The Michelin Group

Joe Pytka's Revolving Doors: Bastide Confirms Chef Mahon Is Out

Bastidethe revolving doors of Bastide​ This just in from the Department of Cold Emails. We knew that Joseph Mahon had left Joe Pytka's Melrose Place restaurant (attach his name to the roster of former chefs, a list that reads like a Michelin inspector's Post-it jigsaw: Alain Giraud, Ludo Lefe ... More >>

How To Cook Like a Movie Star: Marilyn Monroe's Stuffing Recipe

Flickr/srettThanksgiving ​ As the former director of the Michelin Guide infamously noted, people in L.A. care more about movie stars than Michelin stars. Sure we do. (That's presumably why Michelin no longer publishes a guide to Los Angeles. And perhaps one of the reasons why Jean-Luc Naret i ... More >>

Cookbook Review: Avec Eric, A Culinary Travelogue Eric Ripert's Homemade Butter Recipe

​Ya, ya we all know not to judge a book by its cover. And then we do it anyway. Consider Avec Eric, the latest from Eric Ripert that looks like yet another food television show in hardcover form. And it is, complete with another hot-as-hell Top Chef judge as the star. But when you get into the ... More >>

Simpo Pops Up for One Night in Los Angeles

Simpo​ Simpo, a moveable feast that has already hit Toronto and New York, will pop up later this week for its first -- and probably only -- night in Los Angeles. Hosted by Toronto-based chef Aldo Lanzillotta, the intimate 20-person pop-up will feature a 6-8 course, Italian-influenced meal. H ... More >>

This Thursday: The Essential 99 Restaurants Edition

Mark your calendars and, I don't know, camp out in front of those grungy sidewalk newspaper boxes: this Thursday marks the publication of the Weekly's annual compendium of Los Angeles' Essential 99 Restaurants. Otherwise known as Jonathan Gold's dining cheat sheet, or, more accurately, ours. It's a ... More >>

Chef Michael Chiarello Ditches Napa Valley (For a Day) For His L.A. Book Signing

NapaStyleMichael Chiarello's latest cookbook, Bottega: Bold Italian Flavors from the Heart of California's Wine Country​Does your perfect vacation involve a private tour and tasting at a Napa Valley winery? Do you count the tiny towns of Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga among your ideal de ... More >>

More Fun With Restaurant Guides: The Zagat Los Angeles 2011 Edition

​You may not be carting around your L.A. Michelin Guide anymore, but fortunately for those of us who enjoy having handy literature in our glove compartments (Larousse Gastronomique does not fit), the 2011 Zagat Guide for Los Angeles and Southern California is out. Of course, it's been out for ... More >>

KINGS OF PASTRY

Your Michelin Guide Update: NYC Out Today, No LA Anytime Soon

​The Michelin Guide for New York City hits the shelves today, but don't look for a Los Angeles guide anytime soon. They didn't publish here last year, they didn't this year, and it sounds like they won't next year either. Feast got a short interview with Jean-Luc Naret, Michelin's Directeur GĂ ... More >>

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

SapphireBlue22stack of newspapers​What's the country reading today food-wise? Here's a roundup of some of the food-related stories from other newspapers, many of which print their food sections mid-week. And remember, even if you don't actually buy papers these days (or not; this paper is free ... 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 >>

Supper Liberation Front Invades Guelaguetza

Supper Liberation Front​For one rare night, chefs Josh Gil and Daniel Snukal take their semi-underground, pop-up restaurant legit, bringing Supper Liberation Front to Oaxacan stalwart Guelaguetza. Think of this as a taste of things to come. What things? We can't say. Gil, who earned his Miche ... More >>

Q & A With Heirloom-LA's Matthew Poley: Cooking School, The Word 'Chef,' and a Desert Island Meal

J. KoslowMatthew Poley with Tad Weyland​ In the first part of our interview, Matthew Poley discusses his trajectory from washing dishes at Angelini Osteria to cooking in Umbria at Casa Vissani to co-owning the rapidly growing catering company, Heirloom-LA. In this second part, Poley tells us ... More >>

Q & A With Heirloom-LA Chef/Co-Owner Matthew Poley: Lasagna Cupcakes, Cooking in Umbria, Success and Love In a Bowl of Pasta

J. KoslowMatthew Poley of Heirloom-LA​ Born and raised in Auburn, Michigan, Matthew Poley watched hours of cooking shows while his athletic brother delved into sports and scholastics. His grandmother took notice and began giving Poley the yearly Christmas gift he most looked forward to -- a n ... More >>

