What is the L.A. Culinary Compass?
Los Angeles is a sprawling city with thousands of ever-changing eating options. The L.A. Culinary Compass provides in-depth coverage of restaurant openings, closings, chef changes and special events. No corner of L.A. County is ignored, but I do promise zero coverage of frozen yogurt shops and vegan restaurants. Your stomach will benefit from the Compass' direction.
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L.A. Culinary Compass Categories
- Bradley Tuck (2)
- Chef Changes (13)
- Closures (5)
- Dose of Vitamin P (32)
- Favorite Posts (21)
- Food Insights (26)
- Giveaways (7)
- Javier Cabral (4)
- Market Driven (8)
- Menu Changes (53)
- New York Food Stories (2)
- Openings (277)
- Other (12)
- Profiles (6)
- Special Events (102)
- Special Offers (34)
- The Showdown (1)
L.A. Culinary Compass Articles
Las Perlas Spotlights Mezcal
March 10, 2010 at 9:38 pm
The doors to Las Perlas opened last night at 7:30, signaling a new era in L.A.’s spirituous evolution. Three downtown bars from Cedd Moses and 213 are now committed to specific spirits. Seven Grand is a whiskey bar, Caña focuses on rum, and Las Perlas is a haven for tequila and mezcal. The man who’s leading the mezcal charge for Las Perlas is general manager …
The Bruery Plans Craft Beer Cafe
March 9, 2010 at 6:34 pm
It hasn’t even been two years since Patrick Rue and Famille Rue launched their full-tilt Belgian-style brewery, yet they’ve already outgrown their Placentia warehouse. On February 25, Orange County Register reporter Adam Townsend broke the news that The Bruery is planning an “ale house” in Placentia’s Old Town. Today, Patrick Rue shared more details about the “craft beer café,” which is still pending final approval …
Dose of Vitamin P: Lazy Ox Canteen Crispy Pig Ears
March 9, 2010 at 6:30 pm
There are certain chefs that are able to tap into a neighborhood’s collective ethos at exactly the right time. Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali tamed Melrose in 2007, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo conquered Fairfax in 2008, and based on early returns, it looks like Little Tokyo may belong to Josef Centeno in 2010.
Several dishes at Lazy Ox Canteen have already captured the imagination of …
Favorite Posts from March 1-7, 2010
March 8, 2010 at 8:00 am
Here are links to some of the more interesting posts from L.A. food writers over the last week:
Caroline on Crack
Caroline Pardilla: Huckleberry Café’s Salted Caramel Bar (March 3, 2010)
Eat Drink & Be Merry
Dylan: McCall’s Meat and Fish Company, Los Feliz – A Tale of Two Butchers (March 2, 2010)
e*starLA
Esther Tseng: Chicken Showdown: Ludovic Lefebvre vs. Eric Greenspan at The Foundry (March 4, 2010)
Eating LA
Pat Saperstein: …
Dose of Vitamin P: Krua Thai Pad Kee Mao
March 2, 2010 at 6:03 pm
East Hollywood might still have the city’s highest concentration of Thai restaurants, but to get the full picture of Thai food in Los Angeles, it’s important to venture to North Hollywood. West of Coldwater Canyon, Sherman Way is dotted with regional Thai spots like Bua Siam, and you’ll also find a noodle specialist: Krua Thai.
