Thomas Keller

Father's Day Food Drink Specials

It's Father's Day this Sunday, June 16. Sure, you could get him a tie, a barbecue grill, or an electronic 5-in-1 gadget from Brookstone that he'll likely never use. Or you can show appreciation for all that he's done for you with a good meal and a stiff drink. So we compiled a list of restaurants fr ... More >>

Q & A with Christine Ha: Cooking Blind, Winning MasterChef Her New Project

She's a blind chef, a cookbook author and winner of the third season of MasterChef. It's safe to say Christine Ha has beaten the odds. Ha, who lived in Lakewood and Long Beach before moving to Houston, lost her vision in her twenties due to the autoimmune condition neuromyelitis optica. She took u ... More >>

3 Favorites From BierBeisl's Bernhard Mairinger

Where the Chefs Eat is an ongoing series in which we ask a local chef to give us his or her favorite dining options. This week, we check in with Bernhard Mairinger, chef at Beverly Hills' BierBeisl. BierBeisl's Bernhard Mairinger says there are so many great restaurants in L.A., he could start his ... More >>

Los Angeles Chefs Discuss Downtown L.A. at ALOUD

"We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares and go downtown ... everything's waiting for you!" When Petula Clark sang this line in 1964 -- albeit about New York -- who could have known she was she forecasting the future of downtown Los Angeles as a culinary destination? Numerous chefs have ... More >>

Gary Menes: The Son Also Braises

One of the fascinating Angelenos featured in L.A. Weekly's People 2012 issue. Check out our entire People 2012 issue here. "Being a cook was out of the question," Gary Menes says of his childhood aspirations. The reason: his father. And why do you suppose Menes' father wanted him to become somethin ... More >>

Phil Rosenthal on the L.A. Restaurant Scene, Eating Sushi with James Brooks Grilling Thomas Keller

In this week's feature food story, arts editor Zachary Pincus-Roth talks to Phil Rosenthal, creator of Everybody Loves Raymond about what he's done with all his money. Really. Because the producer, writer and director hasn't just been resting on his Emmys, but has put a lot of that money into local ... More >>

Sushi Restaurants in Los Angeles: Top 10

10 Best Sushi Restaurants in Los Angeles

Does Los Angeles boast the best sushi in the entire country? If even Ferran Adriá is on our side, we can probably feel confident it's true. The factors that allow our city to be blessed with such a ridiculous bounty are fairly apparent: proximity to superior fish markets, a healthy roster of mast ... More >>

April Bloomfield's A Girl and Her Pig Is Good, But Is It Great?

As far as cookbook anticipation goes, April Bloomfield's new release, A Girl and Her Pig, which hits shelves in early April, ranks right up there on the crispy pig ear salad (p. 85) meter. Is it deserving of the hype? Perhaps. But we're not going there just yet, even though we suspect other Google ... More >>

Roy Choi of A-Frame and Kogi on How Cookbooks Changed His Life

Jeremiah Tower's Cookbook Collection

JeremiahTower.comJeremiah Tower on the beach​Cookbook collectors, get moving. Speed is necessary if you're going to snag a choice book from the collection that celebrity chef Jeremiah Tower has sold to Omnivore Books on Food in San Francisco. "They've gone fairly quickly," says rare book exp ... More >>

Bocuse d'Or USA Winners Announced

​The Bocuse d'Or USA competition was held yesterday at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., to determine who will represent America in the next annual International Bocuse d'Or, held in France a year from now. The winner? Richard Rosendale, executive chef of the Greenbrier i ... More >>

LA Weekly Flickr Pool Reader Photo of the Day: Buttermilk Potato Pavé

LA Weekly Flickr pool/averagebettyButtermilk potato pavé​This LA Weekly Flickr pool photo comes to you from photographer averagebetty, a lovely shot of her buttermilk potato pavé experiment. Which recipe you can find on her blog. (Thomas Keller, Momofuku. Need we say more.) And, of course, i ... More >>

A Pie Crust Recipe or 3: Thanksgiving, Plugra, Thomas Keller A New Technique

J. Kelleypie crust pie​For some reason, making piecrust scares people. Bakers who confidently turn out fancy frosted and piped layer cakes and cooks who can sauté and deglaze with the best of us balk at humble pie dough. Every year as Thanksgiving approaches, friends drop by for impromptu ... More >>

A Recipe From the Chef: Farmshop's Cabbage, Cucumber & Fennel Salad

A. ScattergoodFarmshop's cabbage, cucumber & fennel salad​ When we sat down with Farmshop's Jeffrey Cerciello recently, the chef talked about his time with Thomas Keller and in the kitchen of El Bulli. No, Cerciello does not secretly have a nitrogen canister or Anti-Griddle at his Brentwood Co ... More >>

The Thursday Edition: A Roundup of Newspaper Food Stories

Flickr/dubh​ 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), it's where most of ... More >>