There Will Always Be a Caramel Souffle

Ludobites 5.0 and beyond

First Bite: There Will Always Be a Caramel Soufflé, or Ludobites 5.0 and Beyond

Christie BishopJonagold apple, portions removed​As the months turn, stone fruit ripens, and the Dodgers suffer another round of midsummer blues, so too does LudoBites return to Gram & Papa's, the garmento lunch counter that hosted the pop-up restaurant's greatest success. Krissy Lefebvre roams ... More >>

MĂ©lisse 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, MĂ©lisse 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 >>

A Molecular Gastronomy Class At Grace: From Lily Pads and Cabbage Leaves A Spherification Recipe

On a recent Monday morning a group of Los Angeles chefs and bartenders metaphorically traded their chef coats for lab coats at a food science class given by Fany Setiyo of Le Sanctuaire. Neal Fraser had set up the class at Grace restaurant for chefs wishing to learn more about molecular gastronomy ... More >>

Squid Ink Food Fight: Chirashi Lunch Battle, Mori Vs. Kiyokawa

Eating sushi and sashimi every day is probably not a good thing, lest you want to contract Jeremy Piven Disease. But it is something most of us wish we could eat more frequently than we actually do. Money, unfortunately, is required, and going for the cheap stuff is not recommended. Sure, places lik ... More >>

April Fools! A Roundup of Food-Related Fools' Day Materials From Around the Web

Deep End DiningHappy April Fools' Day​-- In-N-Out toys with the hearts of New Yorkers. [Huffington Post] -- Reports on a new bathroom truck to keep Kogi and Nom Nom company. [Thrillist] -- Actual roach coach hits the streets. [Deep End Dining] -- Starbucks announces two new drink sizes: Th ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 3/8 - 3/12

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "It is hard to overestimate the appeal of a good hog in this town, the charismatic pull of a whole roasted animal with crisp skin and heat-singed ears, an apple jammed gaily between its teeth." Hog Heaven at The Gorbals ... More >>

Q & A With Michael Cimarusti, Part 2: The Michelin, Bluefin Tuna & Why You Should Learn How To Cook Fish

ProvidenceChef Michael Cimarusti​Providence chef-owner Michael Cimarusti has been even busier than usual lately, between trips to the Bocuse d'Or and to Japan. Read the first part of our interview for his take on those excursions. The chef also teaches the occasional cooking classes on, you gu ... More >>

A Recipe From the Chef: Michael Cimarusti's Alaskan Halibut with Burdock and Shiso

After sitting down and discussing fish, the Michelin and Beard awards, travels to Japan and to the Culinary Institute of America with Providence chef-owner Michael Cimarusti, we were a little hungry. You may have had a similar experience after reading our interview with the chef. Fortunately, he gav ... More >>

ElBulli to Shutter Permanently

Ferran AdriĂ , in the news lately announcing that he would close his restaurant for 2 years, has now announced that elBulli will close permaently. The New York Times reports that AdriĂ  has changed those plans and will shutter the restaurant for good, perhaps turning it into a culinary academy inste ... More >>

Q & A With Remi Lauvand, Part 2: French Cafeteria Food, Getting to New York Cooking Backwards

Fran CollinCafe Pierre chef Remi Lauvand​Yesterday in the first part of our interview with CafĂ© Pierre's RĂ©mi Lauvand, the chef talked to us about how he got to the Manhattan Beach restaurant from, ultimately, his native France. It was a journey that took him from New York to Santa Barbara a ... More >>

Food In Space: German Chef Cooks For The International Space Station

It's been 40 years since the lunar landing, when the idea of food in space suddenly became more fascinating than, well, the food on your plate. Remember Space Food Sticks and Tang? (Check out the old commercials, on YouTube, after the jump.) These days space food has gone more upscale than, say, Ast ... More >>

Q & A With Joseph Mahon, Part 2: Cooking to Pantera, Dealing with Food Allergies No Bastide Library Book Carts

In yesterday's first part of our interview with Bastide chef Joseph Mahon, the chef talked about his road to the kitchen of Joe Pytka's newly-reopened Melrose Avenue restaurant, his time at the CIA (that would be the Culinary Institute of America, not our national spy shop) and his previous life in ... More >>

Q & A With Joseph Mahon: The Bastide Chef on His 16-Course Try-out, the CIA Why He Once Quit the Business

When Bastide reopened, after a year-long hiatus, a month ago, it was with a recalibrated feel (it's also a bookstore, of all things) and a new chef. Joseph Mahon joined the impressive list of chefs who have helmed Joe Pytka's Melrose Place restaurant, a catalog that reads like a Michelin inspector's ... More >>