The noodles aren’t made in-house, but Winne Ingudomkul’s nine-year-old restaurant still …
Favorite Posts from February 22-28, 2010
March 1, 2010 at 8:40 am
Here are links to some of the more interesting posts from L.A. food writers over the last week:
Caroline on Crack
Caroline Pardilla: How to Order a Drink at the Edison’s Radio Rom, & Last Night’s Recap (February 24, 2010)
Eating LA
Pat Saperstein: Hatfield’s: Bigger, possibly better & open 3/3 for lunch (February 23, 2010)
Eat: Los Angeles
Jenn Gabree: Udon for Olympic Appetites (February 22, 2010)
Good Bite
Kat Odell: Joel …
La Tia Chef Relocates to La Huasteca
February 26, 2010 at 5:15 pm
The Glutster recently discovered that Chef Rocio Camacho, who put “La Tia” in Moles La Tia, can now be found in the kitchen of La Huasteca, the five-year-old anchor tenant of Lynwood’s Plaza Mexico. The chef, who dazzled bloggers and critics like Jonathan Gold, has imported her creative Oaxacan moles, pairing a coffee and Kahlua mole with shrimp and passion fruit mole with a scallop-filled …
Dose of Vitamin P: Guelaguetza Clayuda de Choriqueso
February 23, 2010 at 1:30 am
When it comes to the cuisine of Oaxaca, the spot with the one of the best track records in L.A. is undoubtedly Guelaguetza, now with four branches across town. Fernando Lopez and wife Maria opened the Koreatown original in 1994, and now their son Fernando heads day to day operations at the flagship. On Sunday, Lopez the Younger invited a small group of friends and …
2010 Los Angeles Cupcake Challenge
February 22, 2010 at 11:25 am
By Krystal Houghton
When I walked into the Grand Ballroom at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, there were miniature cupcakes as far as the eye could see. I immediately thought, “I can’t wait to eat all of these cupcakes.” After about 45 minutes, my thoughts turned to, “Wait – I can’t eat all of these cupcakes.” I never thought that I, the queen of …
Favorite Posts from February 15-21, 2010
February 22, 2010 at 9:15 am
Here are links to some of the more interesting posts from L.A. food writers over the last week:
Caroline on Crack
Caroline Pardilla: A Closer Peek at First & Hope Supper Club (February 19, 2010)
Eater LA
Kat Odell: Eater Exclusive First Look: Inside Red O (February 17, 2010)
Eating LA
Pat Saperstein: Spring Wave: Great Mall of China gets Shanghai’ed (February 21, 2010)
LA Times
Betty Hallock: Audrey Saunders exits Tar Pit; Marcos Tello now heads the bar, or not (February 17, 2010)
Mattatouille
Matthew Kang: What makes a good food writer (February 20, 2010)
Teenage Glutster
Javier Cabral: Chichen Itza’s Mayan Tasting Dinner On An Anxious Friday Night (February 19, 2010)
Epic College of the Canyons Beer vs. Wine Battle
February 19, 2010 at 9:25 pm
The biggest promotional event for the College of the Canyons Culinary Arts Program is going especially big for 2010. On Sunday, March 28, an event titled “Men are from Malt, Woman are from Vinos” pits Beer vs. Wine in a six-course meal. With each course, every guest gets a beer and wine pairing along with a vote. Bonus: there are some serious heavy hitters in …
Lamill Beer, Wine, Sake and Expansion
February 19, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Lamill, the mold breaking Silver Lake coffee boutique/restaurant from Craig Min and wife Jean Shim-Min, just added beer, wine and sake last weekend.
Craig Min discussed the list, and said that they know a number of beer and wine experts in the restaurant community, but decided to assemble the list themselves since “We taste for a living.” Lamill Director of Creative Development Precy Betiong and …
Rama, Upscale Thai by Way of San Diego and Cabo
February 18, 2010 at 4:32 pm
Alex Thao’s family has been operating restaurants in San Diego for 30 years, and he’s owned his own crop of restaurants for the past decade, including Celadon, Chow Noodle House and branches of Rama in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter and Cabo San Lucas. Rather than continue on the same path in San Diego, Thao decided “L.A. was a way to get the Rama brand to …
Alex Chu Rolls out THE DIMSUM TRUCK
February 18, 2010 at 11:00 am
There might not be a more auspicious place to launch a food-related business than in the VIP lounge at the LA Street Food Fest, what might be the biggest food event in L.A. history. That’s where Alex Chu was handing out samples from his upcoming DIMSUM TRUCK, which rolls across Los Angeles for the first time on February 21, with an official launch the following …
Nobu L.A. Delivers Omakase-Style Tapa Tasting
February 17, 2010 at 11:13 am
Nobu Matsuhisa continues to remain relevant after almost 25 years on La Cienega by evolving. Nobu Los Angeles - his latest L.A. outpost - already offered a sprawling menu of Japanese-Peruvian tapas in the bar and lounge. Now chef Alex Becker has raised the stakes with a 6-course tapas tasting menu for $40. The tasting includes three selections from the sushi bar, followed by two …
Dose of Vitamin P: Church & State Crispy Pig Ears
February 16, 2010 at 3:14 pm
On the menu, Church & State chef Walter Manzke can mask the dish’s identity in French and call them Oreilles de Cochon, but there’s no doubt what you’re looking at when the bowl hits the table. These are pig’s ears, deep-fried and served with a dish of sauce Bearnaise. The quartet of ears ($10) were fried until crisp crusted and golden on both sides, sort …
