Besha Rodell

In the past 24 hours, America has taken notice of the latest Carlton Draught (that's draft in Australianese) commercial, calling it the "best beer commercial of 2012" and other flattering things. And while the new commercial, which features a carless car chase, is pretty awesome, it is the mere tail......

In recent months, many common restaurant management practices and the daily injustices restaurant workers are used to enduring have been deemed illegal or inappropriate. This week, a judge in Illinois ruled that it was not legal for Applebee's to force tipped employees to perform non-tipped duties, such as cleaning toilets......

The Chef's Library is a series in which we ask chefs around town to tell us about their favorite cookbooks. Today, we talk to Michael Cimarusti, chef and owner of Providence. Michael Cimarusti has just rediscovered an old friend. "My wife and I just completed a kitchen renovation at home,"......

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 59: Pickled Watermelon Salad at L&E Oyster Bar On days like these, when the temperature is pushing 100, we just want a cooling salad......

Zagat published a story on Monday that lists the "10 Telltale Signs of a Good Restaurant." And either these "good restaurants" are stuck in a time warp, or they're seriously trying to get you to spend as much money as possible. Apparently, good restaurants are the kind that fold your......

Remember when you were a kid and you liked to fight with your friends about who would win in a fight between Voldemort and Darth Vader? No? That never happened? OK, bear with me. A recent kerfuffle over on our music blog over the concept of "hipster" got me thinking......

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 4), we'll be counting down, in no particular order, 100 of our favorite dishes. 62: Whole Channel Island Red Sea Urchin at Water Grill. There's a lot to indulge in at Water Grill. There's the rotating list of......

Whenever the subject of food threatens to become tedious, I turn to a book of culture where eating is front and center. This weekend I came back to In The Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food by Stewart Lee Allen, a 2002 book that takes the history of......

Outside of a gin and tonic, the piña colada was the first mixed drink I ever had. I was 14 and in Fiji with my father. I was moving to America with my mother; he was staying in Australia. We took a vacation together as a farewell of sorts. I......

Peruvian cuisine is heavy on meat and fish, and Ricardo Zarate's downtown hot spot Mo-Chica is no different. Much of what's on offer consists of stewed meats and bright ceviches, but there is hope here for a diner looking to enjoy the restaurant meat-free. One of the staples of Peruvian......