Josiah Citrin

Mélisse: 99 Essential Restaurants 2013

Forbes Travel Guide Releases 2013 Ratings: Melisse Receives 5 Stars

Forbes Travel Guide has released its annual hotel, restaurant and spa ratings, and Melisse has received the highest rating, 5 stars. Josiah Citrin's Santa Monica restaurant is one of only 28 restaurants nationally to receive the highest ranking, and one of four in California. What does the rating ... More >>

Food GPS Hosts Ceviche Nights with Ricardo Zarate, Bryant Ng, Josiah Citrin Kris Yenbamroong

Only in Los Angeles could you get away with two ceviche dinners at the start of December. Fresh off recent events such as the Fried Chicken Fest and the Beer Float Showdown, Food GPS' Josh Lurie is teaming up with chef Ricardo Zarate and business partner Stephane Bombet for two chef-stacked nights o ... More >>

Tech for Food Nerds: Chefs Feed 2.0 Launches Today

Chefs Feed, the app that launched a little less than a year ago, released version 2.0 today with a bunch of new cities and more social media interaction capabilities. Chefs Feed aims to do much the same thing as our Where the Chefs Eat posts aspire to -- that is, let the food professionals guide y ... More >>

Matthew Kenney's New Culinary School in Santa Monica Stirs The Local Gourmandise Pot

There's a new cooking school coming to town: chef Matthew Kenney's eponymous vegan culinary school is opening in Santa Monica this month (soft opening is Saturday), along with his vegan restaurant, M.A.K.E. The chef's growing empire includes restaurants in Chicago and Oklahoma City (where he also ha ... More >>

Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival: The Wine Part of the Equation

The second annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival concluded Sunday, a slickly produced, three-day debauch mostly held in and around the capacious digs of L.A. Live and its Marriott property -- though neither conference room nor rooftop exhibition tent could adequately contain the assemblage of whit ... More >>

CBS talks to Voltaggio, Andres California's Only Foie Farmer About the Upcoming Ban

As California's foie gras ban rapidly approaches, more and more media outlets are starting to pay attention. This morning, CBS ran a story about diners, protesters and the chefs in L.A. They interviewed chefs Michael Voltaggio (Ink) and Josiah Citrin (Melisse), and captured the tensions between dine ... More >>

At Melisse: Reviving the Zombie

The other night at Melisse, chef Josiah Citrin, beverage director Brian Kalliel and their new cocktail consultant, Pablo Moix, were working on reviving the Zombie. Not the undead, flesh-eating sort, but the cocktail variety, brought to life in the '30s by Donn Beach at his Hollywood restaurant Don ... More >>

The Google Cafe: A Look Inside the Venice Binoculars

There is a somewhat mythical place where engineers and food obsessives converge. A place that isn't exactly a club, nor is it a restaurant, but it is Fort-Knox level difficult to get in to and they certainly do serve pretty terrific food. For free. It's the offices of Google. And if you like to eat, ... More >>

California C.H.E.F.S. Host Foie Gras Super Dinner

In protest of California's rapidly approaching foie gras ban, C.H.E.F.S. (the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards), an organization that sounds like an maniacal conglomerate out of a James Bond film, or perhaps a culinary-slanted take on the Avengers, announced yesterday that it will ... More >>

Foie Gras-loving Chefs Fight Ban With Last-ditch Petition

When the ban on foie gras takes effect on July 1, Californians with a taste for foie will be reduced to copping the creamy tan stuff in little, perfect slugs squeezed into wax paper packets like opium. They'll slip from hand-to-hand on public transportation. Liver-laden trucks will trundle from ne ... More >>

L.A. Times Festival of Books: Star Chefs, Cooking Demos Books

Cook on television; nab a book deal. That could be one of the takeaways of the Cooking Stage lineup at The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books happening this weekend at USC. Of eight chefs who will give cooking demonstrations, speak, and sign books, five are known for appearing on food shows, includ ... More >>

5X5 Collaborative Chef Dinners Begin April 29

From late April to September, a few of L.A.'s most acclaimed restaurants will offer a six-course tasting menu at $150 per person, not including wine pairings. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Special Olympics. If you're so inclined, stop reading and sigh. What else could be so bo-ring and ... More >>

Create a Big Stink: Cabbage Cooking Contest at Metabolic Studio

If you love nothing more than to stand in the kitchen thinking up ways to make those humble heads of cabbage really sing, well then this is your opportunity to take center stage. As part of the Mayor's Day of Service -- aka Good Food Day, March 31 -- there will be a gathering of cabbage fanatics in ... More >>