Favorite Posts from February 8-14, 2010
February 14, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Here are links to some of the more interesting posts from L.A. food writers over the last week:
Eating LA
Pat Saperstein: L.A. Street Food Fest: Welcome to the food truck jungle (February 13, 2010)
Kung Food Panda
Danny Chen: Eleven Madison Park – “Only” One Michelin Star. Really??? (New York City) (February 9, 2010)
L.A. and O.C. Foodventures
H.C.: Special Foodventures #153: Urban Hike and Eating Off Streets! (February 13, 2010)
LA Times
Jenn Garbee: Sober times for artisan liquor makers (February 11, 2010)
Jessica Gelt: Super Bowl ads fail to bring the funny; but at least we know about Denny’s free Grand Slam breakfast Tuesday (February 8, 2010)
LA Weekly Squid Ink
Lindsay William-Ross: Good Eggs at Monsieur Egg Food Cart (February 10, 2010)
Mattatouille
Matthew Kang: Loup de Mer Table Service – Vertical Wine Bistro (February 9, 2010)
Teenage Glutster
Javier Cabral: Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar & Grill: My First Omakase (February 10, 2010)
Uncouth Gourmands
LA Street Food Fest: Was it Too Good of an Idea? (February 14, 2010)
The Factory is a Community Driven Long Beach Gastropub
February 11, 2010 at 11:30 am
Long Beach has been showing signs of life. Fuego opened last summer in the Hotel Maya, offering modern Latin cooking and views that were previously unimaginable. Further inland, The Factory debuted on December 1, featuring sustainable, locally sourced food, craft beer, boutique wine and cooking classes. Owner Natalie Gutenkauf and her husband used to own a beer distributorship, so they already had the beer part …
Dose of Vitamin P: Jude Becker’s Acorn Fed Hog @ Café Pierre
February 9, 2010 at 3:00 am
It’s no secret that Iowa is home to some of the nation’s finest pigs, but within Iowa, Jude Becker’s hogs have it especially good. Well, until they don’t. On Becker’s Dyersville farm, his pigs feast on acorns, just like their prestigious Iberico cousins, which contributes a nutty richness to the well-marbled meat. Becker raises only 80 pigs per year, and chef Remi Lauvand was able …
La Vida Stakes Claim to Sunset Gower
February 8, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Patina Restaurant Group finally conceded the northwest corner of Sunset Gower Studios after they couldn’t make Pinot Hollywood or eat. on sunset work. Sunset Entertainment Group promptly claimed the sprawling space for La Vida, offering Spanish-influenced California cuisine beginning on Valentine’s Day 2010.
Executive Chef Joseph Panarello previously cooked at Rivera. Representative dishes from the Valentine’s Day menu include broiled shrimp with pineapple and jicama; Boston …
Café de Camacho Helps Advance Olvera Street
February 8, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Olvera Street may be the epicenter of Latin culture in Los Angeles, but for many years, the vivid retail corridor relied on established restaurants and shops to draw people. The opening of Café de Camacho on February 1 marks a subtle shift in Olvera’s fabric.
Don Luis Camacho, who heads his family’s wide-ranging restaurant group, opened Café de Camacho in a long-dormant Bank of America that …
Favorite Posts from February 1-7, 2010
February 8, 2010 at 9:00 am
Here are links to some of the more interesting posts from L.A. food writers over the last week:
Caroline on Crack
Caroline Pardilla: La Descarga: A Little Bit of Havana With Rum, Cigars & Dancing Girls (February 6, 2010)
e*starLA
Esther Tseng: La Descarga: The Underground Rum Revival (February 5, 2010)
gas•tron•o•my
Cathy Danh: Taco Taskforce: Los Angeles’ Best Goat Taco (February 4, 2010)
Glutster
Javier Cabral: Mariscos Martin: Vallarta Hardcore (February 1, …
Stir It 28 Stages Multi-City Haitian Relief Effort
February 6, 2010 at 2:54 pm
The food blogging community has stepped up to assist Haitian earthquake relief efforts. So far we’ve seen bake sales, charity auctions and cocktail events. Stir It 28 is the latest fundraising effort, spanning four cities and involving Chrystal Baker from The Duo Dishes, Bren Herrera of Flanboyant Eats and Courtney Nzeribe of Coco Cooks.
According to the trio’s announcement, “STIR represents the action we as chefs, …
Ludo Fried Chicken @ LA Street Food Fest
February 5, 2010 at 4:15 pm
The inaugural LA Street Food Fest is hosting almost 70 vendors at LA Center Studios on February 13, and the vendor that’s generating the biggest buzz is - no surprise - Ludo! Ludovic Lefebvre has become a rock star in L.A.’s food community, and during the festival, he’ll be making a new variation on his signature fried chicken…inside a truck.
The LA Street Food Fest website …
The Catch Returns to Anaheim
February 5, 2010 at 3:27 pm
The Catch is an Anaheim favorite that was forced to relocate after 32 years so they could steer clear of redevelopment. Today marks the return of the sports-friendly American chophouse on the ground floor of AvalonBay’s Anaheim Stadium, a mixed-use development within walking distance of Angel Stadium, Honda Center and The Grove of Anaheim. “I loved the old free-standing Catch site, but our new location …
