Josiah Citrin, the L.A. native and chef-owner of Mélisse, is a chef preceded by reputation. His elegant, modern French restaurant in Santa Monica has long been a beacon of hope for those who decry the city’s dearth of fine dining, a special-occasion place to drop a few hundred dollars on tasting menus gilded with truffles and caviar. Charcoal is far more casual by comparison, though it would be a stretch to label it a casual restaurant. And where Charcoal shines most shouldn’t come as a surprise: damn good meat. Read the L.A. Weekly review here. Photos by Anne Fishbein.
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