Were Angelenos amused when Sang Yoon published a scholarly dissertation on ketchup in the local paper this year? They were. Yoon's reputation was largely built upon his refusal to allow the sticky condiment into Father's Office, which was an unusual position for the owner of a beer bar specializing in hamburgers. Yoon horrified a lot of people with his formula of small plates, extreme beers, fights for tables that resembled rugby scrums, a refusal to admit children and a flat insistence that his food be served without emendations or alterations. But Yoon is a complicated guy, veteran of very high-end kitchens and equipped with a physics department's-worth of lab toys, and his drive toward the elevation of street food and the perfection of small things has nudged L.A. cooking in a direction that could not have been predicted in the days when the name of every good restaurant in town began with Le or La.

Even without ketchup, his cheeseburger is the most imitated dish in Los Angeles: dry-aged beef on a French roll, dressed with onion jam, Gruyere and Maytag blue cheeses, smoky bacon, arugula and a tomato compote. And the most interesting restaurants opening this year have at least a bit of Father's Office in their DNA; F.O. was nothing if not the original L.A. gastropub, right down to the tapas. 1018 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 393-BEER, fathersoffice.com. Food served Mon.-Wed., 5-10 p.m.; Thurs., 5-11 p.m.; Fri., 4-11 p.m.; Sat., 3-11 p.m.; Sun., 3-10 p.m. 21 and older only. Beer and wine. Difficult street parking. AE, MC, V. Also at 3229 Helms Ave., Culver City. (310) 815-9820. Kitchen open Mon.-Thurs., 5-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., noon-mid.; Sun., noon-10 p.m. Full bar. Lot parking. 21 and older only. AE, MC, V. Gastropub.

99 Essential L.A. Restaurants 2011:

Jonathan Gold's Introduction
Anne Fishbein's Photos
The Google Map

The List:

A-Frame
Akasha
Alcazar
Angeli Caffe
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Antojitos Carmen
Attari
Babita
Bludso's
Border Grill
Bottega Louie
Bulgarini Gelato
Cacao
Campanile
Casa Bianca
Chang's Garden
Chego
Chichén Itzá
Chung King
Church & State
Ciro's
Comme Ça
Cut
Dae Bok
Din Tai Fung
Drago Centro
El Huarache Azteca
El Parian
Elvirita's
Euro Pane Bakery
Eva
Fab Hot Dogs
Father's Office
Fig
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Golden State
Good Girl Dinette
The Gorbals
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Huckleberry
Hungry Cat
Ink.
Jar
Jitlada
Kiriko
Kobawoo
La Casita Mexicana
Langer's
Larkin's
Lazy Ox Canteen
Le Comptoir
Little Dom's
Lou
Lucques
LudoBites
Lukshon
Mantee
Marouch
Mayura
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Mezze
Mo-Chica
Mother Dough
Mozza
Musso & Frank Grill
Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa
Newport Tan Cang Seafood Restaurant
The Nickel
Night + Market
Oinkster
101 Noodle Express
Palate Food + Wine
Park's Barbecue
Picca
Playa
Pollos a la Brasa
Providence
Ray's
Red Medicine
Rivera
Rustic Canyon
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Sea Harbour
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
Spice Table
Street
Tacos Baja Ensenada
Tasting Kitchen
Terroni
Tsujita L.A.
Vincenti
Waterloo & City

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