray Circle, Quince and Masa’s. However, it’s never been this good. I…
Water Grill 544 S Grand Ave Los Angeles, CA 90071 Dining date: 10/12/11 Water Grill has been around for two decades, an old staple in the upscale dining segment of downtown LA. Catering largely to the business crowd dressed in suits, I remember being fairly intimidated when I first dined here as an 18-year-old college…