Food News Roundup: Chefs for Hire, Spice Table Recipes Passion for Cilantro

Technology: Why cook when you can hire professional chefs to make dinner via Kitchit. In L.A., choose among Neal Fraser (BLD, Grace), Mark Gold (Eva), Nyesha Arrington (Wilshire), and others. Food & Wine: Three Spice Table recipes (simplified!) from Bryant Ng, with photos by Anne Fishbein. Gilt Ta ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 3/12 - 3/16

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "Imagine a hot dog taken to its architectural extremes, layered with avocado, pineapple relish, cilantro, onions, tomatoes, crushed potato chips and a latticework of squeeze bottle spreads -- garlic mayonnaise, mustard, and a c ... More >>

What Chefs Feed Their Kids A Recipe for Josiah Citrin's Potato Chip-crusted Chicken Tenders

Sick of hearing "yucky" when you set food in front of your offspring? Then you might need What Chefs Feed Their Kids (Lyons Press, $24.95) by Fanae Aaron, a mom who's been through all that and much more. If you don't have kids, you still could use this book. And if you hate kids, you might want it ... More >>

Local Cookbook: Josiah Citrin's In the Pursuit of Excellence, or How to Snag a Mélisse Dinner for Under $30, Ingredients Not Included

To offset the joyous deluge of promotional Valentine's Day dinner menus and Groupon chocolate deals that keeps our remote email accounts buzzing this time of year, we offer Mélisse chef-owner Josiah Citrin's new cookbook, In the Pursuit of Excellence, as a satisfying alternative. It's the sort of c ... More >>

LudoBites 8: Starting This Month at Lemon Moon Lottery Reservations

​Ah, you know the drill. Set your alarm for X minutes before the reservation lines open (caffeine, Prozac). If you're successful, go off to dream your foie gras cupcake dreams. If you are not, start tweeting Krissy offers of free babysitting. Then get ready to put on your Ludo groupie t-shirt ... More >>

Melisse: 99 Essential Restaurants 2011

Nyesha Arrington Named Exec Chef at Wilshire

Chef Nyesha Arrington.​Nyesha Arrington, who came on board Wilshire Restaurant last month, has officially been named executive chef of the eatery. Soon, you'll also be able to find her on Bravo's Top Chef: Texas, which debuts on November 2nd. A Josiah Citrin protégé, Arrington most recently ... More >>

Eat and Drink Well for Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve 2011

So, it's time to plan New Year's Eve if you haven't already. Avoid the amateur's night problem by putting your 2011 celebration in the hands of restaurant pros who will handle the fine food and drink part. And save you clean-up troubles. Merriment, cheer, reflecting on the past year (which may or ma ... More >>

[Updated]: Foie Gras Protest Tonight at Providence

bloggyboulga/Flickr​Update: We checked in with chef Michael Cimarusti this morning to see how last night's foie gras protest affected the event. He tells us the dinner went "very well," and that no major conflict arose between the restaurant and the protesters. "Obviously we disagree on the ... More >>

More Fun with Foie Gras: Bocuse d'Or Foundation Benefit at Providence

Melody Fury/FlickrA flight of dishes at a Bocuse d'OR competition​ On Tuesday, November 16, Los Angeles chefs Josiah Citrin, Walter Manzke, Alain Giraud, and Tony Esnault will gather at Providence with Providence chef-owner Michael Cimarusti and pastry chef Adrian Vasquez to prepare a multi-c ... More >>

Hang Out With Farmers (& Rain-soaked Chefs): Volunteer At The Santa Monica Farmers Market

A. Scattergoodrain at the Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market​ If you've always wanted to be a part of the farmers market, here's your chance. Hang out with farmers, learn about where your food comes from, shop early for your Meyer lemons and fresh garbanzos and tuber roses while the marine ... More >>

Chefs Come Together to Support Good Food for All Angelenos

​ Philanthropic food lovers, mark your calendars: on October 6th some of the biggest and most sustainability minded chefs in the city, along with some conscientious local farmers, are coming together for the fundraiser Good Food for All, A Taste of the Los Angeles Foodshed. Hosted by the n ... More >>

With a Little Help from His Friends: Mark Gold Co. Celebrate Eva's 1st Anniversary

Anne FishbeinRemoving an unruly customer at Eva.​ When Eva celebrates its one-year anniversary on Wednesday, September 29th, big kitchen star power will take over the restaurant's compact space. "They've all been friends of mine for many years," says Eva's Chef/Owner Mark Gold of pals Michael ... More >>

Caché Restaurant Closes Its Doors

screenshot from Caché websitebar at Caché​Caché restaurant has closed, only a year after it opened in Santa Monica, in the space that formerly housed Arnold Schwarzenegger's beerhaus Schatzi. Josiah Citrin (Mélisse), who had consulted on the menu but was not a partner, said that the restau ... More >>

The Western Food Expo: 3 Days of Food

​If you're a fan of behind-the-scenes programs like Meet the Press and Inside the Actor's Studio, this is kind of like that, for the food world. This month the California Restaurant Association will sponsor a three-day Western Food Expo that, while mostly geared towards those in the industry, ... More >>