New Year's Eve Dining Roundup: Because 2012 is Only Two Years Away

January 1st will be the time for resolutions. For losing weight. For spending less money, and more time with your family. For getting a job, or quitting one. Yes, January 1st you will start again. And that's good. Because tonight, December 31st, New Year's Eve, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., the lovely peop ... More >>

Q & A With Church and State's Walter Manzke, Part 2: The Family Business, Life at Bastide & The Future of The Bistro

In which we continue our interview with Walter Manzke of Church & State. The chef talks about what he would have done if he hadn't been a chef and gives his take on the bistro trend. Oh, and he weighs in (a little) on life at Bastide, which is set to reopen soon in yet another incarnation. And check ... More >>

Italian Chef Disappears From Cruise Ship: No Michelin Stars Involved

The FBI has been called in to investigate the disappearance of an Italian chef who went missing from a cruise ship en route from Aruba to Cartagena, Columbia. The ship docked yesterday in Los Angeles. 31-year-old Angelo Faliva was last seen on the morning of November 26th on the deck of the Princes ... More >>

Chef Family Recipes: Who Really Taught Laurent Tourondel How To Cook His Favorite Holiday Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ellen SilvermanDreaming of a Chocolate Christmas​Ya, ya, Laurent Tourondel trained at Saint Vincent Ecole de Cuisine in France and did several stages at Michelin three star restaurants before building the BLT empire. But this time of year he's more likely to rifle through family recipe cards t ... More >>

Plate Spinning: Listings From the Past Week

Some food for thought from local, national and international news sources from this past week: -- Hershey and Ferrero collaborate on a bid for Cadbury. [NPR] -- Pies in the time of pumpkin famine. [NPR] -- Cannibals arrested for selling human steak to kabob house. [Reuters] -- Get ready for r ... More >>

Q & A With Andy Cook, Part 2: Risotto as Object Lesson, Cooking to Jazz & The Importance of Google Image

Andy Cook, executive chef at both Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood and the month-old Boxwood Café, has been at the posh hotel since it opened in the summer of 2008. As we learned yesterday, Cook, a native of Birmingham, England, has become very fond of Los Angeles, of its weather and its ... More >>

Top 10 Private Dining Rooms For Your Holiday Party

The deeper we get into November, the more the mind reels with thoughts of the holidays, entertaining, and social obligations. If the idea of throwing a party appeals to you, but the idea of preparing, cooking, and cleaning up after a soiree gives you pause, we offer you this alphabetical list of Top ... More >>

No Michelin Guide to LA This Year, But You Can Catch The Secret Inspector On YouTube

The 2010 Zagat Survey for LA came out recently and, in case you're wondering about the Michelin Guide, a reminder that Michelin decided not to publish a 2010 guide for Los Angeles (or Las Vegas) this year. The suspension was due to the economic climate, and, according to a Michelin spokesperson, tem ... More >>

Craig Strong's New Beachfront Kitchen, Wherein the Chef Demonstrates How to Stuff a Squid A Recipe

Chef Craig Strong left the kitchen of Pasadena's The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa at the end of May--after eight years and one Michelin star--and decamped for Laguna Beach, where he became executive chef of Studio at Montage in June. (Studio's previous chef, James Boyce, left for Alabama; Strong ... More >>

JOSIAH CITRIN'S SECOND (LOUNGE) ACT

Direct, focused and simple French food in Santa Monica

Live-Tweeting the French Laundry -- Four-Hours in 140 Characters or Less

Beware All Ye Who Enter: Food-and-wine-induced stupor may occur. My iPhone has grown into an extension of my hand (see: day job). So when I first stepped inside Thomas Keller's famous French Laundry in Napa Valley, I wanted badly to Tweet my amazement, to Flckr the restaurant's discreet filigree ... More >>

Caruso's Faux Americana, and Michelin Guide Falls Flat

Gordon Ramsay at the London West Hollywood

Heck's kitchen

Michelin Tires

The tour guide’s L.A. detour

Where To Eat Now

Where To Eat Now

Straight to the Duck Heart

Jonathan Gold’s Top 10 dishes of 2006

Go Duck Yourself

There’s just something about the crackly skin and the dark juicy meat that has us craving duck now and again...

Let's Roll

Where to Eat Now: New to the List

Hare Today…

ant eggs tomorrow

Fajita pitas, Octopus Tacos, and the Birth of California Cuisine

25 moments — over 25 years — in L.A. restaurants