Q & A with Bobby Flay, Part 2: Why Being on TV is the Easy Part

The Food NetworkBobby Flay on the set of his newest cooking show, Barbecue Addiction​In the first part of our interview with Bobby Flay, he gave us some insight into how his opinion of the L.A. restaurant scene has changed over the years, as well as how he thinks the Food Network has molded th ... More >>

[Updated] The Want Ads: A Whole Kitchen at FarmShop

A. ScattergoodFarmShop​ Updated: It seems as if this Craigslist ad for more kitchen staff wanted at FarmShop in the Brentwood Country Mart could do with some further clarification. Jokes about coups d'état aside (and that was meant to be funny, by the way, and no reflection of anything other ... More >>

Scientists Discover Obesity "Master Switch" Gene: And No, It Does Not Control Your Car Window

Flickr/Jeremy Brooksa drive-thru window view​ Yesterday Reuters reported that scientists have found a so-called "master switch" for obesity. And no, it is not the lock button on your car door window. Although given that the line of cars recently stacking up to order drive-thru at the first br ... More >>

Another One Down in Old Town: Dish Bistro & Bar Closes

​Much to the chagrin of us locals, Old Town Pasadena continues to be a gamble for independently owned restaurants, something we desperately need. You'd think with all of the high-end and trendy stores now lining Colorado Boulevard, at least some shoppers would want -- dare we say demand -- a ... More >>

The Feast's Top 20 Most "Liked" Chefs on Facebook: Y'all May Be Not Agree With #1

The FeastMichael Symon, the #5 most "Liked" chef on Facebook​Do you think Michael Symon is sneering at Mario Batali across Kitchen Stadium right now, mocking him for having an inferior number of "Likes" on Facebook? We can almost hear Symon's Nelson-esque "hah-hah" from here. "Only 23,000-some ... More >>

The Daily Meal's 50 Most Powerful People in Food

Listmania continues (David Letterman's cultural legacy, perhaps, along with Velcro suits) but this time The Daily Meal has come up with something more compelling than a list of Top 10 Cupcakes. Theirs? America's 50 Most Powerful People in Food. It's a good list, as it would be: The Daily Meal is h ... More >>

Best Cookbook of 2010: The Essential New York Times Cookbook

J. GarbeeFrench TV "Snacks" From The Essential New York Times Cookbook​Last year, rather than crowning a single cookbook the Best Of title, we simply settled on an entire category that was consistently great -- baking. This year, the most prominent publishing category of the year, media cookbo ... More >>

The Platonic Ideal

Farmshop's french fries are what fries should be

[Updated] First Bite: The Platonic Ideal, or FarmShop's French Fries Are What Fries Should Be

Jonagold apple, portions removed​Update: Department of Corrections. In this week's First Bite column, which waxed rather purple over French fries at the rather too new FarmShop, we misidentified the price of the potatoes involved. We were erroneously brought a $4.50 serving of French fries ins ... More >>

Q & A With Craig Thornton: Wolvesmouth, Thomas Keller Cooking with Fire

Caleb ChenCraig Thonton over his stove​ Back in August, we happened upon a photo from an underground supper club called Wolvesden. The blogs were already raving about these secret dinners, and in October, we had the opportunity to dine at one ourselves. There were thirteen of us there that nig ... More >>

Your FarmShop Update: Jeffrey Cerciello's Restaurant Soft-Opens Friday

A. ScattergoodJeffrey Cerciello in FarmShop, opening soon​ Update: FarmShop, Jeffrey Cerciello's restaurant and market in the Brentwood Country Mart, will finally open its doors this Friday, November 26th. It will be a very soft opening, with just the bakery open in the initial days, and 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 >>

Q & A With Fig's Ray Garcia: On FBI Dreams, Revolutionary Sushi Cooking For Dogs

J. GarbeeRay Garcia​Ray Garcia, Executive Chef at Fig in Santa Monica, is perhaps the only 32-year-old chef who can say he has worked for Thomas Keller, Douglas Keane, and a picky canine in the same year (more on that later, but yes, a customer at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, where Garcia was ... More >>

Test Kitchen Update: Brian Saltsburg Talks Manzke, Voltaggio, Tapas, and More

Test Kitchen​The recently opened Test Kitchen, from Bill Chait and Brian Saltsburg, continues to be in the news -- though that will happen when your restaurant features a constantly developing lineup of big name chefs. In fact, several local television stations are already in the process of se ... More >>

Q & A with Najat Kaanache: Apprentice to the World's Best Chefs

Najat Kaanache in Alinea's Kitchen​ Spanish-born Najat Kaanache, 32, is a woman on a mission to learn from the best chefs in the world. In just two years, Kaanache has apprenticed with chefs Grant Achatz at Alinea in Chicago, Thomas Keller at French Laundry in Yountville, and René Redzepi at ... More >>

2010 IACP Award Winners Announced

​The IACP, which would be the International Association of Culinary Professionals and not the International Association of Chiefs of Police -- which comes up first on a Google search, proving maybe that cops can SEO better than writers -- has announced their 2010 cookbook award winners. The ho ... More >>