Mélisse Hosts The Spotted Pig's April Bloomfield in 'Michelin Mashup'

Photo via Kitchenrat.com.​There are guests, there are guest chefs and there are guest star chefs. On July 26th, Mélisse will feature chef April Bloomfield of New York City's The Spotted Pig, who would come under the latter category, in an event the restaurant is calling "Michelin Mashup: Cook ... More >>

LA Weekly Flickr Pool Reader Photo of the Day: Light My Fire

This LA Weekly Flickr pool photo comes to you courtesy of photographer Lucyrk in LA, who took the shot of on her Canon PowerShot. While it's not technically a food-related shot, it is curiously fascinating. And it reminds some of us of our restaurant matchbook collections, grown dusty now that most ... More >>

Get The Chef A Drink: What 10 LA Chefs Pour When They Need a Stiff One

Two waiters didn't show up for their shift, the rookie line cook spilled vinegar on the $500 truffle, and Kogi just had to park a few feet from the valet stand. How do chefs cope when Saturday night's dinner service turns into a Kitchen Nightmares episode? Sometimes they pour themselves a stiff drin ... More >>

Dinner at the Best Chef's Table In Town: What Would 20 of L.A.'s Top Chefs Dream Up?

Imagine gathering twenty of LA's top chefs -- in one cramped restaurant kitchen -- to cook up a 50-person thank you dinner for a beloved longtime customer. No egos allowed. On the chefs' night off. Free of charge. Oh, and each chef must agree on the menu. Not going to happen? It did. The secret, ... More >>

Cigar Dinners at Cache: Bring Your Lounge Jacket, Your Sunglasses, Try Not To Pack Weapons

Hollywood Smoke​Blame it on the ghost of Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose Austrian beerhaus Schatzi am Main (oops, on Main) formerly occupied the location of Caché restaurant (and whose portrait, circa Terminator, still graces the elevator lobby). Caché chef Josiah Citrin (Mélisse) is how hosti ... More >>

Nicole's Gourmet Opens Their Warehouse for 1-Day Sale: Bring a Truck for Those Parmesan Wheels

Damien Newton - LA StreetsblogNicole's Cafe and Market in South Pasadena​So if you're Michael Cimarusti (Providence), Josiah Citrin (Melisse), or Mark Peel (Campanile), where do you pick up that giant wheel of 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano, that mess of dried morels, or those imported specialit ... More >>

JOSIAH CITRIN'S SECOND (LOUNGE) ACT

Direct, focused and simple French food in Santa Monica

Head to Sea with Those Who Know Their Fish: Edible L.A.'s Fishing Excursion this Sunday

If one were to assemble a Noah's Ark of the current L.A. high-end restaurant scene, here's in part what it might look like.

Josiah Citrin's Shows Off New Cache, Celebrates Older Creds During Melisse Anniversary

Here's a case of auspicious Fourth of July/Bastille Day holiday season timing. Last Friday, Caché Restaurant and Lounge began serving French and American, fresh market-oriented dishes.

The Raw, the Cooked and Everything in Between: Taste of the Nation

The raw and the cooked--and everything in between--were showcased at Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation fundraiser event in Culver City on Sunday. Many of the participating local chefs were big on crudo, while others preferred carbonizing their protein. The sheer number of chefs and food busin ... More >>

Weekend Agenda: Wine Festivals, Champers Galore, Sunday in the Park with Gauls

'Tis the weekend of competing wine events and food festivals. The mega LA Wine Fest happens at Raleigh Studios Hollywood on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with hundreds of wineries representing, and special educational seminars ($55 one-day pass, $100 weekend pass). The Wine House's Santa Barbara W ... More >>

End of Week Agenda: A Brimming, Ripe, Juicy Calendar

Mid-May is a busy time for food events around the L.A. area, y'all. To wit: California Strawberry FestivalBerrylicious funOnly about an hour drive north gets you to the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard. The big, juicy, seasonal fun goes from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; general ... More >>

Food's Big Night Out: Not Such a Big Night for Los Angeles at the James Beard Awards

Jessica RitzThe scene at Avery Fisher Hall, with Ted Allen in the mix. The James Beard Foundation Awards is the Big Night Out for an industry that's all about nights out. Cooks, writers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, and others in the service of making great food and interpreting it for a hungry public ... More >>

Where to Eat Now

Salad Lovers, Get to the Point

Stations of the toss

Swanky

Post-Puck Generation

Cooking in the Age of Anxiety

Office Space

The American in the French Kitchen

Money Changes Everything

Lunching with the ladies who lunch

Puck’s Lament

When Spago’s celebrity chef chastised the media for ignoring the state of fine dining, he struck a chord with this critic