Food

This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register.
Editor’s note: Until my son moved to Los Angeles to go to medical school and then decided to stay there for his residency, I’d never thought of L.A. as a culinary destination. But since then, every time we visit him, he takes us to a new and fascinating place: a hole in the wall that serves fabulous ramen, or a seemingly ramshackle place on the beach the cooks up spicy wonderful Caribbean food, or the place that is reported to have the best burger in L.A., located down a hallway behind a butcher shop in Santa Monica. Who knew that an intern has so much time to eat? But it is turning out that L.A. has one of the most vibrant and diverse food scenes I’ve ever visited. With this in mind I asked our wine columnist Allison Levine, who lives in L.A., for a list of her favorites. —Sasha Paulsen
For years, when one thought of food, restaurants and must-eat-at destinations, Los Angeles was not a city that came to mind. But the city of 14 million has been gaining recognition for its food scene over the last five or so years.
Los Angeles Times Food Critic Jonathan Gold called Los Angeles the “food city of the moment” and restaurant critics from New York and San Francisco have agreed. In fact, Zagat named Los Angeles number one in their list of “30 Most Exciting Food Cities in America 2017.”
I spend much of my time traveling around the country and the world. It is always exciting to explore the food scene in a given city and enjoy wonderful meals. But every time I come home to Los Angeles, I am really blown away by the quality and diversity of the food scene, where chef-driven restaurants, exotic cuisine and innovative cooking are all celebrated. There is also the sheer quantity of restaurants.
New restaurants are opening on a weekly basis. Local celebrity chefs have opened additional locations, new young chefs have realized their visions and a handful of well-known out-of-town high-profile chefs have descended upon Los Angeles for their newest outposts. At times, it seems almost impossible to keep up, but I do my best. Here are some of my favorite restaurants where I had some of my more memorable meals of 2017.
11 January, 2018
Good Measure has been on my list of restaurants to try since it opened this past summer. But between my travel schedule and availability to get across the city to Atwater Village, I had yet to go. But, for the very last day of 2017, I finally went to Good Measure for brunch and alas it is the Please The Palate pick of the week. Good Measure is a wine-inspired restaurant. Opened by Matthew Kaner, one of Food & Wine's Sommeliers of the Year 2013 and wine director of Bar Covell and Augustine, the 75-seat Good Measure has more than 1000 bottles of wine from around the world. And chef Mike Garber, who previously worked at the now-closed BLD and at Ammo, has created a menu to pair with the wines.
06 January, 2018
This story originally appeared in the Napa Valley Register. To me, the best way to get to know a county and its culture is through its food and wine. Local ingredients and dishes, the indigenous grape varieties and winemaking processes, they all tell so much about a culture, its history and present-day. So, on my first trip to Portugal, specifically to the city of Porto, I dove right in. Located in Northern Portugal, along the Douro river, Porto is the second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. From the cobblestone streets to the tiled houses to the food and wine, it is no wonder that Porto was classified as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1996 and recently awarded The Best European Destination by the Best European Destinations Agency. Porto is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the vineyards in the Douro to the east. The cuisine of Porto uses its natural resources, which include fresh seafood and meats. And there are the sweet desserts, many of which are made with what was described to me as just “sugar, sugar, sugar and eggs, eggs, eggs.”
02 January, 2018
I love everything Italian, especially the food and wine. So, I eagerly awaited the opening of Eataly in Los Angeles, happy that it would be in Century City, not far from my home. When it opened last month, there were large crowds lined up each day so I waited a few weeks before going. It was worth the wait. Eataly is the Please The Palate pick of the week. Anything and everything Italian that you might want is there. Do not go hungry or you will be in trouble! Entering on Level 2, there is a Lavazza Caffe serving up coffee like you can only get in Italy. Forget triple, grande and tall, just order a proper Italian espresso, a macchiato, or any classic espresso drink. Or indulge in an Italian hot chocolate, thick dark chocolate that is rich but not overly sweet. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a gelato from Il Gelato or a bomboloni (similar to a stuffed doughnut) at Cannoli e Bomboloni. Of course, you may want to save these spots for after you eat.
30 December, 2017

Petite Taqueria is a Tex-Mex restaurant located on La Cienega in the former Bagatelle space. The last time I was at the space, I was...

28 December, 2017
The Flats in Beverly Hills sits on a corner of Wilshire Blvd, one block east of La Cienega. Outside, construction of the Metro's Purple Line has the street blocked off but inside, The Flats was bustling. At the helm of The Flats is Michelin-starred Executive Chef Paul Shoemaker who has worked at Alan Ducasse, French Laundry, Water Grill, Providence, Firefly and Bastide, as well as his own restaurant Savory in Malibu. I first met Chef Shoemaker at the opening of Intro Art Gallery and Chef’s Table in North Hollywood where he offered a multi-sensory interactive dining experience. It is hard to forget the edible “dime bag” he served us that was made with Japanese rice paper filled with powdered foie gras, cocoa puffs, pine nuts and carbonated caramel. I was excited to try his newest endeavor, The Flats.   
26 December, 2017
The first time I went to Los Gatos was when my friend and I rushed to the Michelin-rated Manresa to enjoy their "Bar Bites" menu before heading to catch our flight out of the San Jose Airport. As we drove into the town on our single-minded mission, I made a mental note of how adorable the town of Los Gatos looked and how I wanted to go back. And I finally did! In between events in San Francisco, I headed south to Redwood Shores (20 minutes north of Palo Alto) to visit friends. When I was invited to check out The Catamount, I thought it was a perfect chance to return to Los Gatos. Little did I know that Los Gatos is a good 45 minute drive from Redwood Shores but thankfully my friend was a good sport and willing to drive. We entered the charming town of Los Gatos where the streets are lined with shops and pulled into the lot where The Catamount is located. Opened in May of 2017, The Catamount is a very large (10,000 square feet), bright and airy space with a beautiful Carrera marble bar welcoming you at the entrance and a warm, modern comfortable overall feeling. The historic building dates back to 1923 and the name The Catamount is a combination of "the cats" (translated from Los Gatos) and the Santa Cruz Mountains, which can be seen from the windows in the restaurant.
14 December, 2017
There is a must go-to place in San Jose del Cabo. It is not a particular hotel; it is not the beach; it is not a tequila bar; it is not a taco stand. It is an organic farm and restaurant called Flora Farms. I was in Cabo, staying on the beach on the tip of the Pacific Ocean side. My friends had heard about this place from a chef friend and asked me to join them. We ordered a taxi and took a one hour drive back towards the airport to San Jose del Cabo. After passing large hotel after large hotel, we turned down a dirt road and drove another 10 minutes and arrived at Flora Farms. Flora Farms in an organic compound owned by Gloria and Patrick Greene. As the car parked, we came across a few shops, including one where over-priced locally-made soaps were for sale as well as a James Perse clothing store. There was also a wine and coffee bar. We followed the path to the left and at the end is Flora’s Field Kitchen and Flora’s Farm Bar. An open-air restaurant, Flora’s Field Kitchen has an rustically modern and natural feel to it. We took a seat at our table as the water misters cooled us down.
07 December, 2017
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