Go Ask Alice (To Sign Your Book): Alice Waters In Town for A Book Signing

AmazonAlice Waters' latest book​If you're weary of hauling your Prius (or maybe your bicycle) all the way up the 5 to Berkeley to pay homage to Alice Waters, next Saturday you'll have a much shorter commute. Waters will be in town to sign copies of her new book In the Green Kitchen: Techniques ... More >>

Walter Manzke Update: Breadbar's Hatchi Series, Pebble Beach Just Be Patient

Walter Manzke, who left the downtown bistro Church & State at the end of February, is popping up at Breadbar's Hatchi series. Manzke will cook for one evening, on June 24th, which marks the 1 year anniversary of the one-chef-one-night event. "They've been asking me and asking me, and I finally said ... More >>

Jeffrey Cerciello's Farmshop Market & Restaurant to Open in July

Deborah JonesChef Jeffrey Cerciello​For all of us who've been mourning the empty Maury Rubin-shaped hole where City Bakery used to be in the Brentwood Country Mart, good news indeed. Jeffrey Cerciello, lately culinary director of Thomas Keller's casual dining division, has taken over the space ... More >>

2010 James Beard Finalists Announed: Suzanne Goin, Matt Molina, Michael Cimarusti, Jonathan Gold, Patric Kuh Nominated

James Beard​Twitter is at it again. The 2010 James Beard Award Finalists were announced this morning via the foundation's Twitter account. L.A's Suzanne Goin, of Lucques, AOC Wine Bar, Hungry Cat and Tavern was nominated for Outstanding Chef, while Matt Molina of Mozza and Michael Cimarusti of ... More >>

Top 10 Holiday Gifts: Presents for Foodies

For some people, food is just the stuff we eat, but for others, it's a bit more important. Take your mother, whose favorite television show is Top Chef and who staged a Quickfire Gravy Challenge at Thanksgiving this year. From the boyfriend who says "yes chef!" when you're boiling pasta for dinner t ... 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 >>

Todd Allison Debuts at Checkers With A New Menu Allison's Recipe for Cranberry Pistachio Pesto

Checkers chef Todd Allison​The scaffolding outside the Hilton Checkers this week is just one sign of what has been going on there. The hotel has not only revamped guest rooms and downstairs lounges but has redesigned its restaurant, Checkers Downtown. The idea is to make it a top spot for dinn ... More >>

Top 10 Food Movies: Eat, Drink, Watch

Whether it's dinner and a movie or popcorn to munch on during the previews, your stomach is often tied to the cinematic experience. From the comic relief of Robin Williams cooking dinner dressed as Mrs. Doubtfire to Meg Ryan moaning over apple pie in When Harry met Sally, food can shape the story (J ... More >>

Rumor Milling: No, Walter Manzke's Not Leaving Church & State Sunday Night Dinners At The Bistro

Ah, the Internet: invented by Al Gore, home to millions of fact-checkers. For anyone worrying that Walter Manzke has left or is leaving Church & State, the man just took 2 days off. Your pigs ears aren't going anywhere, and neither is the chef. Manzke thinks that the rumor got started on Yelp, and w ... More >>

Pop Goes the Cookie: Platine Bakery Pops Up at Anya Hindmarch

Have your handbag and eat it too. The Culver City bakery, Platine Cookies, is popping up at the Anya Hindmarch shop Thursday through Saturday this week. For those of you who think a pop-up is a book with 3D illustrations, a restaurant pop-up is a temporary residence (think LudoBites). Get it while y ... More >>

Bocuse d'Or USA Calling for Chef Applicants New Scholarship Program for Young Chefs

It's Bocuse d'Or International Culinary Competition time again, in which teams from 24 countries compete for the honor of winning Paul Bocuse' legendary culinary prize. The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation, which is led by Jerome Bocuse, Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller (just think about those three names ... More >>

Dark Surprise: Claud Beltran Gets all Noir on Us

Cooking With Kids, and Watching Movies With Them Too: The Joys of Ratatouille

PixarRatatouille ​If you have young kids, and have much spent time making sure they know their way around the kitchen, you probably know the drill. Buy them some kids' cookbooks, maybe sign them up for a kids' cooking class, invite their friends over for kitchen projects. My kids' have gone to ... More >>

Food Games: ID Your Dinner, No Blindfold Required

When I was in high school, our science teacher would take us out into the woods, blindfold us (no Blair Witch Project jokes, please) and turn us loose amid the trees to see if we could identify each one by the feel of the bark, the shape of the leaves. Yeah, it sounds odd, even creepy, but boy was i ... More >>

Dr. Eliot's 5-Foot Shelf: Were The Harvard Prof a Cook, That Is

Photo credit: Amy ScattergoodThis is not a product endorsement In 1909 publisher P. F. Collier and Son published a 51-volume anthology of classic literature, compiled by then Harvard president Dr. Charles W. Eliot. It came to be known as the Harvard Classics, but when it was published, the anth ... More >>

The Year in Reading Food

Bittersweet on the page

Stop the Music!

In search of a quiet place to eat in L.A.

Post-Puck Generation

Cooking in the Age of Anxiety